Megan Walklet
4th Grade
Describe
how water exists on Earth in three states (SCI.V.2.E.1).
Water is found on the Earth as a liquid, solid, and gas.
Lesson Objectives
1.
Students in 4th grade science class will describe the
continuous water cycle that water undergoes as it changes form in a drawing.
2.
Students in 4th grade science class will discuss the
conservation of matter, phase changes, clouds and rain in small groups.
3.
Students in 4th grade science class will explain the
components of the water cycle in their scientific notebook.
Motivator/Anticipatory Set
<Around the teacher should be, a half-filled glass of water, a dish with an ice cube, and a dish with a wet paper towel.> “What do all three of these thing have in common?”<Wait for some answers, push for the answer of water> “Where can we find water?” <Wait for answers, try to get the three different types. Write them on the board. If one is not mentioned, express it clouds, rain, ice> “You mentioned so many things, lets organize them into the three phases of water. Solid, liquid and gas.” <Do with the class and have them place it in their scientific notebook for reference.>
Key Concepts/Vocabulary
Precipitation: any kind of water
that falls from the sky as part of the weather.
This
includes snow,
rain,
sleet,
freezing rain and hail.
Evaporation: the process whereby atoms
or molecules
in a liquid
state (or solid
state if the substance sublimes)
gain sufficient energy to enter the gaseous
state.
Solid: State of matter,
characterized by a definite volume and a definite shape (i.e. it
resists deformation).
Liquid: One of the phases of
matter. Volume
is fixed under conditions of constant
temperature and pressure;
and, whose shape is usually determined by the
container it fills.
Gas: One of the phases of matter.
They have the ability to flow and do not resist
deformation and expand to fill whatever space they occupy.
Infiltration: the slow passage of a liquid
through a filtering medium
Transpiration: The evaporation of water, or
exhalation of aqueous vapor, from cells and
masses of tissue.
Water Table: The upper limit of the portion of the ground wholly saturated with water.
The water table may be within a few inches of the surface or many feet below it.Ground Water: Underground water that is held in pervious rocks or unconsolidated materials.
Water Vapor: Water in gaseous
form. It arises either through evaporation
of liquid water
or
sublimation
from solid ice.
Materials
Two
Dishes
An
ice cube
Paper
towel
A
clear glass
Poster
paper
Crayons/markers
Large
glass, metal or plastic bowls
Dry
ceramic mugs (like coffee mugs)
Long
pieces of string or large rubber bands
A
pitcher or bucket
A
sheet of clear plastic wrap
Round
and Round student worksheet (attached)
Model
Water Cycle student worksheet (attached)
Scientific
Notebook
Teaching Strategies and
Methods
Demonstration
Student
experiment
Worksheets
Small
group discussion
Content
·
Anticipatory Set
·
Attention to water glass
-
Questions: What is in the glass? What is water? What does it loook or feel like? Is water a solid, liquid, or gas? Where
can you find water? Where does it come from?
-
Water is a liquid that both falls from the sky in the form of rain and
can be found in abundance in oceans, lakes, streams, and underground.
·
Attention to ice cube in the dish
-
Questions: What is in this dish? Describe ice. What does it look or
feel like? Is ice a solid, a liquid, or a gas? What is ice made of? How is it
made? If I left the ice in the room for a few hours, what would happen to it?
-
Ice is water that has been frozen into a solid because it has been
exposed to very low temperatures. Make sure they understand that when ice is
allowed to warm up, it returns to liquid water
·
Attention to the dish with wet paper towel
-
Questions: What is this? What would happen if I left it out for a few
hours? Why would it dry out? Besides paper towels, what are some other examples
of wet things that dry out over time? (puddles, wet clothes, watered plants,
glasses of water) What if I put this wet paper towels during the winter? What
might happen to it? Why?
-
When water is exposed to warm temperatures, it disappears or
evaporates, becoming a gas, while under colder conditions it can freeze into
ice, becoming a solid. The three water samples they’ve seen the three states,
or forms, that water takes on as temperature and other conditions change.
·
To help students better understand the content circulation and transformation of water in the outside world – the water cycle –
ask and think about following questions.
-
Where does water go when it disappears or evaporates?
-
What role does the sun play in the evaporation process?
-
Where does water come from when it rains?
-
How are clouds formed?
-
When rain (snow/sleet) falls to the ground, what usually happens to it?
II.
Research in Pairs
·
Student will need to be broken up into pairs.
