In this lesson, students construct a water filter to purify dirty water. Then they experiment with several materials to determine the best filter and use the cleanest (best-filtered) water to water a classroom plant. Students also see that getting water that is clean enough for humans to drink is not an easy task.
The purpose of this lesson is for students to recognize that all living beings need water to survive. Students conduct a scientific experiment, beginning with a prediction about whether they think a seed in a cotton ball will grow if it is watered. They conduct a step-by-step experiment and track plant growth over several days with careful observations. Students discover that water is a natural element that helps living things grow and develop.
In this activity, students recognize that water is a very important substance for keeping the human body healthy and for keeping other living organisms alive, too. After a ludic activity, students learn that all living beings consist largely of water and depend on it in many ways. They use their senses by dancing and drawing life-sized human outlines to appreciate the water in their bodies and how much they depend upon and enjoy water.
