When Animals Are Thirsty...
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What Is This Video?
The kids have written a song for the Blorbians called “When Animals Are Thirsty.” Grab a kazoo or a drum and sing along with Plum! (“There’s water, water hiding—in a crevice or a nook. There’s water, water hiding—if you just know where to look!”)
Conversation Starters
Ask:
After a rainstorm, where do puddles form in your neighborhood?
Which puddles are usually the last to dry up? Why? Think about sun versus shade, wind versus calm, the size of the puddle, and whether it’s in a busy or quiet spot.
Where can animals get fresh water on a dry day? (Leaky outdoor faucets, fountains, where store owners hose down sidewalks, pet water dishes, and so on.)
Explore Some More
Make a Soak Meter
Puddles form where water can’t soak into the ground or flow downhill. Measure “soak time” on a range of surfaces in your neighborhood. First, remove the tops and bottoms from four to six equal-sized cans. On each can, measure one inch from the bottom and draw a line with permanent marker. Next, go outside and scout out surfaces: loose soil, hard-packed dirt, gravel, grass, weeds, concrete, asphalt, etc. On each natural surface, jam a can into the ground up to the mark. On hard surfaces, flip cans upside down so that the mark is at the top; seal the bottoms with clay or putty. Finally, make sure the cans don’t leak. Fill each natural-surface can to the brim and the hard-surface cans to the one-inch mark. (This ensures that the same amount of water is added to each can.) Time how long it takes for the water to disappear. On which surfaces are puddles most likely to form and last?
Curriculum Topics
water, water cycle, animals
Activity Type
indoor and outdoor
Standards