Rocket and Raven sit in the back row of the town meeting. A neighbor holds up a jar of cloudy creek water.
"Our creek needs help," she says. "What can our town do?"
Rocket whispers to Raven. "I could build a giant filter!"
Raven whispers back. "Maybe. But first, what do you notice? People are asking for facts and measurements."
Nova, perched quietly on Raven's backpack, flashes a tiny light. "Communities use science to protect their resources," she whispers. "This week, let's find out how."
A resource is something from nature that people use. Water, soil, air and metals are resources.
Last week you learned that only a small part of Earth's water is fresh. That makes fresh water a precious resource.
Communities, like towns and cities, use science ideas to protect resources.
| Way | What it protects | Science idea behind it |
|---|---|---|
| Cleaning water at a treatment plant | Drinking water | Filtration and settling separate dirt from water |
| Fixing leaks | Fresh water | Small drips add up to large amounts |
| Recycling aluminum cans | Metal and energy | Materials can be made into new products |
| Statement | True or false? |
|---|---|
| Communities can use science to protect resources. | ? |
| Soil is a natural resource. | ? |
| Recycling has nothing to do with science. | ? |
The neighbor's cloudy creek water raised a question.
People at the meeting wanted facts and measurements, not just opinions.
Science gives communities evidence to help them choose how to protect resources.
| Thing | Is it a natural resource? |
|---|---|
| Air | ? |
| Metals | ? |
| Water | ? |
| A town poster | ? |
Great start, citizen scientist. Tomorrow we will measure how much water a tiny drip can waste.