Contextualization

Our journey begins in the wonderful and intricate nature of the water cycle. This global process, which involves the evaporation of water from the oceans, its transport by winds, precipitation on land, and the return to the oceans, is vital for sustaining life on Earth. The water cycle is the beating heart of the planet, its circulatory system that connects skies and land, mountains and oceans.

Let's understand how this cycle is influenced by human activities, especially in urban areas, where water resources are constantly under pressure. Unlike the rural environment, where there is greater water infiltration into the soil and less surface runoff, the scenario changes in cities. Soil sealing by constructions and pavements intensifies surface runoff, increasing the risk of floods and reducing the recharge of aquifers and springs.

Our focus here is to shed light on the importance of preserving water sources, whether they are springs, rivers, lakes, or artificial reservoirs. Water is the basis of life, a precious substance without which most organisms could not survive. According to UN Water, more than 2 billion people live in countries with high water stress, and almost 4 billion face severe water scarcity for at least one month per year.

That said, we are entering the universe of water resources with the aim of understanding, valuing, and seeking ways to conserve this wealth. Thus, our goal is to awaken you to this reality and find ways to actively engage in water conservation.

Practical Activity

Activity Title: "Mission H2O: The Adventure of Water Conservation"

Project Objective:

This project aims to have students build a model of a watershed, observe how water flows in this simulated environment, and propose measures for water conservation in this context.

Detailed Project Description:

Divided into groups of 3 to 5 students, each group will create a model of a watershed using recyclable materials. The model should demonstrate how rainwater flows in the watershed and show the differences between urban and rural areas. Students should simulate the rain, observe how water behaves, and propose interventions to improve water management in this scenario.

Required Materials:

• Large cardboard box
• Modeling clay (or clay)
• Blue, green, and brown acrylic paint
• Brushes
• Spray bottle with water
• Various recyclable materials for building houses, trees, and other elements

Detailed Step-by-Step for Activity Execution:

1. Start by sculpting the modeling clay or clay inside the box to form elevations and slopes, representing the topography of the watershed. Make sure to create a higher area that will be the source of the river and a lower point where the river will flow into.

2. Use acrylic paint to color the model. Green can be used to represent vegetation areas, brown for land areas, and blue to represent water.

3. With recyclable materials, build houses, buildings, roads, and other urban elements in one part of the watershed. In the other part, build to represent a rural area, with trees, open fields, and yards.

4. When the model is ready and dry, use the spray bottle to simulate rain over your watershed. Observe how water behaves, where it accumulates, and the path it takes to reach the lowest point.

5. After observing the water flow, each group should propose interventions in the model that can contribute to water conservation. It could be the construction of a water reservoir, drainage channels, water absorption areas, etc.

6. Repeat the rain simulation and observe the impact of the proposed interventions.

Project Deliverables:

At the end of the project, each group must submit a report that will contain the following points:

1. Introduction: students must contextualize the theme of water conservation and talk about the importance of the water cycle and water resources management. They must also mention the project's objective.

2. Development: in this section, students must detail the construction of the model, explaining all the steps and materials used. They should describe the rain simulation and the behavior of water in the watershed. They must also explain the proposed interventions and how they impacted water flow.

3. Conclusions: here, students must talk about what they learned from the project, what challenges they encountered, and how the activity contributed to understanding water conservation.

4. Bibliography: students must indicate all research sources used in the project.

It should be noted that this project requires, in addition to understanding theoretical concepts, the development of socio-emotional skills such as time management, teamwork, communication, and problem-solving.