Fountains are very soothing to look at and add a serenity to the surrounding area. Driving Question: Why are fountains soothing?
This could lead to an authentic project to design a fountain and perhaps even build a working model, or a real fountain.
Another Driving Question: Do fountains waste water? While the answer to this is hopefully no, this could lead to an authentic project learning about the energy a fountain does use and how to make a more energy efficient fountain.
For younger students this project could simply be to learn about different famous fountains. Actually, this could be a great project for older students as well. There are some very famous fountains around the world with a rich history.
Post Script – Growing up I lived near a fountain in front of a neighboring community. My high school friends and I enjoyed putting a box of detergent in the fountain and watching it bubble up and over the fountain and then cover the nearby street with bubbles. We were “cleaning” up our community. Frequently! It was the 1970s and we were before our time in developing authentic social responsibility skills by performing this community service. Sadly, the fountain is long gone, so there will be no fifty-year reunion to clean the street again.
The Educational Journey 