Gallon Challenge
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Provided by: Green Guardians|Published on: May 26, 2023
Activity - Classroom
Scientist Reviewed
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This resource has been reviewed by SubjectToClimate's climate scientists and verified for scientific accuracy and up-to-date information. Learn about our review process →
Synopsis
- This activity challenges students to use just one gallon of water for everything they need in one day.
- Students will have to think critically about their water use and consider what they most value when it comes to the water they use.

Subjects: Biology, English Language Arts, Mathematics
Authors: Green Guardians
Region: Global
Languages: English
Teaching Materials
Positives
- This worksheet is a simple way for students to think about natural resources and how much water is wasted.
- Students will gain perspective regarding the myriad of ways we use water each day.
Additional Prerequisites
- Students should be familiar with the ways people use water.
- In order to complete this worksheet independently, students will need to know how to measure volumes of liquid, add, and subtract.
Differentiation
- This resource would be well suited for elementary science or math classes that are working on water conservation or adding and subtraction word problems.
- This resource would be a great activity after discussing the ways people use water (bathing, drinking, cooking, flushing the toilet, agriculture, and more).
- After completing this activity, a great extension would be for students to come up with some action items that would reduce their water consumption.
- Have advanced students measure how much water comes out of their hose in one minute and then calculate the gallons of water used to water grass over a given surface area.
- Have students find out how many gallons of water their toilets use each time they flush and then have them calculate the water savings of low-flow toilets over a given period of time.
Scientist Notes
Teaching Tips
Standards
Resource Type and Format
About the Partner Provider
Green Guardians
Our mission is to promote K-12 environmental literacy as a project-based, multi-disciplinary 21st century learning initiative that engages students, parents, teachers, educators, schools, community-based partners and school districts committed to a sustainable and equitable future.
Scientist Reviewed
This resource has been reviewed by SubjectToClimate's climate scientists and verified for scientific accuracy and up-to-date information. Our review process ensures that every resource in our library reflects the current state of climate science.
Learn about our review process →




