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Science Launch G5 / Week 11 / Launch Lab
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Week 11 · Protect Our Planet

Launch Lab

Launch Lab: Drip detectives
// Communities use science to protect resources
⏱ about 15 min

Launch Lab: Drip detectives

Raven hands out clipboards. "Today our family checks our home for water waste," she says.

Rocket grabs a measuring cup and a timer. "Drip detectives, reporting for duty!"

Grandpa volunteers to check the outside spigot. Raven takes the bathroom, and Rocket takes the kitchen.

Rocket opens the cabinet under the sink and peers inside with a flashlight. "No puddles," he reports. "So far, so good."

Nova hovers over the kitchen sink. "Measure first," she says. "Then decide what to fix."

  1. A resource is something from nature that people use, like water, soil and metal.
  2. A faucet dripping once per second can waste more than 3,000 gallons a year.
  3. Water treatment uses settling, filtering and disinfecting.
  4. Recycling aluminum uses less than 5 percent of the energy of making it new.
◇ DRIP DETECTIVES
With a grown-up, visit each faucet in your home.
Make sure each one is turned off all the way.
Watch each faucet for one minute and count any drips.
Record each faucet and its drips in a chart.
Make a family plan for one way to save water this week.
For a grown-up
Ask: what did you notice? What would you change?
You handle any faucet repairs. Children only watch and count.
WEEK CHECK
  • Read the question.
  • Tap your answer.
Why does fixing a small drip matter?
Which is NOT safe to do with your filter model water?
A faucet dripping once per second can waste more than ____ gallons a year.
To turn used materials into new products is to ____.
Which water treatment step removes germs? Type one word.
WHY THIS EXERCISEDisinfection removes germs from drinking water.

Next week, our last week, we look up at the Sun and stars and track our own shadows.

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