Students investigate the essential question, “How do water scarcity and healthy ecosystems affect each other in Hawaiʻi?” through a hike, guest speakers, and collaboration with Papahana Kuaʻola and Pop Up Labs Hawaiʻi. They apply science and math to examine ecosystems, interactions among Earth’s spheres, water distribution, climate, and human impacts. Teams design, test, analyze, and refine a water filter, then create a PSA poster or video advocating for clean water and ecosystem health. Students present their work to the school community, families, and community partners and complete a written reflection on their learning, collaboration, feedback, and revisions.

Students will explain how water scarcity and healthy ecosystems affect each other in Hawaiʻi by investigating water distribution, Earth’s interacting spheres, weather and climate, natural hazards, native animals, and human impacts. Using observations from the hike and information from guest speakers, Papahana Kuaʻola, and Pop Up Labs Hawaiʻi, students will analyze data and evaluate how communities protect water and ecosystems. Teams will design, measure, test, and refine a water filter, using evidence and peer feedback to improve its performance. Students will create a clean-water PSA poster or video, present their solutions to the school community, families, and community partners, and write a reflection about their learning and revisions.

Teams will create a working water-filter prototype and maintain a design record with labeled diagrams, material measurements, water-flow rates, test data, graphs, and revisions. Using evidence from the hike, guest speakers, Papahana Kua‘ola, and Pop Up Labs Hawai‘i, students will produce a PSA poster or short video explaining how water scarcity and healthy ecosystems affect one another in Hawai‘i. Students will test, critique, and refine their filters for safe demonstration only; filtered water will not be consumed. Each student will complete a written reflection, and teams will present their filter and PSA to the school community, families, and community partners.

Launch with a guided hike led by Papahana Kua‘ola, where students document native animals, ecosystem conditions, and visible evidence of water availability or scarcity using field notes, photographs, and simple counts. Back at school, representatives from the Board of Water Supply and Pop Up Labs Hawai‘i can lead an interactive demonstration showing how water moves through Earth systems and how communities monitor and protect clean water. Students examine sealed water samples without tasting them, record observations, and map connections among rainfall, habitats, human water use, and ecosystem health. Conclude by introducing the question, “How do water scarcity and healthy ecosystems affect each other in Hawai‘i?” and inviting teams to identify what they need to investigate.

Host a “Water and Ecosystem Stewardship Showcase” for the school community, families, Papahana Kua‘ola, and Pop Up Labs Hawaii. Teams demonstrate their revised water filters using safe, teacher-prepared simulated dirty water that is never consumed, present mathematical test data, and share a PSA poster or video about clean water. Displays connect evidence from the hike and guest speakers to water distribution, Earth systems, ecosystems, and the question, “How do water scarcity and healthy ecosystems affect each other in Hawai‘i?” Visitors provide feedback, and students conclude by sharing a written reflection on their testing, revisions, collaboration, and proposed community action.