Clean Water Starts with YOU!
Many people in the United States don’t realize how much water they use. Our modern lifestyle makes it so
easy to get water. But where does the water you drink and bathe in come from? The faucet? Yes…but how
does it get to the faucet? Most people drink water that is piped to their homes by their city, town, or a private
business. But some families drink water that comes from private sources. These include wells and springs that
serve single families or a few families. WATER IS NOT FREE. Regardless of where your water comes from, water is
not free! Most people don’t buy it in a grocery store. We don’t pay for water by the glass. But we do pay for
water, one way or another. We may get water bills from the town, city, or business that supplies water to our
homes. Or we may pay to maintain private water sources. Adults are probably always telling you not to waste
food because other children don’t have enough, and because it costs money. This is also true about water,
so you shouldn’t waste it either!
The following activities are fun and easy ways to monitor the water we use, discovery how much water is in
your body and the food we eat, learn the parts of the water cycle, and discover creative ways to add water
to your every day diet!
Participation is simple! Over the next few weeks complete at least four or more of the activities listed in this
guide. Be aware that some activities may require the assistance of an adult. Bring your completed activity
book to the 2017 Alexandria Earth Day Celebration on April 29, 2017 OR email your completed packet to
Reggie Morris, 4-H Agent at [email protected] no later than Wednesday April 26, 2017 and make plans join us at
the Earth Day Celebration to collect* your Earth Day Souvenir T-Shirt, Earth Day Patch, Certificate and Ribbon!
(*while supplies last)
2017 Alexandria Earth Day Celebration Youth Activities:
What a Day! - Calculating Your Daily Water Usage
Water, Water, Everywhere—Even In Your Body
Rose Rain Drop Water Cycle Game
What’s in the Water? Infused Water Recipe Contest
Apple Rings & Banana Chips
Virginia Cooperative Extension programs and employment are open to all, regardless of age, color, disability, gender, gender identity, gender expression, national origin, political affiliation, race, religion, sexual orientation,
genetic information, veteran status, or any other basis protected by law. An equal opportunity/affirmative action employer. Issued in furtherance of Cooperative Extension work, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State
University, Virginia State University, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture cooperating. Edwin J. Jones, Director, Virginia Cooperative Extension, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg; M. Ray McKinnie, Administrator, 1890 Extension
Program, Virginia State University, Petersburg.
Clean Water Starts With Me!
Project Planning Guide
2017 Alexandria Earth Day Celebration
April 29, 2017
My Name is: ___________________________. I am ________ years old.
I am in the __________________________ grade.
I attend ________________________________ School.
Parent/Guardian Name / Email: _________________________________________________________
Activity Name:
My Water Story! Clean Water Starts
with YOU
What A Day! Calculating Your Daily
Water Usage
Water, Water, Everywhere! Even In
Your Body
Rosa Raindrop Water Cycle Board
Game
What’s In the Water? Infused Water
Recipe
Apple Rings & Banana Chips
Water Flows, Soil Goes
Date Completed:
Helper Initials:
My Water Story—Clean Water Starts with YOU
Clean water starts with each of us! As a citizen of Earth you have a duty to do what’s right and take steps to protect Earth’s
greatest resource; its water supply. In the space provided below, describe what actions you can take to keep our water safe for
generations to come.
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What a Day!
Calculating Your Daily Water Usage
You can learn a lot about your own water use by completing the “Average Water Use Tally” activity. You’ll
learn where you use the most water at home. You’ll find out whether your water use is above or below average. Don’t be afraid to ask an adult to go over the directions for this exercise if you need help.
Directions: Use the sheets provided to keep track of your own water use for three, 24-hour periods. One of the three days
should be a weekend day. You should include all water use for the three days, even water use at school, at a friend’s
house, or in a restaurant. You probably won’t perform every task on the charts every day, or even once, during the threeday tally. When you’re done, answer the reflection questions at the bottom on this page. Ask an adult for help if you need
it.
How to complete the Water Usage Sheet:
1. Each time you use water in a way listed on the chart, mark a “1” next to the activity in column B.
2. At the end of the day, add up all the 1’s for “flush toilet” and write the total in column C.
3. Now multiply the number in column C by the number given in column D. This answer tells you the number of gallons per
day you used to flush the toilet. Write this answer in column E.
