Milton Bradley has nothing on the City of Tacoma, Wash., and its EnviroChallenger educators. With their custom-made Toxic Toilet board game, educators Jacqueline Fuller and John Inch coach elementary school students to roll the dice and move block by block through the sewer system. Across the board, players contend with common threats to the system, such as grease, hair, cleaners, and medications.
“The kids repeat the problem and come up with a solution,” says Fuller. “Afterwards, we come together and talk about each one.” Students often offer ingenious solutions like using a coat hanger to dislodge a clog rather than a chemical clog remover. The game continues as players navigate the sewer and pass through the treatment plant. The first one to the river wins.
In Tacoma, the river at the game’s endpoint is a waterway that flows into Commencement Bay and then on to Puget Sound. By bringing Toxic Toilet and other activities into the classroom, city representatives teach students what it takes to treat wastewater and why treatment is so important.
Complete program
Usually paired with Toxic Toilets is After the Flush: The Scoop on Poop. Once the topic is introduced and the giggling mellows, students are transformed into wastewater engineers.
“I try to add a little sparkle,” Fuller says. She personalizes the presentation with stories about her brother and two cousins who work as wastewater treatment plant operators.
As part of The Scoop on Poop, students first dirty up their water-filled beakers by adding coffee grounds. Then Fuller walks them through the cleanup process. The kids pour the contents of the beakers through a screen, removing most of the coffee. Then they wait as smaller particles settle out of the filtrate. In the meantime, Fuller explains the mechanisms involved in straining and settling wastewater at the treatment plant and tells the kids to be careful about what they put into a toilet or sink drain.
To make the most of the classroom activities, the EnviroChallenger educators also use their Web site. All programs they offer are summarized online, along with pre-visit activities and teacher tips that help get the kids up to speed and make the most of the classroom visit.
