This document provides an introduction to a project about conserving fresh water resources in Hawaii. Students will research where fresh water comes from in Hawaii and how it is used, and participate in classroom activities and field trips. The goal is for students to work in teams to create a podcast presenting information about water resource management in Hawaii. The document outlines several activities for students, including experiments to demonstrate the water cycle and water filtration. It concludes with references for the images used.

1. Why Save Wa’i
Project Guide
Enter

2. Introduction
Requirements
Project
Activities
Why Save Wa’i Wiki
References

3. Introduction
Introduction
In Ancient Hawaii, land was subdivided into pie-shaped pieces
from the tops of mountains to the sea, following the
boundaries of streams. They called this Ahupua’a. Wai, or
fresh water, was the most sacred part of the “pie”. It was the
Requirements job of the konohiki to manage it. It was sacred, the source
of life. But do we treat it with the same respect
today?Hawaii’s water supply is in crisis. Think of this project
as your chance to become the konohiki. Create a 21 st
Project Century Ahupua’a!
Activities
Why Save Wa’i Wiki
References
Figure 2

4. Requirements
Introduction
Traditionally and today, where does fresh water
come from in Hawaii, how do we use it in daily
life, and why is it an important resource to
conserve?
Requirements
You will answer this question by researching
online, collaborating with classmates, and
participating in classroom activities and field
Project trips. You will need:
Access to a computer with DSL Internet
connection
Activities
Digital camera
Blogging Permission Form
Why Save Wa’i Wiki
Pens and paper for note taking, or computer
software such as WORD
References
Your own PB Wiki page

5. Project
Introduction The goal of this project is for you to work in
teams to present a podcast. What’s that? The
word is a combination of the terms “broadcast”
and “iPod”. It’s basically your own radio show!
Requirements It will contain information on water resource
management in Hawaii.
Project
Project steps:
Review class wiki
Activities Brainstorm on daily discussion questions in
the discussion forum
Use links in the wiki sidebar to research topics
Why Save Wa’i Wiki
Participate in in-class activities
References Create your own podcast

6. Activities
Introduction
Activity #1: Making Water
Requirements
Activity #2: At Home Water
Project Detective
Activity #3: Make a Mini Water
Activities Cycle
Why Save Wa’i Wiki Activity #4: Cleaning
Dirty Water
References
Figure 3

7. Activity #1: Making Water
Water is a chemical. It’s made of two gases,
hydrogen and oxygen. You can make hydrogen and
oxygen join to form water. Here’s how.
You will need:
*a birthday candle
*a plate
*a clear drinking glass
*a match or lighter
1. Set the birthday candle on the plate and light it.
2. Cover the burning candle with the clear glass.
3. When the candle goes out, look closely at the inside of the glass. What do you
see?
The tiny drops of liquid inside the glass are water! The hydrogen in the candle joined
with the oxygen in the air to form water. The candle flame went out when all of the
oxygen in the air inside the glass was used up.
Wood, paper, natural gas, heating oil, and gasoline all contain hydrogen, which joins
with the oxygen in the air as they burn. Do you think burning any of these fuels will
form water?

8. Activity #2: At Home Water Detective
You can save several gallons of water every day with one simple action.
You will need:
the sink where you brush your teeth
a large bucket or other container that will fit under the faucet
a measuring cup
your toothbrush toothpaste
1. Put the empty bucket under the faucet.
2. Brush your teeth like you always do, BUT LEAVE THE WATER RUNNING.
3. Turn off the water when you finish brushing.
4. Pour the water from the bucket into the measuring cup, until it is empty. Write down the number of cups you
used to brush your teeth.
5. Look at the chart to find out how many cups are in a quart. Divide the number of cups of water you collected in
the bucket by this number to find out how many quarts of water would have gone down the drain if you hadn't
caught it in the bucket. How many quarts are in a gallon? Did you collect more than a gallon of water in the bucket
while you brushed?
The next time you brush your teeth:
1. Put the empty bucket under the faucet.
2. Brush your teeth like you always do, except this time, turn off the faucet when you are not using the water to
wet or rinse your toothbrush.
3. Measure the water in the bucket like you did before.
4. How much water would have gone down the drain if you hadn't caught it in the bucket?
5. Subtract the amount of water collected when you turned off the faucet while brushing from the amount of water
collected when you let the water run. This is how much water you save by turning off the water while you brush
your teeth!
6. Multiply this amount by the number of times you brush your teeth in a day to see how much water you can
save, all by your self, every day, with the simple action of turning off the faucet!
7. Write your findings in the discussion forum of the class wiki.

