Well, the two-week Downstream/Upstream Learning unit was a whirlwind! Here’s an outline of what happened. More detailed descriptions will follow in the weeks to come, with some of the documentation using photographs taken by the students themselves. Now that the focused learning unit is done, the project continues at a slower pace with the student's water journey story books, a site installation marking the entry and exit of water systems to the school, and an exploration of plantings and rain gardens to address natural site water flows.
Downstream/Upstream Two-Week Learning Module Outline
Week 1: Upstream Week
Day 1: Tuesday, May 31
- Chart the Upstream course at the Big Map
- Introduction to Cameras
- Learning the Water Journey Song
- Decorating Water Collection Bottles
Day2: Wednesday, June 1
- What is water: Water cycle
- What is water: Water activities and experiments
Day3: Thursday, June 2
- Tour of River Park (storm water demonstration park)
- At the River: Upstream Water collection
- Nature Hike River Park's features
- Tour of St.Paul Water Intake with Jim Bode, St. Paul Regional Water Services
- Tour of Sucker Lake and picnic lunch
- Tour of Water Treatment Plant
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| Little Canada Water Tower, by Amelia, Pre-K |
Day 4: Friday, June 3
- Tour of Water Tower
- Follow water lines to building
- Exploring the Water Meter
- At the Sink: Upstream Water Release
- Making Treasure Maps of Water Journey
Week 2: Downstream Week
Day 5: Monday, June 6
- Water Taste Test: tap water and bottled water
- Tracing the Mississippi
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| Paul, Pre-K, peers below the classroom floor at pipes |
Day 6: Tuesday, June 7
- Chart the downstream course at the big map
- At the sink: Downstream water collection from tap
- Follow pipes under the ground, out the building
- Manhole sewer demonstration with Bill Dircks, City of Little Canada
- Water meter measurement of toilet flush and hand wash
- Making dirty water
Day 7: Wednesday, June 8
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| Downstream Water Release |
- Metropolitan Waste Water Treatment Plant Visit
- Water Cleaning Game and singing
- Jonathon Padelford boat tour downstream to where cleaned water effluent channel returns to the Mississippi,with Brian Goodspeed, Park Ranger
- At the river: Downstream water release
- Further downstream: Heron Rookery and other downstream communities
- Singing on the River
Day 8: Thursday, June 9
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| Ella, Pre-K, Gail Buhl and Maxime, Raptor Center |
- Meeting some Downstream Residents: Raptor Program with Gail Buhl, Raptor Center
- Picture with an Eagle
Day 9: Friday, June 10
- Water in the World: Other country’s water systems
- Downstream/Upstream Concert, with Beth Wiskus
- Begin working on story of water books… to be continued
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