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Kevin Plath (standing), an educator from Riverside Discovery Center, holds a tortoise named Carl for fifth graders from Roosevelt Elementary to pet on Tuesday, Oct. 4. Plath spoke to kids about the effects of water erosion during ESU 13’s two-day Water Education for Tomorrow field event.
Fifth graders from 12 area classrooms traveled to the North Platte Natural Resources District (NRD) for ESU 13’s Water Education for Tomorrow (WET).
Educators from area agencies pooled resources to provide over 200 kids an opportunity to get wet and learn water awareness on Tuesday, Oct. 4, and Wednesday, Oct. 5.
Hands flew into the air when ESU 13’s David Griess asked Bayard fifth graders what they would do if someone was in water and in trouble.
Bayard elementary fifth graders got their hands wet learning how to siphon water through irrigation pipe on Tuesday, Oct. 4, at the North Platte Natural Resources District office. The activity was part of learning the importance of irrigation during ESU 13’s two-day Water Education for Tomorrow field event.
“I want to say it again, it feels so good — reach or throw, don’t go,” he said. “What do you think that means? You can throw something out there. Can you reach a rope, a stick or even your arm if you’re holding onto something?”
Griess manned one of the eight WET stations where he could be heard putting an enthusiastic spin on water safety. At the station, kids could see various water vessels and life jackets.
“Let’s talk about life jackets and the water. I’m going to read the Nebraska law maybe once, or nine times,” Griess said. “Every vessel must carry one U.S. Coast Guard-approved type life jacket of suitable size for each person on board the vessel.”
A Bayard fifth grader pumped his fist after siphoning water through an irrigation pipe during Water Education for Tomorrow on Tuesday, Oct. 4.
He explained the definition of a vessel to further stress the importance of wearing a life jacket. Near the water safety station, kids were running through the NRD’s lawn and rolling oversized dice at the incredible journey station.
Delanie Bruce from Bird Conservancy of the Rockies said the kids represented droplets of water moving through the water cycle. Signs for glaciers, ocean, clouds, plants and more were spaced throughout the lawn. A fifth grader would roll a dice near one of the signs to find out where water might travel.
Gary Stone (left), an educator from the Panhandle Research, Extension and Education Center, helps Kambrie Loutzenhiser (right) siphon water through an irrigation pipe on Tuesday, Oct. 4. The activity was part of eight hands-on learning stations during ESU 13’s Water Education for Tomorrow event.
“They’re seeing how water makes a journey,” Bruce said. “So if they’re at the river, water can go to an animal, a lake, groundwater or just stay in the river for a while.”
Kids carried laminated paper to track their water journey as they rolled the dice and hurried to the next stop — or in some cases, stayed put.
“It’s the journey that’s important; it’s the water cycle,” Laura Smedsrud, with Bird Conservancy of the Rockies, said. “At the end, we talk about how all the water that has been or ever will be is here right now. How can we conserve it?”
Kids moved on to stations where they could get their hands in water. Amanda Shepherd with the North Platte NRD had a large model set-up to demonstrate surface run-off and stream quality. Wells, geology and groundwater were demonstrated with a hands-on aquafer model by Lynn Okicki, with the North Platte NRD. Gary Stone and Stephanie Connelly, both from the Panhandle Research, Extension and Education Center, teamed up to teach the importance of irrigation before offering kids a chance to give it a try.
“Would you like to see your teachers get wet or would you like to get wet?” Stone asked the group.
Kids shouted in response before surrounding the water tank to see a demonstration of how to get water into irrigation siphon tubes. The ground got wet while Stone and Connelly worked to help each fifth grader successfully siphon water.
Moving inside the NRD building, Amanda Filipi with Nebraska Game and Parks gave kids an opportunity to learn about aquatic wildlife adaptations. Leann Sato from the City of Scottsbluff used a model to actively teach kids about storm water run-off and pollutants that could happen in a town.
“When we’re talking about all these pollutants, that’s why it’s very important for us to use our things wisely because it’s all going to get caught up in our water supply,” Sato said, after spraying water onto a polluted town model.
