"I drink you need some water..."
Our class recently completed H2O: Unit 1 (71%). In this unit, we learned about the challenges people face to acquire fresh, potable water. In many developing countries, including areas of the United States, people struggle for access to this vital resource.
The mission of the first H2O Field Experience was to carry water 0.2 miles from the Chicago River back to GCE Lab School. During the experience, my body felt incredibly sore trying to navigate the bumpy sidewalks with heavy buckets on wheels. Pushing the large buckets over cracks proved to be difficult. Psychologically, I became frustrated about how slow I was moving and how heavy and awkward the buckets were.
The most challenging part of this External Investigation was when the buckets fell over three separate times, spilling much of my original water supply. I started the experience with 10 gallons of water (2 five gallon buckets), and ended with only 3.5 gallons of water. Less than half of what I originally collected.
I estimated that I, personally, use around 82 gallons of water per day. In order to collect 82 gallons of water on foot, I calculated that I would need to walk a total of 16.4 miles over the course of 5 hours, nonstop. That is almost an entire school day!
If I were traveling alone or with my family members, I probably would have been more mindful about the security of my buckets. With my classmates, however, I felt like I had to hurry so I wouldn't hold up the class. Trying to rush made me less careful.
This External Investigation really increased my awareness of water usage. It has made me realize how I take my access to clean, fresh water for granted. Not only is it difficult to collect and carry water, but it is very time consuming to transport it.
If I ever needed to ration my water usage, I would need to make several changes to my daily habits. For instance, I would try to keep my clothes clean for as long as possible before washing. Also, I would only bathe when absolutely necessary. Next, I would only cook food in ways that used the least amount of water, such as baking.
During the Field Experience, the thing I noticed most was how frustrated we all became when we spilled our water. This made me realize how we, as a class, were learning the value of potable water. Every time I spilled, I would think of the impact it would have if I were living in India and trying to get the water back home to my family. I am very grateful for this experience.
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CONCLUSION
By completing the H2O Unit 1 action project, I learned the value of having access to potable water. Through the field experience, I realized how difficult it would be to live in a developing country and have to collect my daily water usage from a far source.
The most challenging thing about completing this action project was getting sick and missing a day of school. Not only was I absent one day, but I ended up being sick most of the weekend. This made it difficult to keep up with the rest of the class.
If I had to do it all over again, I would make sure my assignments were edited and formatted better as they were assigned, so I could put everything together more easily at the end. This would give me more time to work on graphics and formatting.
I am most proud of all of the data and information I collected over the course of this unit. For my first GCE action project, I feel like, despite being sick, I put in my best effort to have an organized and interesting presentation.
The mission of the first H2O Field Experience was to carry water 0.2 miles from the Chicago River back to GCE Lab School. During the experience, my body felt incredibly sore trying to navigate the bumpy sidewalks with heavy buckets on wheels. Pushing the large buckets over cracks proved to be difficult. Psychologically, I became frustrated about how slow I was moving and how heavy and awkward the buckets were.
The most challenging part of this External Investigation was when the buckets fell over three separate times, spilling much of my original water supply. I started the experience with 10 gallons of water (2 five gallon buckets), and ended with only 3.5 gallons of water. Less than half of what I originally collected.
I estimated that I, personally, use around 82 gallons of water per day. In order to collect 82 gallons of water on foot, I calculated that I would need to walk a total of 16.4 miles over the course of 5 hours, nonstop. That is almost an entire school day!
If I were traveling alone or with my family members, I probably would have been more mindful about the security of my buckets. With my classmates, however, I felt like I had to hurry so I wouldn't hold up the class. Trying to rush made me less careful.
This External Investigation really increased my awareness of water usage. It has made me realize how I take my access to clean, fresh water for granted. Not only is it difficult to collect and carry water, but it is very time consuming to transport it.
If I ever needed to ration my water usage, I would need to make several changes to my daily habits. For instance, I would try to keep my clothes clean for as long as possible before washing. Also, I would only bathe when absolutely necessary. Next, I would only cook food in ways that used the least amount of water, such as baking.
During the Field Experience, the thing I noticed most was how frustrated we all became when we spilled our water. This made me realize how we, as a class, were learning the value of potable water. Every time I spilled, I would think of the impact it would have if I were living in India and trying to get the water back home to my family. I am very grateful for this experience.
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WATER USAGE + GLOBAL COMPARISONS
Pie chart created using www.meta-chart.com.
Poster created and formatted using www.canva.com.
Flag, maps of Japan and America stock images from www.canva.com.
Japan for Sustainability, The Fujitsu Group, "Water Resources and Use in Japan. japanfs.org. 28 February 2003.
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CALL TO ACTION:
If it's yellow, let it mellow.
If it's yellow, let it mellow.
- Turn off the tap while brushing teeth.
- Turn off the tap while washing hands.
- Replace old shower heads, faucets, and toilets with more efficient models.
- Shower in less time.
- Only flush after you go #2.
- Change your landscape to drought-loving plants, rock gardens, and succulents.
- Only water your landscape early in the morning, when it doesn’t have a chance to evaporate quickly.
- Only run the dishwasher when it is full.
- Fix old pipes and leaks.
- Make meal choices that don’t use too much water for cooking.
- Make an effort to keep your wardrobe clean and re-wear clothes whenever possible.
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CONCLUSION
The most challenging thing about completing this action project was getting sick and missing a day of school. Not only was I absent one day, but I ended up being sick most of the weekend. This made it difficult to keep up with the rest of the class.
If I had to do it all over again, I would make sure my assignments were edited and formatted better as they were assigned, so I could put everything together more easily at the end. This would give me more time to work on graphics and formatting.
I am most proud of all of the data and information I collected over the course of this unit. For my first GCE action project, I feel like, despite being sick, I put in my best effort to have an organized and interesting presentation.
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