Lesson+Plan+4

Guest Speaker**
 * Lesson Plan #4: **
 * Saving Water Tips

A guest speaker will be invitied into the class to talk about saving water. Background information that will be discussed to the class. Guest speaker will provide the children with a fact sheet stating ways in which we can save water at home and at school. Learning to save water can start at any age – and children and teachers can make a big difference by being careful with water while at school.

Everyone going to school can help save water. Here are some ideas that every student and teacher can use:
 * Ideas for everyone**
 * Save water from the drinking taps. Place icecream containers under the water fountains/bubblers and pour excess water on the garden.
 * Turn taps off after washing hands.
 * Catch rainwater. Place containers outside when it rains and collect the water to put on the garden.
 * Wash paint brushes in a bucket or icecream container – don't use running water
 * Bring a water bottle to school. At the end of the day, any left-over water can be poured on the garden.
 * Create colourful and fun posters on water education.
 * Tell someone when you see a leak – a leaking tap, bubbler or toilet wastes a lot of water – getting a leak fixed quickly will save a lot of water and money. Even a bubbler that is dribbling water wastes a lot of precious water during a day.

School cleaners must also be careful to use water wisely. While toilets should be cleaned every day, they do not necessarily need to be hosed every day. Where possible, a broom or mop should be used in preference to a hose.
 * Ideas for cleaners**
 * Don't leave taps running while cleaning hand basins.
 * Be sparing about hosing - only the toilet areas should be hosed and only when necessary for health reasons. Hosing should not be done as a matter of course if it is not required.
 * Hard surfaces other than toilets should not be hosed except in exceptional circumstances. Where possible, use a broom or a mop. A blower vacuum is an affordable option for cleaning playground areas.

Many schools have extensive grounds and gardens and the people who look after the gardens can definitely help the school save water. Here are some ideas:
 * Ideas for gardeners**
 * Use sprinklers carefully - the large grounds at a school can make watering with a hand held hose difficult and time consuming but sprinklers can be forgotten and remain on long after the plants have had enough water. A tap timer may be used to turn off sprinklers after a specified time.
 * Group plants carefully - if an automatic watering system is used it is important that plants with particular watering needs are grouped together and watered appropriately.
 * Adjust automatic watering systems for daily conditions – you don't want to water grounds or gardens if it is raining.
 * Use trigger operated nozzles in hoses – you can then only use water when you need it.
 * Use mulch - mulch can reduce evaporation from soil by up to 70%. Mulch is like a blanket on the soil. It keeps the soil cool and it reduces evaporation because the soil is not exposed to dry air and drying winds.
 * Use compost - compost provides valuable nutrients and encourages drainage, while keeping the soil moist.
 * Check for leaks in the hoses and taps.
 * Water new plants before removing from pots, then place in the prepared garden. Water well and allow to drain. Follow this by regular watering until plants are established.
 * Never water in the heat of the day, most water will evaporate. It is better to water later in the day or early morning so that the water soaks into the soil.
 * Water plants at the base thoroughly and infrequently, so that water reaches the roots, rather than giving them a light sprinkling more often. Roots will then go down to search for water, making plants stronger.
 * Cut the base off a plastic bottle and bury it upside down next to the plants - poured in water will then get straight to where it matters - the roots.
 * Don't water the school lawn if you don't need to - grass can survive for long periods without water and will quickly recover from drought. Unless you totally drench the lawn, watering encourages the roots to come to the surface, thus rendering it less tolerant to dry conditions.
 * Raise the blades on the mower so that the lawn is left longer and cut the grass less frequently.
 * Maintain the garden and plants so that water is not wasted on dead, diseased or damaged plants. Dead-head flowering plants to encourage new growth and remove any rotten or dead wood.
 * Pull weeds out when the shoots first appear, before they compete with plants for precious water and always before they set seed.

At the end of the lesson the children will be asked to write down 3 things that they will now do to save water. They will be given time to write and add pictures to thier work.