McElligot's Pool

Written by Dr. Seuss
Published by Random House, Inc., New York
ISBN: 0-394-80083-4

About the book

The book was written in 1947. The story is about a small boy who is fishing in the tiny, unpromising McElligot's Pool, a puddle that (as a passing farmer informs our hero) is nothing but a hole where people dispose of their junk. But the boy is all optimism: what if the pool is deeper than anyone thinks? What if it connects to an underground stream that flows under the town to the sea? Might not all sorts of fish then swim up the stream and be caught here?

A lesson plan that targets Language Arts can be found on Focus On Books in the resources section of the EarthCARE Canada website.

If the story has not been already shared with the students read it to them as a part of the introduction to these activities.

Background

All living things depend on water. People cannot live more than a few days without water. We need it to drink, cook and clean, manufacture and transport goods, farm crops, raise livestock, and enjoy in a variety of recreational pursuits.

Activity #1 - Areas of Focus: Estimation, Measurement

Discuss with the students one of the most common activities that we all do every day: brushing our teeth.
Ask the students how many times they brush their teeth a day. How many are there in their family that brushes their teeth and how many times a day do they brush? Ask them how many of them leave the water running when they brush their teeth? Ask the students how many different ways they could measure the water they use while brushing their teeth?
Have the students estimate how much water they will use at one time.
That evening have students brush their teeth and catch the running water in a pan. Then have them measure the water used. (If possible, ask the students to have other family members do the same thing.)
Have the students share their data the next day.
Graph the results. A number of questions can be asked of the students depending on the data (e.g., total amount of water used by class, amount of water used by boys vs. girls, etc.).
Discuss with the students ways they can save water while they brush their teeth.

Activity #2 - Areas of Focus: Estimation, Measurement

Discuss with the students the concepts of biodegradable and non-biodegradable.
Examine the information available on the two forms. For example:
Biodegradable:
- banana peel - 6 months to a year
- hot dog - 1 year
Non- biodegradable:
- magazine - 40 years
- tin can - 100 years
- soda can - 500 years
Have students make a list of the objects found in McElligot's Pool. Have students estimate the length of time it would take for these items to disappear from the pool. Then have students research how long it would actually take and compare the results.
Do an assessment of a couple of school recycling bins with the students to establish the "savings" that they have made by recycling.

Activity #3 - Areas of Focus: Number Sense, Data Management

Share with the students the following information:
- On average, Canadians use 343 litres of water per person per day in the home:
  - Bathing 35%
  - Toilet 30%
  - Laundry 20%
  - Kitchen/drinking 10%
  - Cleaning 5%
Depending on the curriculum needs of students, a number of activities can be planned using the information. For example:
- Have students calculate the amount of water the class would use in a day, week, month, and year. This could be done for their family, school, community, city, etc.
- Have students calculate how many litres are actually used to bathe, etc.