Water reservation is a global issue that continues to affect everyone, yet water is still often wasted or misused in daily life. Our group chose to examine the campus irrigation system and identified significant inefficiencies. To address this, our team—Dominic, Poppy, Casper, and I launched a project. Recognizing our responsibility as members of the school, nation, and global community, we aimed to highlight the importance of water conservation, outline the current condition of the school’s irrigation system, and encourage positive changes.

To make our project more evidence-based, we moved from simple observation to a small investigation. At first, we designed survey questions that were too subjective, such as asking students what they thought about the irrigation system. After receiving feedback, we realized that better survey questions should be simple, clear, and based on real actions or observations. Therefore, we revised our questions to focus more on what students had actually seen on campus. In addition to the questionnaire, we also observed two main areas: the central pond and the landscape pond beside the study building. From the survey, we found that the irrigation system was generally useful, but the watering time and methods still had clear problems. For example, students noticed that sprinklers were sometimes placed too close together, which could lead to over-watering. Gardeners also sometimes used water pipes directly, which may waste water if the watering is not controlled carefully. Another important finding was that 42% of the students reported some unconscious pollution behaviors around campus water areas.

Based on these findings, our video followed a clear structure from problem to solution. We first presented the problems we observed, including inefficient watering methods and pollution around the ponds. Then we connected these problems to our Unit 2 learning, especially the water cycle and the idea that heat can increase evaporation. If plants are watered during hot hours at noon, more water may evaporate before it can be absorbed by the soil. Because of this, we suggested adjusting the watering time to early morning or dusk, when the temperature is lower and the air is usually more humid. We also proposed using more efficient irrigation methods, such as watering plants closer to the roots or using underground pipes in some areas. For the pond area, we suggested a simple filtration and circulation system to improve water quality. Finally, our video included a public-awareness section, such as posters or short videos, to remind students that small actions, like dropping tissue or other trash near water, can affect the whole campus environment.

Through this project, I gained a clearer understanding of both my strengths and the areas I still need to improve. I found that I can develop ideas from different angles and connect a local campus problem with a wider environmental issue. I also practiced the research process of observing a problem, collecting information, analyzing evidence, and proposing solutions. At the same time, I noticed that my grammar and sentence structure still need improvement, because inaccurate wording can make my ideas less clear. In future writing tasks, I should double-check my word choices and revise my sentences more carefully. I also learned that pronunciation and body language are important in a video project, because the audience needs to understand the message easily. Overall, this project helped me see our campus as a small model of water-resource protection. It showed me that academic learning is not only about textbooks, but also about using knowledge to notice problems and make responsible suggestions for the community.

Grade:Y9

Class: Zeilinger 518

Reporter: Yunlin (John) Ji