Water Cycle. Standards. Materials. Estimated Time. 60 Minutes. Grades 3-5

Transcription

1 Water Cycle Objectives: Students should be able to show how a water molecule moves through the water cycle through the creation of a diagram. Pre-Assessment: Using the pre-assessment on page 6 have the students stand up if the answer is True and sit down if the answer is False. Background: The water on the earth surface is OLD. As old as the earth is. So the water that we have today is the same water as 2,000 yrs. ago, that is way before you were born, when the Egyptians were building the pyramids. We can t get more water but we can lose the water that is available to us by not taking care of it. It is important to learn about how a water molecule can move through the water cycle so that we can know how to protect our water from being polluted. Water is a one of earths most precious resources. Without it the earth would become uninhabitable. Questions: 1. How do we use water? To play: swimming, boating, fishing, etc.. To Live: drinking, cooking, showers, toilets, Animals: drink, to live (fish), to cool off Food: grow food for humans and animals 2. Where do you think you use the most water in a day? 5% for drinking and cooking 20% for laundry and dishes 35% for showers 40% for our toilets Standards Science 4.1.4, 4.1.8, 4.2.1, Materials (2) papers for each student Pencil Water Cycle Game OPTIONAL: Technology: Water Cycle Power- Point Literature: The Magic School Bus: Wet all over The Magic School Bus: At the Waterworks 3. What would happen if our water was taken away slowly? We would be able to manage by cutting our water usage back for a while But eventually we wouldn t have water to live, food to eat, we couldn t take Showers or go swimming. Animals would not be able to live either because They need the water as much as we do. Estimated Time 60 Minutes 4. What would happen if our water was taken away quickly? All plants, animals and humans would die quickly. Grades 3-5

2 Vocabulary: water cycle molecule precipitation condensation evaporation transpiration runoff infiltration uptake ground water sleet hail freezing rain Lesson: (can be done with or without the PowerPoint) Activity 1 1. Start by displaying the picture of the Water Cycle. Explain that the picture is the best way to show how a water molecule can move through the Water Cycle. Then explain that although a water molecule can follow this path not every water molecule does. Each water molecule will have its own path through the water cycle. In the Water Cycle picture it starts with a water molecule in the ocean. A Mole cule the smallest particle of a substance that still retains all its parts. The ocean is a large body of water and holds billions of water molecules. A water molecule can stay in the ocean for a long time before it gets warm enough to move on through evaporation. Evaporation is when a molecule changes from a liquid to a gas. Once it changes it goes up in the sky. When lots of water molcules come together and the temperature drops they condensate and form clouds. Condensation is when a molecule changes from a gas to a liquid. Clouds are a collection of tiny water droplets. Gravity eventually causes the water droplet to fall. This is called precipitation. Precipitation is water released from the clouds in the form of rain, freezing rain, sleet, hail, or snow. The temperature determines what form the water takes as it falls to the ground below. Once the precipitation falls from the clouds to the earth it has many paths it can take. Some ways a water molecule can move from this point is: 1. It can stay on the ice caps as snow and ice for a long period of time until it warms up enough to come off as snowmelt runoff. 2. It can runoff the landscape into a body of water. 3. The water molecule can go into the ground through infiltration. It can then either feed a plant through plant uptake, or go in to the ground wa ter. Water Cycle- Cycle that involves the continuous circulation of water in the Earth-atmosphere system. Molecule- The smallest particle of a substance that still retains all of its parts. Precipitation Is water released from the clouds in the form of rain, freezing rain, sleet, hail, or snow. Condensation Is when a molecule changes from a gas to a liquid. Evaporation When a molecule changes from a liquid to a gas. Transpiration Loss of water from a plant. (Just like sweat in humans.) Runoff The portion of precipitation on land that ultimately reaches streams. Infiltration To permeate (move through) something by penetrating its pores or interstices.

3 Sleet- Frozen or partially frozen rain Hail- Precipitation in the form of small balls or lumps usually consisting of con centric layers of clear ice and compact snow. Freezing rain When rain falls and temperatures are below freezing. Ground water Water within the earth especially that supplies wells and springs. Activity 2 Water Cycle Game Resource options: 1. Borrow from the Conservation District 2. Downloads (for a small fee) store.projectwet.org There are different variations to this. (I have found that the one I have in this lesson seems to work the best. It was adapted from the Project WET Incredible Journey Game. Directions: 1. Hang the 9 signs around the room. Put the dice that goes with each sign underneath the sign. 2. Give each student a piece of paper and have them number it They will need to carry this paper along with a pencil as they play the game. 3. Explain that each student is a water molecule. They will have their own unique journey through the water cycle. Each student will pick where they want to start their journey. 4. They will go to where they want to start and write what it says on #1 of their paper. 5. Each student will then roll the die under the sign. They will write down on their paper what they roll. (Example: If a student starts at clouds their #1 would say clouds. If they roll a stay their #2 would say clouds again. If they were to roll ocean then #2 would say ocean. They may stay at a station for more than one turn.) They will continue until they have all 10 filled in. See diagram 1 6. Once a student is finished they will return to their seats and sit quietly until all students have finished.

4 Assessment: 1. Once all students have finished give each student a new blank paper. On this paper they will diagram their journey. Making sure they label how they got from o ne place to the next. Using the correct terms. (If one of the students get an animal then the next time they get a stream. How does it get there? It urinates or pees. You can use what ever terms you feel most comfortable with.) See diagram 2 2. After they finish their diagram ask a couple of students to explain to the class their journey through the water cycle as a water molecule. Explain that not every water cycle is in a perfect circle. Each one is different and that is how it is with each water molecule. Diagram 1

5 Diagram 2 Accommodations: If after you do the pre-assessment you find there are students who need a little extra help you might consider pairing them up with a student who understands the concepts and would be patient and willing to work with that student.

6 Water Cycle Pre Assessment 1. The water cycle is a cycle that happens in a washing machine. T or F (False) 2. We can always make more water. T or F (False) 3. Most of the water on the earth is salt water. T or F (True ) 4. A molecule is the smallest particle of a substance that still retains all its parts. T or F (True) 5. Evaporation is when a liquid changes to a gas. Tor F (True) 6. Condensation happens when it rains. T or F (False) 7. Precipitation is when water is released from the clouds. T or F (True) 8. Ground water is water that is on the ground. T or F (False) 9. Transpiration is when plants sweat. T or F (True) 10. A water molecules always move the same way in the water cycle. T or F (False)

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8 soil

9 PLANTS

10 rivers

11 clouds

12 oceans

13 lakes

14 animals

15 Ground water

16 Glaciers SnowPack

17 If you prefer more structure to your cube, laminate the pattern before cutting out. The envelope flaps are helpful when taping sides together, but are not necessary, your choice. 1. Cut out along the outside edge of the cube. stay 2. Fold at each inside line. Ground Water Cloud Cloud River Plant

18 Cloud Cloud Cloud Cloud stay stay

19 Stay Ground Water Lake Animal Cloud Ocean

20 Lake Soil Snowpack / stay Ocean Ocean

21 stay Cloud Cloud stay Cloud Cloud stay

22 River Ground Water Cloud Stay Animal Stay

23 Stay Soil Cloud Cloud Cloud Soil

24 River Stay Lake Lake Stay Stay

25 stay Ground Water Cloud stay stay River