Lower Schoolers Celebrate Sustainability and Earth Day in the GSB Water Festival

Yesterday, Preschool to 4th Grade Classes got a head start on their Earth Day celebration as they ebbed and flowed their way through the Lower School Water Festival.

This year’s Water Festival swept the full lower school community down a fun-filled stream of activities that fit naturally within their science curriculum. During the event, classes rotated through several interactive stations to spout water facts, examine the properties of water, learn about water forms and movement, and better understand the vital importance water serves in our ecosystems.

Station 1 – How Much Do You Know About Water?

In their first station, Preschool to Kindergarten classes were challenged to learn more about the importance of water by catching inflatable globes and determining whether their thumbs landed on land or on water. Students tallied their catches to discover that most of the globe is covered by water – 71% in fact!

Station 2 – Penny Drop

1st through 4th grade students made predictions on how many drops of water could fit on top of a penny and used a small dropper to test out their estimations.

Afterwards, students were asked what facts they knew about water. Each answer was written down on a paper “droplet” and added to a bucket to signify how each of us are but one drop in the bucket that makes up our planet Earth.

Station 3 – Chromatography Critters

In the “Chromatography Critter” station, our Early Childhood students used washable color markers to add dots and lines to a piece of chromatography paper. After they completed their design, they dropped their finished pattern into a cup of water to view how the water flowed and dissolved their objects. After a few minutes, students took their paper out of the water to discover a brand-new piece of art created by the current.

Station 4 – Bubble Wands

Students took the festival outside to create their own bubble wands out of pipe cleaners. After deciding how large their circle should be, classes took turns blowing their own bubbles to learn about water movement and how water can take the form of different shapes. While many students strived to blow the biggest bubble, the competition was simply too close to call!

Station 5 – Sink or Float

Lower school students practiced creative teamwork by working in groups to build boats out of aluminum foil. Each group was challenged to test how much weight their structure could hold inside a plastic bin filled with water. The activity was designed for students to not only analyze buoyancy, but also to show students how water can be used as a form of transportation as they sailed their boats from one end of the bin to the other.

Station 6 – All for One Community

In their final station, 1st through 4th graders had to work together to deliver water from one end of the grass to the other. Each student held onto a piece of yarn that was connected to a rubber band and maneuvered their yarn to stretch the rubber band over a container. Once the container was secured, together they had to fill it with water, walk around the flag pole, and empty the water back into an empty bucket. This activity required a high level of commutation and collaboration -- a great reminder of what it takes to be a responsible citizen.

Lynn Prosen, Lower School Science and STREAMS Instructor, believes the multi-fact festival was a fantastic way for students to have fun while learning about the importance of water sustainability.

”Water is necessary for all living things on Earth,” said Mrs. Prosen. “Sustainable Water is Goal #6 in the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals — we recognize that we are a part of a larger, Earth-wide system and that we are all interconnected.”

Please enjoy our water festival photo gallery below!