Another indoor station, and possibly the most popular, gave kids the chance to pet a tortoise and use their problem-solving skills to emulate water, dirt and plants. Kevin Plath from Riverside Discovery Center brought enthusiasm and Carl, a tortoise from RDC, to teach kids about the effects of water erosion.
“What happens if water erosion is sweeping by, carrying dirt, sediment and particles, and washes right over Carl’s burrow?” he asked the group.
Many kids responded with he would die and Plath pointed out that Carl could also adapt.
“(Carl’s) life might still be pretty hard because all the plants are gone, his home is gone and now the water has soaked everything around him,” Plath said.
To further explain water erosion, he had kids play roles of water rushing into dirt and then plants. After the kids were breathless from the activity, Plath said that water erosion is harmful because it can take nutrients from the environment.
“Water either finds a point that isn’t saturated and flows inside, or it find’s a point that is saturated and rushes past, taking whatever nutrients it can,” he said. “All of this can put Carl in danger and it can also put humans in danger.”
Students from Roosevelt Elementary overwhelmingly agreed that Plath’s station was the most fun because they met Carl.
“I learned that when it’s cold, (tortoises) are slower and when you look at them, they are slow but when you turn around, they are faster,” Lesly Morales said.
“I learned that dirt really can’t block water when it moves through it so it’s unfair to the dirt because it always gets moved around,” Abryanna Bravo said.
Students from Banner County Elementary said they liked setting irrigation tubes and learning about water safety.
Kambrie Loutzenhiser said, “I liked the one with the kayak and the jet ski because it was fun and we got to see a really sick jet ski.”
ESU 13 supplied the teachers with information to further explore water lessons in the classroom.
“Each one of these stations has (learning) standards tied into it, mostly science education and one on a health standard,” Lora Andersen from Crawford Elementary said.
Kevin Plath (standing), an educator from Riverside Discovery Center, holds a tortoise named Carl for fifth graders from Roosevelt Elementary to pet on Tuesday, Oct. 4. Plath spoke to kids about the effects of water erosion during ESU 13’s two-day Water Education for Tomorrow field event.
Bayard elementary fifth graders got their hands wet learning how to siphon water through irrigation pipe on Tuesday, Oct. 4 at the North Platte Natural Resources District office. The activity was part of learning the importance of irrigation during ESU 13’s two-day Water Education for Tomorrow field event.
A Bayard fifth grader pumped his fist after siphoning water through an irrigation pipe during Water Education for Tomorrow on Tuesday, Oct. 4.
Gary Stone (left), an educator from the Panhandle Research, Extension and Education Center, helps Kambrie Loutzenhiser (right) siphon water through an irrigation pipe on Tuesday, Oct. 4. The activity was part of eight hands-on learning stations during ESU 13’s Water Education for Tomorrow event.
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Nicole Heldt is a reporter with the Star-Herald, covering agriculture. She can be reached at 308-632-9044 or by email at nheldt@starherald.com.
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Kevin Plath (standing), an educator from Riverside Discovery Center, holds a tortoise named Carl for fifth graders from Roosevelt Elementary to pet on Tuesday, Oct. 4. Plath spoke to kids about the effects of water erosion during ESU 13’s two-day Water Education for Tomorrow field event.
Bayard elementary fifth graders got their hands wet learning how to siphon water through irrigation pipe on Tuesday, Oct. 4, at the North Platte Natural Resources District office. The activity was part of learning the importance of irrigation during ESU 13’s two-day Water Education for Tomorrow field event.
A Bayard fifth grader pumped his fist after siphoning water through an irrigation pipe during Water Education for Tomorrow on Tuesday, Oct. 4.
Gary Stone (left), an educator from the Panhandle Research, Extension and Education Center, helps Kambrie Loutzenhiser (right) siphon water through an irrigation pipe on Tuesday, Oct. 4. The activity was part of eight hands-on learning stations during ESU 13’s Water Education for Tomorrow event.
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