Glorious Water Summer of Science

Transcription

1 [PowerPoint: TITLE SLIDE] Glorious Water Summer of Science Tell me what you know about water. What are some things we use water for? When water is a solid, what is it called? [PowerPoint: ICE SLIDE] When water is a liquid, what is it called? [PowerPoint: WATER SLIDE] When water is a gas, what is it called? [PowerPoint: STEAM SLIDE] Water is the only natural substance that is found in all three forms solid, liquid, and gas at the temperatures normally found on earth. Water dissolves more substances than any other liquid. Water absorbs a lot of heat before it gets hot. That s why it is used in car radiators to cool engines. Water has a very high surface tension. (Let me show you what I m talking about) [Move to table, bring chairs] WATER SURFACE TENSION Surface tension is one of water's most important properties. It is the reason that water collects in drops, but it is also why water can travel up a plant stem. Water molecules hold on tight to each other. This creates a sort of skin on the surface of the water, which causes some pretty amazing things to happen. What will happen if I pour water into this glass until it gets to the top of the rim, and then drop pennies into the cup?

2 [Demonstrate and explain. See Water Experiments, Experiment #3. See also Can you make a paper clip float on top of the water? [Let several kids try] Why does the paper clip sink? It is more dense than the water. [Make paper clip float. See Water Experiments, Experiment #1. See also Why did the paper clip float this time? Surface tension. It isn t actually floating, the surface tension is simply strong enough to hold it up. [For more surface tension experiments: See Water Experiments, Experiment #2. See So, the surface tension of water is pretty amazing. Let s look at some other properties of water. [Pour water in several containers Ask, What shape is the water now?] Water has definite volume, but no definite shape. It takes on the shape of its container. What if it doesn t have a container? What if you just pour it out on the ground? [Demonstrate] THAT S KIND OF LAME! Water must be pretty wimpy! Right? WAIT A MINUTE! I kind of tricked you there. Water is actually pretty powerful.

3 Let me show you. [Move chairs back to front] [PowerPoint: WATER WHEEL SLIDE] Explain how people used water wheels in the old days. Grind wheat or corn to make flour Grind wood to make pulp for papermaking Hammering wrought iron [PowerPoint: NIAGRA FALLS SLIDE] How any of you have ever heard of Niagara Falls? Fun facts: 3,160 tons of water flows over Niagara Falls every second. That s 757,500 gallons every second! (Source: The water falls at 32 feet per second over the falls, hitting the base of the falls with 280 tons of force at the American and Bridal Veil Falls and 2,509 tons of force at the Horseshoe Falls. (Source: The power plants at Niagara Falls can output almost 4.9 million kilowatts. That s enough to power 3.8 million homes. (Source: Let s talk about one more example that shows us how powerful water is: a tsunami. Does anyone know what a tsunami is? Tsunamis are giant waves caused by earthquakes or volcanic eruptions under the sea. As the waves travel inland, they build up to higher and higher heights as the depth of the ocean decreases. Tsunami waves may travel as fast as jet planes over deep waters, only slowing down when reaching shallow waters. People sometimes refer to tsunamis as tidal waves, but scientists don t like that name because tides have little to do with these giant waves. (Source:

4 In 2004 there was an earthquake in the Indian Ocean that created a huge tsunami whose waves reached heights of 100 feet when they hit land. In 2011 there was an earthquake off of the coast of Japan that created a tsunami whose waves reached heights of 133 feet when they hit land. [TSUNAMI VIDEO: The video starts at 5:45. You might want to turn the volume down and only show a minute or two of the video.] Did you see how powerful the water was? It picked up cars like they were toys. It tore through walls of buildings. It moved whole buildings! Water is very powerful! Here are some fun and interesting facts about water: The human body is up to 60% water. Human beings have to have water to survive. Water allows your body s cells to grow, reproduce, and survive. Water helps you digest your food. (Source: [Pick out several other interesting facts about water to share with students] Think of some Bible stories that involved water. Genesis 1:1-2 Creation, everything was water Genesis 6-7 Flood (What did the water do?) see 1 Pet. 3:20 Exodus 7:14-21 Nile to blood Exodus 14:21-29 Parting of the Red Sea Acts 8:26-40 Baptism So, what can we learn from all of this?

5 1. Do you remember how we poured water into containers of various shapes and sizes? It didn t matter what shape or size the container was, it could hold the water. It doesn t matter how big or little you are It doesn t matter whether or not you re smart, or pretty It doesn t matter how rich or poor you are God loves YOU, and he can use YOU to serve him! 2. When we pour water into a cup, it takes the shape of the cup. When we pour water into a pitcher, it takes the shape of the pitcher. Whatever we pour water into, it takes the shape of the container. We have to be like water. We have to be willing to change and be like God wants us to be. 3. The New Testament teaches us that we are saved when we are baptized. You will learn more about this as you grow older. But just remember this about baptism: We can t be saved without water Let s end class with a prayer, Thanking God for giving us water. Thanking God for the important lessons we can learn from water. Asking God to help us be more like water, allowing him to mold us into the kind of person he wants us to be.