Dancing to the Water Cycle Grade Level or Special Area: Second Grade Written by: Martha Fleming and Melody Landaiche, Jefferson Academy, Broomfield, CO Length of Unit: Eight lessons (approximately 12 days, one day = 45 minutes) I. ABSTRACT This unit will develop the students knowledge of the water cycle and the part it plays in the development of clouds and precipitation. The concepts listed in the Core Knowledge Sequence will be covered in this unit of study. These concepts are that most of the earth s surface is covered by water and the water cycle: evaporation and condensation, water vapor in the air, humidity, clouds, precipitation and groundwater. II. III. OVERVIEW A. Concept Objectives 1. Students understand the processes and interactions of Earth s systems. (Colorado State Science Standard #4) 2. Students will develop an awareness of place. 3. Students will develop an awareness of weather. 4. Students will understand cyclical change. 5. Students will understand that nature is predictable. B. Content from the Core Knowledge Sequence 1. Most of the earth s surface is covered by water. (page 59) 2. The water cycle: evaporation and condensation, water vapor in the air, humidity, clouds: cirrus, cumulus, stratus, precipitation, and groundwater. (page 59) C. Skill Objectives 1. Using maps and globes, the students will infer that there is more water than land on the earth s surface. 2. Using maps, the students will be able to label the four major oceans. 3. The students will be able to identify the elements of weather. 4. The students will be able to list three ways weather impacts their daily lives. 5. The students will demonstrate their knowledge of the water cycle by making a water wheel. 6. The students will demonstrate their knowledge of the water cycle by labeling the different parts of the cycle in proper sequence. 7. The students will be able to describe how clouds are formed. 8. The students will be able to identify the three main cloud types. 9. The students will be able to describe how cloud formations make it possible to predict certain types of weather. 10. The students will be able to describe how precipitation is formed. 11. The students will be able to list four types of precipitation. 12. The students will be able to describe humidity and the part it plays in weather. 13. The students will be able to describe groundwater and its uses. BACKGROUND KNOWLEDGE A. For Teachers 1. Haslam, Andrew and Taylor, Barbara. Make it Work! Weather. Princeton, NJ: Two-Can Publishing. 2001. ISBN 1-58728-253-4. 2. Hirsch, E. D. What Your Second Grader Needs to Know. New York: Doubleday. 1998. ISBN 0-385-48120-9. Second Grade, Dancing to the Water Cycle 2002 Colorado Unit Writing Project 1
3. Prior, Jennifer Overend, Smith, Valerie, and Wagner, Laura. From Your Friends at The Mailbox: Weather. Greensboro, NC. The Education Center. 2000. ISBN 1-56234-399-8. 4. Simon, Seymour. Weather. New York: Scholastic Inc. 1993. ISBN 0-439-25383-7. B. For Students 1. Geographical features of the earth s surface: shape, oceans and continents, landforms. (page 39 of the Core Knowledge Sequence) 2. Oceans and undersea life: most of the earth is covered with water, locating the four major oceans. (page 37 of the Core Knowledge Sequence) 3. Names and common examples of the three states of matter: solid, liquid, and gas. (page 38 of the Core Knowledge Sequence) 4. Water as an example of changing states of matter of a single substance. (page 38 of the Core Knowledge Sequence) IV. RESOURCES A. Water Cycle Boogie, by Banana Slug String Band (Lesson Three) B. Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs, by Judi Barrett (Lesson Two) C. Hands-On Science, Moni Bates and Kathi Porter Thaxton (Culminating Activity) D. The Cloud Book, Tomie de Paola (Lesson Four) E. Storms and Hurricanes, by Kathy Gemmell (Lesson Two) F. Groundwater Basics, http://www.groundwater.org/gwbasics/whatisgw.htm (Lesson Eight) G. Make it Work! Weather, by Andrew Haslam and Barbara Taylor (Lessons Two and Five) H. What Your Second Grader Needs to Know, by E. D. Hirsch (Lessons Three and Seven) I. Humidity, http://www.infoplease.com/ce6/weatehr/a0824520.html (Lesson Eight) J. The Colorado Weather Book, by Mike Nelson (Lesson Two and Lesson Four) K. From Your Friends at the Mailbox: Weather, by Jennifer Prior, Valerie Smith, and Laura Wagner (Lessons Three and Five, Culminating Activity) L. Weather, by Seymour Simon (Lessons Two, Four, and Five) M. Weather, by Charlene Stout (Lesson Three and Culminating Activity) N. Weather and Climate, by Barbara Taylor (Lessons Four, Five, and Seven) O. Weather Basics http://usatoday.com/weather/whumdef.htm (Lesson Eight) V. LESSONS Lesson One: How Much of the Earth is Covered With Water? (one day - 45 minutes) A. Daily Objectives 1. Concept Objective(s) a. The student will develop an awareness of place. 