4. Repeat steps 2 and 3 for the other activities in column A of the chart.
5. Add up all the numbers in column E to get the total number of gallons of water you used on your first tally day.
6. Repeat these steps on days 2 and 3 of your water use tally.
Average Daily Water Use Tally—Reflection Questions
1. Calculate you average daily water use for three days. (Add the three day totals and divide by 3.)
__________________________________________________________________________________________ gallons/day
2. Which activity required the most water?
______________________________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________________________
3. In which room of the house was the most water used?
______________________________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________________________
4. What water uses in your house were not included in your water use tally?
______________________________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________________________
5. Was your average water use more or less than the national average of 50 gallons per person?
MORE
LESS
Activity Retrieved from: Water Conservation with the Water Lion—Unit 1 Activity: Average Water Use Tally
Average Daily Water Use Tally— Day 1: __________________________________ (Day of the Week)
A
B
C
D
E
Water Use Task
Times on Day 1
Total Times on Day 1
Gallons Used per Time
Gallons per Day
Flush toilet
6
Run faucet for 1 minute (waiting for water
to get hot or cold)
4
Fill a bathtub (about 5
inches of water)
40
Shower (5 minutes)
35
Run Dishwasher
15
Wash a load of dishes
by hand (in a basin or
plugged sink without
water running)
4
Wash a load of dishes
by hand (with water
running)
30
Wash a car (water off
while soaping)
40
Wash a car (water on
while soaping)
180
Wash 1 large load of
clothing
45
Wash 1 small load of
clothing
30
Brush teeth with water
running
2
Brush teeth with water
off
1
Wash hands
.1
Drink water
0.25
Water lawn (20
minutes)
150
Average Daily Water Use Tally— Day 2: __________________________________ (Day of the Week)
A
B
C
D
E
Water Use Task
Times on Day 2
Total Times on Day 2
Gallons Used per Time
Gallons per Day
Flush toilet
6
Run faucet for 1 minute (waiting for water
to get hot or cold)
4
Fill a bathtub (about 5
inches of water)
40
Shower (5 minutes)
35
Run Dishwasher
15
Wash a load of dishes
by hand (in a basin or
plugged sink without
water running)
4
Wash a load of dishes
by hand (with water
running)
30
Wash a car (water off
while soaping)
40
Wash a car (water on
while soaping)
180
Wash 1 large load of
clothing
45
Wash 1 small load of
clothing
30
Brush teeth with water
running
2
Brush teeth with water
off
1
Wash hands
.1
Drink water
0.25
Water lawn (20
minutes)
150
Average Daily Water Use Tally— Day 3: __________________________________ (Day of the Week)
A
B
C
D
E
Water Use Task
Times on Day 3
Total Times on Day 3
Gallons Used per Time
Gallons per Day
Flush toilet
6
Run faucet for 1 minute (waiting for water
to get hot or cold)
4
Fill a bathtub (about 5
inches of water)
40
Shower (5 minutes)
35
Run Dishwasher
15
Wash a load of dishes
by hand (in a basin or
plugged sink without
water running)
4
Wash a load of dishes
by hand (with water
running)
30
Wash a car (water off
while soaping)
40
Wash a car (water on
while soaping)
180
Wash 1 large load of
clothing
45
Wash 1 small load of
clothing
30
Brush teeth with water
running
2
Brush teeth with water
off
1
Wash hands
.1
Drink water
0.25
Water lawn (20
minutes)
150
How Much Water Is In Your Body?
Many people and animals drink and bathe in water. Wetlands provide habitats for many birds, plants, and
animals. But did you know that when you drink milk, you’re drinking mostly water too? The same goes for fruit
juices. Even fruits and vegetables are mostly water. People use water for bathing and cleaning and making
products. Paper, clothing, and even electricity are made using water. However, the use of water in
manufacturing is not as important as our basic need to drink water. Without water, you would not be alive.
Neither would anything else. Water makes up about 60 percent of an adult’s weight. It makes up about 70
percent of a child’s weight. A person can live for only a few days without water. Water helps our joints move,
helps us digest our food, helps us carry blood through our bodies, and removes wastes.
You should drink about 2 quarts of water each day.
How Much Water Is In Your Body?
1. Your weight: ____________________ (lbs.)
2. Multiply your weight by 2: _______________________________ (lbs.)
3. Divide your answer to question 2 by 3.
This is the number of pounds of water in you: _______________________ (lbs. of water)
4. Divide your answer to question 3 by 8.
This is the number of gallons of water in your body: ________________ (gallons of water)
Activity Retrieved from: Water Conservation with the Water Lion—Unit 1 Activity: How Much Water Is In Your Body
Rosa Raindrop Water Cycle Board Game
Did You Know… The water—or hydrologic—cycle is an endless process in which water is circulated around the
surface of the Earth through the soil, plants, animals, and atmosphere. The amount of water moving through
the cycle has been approximately the same throughout 3.5 million years. It has been estimated that a single
water molecule evaporates once every 5,000 years and has moved through the cycle about 700,000 times
since the cycle began. The water cycle is not a circle. There are many ways water is moved or stored on Earth.
