Ms. Andrews’ fourth grade class at Deerfield Elementary School will engage in the engineering design process and experience the excitement of creative problem-solving as they learn about the importance of conservation. They will get hands-on understanding of the purposes, uses, applications, and designs of rainwater harvesting systems as they develop the awareness needed in relationship to all-important issues of water and conservation. The project will encourage creativity, curiosity, exploration, questioning, discussion, and reflection.

The challenge is to capture rainwater that falls on the roof. Lack of adequate water is a common issue in the region. First, students will take a hard look at how they use water, listing essential uses as well as ways we can cut back. Next, they are challenged to become teams of engineers whose assignment is to solve the drought problem, using innovative ways to conserve water.

Students will be tasked to do the following as they create a model of a roof catchment system:

• Catch as much of the rainwater/snowmelt that falls on the roof as they can.

• Create a roof with no leaks.

• Allow for as much space as possible inside the ‘living space’ in their model.

• Stay within a $50 budget and within the time frame allowed. (They will be given a list of available materials and their costs, including straws, water bottles, saran wrap, wax paper, aluminum folks, plastic sheets, tape, and more.)

Students then will test their designs with rainwater (from a watering can). They will evaluate their models, take notes and photos. They will have a field trip to The Hitchcock Center in Amherst to study a real rain harvesting system on that building. They will then return to their model system and evaluate and revise to improve their design.

Budget needed:

$175 for all materials

Back Up Plan