2. Lesson Content a. Most of the earth s surface is covered by water. 3. Skill Objective(s) a. Using maps and globes, the students will infer that there is more water than land on the earth s surface. b. Using maps, the students will be able to label the four major oceans. B. Materials 1. World map 2. Globe 3. Key vocabulary (chart, chalkboard, overhead) 4. Water Cycle Journal for each child Appendix A 5. Pencil Second Grade, Dancing to the Water Cycle 2002 Colorado Unit Writing Project 2
6. Individual world maps Appendix B (one per student) C. Key Vocabulary 1. Atlantic Ocean the ocean between Europe and Africa to the east, and North and South America to the west 2. Pacific Ocean the ocean between North and South America to the east, and Asia to the west 3. Indian Ocean the ocean between Africa to the west and Australia to the east 4. Arctic Ocean the ocean located in the north polar regions 5. Land mass a large area of land 6. Continent one of the seven large land masses of the earth D. Procedures/Activities 1. Explain to the children that they will be learning about the water cycle and other weather elements in this unit. Tell them that today they will be discovering how much water is on the earth s surface. 2. Give each child a copy of the Water Cycle Journal (Appendix A - Journals will be used to record key vocabulary and facts important to the understanding of this unit. It will also be a form of assessment for the teacher. These can be made prior to teaching the unit by putting the cover and lined writing paper together and three hole punching so that worksheets can be added to the journal throughout the unit. Directions for this can be found in Appendix A, page 2). Go over the key vocabulary words and write on a chart, chalkboard, or overhead. 3. Using a world map, discuss the areas of water found on the earth versus land. Ask how they might know which is land and which is water? Shape and color. Point out how much more of the earth s surface is water than land. 4. Name the four major oceans and point them out on the world map. 5. Use the globe to point out the four major oceans as well. 6. Give each child a copy of a blank world map and have them color in the areas of water on the earth s surface and label the four major oceans. E. Assessment/Evaluation 1. The students will demonstrate their ability to color the areas of water on the earth s surface and correctly labeling the four major oceans. 2. These maps may be added to the Water Cycle Journal. Lesson Two: What is Weather? (two days 45 minutes each) A. Daily Objectives 1. Concept Objective(s) a. Students understand the processes and interactions of earth s systems. (Colorado State Science Standard # 4) b. The students will develop an awareness of weather. 2. Lesson Content a. Evaporation, condensation, water vapor in the air, clouds, precipitation. 3. Skill Objective(s) a. The students will be able to identify the elements of weather. b. The students will be able to list three ways weather impacts their daily lives. B. Materials 1. Book: Make it Work! Weather 2. Book: Storms and Hurricanes 3. Book: Weather 4. Book: The Colorado Weather Book 5. Book: Cloudy With the Chance of Meatballs Second Grade, Dancing to the Water Cycle 2002 Colorado Unit Writing Project 3
