It's Water-Wise Wednesday with Frannie the Fish {Water Cycle In A Bag}

Frannie wants to share a fun and easy activity you can do to see the water cycle, or hydrologic cycle, in action! Water is always on the move. From the time the earth was formed, it has been endlessly circulating through the water cycle. Groundwater is an important part of this continuous cycle where a majority of the usable freshwater on earth is stored. Find out more about the water cycle!

Here's what you need:

•  A large Ziploc bag
• Gravel
• Water
• Food dye
• Cup
• A permanent marker
• Tape

Here's what you do:
1. Begin by reviewing the water cycle diagram below. Remember that Frannie is making a simplified version of the water cycle. In reality, water can take many different paths and it can stay in one form for a very long time (did you know water can be stored in glaciers for thousands of years?)
 

Image courtesy of the United States Geological Survey

 2. Next, use the large Ziploc bag and permanent marker to label parts of your bag with the steps of the water cycle.

3. Mix the food dye and water together in the cup. This will make it easier to see the water as it moves!

4. Add gravel to your bag, then slowly pour the dyed water over the gravel. You can think of this as rainwater that falls on the ground (the gravel) and seeps into the spaces between the rocks and becomes groundwater. You have created an aquifer in your bag! An aquifer is an underground geological formation of sand, soil, gravel and rock able to store and yield water.

5. Seal your Ziploc bag and tape it to a window that gets a lot of sun. Over the next few days, watch as the water in your bag moves!

The sun will shine, warming the water until it turns into a vapor in the air (evaporation). When the water gathers and cools it will turn from a vapor make into a liquid (condensation). When there is enough condensation, the water will fall back onto the gravel (precipitation). This water will soak back into the aquifer (recharge) and become groundwater.

It's Water-Wise Wednesday with Frannie the Fish {Giant Bubbles}

Its summertime and that means swimming, riding bikes, and playing outside! Frannie wants to share a fun, outdoor activity that you can do with your Girl Scout troop:

Giant Bubbles!

Here's what you'll need:

• Small child's plastic swimming pool
• Cement block
• Hoola-hoop

There are two recipes you can use to make the soap for your giant bubbles:

Recipe A
2 bottles of white Karo syrup (32 ounces)
3 bottles of Lemon Joy dish-washing liquid (32 ounces)

OR

Recipe B
2 cups Dawn dish-washing liquid
1/4 cup glycerine

Preparation:
  
Recipe A
1. Pour the ingredients in a five gallon container, fill the rest of the container with water.
2. Stir and let set overnight.

Recipe B
1. Mix the ingredients, add enough water to make a gallon.
2. Gently stir.

Here's what you do:
1. Pour the bubble solution into the plastic swimming pool. A cement block placed in the middle of the pool will provide a safe place for the Girl Scouts to stand.
2. A plastic hoola-hoop acts as the bubble wand. Simply place the hoop in the bubbles and lift out of the pool and up over the Girl Scout's head.

Safety First: 
This activity is very messy and very slippery. Several volunteers need to be on hand to help the Girl Scouts in and out of the bubble pool.  

Share pictures of you and your troop inside Giant Bubbles! 

It's Water-Wise Wednesday with Frannie the Fish {Protect Your Groundwater}

Every day we use water, for cooking, drinking, cleaning and more. Fish like Frannie call the water home. Did you know the water we drink can be at risk of pollution and over use? There are many things each of us can do to help ensure our water supply is clean and sustainable for future use.

Frannie wants to share an activity and pledge that you can do with your Girl Scout troop!

Here's what you need:

•  Writing utensil
• Paper

Here's what you do:
1. Look around your home, school, or neighborhood for ways you can help save water and ways groundwater pollution can be prevented.

2. Make a checklist of all the ways you and your family can help protect groundwater. Check out the example checklist below to get started!

• Use fertilizer according to package directions.
• Take back leftover, unused, and expired medications to a pharmacy participating in the Nebraska MEDS project.
• Reduce, reuse, and recycle!
• Take hazardous waste to places where it can be properly disposed.
• Shut water off while brushing your teeth.
• Only run full loads of dishes and laundry.
• Check for leaky faucets and have them fixed.
• Water the lawn during cooler hours of day and only when the grass needs water.
• Sweep your sidewalks and driveways rather than rinsing them with water.
• Take a shower instead of a bath.
• Take short showers and use an aerator or low-flow shower head.
• Take motor oil and other household hazardous waste to a recycling or collection center.
• Use environmentally-friendly cleaners.

Download the free water-tracking app for Android and Apple, 30by30, to learn even more ways you can help conserve water.

3. After you decide what activities you can do to help protect groundwater, take the groundwater pledge:

"I believe clean water is important to all things. I pledge to:

Be aware of activities that can be harmful to groundwater.

Do my part to help protect groundwater and all natural resources.

Make an effort to educate myself and others about water and ways that we can make a difference.

Let's keep it clean!"

Share the checklists your troop came up with!

It's Water-Wise Wednesday with Frannie the Fish {Water Inside Us}

This week Frannie wants to share a fun activity you can do with your Girl Scout troop to learn that water is essential to all living things and learn about fractions at the same time.

Did you know that 60-70% of the human body is made of water?  It is important to drink water everyday to stay healthy and happy. We can only live about three days without water. All living things, including Frannie, are made up mostly of water.

Here's what you need:

• Crayons, markers and/or colored pencils
• Ruler (optional)
• Large roll of paper (optional)
• Sidewalk chalk (optional)

Here's what you do:
1.    Use the human outline or create your own by tracing an outline of each Girl Scout either on the large paper or on cement with sidewalk chalk.

2. Divide the outline you are using into 10 equal parts. 

3. Color in 7/10 of the outline. 70% of the human body is made up of water.

4. If you used the outline provided, use scissors to cut out the figure to display. Discuss with your Girl Scout troop the importance of water for all life. Fish like Frannie need water to live in, we need water to drink, and plants need water to grow. How else is water used?

Share pictures of your Girl Scout troop doing the Water Inside Us activity!   

It's Water-Wise Wednesday with Frannie the Fish {The Groundwater Foundation's Pinterest}

Girl Scout Troop Leaders!

Frannie wants to share The Groundwater Foundation's Pinterest page with you! Find fun, hands-on activities to do with your troop on our Girl Scout Leader Resources board.

Discover books, films, and the products we love as well.

Or check out ways to conserve water in your home!

Share pictures of your troop earning your Let's Keep It Clean! badge or doing a groundwater activity and you could be featured on Frannie's blog and The Groundwater Foundation's Pinterest page!