Start with Stories
Begin by sharing a local story or mele about the ua (rain) and how it nourishes the land. You might play a Hawaiian rain chant or talk about famous rains like Ka Ua Kani Lehua (the rain of Hilo) or Ka Ua Noe o Mānoa (the misty rain of Mānoa).
Ask keiki:
- “Where does rain come from?”
- “Where does it go after it falls?”
- “Why is rain important to our plants and animals?”
Explain that the land and ocean are connected through the watershed, where rain collects and flows from mountains (mauka) to the sea (makai).
Activity: Build Your Mini Watershed Box
Materials (per family/team):
- A disposable aluminum roasting pan or shallow tray
- Newspaper and aluminum foil (to build shape)
- Markers (blue, green, brown)
- Powdered drink mixes in different colors (representing soil & pollutants)
- A spray bottle of water
- Optional: small rocks, leaves, homemade paper pieces to symbolize homes/roads
Steps:
- Shape the Land: Crumple newspaper and place in the tray to form hills and valleys. Cover with a sheet of aluminum foil (shiny side up) to create the land surface.
- Draw the Waterways: Use a blue marker to draw streams and a river flowing from the mountains down to the “sea” (one end of the tray).
- Mark Land Use: With brown/green markers show different types of land cover: forests, wetlands, farms, urban areas, roads and homes.
- Add “Pollutants” & Soil: Sprinkle one color of powdered drink mix over the farm field area (to represent loose soil) and another color over a parking lot/urban area (to represent oil or runoff).
- Predict: Invite keiki to predict: Where will the water flow? Where will the pollutants go? Which land use might cause more runoff?
- “Rain” It: Use the spray bottle to gently mist water over the model. Watch how “rain” flows downhill, carrying soil/pollutants toward the ocean part of the model. Record or discuss observations.
- Reflect & Redesign: Ask:
- “Where did the rainwater flow the fastest?”
- “Where did the pollutants end up?”
- “How could we keep the ocean clean?”
- Encourage keiki to modify the model — adding “plants” (leaves or paper trees) to slow the flow.
Cultural + STEM Connections
Type | Concept |
ʻIke Hawaiʻi | Understanding how mauka and makai are connected in the ahupuaʻa system, and how caring for upland areas protects the ocean. |
Science | ESS3.A – Natural Resources: Living things need water, air, and land to survive; humans use natural resources for everything they do. ETS1.B – Developing Possible Solutions: Designs (like the watershed model) can be conveyed through drawings or physical models to test ideas. ESS2.D / K-ESS2-1: Weather and rainfall patterns can be observed and described over time. |
Math | CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.1.MD.C.4: Organize and compare rainfall data; ask and answer questions about which location received more or less rain. |
ELA | CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.1.4: Describe observations clearly using relevant details; explain what happens in your model. |
Family Discussion & Extension
- Walk around your neighborhood after a rainstorm (or during a light mist) and ask: Where does the water flow? Do you see drains, slopes, bare soil, or plants?
- Invite the ʻohana to adopt a small area (garden bed, slope, gutter, street‐corner) and plan to plant a native rain garden, pick up litter, or create a small buffer of plants to intercept runoff.
- As an extension, keep a simple rain gauge (clear plastic cup with inch marks) and note how much rain falls, then compare how fast runoff happens in bare soil vs. planted soil.
