SUPER FAB LAB INVESTIGATION:
Brush, Brush, Brush ‘ em Up
Episode: Where Did the Water Go?
Cycle: Environment and Habitat
Purpose (What We’re Going to Explore and Learn)
Sid’s concerned. Where does the icky, soapy, toothpasty bathroom water go after it
runs down the drain? Sid’s question leads us to an investigation of natural water
systems, plumbing, and water conservation. As Sid and the gang learn that clean water
starts out in snowy mountains and rain and lakes and rivers and that very little of the
earth’s water is actually fresh and potentially drinkable, they begin to understand why
they shouldn’t waste water.
Materials (The Stuff We Need)
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Bathroom sink
A large bowl or other container that fits under the spigot
Masking tape (optional)
Procedure (What to Do)
1. Time to pretend to brush our teeth! Place the bowl under the spigot. Pick up
your pretend toothbrush. Put on the pretend toothpaste.
2. Turn on the water (for real) to wet your “toothbrush.” Then turn it off while you
pretend to brush. Like Mom says, “Brush, brush, brush ‘em up!”
3. When you’ve “brushed” every tooth, turn on the water to rinse your “brush” and
rinse your mouth.
4. After turning the water off, take notice of the water level in the bowl. If you have
masking tape, put a small piece on the outside of the bowl to mark the level of
the water in the bowl.
5. Use the water to water a plant or the garden so it doesn’t go to waste.
6. Go back to the bathroom with the empty bowl.
7. Repeat activity but this time, leave the water running from the time you wet the
“toothbrush” until you’re done rinsing.
8. How much water is in the bowl this time? Compare the level to the tape marker.
Make sure that you ask children to describe the results of the experiment and
what they learned. We want to be sure that they understand that turning off the
water when brushing is a great way to save water.
9. Water some more plants with the water in your bowl.
Other Stuff You Might Want to Know or Do
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Kids might wonder how the dirt gets removed from the water that we find in
lakes, streams, and rivers. In “A Raindrop’s Ride,” Susie describes how water
makes it’s way from natural sources to a water filtration plant where it is cleaned
before it makes its way through pipes to our homes.
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Bottled water is really convenient, but the number of empties we produce is
overwhelming. Be sure to recycle plastic bottles. Even better, get yourself and
your kids reusable bottles to fill and use over and over again.
Your kids might really like the idea of skipping baths to save water! While we’re
not advocating that idea, they could save a little water by not filling the tub as
high as usual. What are some other ways that they can think of to use less
water?