HOW MUCH DOES A GALLON OF WATER WEIGH?
Andrew found out that a gallon of water weighs 8.33 lbs. But that number became interesting to him only after he had a chance to weigh it for himself.
He experimented by filling several jugs with water. He filled a quart jug, a half gallon jug and a gallon jug with water. Then on and off throughout the day he would pick up one of them and carry it around. He also asked his younger brother and sister to try picking up the gallon and the other jugs. His six-year-old brother carried the half-gallon jug and his three-year sister carried the quart jug of water.
"I've decided that a gallon of water feels like about the same weight as my little brother did when he was born." Andrew smiled. "I think a half gallon weighs a little more than a small dog. A fourth of a gallon seems like about the weight of a puppy. So if you can carry around a fourth of a gallon of water, you're probably strong enough to hold a puppy."
Andrew, age 10
About that time they discovered a baby rabbit in their back yard. Together they decided that a baby rabbit was much less than a quart, and even less than a pint. They experimented more by going to a pet store and holding some of the bunnies there. Together, they decided that a baby rabbit probably weighs about the same as a 1/4 of a cup of water. What do you think? How much do you think a 1/4 of a cup of water weighs?
The next thing Andrew did was write a letter to his grandpa to tell him about his "benchmarking project" on water use, to tell grandpa what he was discovering and to ask his grandpa if he had a story about water that he'd be willing to share. We'll tell ya more about the letter and what Andrew's grandpa said soon.
Featured Books and Websites about Water:
Our featured children's book about water is titled The Thirsty Moose: Based on a Native American Folktale by David Orme and Mike Gordon. Choose this and other titles about water from the list below to find in a library near you:
You can also find a collection of Texas Maps and other water education resources by choosing from the list below.
Have you found other sources of water information that you'd like to share? Please tell us about it.
If you looking for the story about the lady who accidently let the water overflow her bathtub, look in the Reading Loft for the Water Issue, Titled - Got Water? Confessions of a Water Waster. You'll also find where the Adventures with Andrew stories started along with other stories about water, a printable word search about water and an activity for life long learners about water use in the home.