Every Splash Counts at CTE
at Cracker Trail Elementary

November 1, 2011 thru April 6, 2012

County: Highlands
Categories: Natural systems Water conservation Water quality Watersheds

1. Describe the project

Students will participate in a series of experiments investigating water pollution. Students will also participate in hands-on activities exploring the water cycle. Local actions creating a global effect will be a theme, as students examine the watershed model and discuss how the water cycle spreads water across the globe. Students will examine water usage and learn conservation and preservation methods via interactive websites. Florida Aquarium will bring live animals to the school and conduct on-site water testing in a hands-on demonstration through the Aquaventures program. Three classrooms will host terrariums in which students can observe the water cycle occurring in a miniature ecosystem.

2. What will project participants learn about water resources? How will you measure what they learned?

Project participants will learn sources of pollution of freshwater resources, and how this pollution impacts the inhabits of the freshwater ecosystems. Students will also learn the importance of and methods of freshwater conservation. Students will learn the impact human beings can have on the water cycle.

3. What activities will participants in your project complete?

Students will also research the affect of pollution on freshwater habitats, and classes will adopt an endangered animal whose habitat includes freshwater areas: manatees, bald eagles, Florida black bears, Florida panthers, and American alligators. Students will participate throughout the year in experiments relating to the water cycle and water pollution. Students may choose to make one of the water experiments their contribution to the school science fair in February. Students will observe the water cycle occurring in various student-created ecosystems, and hypothesize the impact various human actions could have on their ecosystem.

4. How will your project's message and/or lesson be shared with the greater community (school community or neighborhood)?

SWFMD Pre- and post-test, teacher observations, student products, Performance Matters for 5th grade students, teacher-created tests

5. What is your project's timeline? Please include project start and end dates and project milestones.

As soon as funding is available, teachers can begin teaching the four components of the unit: The Water Cycle, Watershed education, Pollution and water testing, and Water Conservation. The lessons will take place at various times, based on each grade level’s science curriculum maps.
Cracker Trail Elementary’s school science fair will be held February 23, 2012. The weeks leading up to the fair, student groups will be preparing their projects and presentations.
World Water Day 2012 will be recognized on March 22.

6. Will water savings be documented as part of this project? If yes, how will this be documented?

Water conservation tips will be shared in our school’s monthly newsletter. Families will be invited to participate in The Water Challenge. Families and community members will be involved in recognition of World Water Day. Students will also get a chance to share some of their water-related experiments at the school science fair in February.

7. How will you acknowledge SWFWMD support of your project?

The SWFWMD logo will appear in the school newsletter along with announcements of events such as the school science fair and the World Water Event. Students who base their science project on the resources provide by SWFWMD will display the logo. SWFWMD’s support will also be announced at the World Water Day event.

8. Is there a connection to your School Improvement Plan? If so, please explain.

This project will support our School Improvement Plan goal of improving Science FCAT scores.
Next Generation Sunshine State Standards:
SC.5.E.7.2: Recognize that the ocean is an integral part of the water cycle and is connected to all of Earth’s water reservoirs via evaporation and precipitation processes.
SC.5.E.7.1: Create a model to explain the parts of the water cycle. Water can be a gas, a liquid, or a solid and can go back and forth from one state to another.
SC.4.E.6.6: Identify resources available in Florida (water, phosphate, oil, limestone, silicon, wind, and solar energy).
SC.4.L.17.4: Recognize ways plants and animals, including humans, can impact the environment.
SC.3.P.9.1: Describe the changes water undergoes when it changes state through heating and cooling by using familiar scientific terms such as melting, freezing, boiling, evaporation, and condensation.
SC.2.E.7.3: Investigate, observe and describe how water left in an open container disappears (evaporates), but water in a closed container does not disappear (evaporate).
SC.2.L.17.2: Recognize and explain that living things are found all over Earth, but each is only able to live in habitats that meet its basic needs.
SC.1.E.6.2: Describe the need for water and how to be safe around water.
This project will support our school plan to integrate the Common Core Standards in Mathematics by having students reason abstractly and quantitatively, construct viable arguments and critique the reasoning of others, look for and make use of structure, and make sense of problems and persevere in solving them.

Additional information

Teacher participation hours:
ESE Resource Teacher/Project coordinator – 20 hours
5th grade teacher – 10 hours
5th grade teacher – 10 hours
4th grade teacher – 10 hours
4th grade teacher – 10 hours
3rd grade teacher – 10 hours
3rd grade teacher – 10 hours
2nd grade teacher – 10 hours
2nd grade teacher – 10 hours
1st grade teacher – 10 hours
1st grade teacher – 10 hours
Total of 110 hours

Project budget

	Item	Cost	Notes from SWFWMD staff
	Substitute for Sharing Day Substitute for project coordinator	$100
	Bill Nye The Science Guy Lakes and Ponds DVD Engaging DVD discussing freshwater sources	$29.95
	Animal Adoption fees Adoption of American alligator, manatee, bald eagle, Florida panther, and Florida black bear	$250	need stronger water component
	Bill Nye The Science Guy Water Cycle DVD Engaging DVD discussing freshwater sources	$29.95
	Bill Nye the Science Guy Rivers and Streams DVD Engaging DVD discussing freshwater sources	$29.95
	Bill Nye The Science Guy Wetlands DVD Engaging DVD discussing a freshwater habitat	$29.95
	Bill Nye The Science Guy Pollution Solutions DVD Engaging DVD discussing pollution sources	$29.95
	Water Testing kits 10-pack of WaterSafe kits	$199.9
	One Well book by Rochelle Straus Class set of books that describes how we treat the water in a well will affecct every species on the planet.	$405
	Lakeshore Instant Learning Center Water Cycle investigation station	$124.75
	Steve Spangler Duo-scope mircroscopes to examine tiny organisms found in freshwater sources	$430
	Microscope slides Materials found in freshwater on slides	$0
	Classroom consumables materials for experiments, i.e. plastic tubs, cotton balls, food coloring, sponges, paper, plastic baggies	$0
	Florida Aquarium Aquaventures program Florida Aquarium's hands-on aquatic animal experience and on-site water testing	$600
	Water curriculum book Evan-Moor's water curriculum guide provide lessons and activities	$99.94999999999999
	Steve Spangler Hydropower kit hands-on activity that demonstrates the power of harnessing freshwater resources	$65
	Water Pollution and Waste Water Treatment Kit Hands-on activity for students to explore pollution treatment methods	$100
	Water Cycle in a Box Kit Hands-on investigations of the water cycle	$70
	Water cycle game Interactive game that helps students understand the concept of ground water versus land runoff	$60
	Water cycle model and study cards hands-on water cycle demonstration piece	$125	SWFWMD budget constraints
	Terrarium kits classroom ecosystems for students to examine the water cycle at work in an ecosystem	$219

= approved
= denied