An Environmental Geocache

With only 18 ½ days of school left, I was worried I would not be able to geocache with my third grade students. With plans to finish a Comic Life project on rocks and minerals as well as a Photoshop self portrait activity with the art teacher, I have officially run out of weeks. You can imagine my excitement when our school’s science resource teacher entered my lab and asked for ideas on an integrated technology project.

So on Monday morning we will be hiding 10 caches around the pond at the end of our school’s property. As we will be traveling quite a distance with many potential routes, we have several parent volunteers that will be supervising the student groups with us. Inside the caches will be questions related to four different environmental topics: recycling, pollution, water, and composting.

The caches will be used by four different classes, one topic per class. To help the students stay organized and remove the proper questions from the cache, I have color coded the questions by printing each set on colored paper. Here are the questions the students will be answering back in the science center using the laptop cart:

Recycling
1. What are the 3 steps of the recycling process? (Not the 3 R’s)
2. In your own words, what is recycling?
3. How much trash is disposed in landfills in the US each year?
4. What is special about the design of landfills?
5. Name 6 types of trash that can contaminate land, water, or air if not disposed of properly.
6. Why must you sort different types of glass when recycling?
7. What can be made by recycling high-density polyethylene?
8. Name 6 different ways old tires are recycled?
9.How can you determine if your can is made of aluminum and recyclable?
10. Why are there seven different recycling codes for practice?


Composting
1. What are the four ingredients of a compost recipe?
2. Why don’t you put meat or meat products in a compost bin?
3. Why don’t you put diseased plants in a compost bin?
4. What are 5 foods that worms will not eat if placed in a compost bin?
5. What is a worm’s job?
6. In your own words, what is a decomposer?
7. What type of worm is best to use in composting bins and why?
8. In your own words, what is aeration?
9. Why does worm bedding need to be moist?
10.What are castings and why are they important?


Water
1. How much water does an average washing machine use per load?
2. Name three ways to help you remember to take a shower less than 3 minutes?
3. How many gallons of water are wasted in one day by a dripping faucet?
4. Why must old batteries not be thrown in with your regular trash?
5. What percentages of the world’s water is salty, frozen, and drinkable? (Hint: Totals 100%)
6. What can you do to prevent pool evaporation?
7. What is an aquifer?
8. What are 3 dangers to the Wakulla Spring watershed?
9. How does fertilizing your lawn affect the watershed?
10. How does storm runoff affect the watershed?

Pollution
1. In your own words, what is acid rain?
2. What are the main gases that cause acid rain?
3. What effects does acid rain have on trees and plants?
4. What effects does acid rain have on lakes and water life?
5. In your own words, what is air pollution?
6. What are the two main sources of air pollution?
7. What two greenhouse gases (bad gases) are colorless?
8. What are four possible sources of air pollution inside homes?
9. In your own words, define “Greenhouse Effect.”
10. Name 3 ways you can measure your ecological footprint (environmental impact)?

Once the students find the answer to the question, they will be given a blank puzzle piece on which to write the answer and complete an illustration. The ten pieces will then be displayed together in our halls to share with the rest of the student body.