Story 5: Mama Lucy the EcoHome water tank.

A loud and frantic croaking from Chloe, Mia’s wonderful friend and a very wise frog indeed, catches Mia's attention near Mama Lucy, the EcoHome water tank. Mia rushes to the garden, worried about Chloe's unusual behavior. Papa Simon joins them, wondering why Chloe is jumping and croaking desperately next to Mama Lucy. They all gather outside, concerned about the commotion.

Mia rushes to the pond and finds the water level very low. With tears in her eyes, she holds the withered lilies, feeling desperate. Mama Ruth comes to comfort her and shares some important knowledge. "Do you know, Mia, that rain and snow are our only sources of freshwater?" Mia nods, remembering what she learned in school. "Rain is vital for all living things on our planet. It refills Earth's water in lakes, rivers and underground reservoirs. It's the source of life for everything," Mia explained. Mama Lucy kisses her hands with love, proud of her daughter's understanding, and how she sees life, as a wonderful creation, in the garden and the world.

Papa Simon inspects the gutters around the house and realizes that Mama Lucy is only catching rainwater from the kitchen gutters. Josh suggests using the gutters all around the house to direct water from the roof into the water tank. Excitedly, Papa Simon agrees and they plan to buy additional gutters from the hardware store. Meg, the EcoHome magic carpet, checks and finds that the gutters need cleaning. Josh says, “Well done Meg! That is a brilliant idea.” Meanwhile, Mama Ruth and Mia collect the water from buckets around the garden to refill Chloe's pond. They have just enough water to make Chloe and the lilies happy again. The gutters are cleaned and soon, rain pours down, filling Mama Lucy once again. The whole EcoHome family rejoices, dancing in the rain, grateful for the gift of water. Mia and Josh decided to create a poster to share their knowledge on saving water with the community. They learn that simple changes can make a big difference in preserving the precious water from Mother Earth, cherishing her water in rivers, dams, seas and making sure that it is protected for future generations. With every drop of rain, they are reminded of the beautiful cycle of life on Earth, where water is the giver of life and the essence of all living things.

Mr. Bok asks if the learners know how a dam works. In a dam, water is collected at a higher elevation, sometimes as high as an extremely tall tree and this water is then led downward through large pipes to a lower elevation, below the deep roots. The falling water causes wheels called water turbines to rotate. The rotating turbines run machines called generators, which produce electricity. Oceans, dams and rivers can also be used to create hydroelectricity.