Wailele's Water

Expert Speaker about Wailele
Seated on the sloping hill next to Wailele, the first- and second-grade classes enjoyed a thought-provoking discussion with Hank Howlett, Director of MPI's Facilities and Maintenance.  Mr. Howlett provided the students with an abundance of information about the spring on campus, and the students asked questions that we have been pondering since the start of our inquiry. 


After our talk with Mr. Howlett, the children reflected on what they learned:

What did we learn from Mr. Howlett?

• We’re not sure how old Wailele is.
• Wailele’s water comes from Manoa Falls.  It has an underground tunnel like veins.  
• It’s not polluted.  It has organic material from the things inside the pond, like the turtles, crayfish, and fish.  
• If you boil the water, you could probably drink it.
• Trash blows in.  People sometimes throw in trash.
• It’s a spring.  Underground water feeds the water source.
• We’re not sure if it ever had hot water.
• The fence was for protection for little kids who don’t know how to swim and might drown.  Also dogs, cats, and other animals.  
• Wailele used to be really big.  When they built the fields, they put concrete around the edges.
• Water never flows uphill. It always flows down.
  
• Sea level is the level of the sea.
• Elevation is the height between sea level and the height we’re at now.
• Sometimes when the water is really high, it goes out of the spring and onto the field.
• When the water gets high, it goes down the drain, down a bigger drain, into the Ala Wai Canal, and into the ocean.
• The water goes from the roofs to the broken pipe to the field.
• When the water is low, the spring gets dry, so the maintenance workers put water in it so the fish and turtles stay alive.
• There are one big turtle and three small turtles.  The turtles grow every day.  Somebody put the turtles in the spring.
• Water sometimes goes through the cracks and onto the field. They’re working on the drainage pipe.  They’re working on cleaning the spring of trash.
• When it rains, the water can flood the field (make puddles). It fills up the spring. The water can evaporate, or it can go into the ground (percolate).
  

Thinking back to our previous questions...

• Where does the water come from and go?
• Why is there a fence?
• Is the water polluted?
  

    What hypotheses were correct?

• The fence is there so people do not fall in.
• The water is not polluted.
• The water comes from the back of the valley, the underground tunnels or rivers, and then it goes to the ocean.

Our class has been working with Ms. Revard's class throughout the inquiry process. It really adds to the insightful comments when we have the ideas of 36 children and two teachers!  The first- and second-grade classes have also been videotaping the discussions and the path of our inquiry.   We're looking forward to sharing the inquiry process using a podcast.  The teachers are experimenting with iMovie and editing all the video clips.  It's a great opportunity for us to reflect on our teaching, the students' learning, and the use of technology to capture and convey all the wonderful learning that occurs at MPI!

Most of our discussions and learning have focused on the science of Wailele (in particular the water cycle).  Next week, we will turn to the culture surrounding Wailele.  Ms. Graves and Mrs. Montes will be sharing what their sixth grade students discovered about life in ancient Hawaiian days, at the time when MPI was founded, and in the present day with respect to Wailele and water.  We're very excited to learn from the sixth graders and their teachers!

Jack, Sumo, and Rascal
With the addition of a large aquarium for our Jackson chameleons, we set up house for Sumo and Rascal.  During our Jackson chameleon research, we read about how chameleons are not sociable animals and will fight to defend their territory against other chameleons.  Some students pointed out that there are numerous chameleons in a cage at the pet store.  We figured we'd give Sumo and Rascal a chance to be roommates.  At first their housing situation seemed to be working out just fine.  However, conflict quickly arose during math class.  Being the keen observers that the children are, they noticed a combat breaking out in the aquarium.  "Ms. Field, the two Jackson chameleons are fighting!"  Sumo and Rascal have not been trained in peer mediation like students at MPI, so rather than try to resolve the situation we realized that Jackson chameleons truly are territorial and the only solution was to separate the two animals.  It was quite thrilling to witness animal nature in our classroom.  Sumo opened his mouth, hissed, and turned light green.  He also turned sideways to appear bigger than he looks from the front.   Rascal was not intimidated, and had it not been for the intervention a fight would have occurred.  With the removal of Rascal, Sumo is now content, but curious about Jack, who is in the neighboring cage. 

Thank You
Thank you to the Ramirez family for letting us borrow a large aquarium to house one of our Jackson chameleons (at the moment, it's Sumo).  Thank you to the Kim family for bringing in a "Chameleon's Bento" consisting of plump silkworms and mulberry leaves for our four-legged friends.

Posted on February 29, 2008 7:53 AM | Permalink