Fifth Grade Water Day Field Trip
Launch the media gallery 1 player - media #1
Launch the media gallery 1 player - media #2
Launch the media gallery 1 player - media #3
Launch the media gallery 1 player - media #4
Launch the media gallery 1 player - media #5
Launch the media gallery 1 player - media #6Syracuse Fifth Grade Water Day Field Trip
By Callie Rademacher
On March 31st 2023, the Syracuse fifth graders and the Syracuse teachers all went on a field trip all over Syracuse to learn about water. Every station taught fifth graders something cool and interesting about water. Overall it was a fun experience for the Syracuse fifth grade students.
One of the many stations the fifth graders went to was Water Jeopardy at the Syracuse library with Justin Stark, Olsson civil engineer. At the library, the fifth graders got to learn many new facts about water and where it comes from. The game taught the fifth graders how we can help save water, what is bad for water, and where it can come from.
My personal favorite station was Million Dollar Decisions at city hall with Jessica Myer who is the Syracuse City Administrator and Kelly Farmer who is the Syracuse City Clerk. The Syracuse fifth graders got put in the shoes of a Syracuse city council member. The fifth graders had to learn how to compromise with one another about city decisions, and the fifth graders also learned how real city council members come together and make a decision.
A different station the fifth graders went to was the Wastewater treatment plant. The people at this station who volunteered are Jeff Vogt, Adam Badberg, Curtis Stanberry, and Brian Vodicka. At this station the fifth graders learned how the water that is flushed down toilets or goes down the drain is turned into clean water for creeks and rivers. The people that volunteered also taught the Syracuse fifth graders what can be flushed or put down the drain and what can’t be flushed or put down the drain. The volunteers at this station also explained how they make the water cleaner for the rivers and creeks. They also told us the step by step process of making the water cleaner.
Another station the fifth graders went to was the Water Erosion Simulation. At this station the Syracuse fifth graders learned about flooding at Williams Park, with Carrie Romero,a Olsson civil engineer. The Syracuse fifth graders also got to learn how powerful floods can be and how destructive floods can be. The fifth graders also got to experiment with water to see what can help stop floods, what can help so certain areas don't flood and a lot more.
The final station the Syracuse fifth graders went to was the water cycle model, also at Williams park. Our volunteer at this station was David Schroeter who works at the Nebraska Water Rural Association. At this station the Syracuse fifth graders learned how bad things like gas and pollution can get in our water and affect our drinking water. They also learned about how we get our water from the ground.
That is how the first fifth grade water day field trip went. I asked Madison Oelke “Did you enjoy the water day and if so what was your favorite part?” and she replied with “I enjoyed the water day and my favorite part was learning facts about water but overall it was a very informative day.” One last thing I would like to say is thank you to all the volunteers this day wouldn't have been possible without them.
Wacky Water Day
By Makenzie Stewart
On Friday March 31, 2023, SDA fifth graders went on our field around Syracuse celebrating our first annual water day. We went to Williams Park, City Hall, the Syracuse Library, and the Syracuse Wastewater Facility. We learned about making big decisions, erosion, and the water cycle. We also learned about our Syracuse Wastewater Facility and played Jeopardy about our water. The fifth grade teachers invited different people to help put this on.
One of the stations was “Million Dollar Decisions” at City Hall. At that station we learned about making big decisions for our town, how a City Council meeting works and what decisions the council has to choose from right now.
When I interviewed Corali Hansen, I asked 3 questions. This is what she said.
Q: What is one thing you learned on Water Day?
A: “Some people use well water to drink.”
Q: What would you like to learn more about?
A: “How oils get pushed into the ground.”
Q: What was the most interesting station?
A: “Wastewater facility but very stinky.”
I am very thankful that these people got together to teach us all about water. I hope they do this in the future to educate the fifth graders.
5th Graders Have a “Waterful” Time at Water Day
By Lilliana Houghton
On Friday, March 31, 2023, the whole 5th grade and a few teachers took a field trip to multiple locations around Syracuse. The fifth graders learned where their waste goes and where their water comes from. The reason why we went on this field trip was to learn why water is important and why to watch what goes down your drain. David Schroeter, Justin Stark, Carrie Romero, Jess Meyer, Kelly Farmer, Jeff Vogt, Adam Badberg, and Curtis Stanberry were all volunteers who helped out throughout the day.
I had fun at all of the stations, but the one I thought was the best was the “Million Dollar Decisions.” “Million Dollar Decisions” was held by Kelly Farmer and Jess Meyer. The reason I liked “Million Dollar Decisions” is because we got to see what a real city council meeting looks like. Also, because they gave us jello to eat while we pretended to be city council members. I also liked it because we got to make decisions and see how it affects the city, and how to budget and spend money wisely.
I also had fun at the Water Erosion Simulation. This station was presented by Carrie Romero. I liked this station because you could explore and see the steps that it takes to build sites. We also learned you have to consider other people when building new things and how badly it can affect them.
Another station that was presented was at the Water Waste Treatment Plant. This station was hosted by Jeff Vogt and Adam Badberg. I thought this station was interesting because the water at the start was green and had disgusting stuff, but then at the end it came out clear. I also learned that May 1st through August 1st the Ultraviolet Light Machine must be turned on. This is because this is typically when a lot of kids play in creeks, so it filters out other things that might be in the water.
Another interesting station was Jeopardy in the library. This station was hosted by Justin Stark. We learned a variety of different things. We learned that tap water is better than bottled water not only because it is more expensive, but also because bottled water is missing many minerals that tap water has. Bottled water gets filtered a lot more than tap water.
Another station we attended was the Water Cycle. This station was hosted by David Shroeter. We learned that sometimes our water isn't always filtered the best. The maximum amount of nitrates in drinking water can be 10 milligrams.
Landry Kraus stated, “My favorite part was when we got to act like city council members and we got to work on problem solving.” As you can tell the 5th graders and I had a great time.