Fourth-grade students at St. Stephen School in Oil City participated in an Erie Diocese project called “I Was Thirsty.”
First, the students read the book “Drop by Drop” in religion class with teacher Gert Ward and learned some facts about the challenges that people all over the world have in obtaining clean water.
In science class, with teacher Martina Love, five groups of fourth graders brainstormed and designed a water filtration system using a two-liter soda bottle and three filtering materials of their own choosing. They then performed an experiment where they tested the filters and compared the results to other groups.
The fourth graders took their filters apart to draw conclusions and determine which materials worked the best.
Members of the winning group were Morgan Wessell, Catherine Lineman and Molly Mietus.
The fourth grade submitted a collective lab report and pictures to the diocese, which will forward their ideas to Catholic Relief Services.
The students also took a water conservation pledge and will research some of the Catholic Relief Services projects in order to say a daily prayer for their success.
The project is designed to build awareness for the need for clean water in parts of the world and to involve students in following the call from Pope Francis to care for the world.
This project was completed by schools in the diocese in conjunction with Tuesday’s observance of World Water Day.