9. Activity #3: Make a Miniature Water Cycle
You’ve seen that water can be a liquid, a gas, or a solid.
Outside, water is always changing from liquid to gas and back
again. This process is called the water cycle. You
can see how the water cycle works.
The sun’s heat makes water evaporate from
streams, lakes, rivers, and oceans. The water vapor rises. When
it reaches cooler air, it condenses to form clouds. When the
clouds are full of water, or saturated, they release some of the
water as rain.
You will need:
* a large metal or plastic bowl
* a pitcher or bucket
* a sheet of clear plastic wrap
* a dry ceramic mug (like a coffee mug)
* a long piece of string or large rubber band
* water
1. Put the bowl in a sunny place outside.
2. Using the pitcher or bucket, pour water into the bowl until it is
about ¼ full.
3. Place the mug in the center of the bowl. Be careful not to
splash any water into it.
4. Cover the top of the bowl tightly with the plastic wrap.
5. Tie the string around the bowl to hold the plastic wrap in place.
6. Watch the bowl to see what happens. Post your observations
in the discussion forum of our class wiki.

10. Activity #4: Cleaning Dirty Water
One of the steps in making lake water clean and pure is called filtration. How does it work?
You will need:
 a paper towel
 scissors
 a funnel
 clean sand (from the beach or the sandbox)
 2 clear glasses or jars
 a spoon
 water
 dirt from the back yard
1. Cut a circle from the paper towel. Fold it in half, then in half again.
2. Open the folded circle a little to make a paper cone.
3. Put the cone inside the funnel and set the funnel in one of the glasses or jars.
4. Fill the cone with clean sand.
5. Fill the other jar with water. Add 3 or 4 spoonfuls of dirt to the water and stir it.
6. Slowly pour the muddy water into the sand in the funnel.
7. Look at the water coming out of the funnel.
The funnel filled with sand is a filter. What happened to the dirt as the muddy water passed
through the filter? Is the water in the bottom jar clear? Or is it still a little bit muddy? If it still looks
muddy, the dirt particles were small enough to pass through the spaces between the sand in the
filter. That’s why more than one kind of filtration is used at the water treatment plant. Do you think
your sand filter would remove germs from the water? (Hint: how big are germs?)

11. References
Cover. Waterfall Along the Road to Hana, Maui, Hawaiian Islands. (2008). Note: From “Road to
Hana, Maui“ by Mastery of Maps, 2008. Retrieved from
http://www.flickr.com/photos/masteryofmaps/2534917866/ . Made available under Creative Commons
License.
Figure 1. Drops of Water. (2009). Note: From “MaheashNelanka’sPhotostream” by MaheashNelanka, 2009.
Retrieved from http://www.flickr.com/photos/14884820@N06/3647001883/. Made available under Creative
Commons License.
Figure 2. Damon collection, Huewai, Bishop Museum, Honolulu. (2007). Note: From “Bishop Museum
Online’sPhotostream” by Bishop Museum Online, 2007. Retrieved from
http://www.flickr.com/photos/bishop_museum/1339144100/ . Made available under Creative Commons
License.
Figure 3. 1_Litre_Ohia. (2009). Note: From “Hawaiian Springs Water’s Photostream” by Hawaiian Springs
Water, (2009). Retrieved from http://www.flickr.com/photos/hawaiiansprings/4070347072/. Made available
under Creative Commons License.
Figure 4. Water Crisis – Concept Panels. (2009). Note: From “Ranranland’sPhotostream” by
ranranland, 2009. Retrieved from http://www.flickr.com/photos/ranranland/4008280602/. Made available
under Creative Commons License.
Figure 5. Rainbow Over the Ridge. (2007). Note: From “2composers’ Photostream” by 2composers, 2007.
Retrieved from http://www.flickr.com/photos/schuberts/878207478/. Made available under Creative
Commons license.