We started our lesson today about how much we love water. Sienna said ‘I love that water can make ice, and then I can figure skate on it.‘ Other students chimed in with comments about swimming the summer, watering our food, drinking a cold glass of water and more. Braxton said ‘I love ice fishing‘. The students remarked that the recent winter Olympics couldn’t happen without water in the form of ice and snow.
We also learned about how
many litres of water it takes for a ten minute shower (110-190L depending on your shower head). Ms. Cooper made the connection that that is like every student in the Erickson school pouring a water bottle over your head if you have a 10 min shower! Calgary had severe water restrictions due to broken pipes in 2024. While working on the fix, the city asked everyone to limit showers to 3 minutes or less. Shortening a shower from five minutes to three minutes can save 20 litres of water, which is equivalent to approximately one blue gallon jug every day.
We also talked about how not everyone has access to safe, clean drinking water. We did an activity to show how in some communities, people have to walk a long way to get water. Addy remarked: ‘ This is not fair that people don’t have access!‘ The students left the class with a greater appreciation for water, as well as some ideas to reduce their water footprint. Jayda said ‘I will have shorter showers and shut off the water when I brush my teeth.’