Using powdered cocoa, lemonade, fruit punch, sprinkles, oats and generously-filled water spray bottles, Reiffton students modeled the effects of animal poop to pollution in our waterways during a fun-filled, hands-on demonstration by Berks Nature, a non-profit dedicated to environmental conservation. Students gathered around a molded landscape model, delicately placing ingredients to simulate dirt, pollutants, trash, and their favorite–poop. Afterwards, the fun began when they started taking turns making it “rain” by spraying their models with water and creating mock thunderstorms to see how the ingredients mixed together and washed down into their model’s lake. “This is where your drinking water comes from,” said Michael Griffith, Berks Nature’s Education & Watershed Specialist. “Ewww!!” said 5th graders collectively as they saw their fake pollutants and poop collect in their lakes. Mr. Griffith looked pleased as he saw the look of disgust on their faces as if he knew he had succeeded in landing the point of his lesson: When you keep our environment clean, you keep our water clean.
Berks Nature provided the learning experience to both 5th and 6th graders as part of a grant and through the support of Reiffton’s APT. Thanks to both for providing an unforgettable lesson to our middle schoolers!