Playing the game, learners may move through several loops on their journey through the water cycle.
Materials:
The Rosa Raindrop Water Cycle Game


Four game board markers (use large corks or other similar items)


One die
Rosa Raindrop’s World Water Tally
Rules of the Game:
Each player needs a game marker and a copy of Rosa Raindrop’s World Water Tally. (Or, you can divide the
group of learners into four teams with one game marker and one copy of the World Water Tally per team.)
Play begins with all the playing pieces in the Ocean. The object of the game is for the players to travel the
various paths through the water cycle until they return to the Ocean. Everyone “wins” when they return to the
Ocean.
The youngest player (or team with the youngest player) moves first. Roll the die and follow the instructions on
the first five spaces to move through “Evaporation Powered by Solar Energy.” After reaching the Clouds, continue to roll the die and move around the board following the instructions on the space where the playing
piece lands after each turn. Players may choose their own direction of travel, unless at the end of their turn
they land on a circle that contains an arrow. When a player ends a turn on a circle with an arrow, the player
must travel in the direction the arrow points on his or her next regular turn.
On the journey through the water cycle, each player (or team) should use the World Water Tally sheet to record the percent of water found in each section of the water cycle they pass through. Some players may travel
from the Clouds to the Ocean very quickly. Others may take their time traveling several loops. When they return to the Ocean, they may stop or go around again. The leader may wish to set a time limit for game play to
end.
Reflection Questions:
1. How many different ways did you travel through the water cycle? ________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________
2. Why is it important to protect the quality of Earth’s water? ________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Activity Retrieved from: Bourdeau, V. (2002, July). OSU Libraries (Oregon State University Extension Service, Oregon 4-H Youth Development). Retrieved January 31, 2017, from http://
ir.library.oregonstate.edu/xmlui/bitstream/handle/1957/25496/4-H%203804_bw.pdf?sequence=1
Rosa
Raindrop’s
World Water Tally
Source
Percent of
total water
(approximate)
Lakes
_____________
Oceans
_____________
Soil moisture
_____________
Groundwater
_____________
Rivers
_____________
Ice caps/glaciers
_____________
Atmospheric water
_____________
Total +/-
100.00 %
The 4-H Rosa Raindrop Water Cycle Board Game was adapted to this game board format by Virginia Bourdeau,
Extension 4-H specialist, Oregon State University, from 4-H Wetland Wonders (4-H 3801L).
Printing costs for this publication were funded by the Oregon 4-H Foundation.
© 2002 Oregon State University
This publication was produced and distributed in furtherance of the Acts of Congress of May 8 and June 30, 1914. Extension
work is a cooperative program of Oregon State University, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, and Oregon counties.
Oregon State University Extension Service offers educational programs, activities, and materials—without discrimination based
on race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, national origin, age, marital status, disability, or disabled veteran or Vietnam-era veteran
status. Oregon State University Extension Service is an Equal Opportunity Employer.
Published July 2002.
WORLD WATER TALLY
The water vapor in the air is called
atmospheric water. This water is
0.001% of the world’s water supply.
CLOUDS
WORLD WATER TALLY
Ice caps and glaciers are
1.81% of the world’s
water supply.
Escape to the
atmosphere through
You are
transpiration.
absorbed by
Move ahead
a Douglas2 spaces.
fir root. Move
ahead 1
space.
Roll a 2
to advance
RAIN
Snow
and ice.
Miss one turn.
Roll a 3
to advance
WORLD WATER TALLY
Groundwater is 0.62% of
the world’s water supply
io
at
Roll a 5
to advance
START HERE
WORLD WATER TALLY
97.54% of the world’s
water supply is found
in the oceans.
END HERE
A mole eating
a worm eats
you too.
Miss one turn.
You are
pumped from
the ground by an
irrigation system.
Go back 3
spaces.
ap
or
Roll a 4
to advance
Ev
O C
E A
N
n
Po
we
re
d
by
So
la
r E
ne
rg
y
THE ROSA
RAINDROP
WATER CYCLE
GAME
Roll a 1
to advance
WORLD WATER TALLY
Rivers contain 0.0001% of
the world’s water supply.
RIVER
Or, go around the cycle again.
Falling
over a waterfall, you are
evaporated.
Go to the
cloud.
WORLD WATER TALLY
Lakes contain 0.017% of
the world’s water supply.
Spring flow.
Return to the
surface. Move
LAKE
ahead 2
spaces.
WORLD WATER TALLY
Soil moisture is 0.005% of
the world’s water supply.
Moving
through the
soil, you find a
gopher hole.