·
Students are to go to www.dnr.state.wi.us
and have them explore the site.
·
Once the students have explored the site, pass out the Water Cycle
question sheets to the students. (one per pair) Have the students answer these
questions in their scientific notebook. Each student needs one but they can
work together.
-
Students will be directed to click on and read each process of
the water circle as show on the
graphic – starting with precipitation
and ending with water vapor.
III. Class
Discussion
·
Once the students are finished discuss what they have learned and be
sure to emphasize key concepts involving both the transformative
(liquid/solid/gas) and the continuous, cyclical aspects of the global water
cycle process.
·
Have the students draw their interpretation of the water cycle.
IV. Group
Experiment
·
Have each pair, pair up with another group.
·
Students need to collect the materials needed for the hands-on
experiment as well as the worksheet
·
Each group will be asked to create a model of a water cycle in class.
Among other things, they will be able to observe how water condenses and the
precipitates.
V. Class
discussion
·
Once the models are completed and the changes within them start taking
place, ask the following questions
-
Describe what is happening in your miniature water cycle
-
What effect is the sun having on your water cycle? The shade?
-
What caused the water to evaporate in the mug or “ocean”?
-
Where did the water go?
-
How can you explain what is taking place on the plastic wrap?
-
How can you explain the dripping that is taking place?
-
Explain the processes involved in the water cycle that took place
inside you models.
·
Have the students turn in their completed worksheet and scientific
notebook.
Website
1.
Click on the EEK! Just for Kids
logo button towards the bottom of the page.
2.
Click on the Our Earth link
3.
Click on the Water Wonders link
4.
Click on the The Water Cycle link
5.
Follow the directions on the page to answer the questions given
Real World Context
The water cycle is something
students are exposed to on a daily basis but may not know it. There always
seems to be at least one cloud in the sky here in
Bibliography
Wisconsin
Department of Natural Resources, (2004) EEK, Environmental Education for
Kids Retrieved
|
Criteria |
Apprentice |
Basic |
Meets |
Exceeds |
|
Scientific Notebook |
Information sheets were
not attached and/or final report not finished. |
Information sheets were
not attached and/or final report did not express thoughts clearly. |
Information sheets were
attached, but final report was missing a few details. |
Information sheets were
attached and final report was written clearly |
|
Water Cycle Drawing |
The drawing is missing
most of the components of the water cycle and are labeled and included. |
The drawing is colorful,
and most of the components of the water cycle and are labeled and included . |
The drawing is colorful,
and has all of the components of the water cycle included and labeled. |
The drawing is colorful,
and has all of the components of the water cycle included and labeled neatly. |
|
Water Cycle Experiment |
Not every element is
completed and/or the worksheet is completed with short answers. |
Each element is completed
and/or the worksheet is completed with short answers |
Each element if completed
and the worksheet is completed with short answers |
Each element if completed
and the worksheet is completed with detailed answers |
*These
questions are to be answered in your scientific notebook. Use complete
sentences
when you answer the questions.*
1.
What is precipitation?
2.
What happens to precipitation when it falls over
3.
Other notes on precipitation
1.
What is infiltration?
2.
How are plants a part of this process?
3.
Other notes on infiltration
1.
What is ground water?
2.
Describe the movement of ground water
3.
Other notes on ground water
1. What is the water table?
2.
Other notes on water tables
1.
What is evaporation?
2.
Other notes on evaporation
1.
What is transpiration?
2.
What happens to water vapor once it is let into the atmosphere?
3.
Other notes on transpiration
1.
What is water vapor?
2.
What causes clouds to form?
3.
What causes precipitation to fall?
4.
Other notes on water vapor
Model Water Cycle Experiment Materials · A large metal or plastic bowl
· A pitcher or bucket
· A sheer of clear plastic wrap
· A dry ceramic mug (coffee mug)
· A long piece of string or large rubber bank
· Water
Directions 1. Put the bowl in a sunny place outside, on a windowsill, or on a table under a window.
2. Using the pitcher or bucket, pour water into the bowl until it is about ¼ full.
3. Place mug in the center of the bowl. Be careful not to splash any water into it.
4. Cover the top of the bowl with the plastic wrap.
5. Tie the string/rubber band around the bowl to hole the plastic wrap in place.
6. Observe the bowl as it is now and write down your observations.
7. Let the bowl sit in the sun for a couple of hours and then observe it again to see what has happened.