SON GCE Portfolio

INTRODUCTION: For the H2O Unit 2 Field Experience: 4.5 Billion, we went to the Jardine Water Plant in Chicago, near Navy Pier. This plant filters all of the water for Chicagoland. I learned that the plant takes water directly from Lake Michigan and filters it for safe drinking and everyday use. After the water is pumped to the plant, it goes through many stages of filtration. First, chemicals are added (chlorine, flouride, and aluminum sulfate) to remove particles and dangerous microorganisms. After the chemicals are added, the water is filtered through layers of sand and gravel in large pools. This is the part of the plant that resembles ground water filtration. For this Action Project, I built a homemade filter based on the cycle water goes through in nature. QUESTION: How would I thrive in a water crisis if I built a water filter designed after groundwater filtration? HYPOTHESIS: By using a few household items and some materials found in nature, a homemade water filter can be as ef...

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 est...