Move ahead 2
spaces.
SOIL
INFILTRATION
You are
absorbed by
a cattail plant.
Miss one
turn.
You are
swallowed by
a bass. Miss
one turn.
WETLAND
You land on
a leaf and are
evaporated.
Go to the
cloud.
Rapids.
Move ahead
5 spaces.
You are on
the foot of a
duck when it
flies. Go back
3 spaces.
AM
E
R
T
S
What In the Water? Infused Water Contest
Water, we all need it, especially kids!
Did you know:
- Losing only 5% of water causes headache, fatigue, confusion, forgetfulness, and elevated heart rate.
- Water regulates body temperature.
- Water dilutes toxins and flushes them out.
- Provides a moist environment for ear, nose, and throat tissues.
- Carries nutrients to your cells.
- Water lubricates joints, improves skin, cushions body’s organs, and repairs tissue.
Each day children should drink between 5—10 glasses of water!
Blueberry & Mint Infusion
Strawberry & Basil
2 cups blueberries
10 strawberries, thinly sliced
2 sprigs of mint, muddled
3 basil leaves, torn into quarters and muddled
2 quarts of water
2 quarts of water
Citrus Blend
Just the Berries
1 orange thinly sliced
10 strawberries, thinly sliced
1 lime, thinly sliced
2 cups blueberries, slightly muddled
1/2 a lemon, thinly sliced
2 quarts water
2 quarts of water
Create Your Own!
Directions: In the space provided below write out your own water infusion recipe! Be creative and try out as many fruit and vegetable combinations as you can!
Infusion Title:
Infusion Title:
____________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________
Ingredients:
Ingredients:
____________________________________________________
____________________________________________________
____________________________________________________
____________________________________________________
____________________________________________________
____________________________________________________
____________________________________________________
____________________________________________________
____________________________________________________
____________________________________________________
____________________________________________________
____________________________________________________
____________________________________________________
____________________________________________________
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Activity Retrieved from: http://www.momadvice.com/post/ditch-the-juice-box-fruit-infused-water-recipes & http://www.superhealthykids.com/flavored-water-for-kids/a
Apple Rings and Banana Chips
Your body cannot function without enough water, which is why 60% of your body is comprised of water.
Complete the following activity to discover just how much water is in common fruits such as apples and
bananas.
Materials: apples, bananas, lemon juice, knife, weight scale, cookie sheet, nonstick spray
Directions:
1. Wash 3—4 apples.
2. Carefully remove the core and cut the apples into rings about 1/4 inch thick. Coat apple rings in lemon
juice.
3. Weigh each ring and record the weight.
4. Spray a cookie sheet with nonstick spray and arrange the apple slices on it so that they do not touch each
other.
5. Place the tray in the oven and set the oven to the lowest temperature setting. Allow the rings to warm for
about two (2) hours.
6. While rings are drying make a prediction on how the rings will look and feel. Draw your hypothesis in the
space provided below. Remember the water cycle and evaporation when predicting.
7. Reweigh the dry apple rings and compare the dry weight to the freshly sliced apple rings.
8. Try the same drying process with other fruits such as bananas or peaches.
Activity Retrieved from: 4-H Junior Master Gardener Handbook—Level 1 / Lesson: Apple Rings and Banana Chips
Water Flows, Soil Goes
Materials:
Water source (hose or 2-liter bottles filled with water), bare soil, soil with vegetation
***Special Note: For this activity, prepare an area outside. Find an area of loose, bare soil. If none is available, you may need to scrape
and break up an area with a hoe (about 2 feet by 3 feet). This works particularly well if the area slopes.***
Did You Know…
Plants help protect the soil. How do you think plants help? Water is a very powerful thing! One drop by itself
has little power, but billions of drops falling from the sky or moving over the ground have a lot of power. Water
can cause problems for the soil because water can wash soil away—this is called erosion.
Directions:
Locate an area in your yard or a local park with access to soil. Write the word “erosion” in the soil and then
pour water over the area for 1 minute. If you are using bottles of water, make sure the water keeps flowing.
Next, find a grassy area. You might use a hand trowel to carve a letter E or some simple shape into the grass.
Allow the water to flow over the grass the same way as the bare patch.
Point out erosion in both areas and look for differences between the bare and covered soils. Point out the
differences they see in the erosion of the word “erosion” in the bare soil and in the design on the grassy soil.
What Did You See?
In the space below, draw what happened to the
“bare” soil after the rain fall.
In the space below, draw what happened to the
“grassy” soil after the rain fall.
Activity Retrieved from: 4-H Junior Master Gardener Handbook—Level 1 / Lesson: Water Flows, Soil Goes