Fourth-grade students think like scientists, engineers at Gilbert Water Festival
The Gilbert Water Festival is an annual event for fourth graders in Gilbert Public Schools.
Courtesy Gilbert Public Schools
Gilbert Public Schools fourth-grade students participated in the annual Gilbert Water Festival, held at the Gilbert Civic Center on Feb. 24-25.
This educational initiative, prepared by the University of Arizona’s Project WET, provided students with a fun and interactive learning experience that focused on water conservation while teaching students to think like scientists and engineers.
Project WET provides interactive water education through its water festival and enhances it further with teacher training, student outreach, and community connections.
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Gilbert Public Schools fourth-grade students participated in the annual Gilbert Water Festival, held at the Gilbert Civic Center on Feb. 24-25.
This educational initiative, prepared by the University of Arizona’s Project WET, provided students with a fun and interactive learning experience that focused on water conservation while teaching students to think like scientists and engineers.
Project WET provides interactive water education through its water festival and enhances it further with teacher training, student outreach, and community connections.
To achieve this interactive experience, the festival features hands-on activities designed to enhance students' understanding of water-related concepts, including a water conservation relay race, groundwater extraction simulations, watershed modeling and a water cycle bracelet-making exercise.
"Students gain a deeper understanding of the material when they can physically interact with it and see the concepts in action," Barbara Torrey, the K-12 science coordinator at Gilbert Public Schools, said in a release. “Our goal is to get our students to think like scientists and engineers. We want them to be excited about science and water conservation, especially here in Arizona where water plays such an important role in our everyday lives.”
The water festival is more than just fun, engaging activities for students. Each activity is designed to enhance student learning as they work through specific Arizona state academic science standards.
Prior to the event, students are introduced to lessons about heat and its impact on water molecules, how water moves through Earth's materials like gravel, sand, and plants, and watershed’s impact on city planning.
After the water festival, students continue to learn more about water, diving deeper into topics such as water pollution, groundwater extraction techniques, and the impact of water on daily life.
Students are also encouraged to reflect on their own water footprints, fostering a sense of personal responsibility for water conservation.
“Academic standards are the foundation of everything we do," Torrey said. "Every activity we offer our students supports their learning as they work through our Science standards. We want to make their education experience as engaging and enjoyable as possible."
The Gilbert Water Festival was made possible through the Town of Gilbert, which helped fund transportation for students and food and water for volunteers during the event.
About 50 members of Campo Verde High School’s Link Crew volunteered each day, ensuring the fourth-grade participants had a stimulating and interactive experience.
Thirty volunteers from the Town of Gilbert, along with support from master gardeners, contributed to the success of the Gilbert Water Festival.
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