6. KWL chart and overhead of the chart Appendix C 7. Key vocabulary (chart, chalkboard, or overhead) 8. Worksheet for identifying weather elements Appendix D (one per student) 9. Water Cycle Journal and pencil C. Key Vocabulary 1. Tall-tale an exaggerated story 2. Pressure the force created by the weight of the air above 3. Temperature the degree of heat or cold in something 4. Wind moving air 5. Precipitation the falling of water from the sky in the form of rain, sleet, hail, or snow 6. Atmosphere the envelope of air surrounding the earth 7. Meteorology the science of weather 8. Meteorologist a person who studies the weather and tells us about it D. Procedures/Activities 1. Read the book Cloudy With the Chance of Meatballs. 2. Using the story, build background knowledge about what the students know about weather and what they want to know. Using the KWL overhead chart (Appendix C) have the students tell what they know about weather and what they want to know. Have the students record answers given on their charts. Add these lists to their Water Cycle Journals to use for review at the end of the unit. *Remember to record all answers given even if wrong on the chart. 3. List key vocabulary words on a chart, chalkboard, or overhead and provide meanings. Have the students record these in their journals. 4. Explain the elements of weather: temperature, moisture, wind speed, and pressure. Use information found in Make it Work! Weather pages 10-13, 16,18-19, 20-21,22-23, Storms and Hurricanes pages 3-7, Weather pages 1-12. 5. Explain what meteorology is and what a meteorologist does. Use information from The Colorado Weather Book pages 92-102. 6. Write the saying, Red sky at morning, sailor take warning. Red sky at night, sailor s delight on the board. Ask the students what they think this rhyme means. Explain that the rhyme told seamen when to expect good or bad weather for sailing. Explain that not so long ago people used sayings to help them predict the weather. E. Assessment/Evaluation 1. The students will identify the elements of weather by completing a worksheet. (Appendix D) 2. Divide the class into cooperative groups and have them create a list of three ways weather has an impact on their daily lives. Have each group share their lists. Lesson Three: What is the Water Cycle (two days 45 minutes each) A. Daily Objectives 1. Concept Objective(s) a. Students understand the processes and interactions of earth s systems. (Colorado State Science Standard # 4) b. The student will understand cyclical change. 2. Lesson Content a. The water cycle: evaporation, condensation, clouds, and precipitation. 3. Skill Objective(s) a. The students will demonstrate their knowledge of the water cycle by making a water cycle wheel. Second Grade, Dancing to the Water Cycle 2002 Colorado Unit Writing Project 4
b. The students will demonstrate their knowledge of the water cycle by labeling the different parts of the cycle in proper sequence. B. Materials 1. Book: The Mailbox: Weather 2. Book: Weather Activity Book 3. Water Cycle Boogie Banana Slug String Band Tape 4. Card stock 9 x 12 size-enough for two sheets per student 5. Small brads one per student 6. Colored pencils 7. Scissors 8. Water cycle wheel pattern Appendix E 9. Water cycle diagram and worksheet Appendix F 10. Water Cycle Journals and pencil 11. Five large pieces of construction paper (12 x 18 ) labeled with the words evaporation, water vapor, condensation, precipitation, runoff C. Key Vocabulary 1. Evaporation when a liquid changes into a gas 2. Condensation the cooling of a gas and returning it to liquid form 3. Water vapor the gas produced when water evaporates 4. Gas a substance, such as air, that will spread to fill any space that contains it 5. Liquid a wet substance that you can pour 6. Water droplets small quantities of water that are round or pear shaped 7. Runoff amount of rainfall that is carried off by streams and rivers D. Procedures/Activities 1. List the key vocabulary on a chart, chalkboard, or overhead and have the children add these words to their journals with the meanings. 2. Introduce the water cycle by teaching the children The Water Cycle Boogie (Banana Slug String Band Tape). You may want to let the students sing this song as an introduction to following lessons. 3. Explain the water cycle using information from the books The Mailbox: Weather pages 4-7 and Weather Activity Book page 17. When explaining how the water cycle works, draw a diagram of it on the chalkboard so the students can visualize how it works. 4. Discuss how the water cycle works further by asking the following questions: a. What happens to water when the sun heats it? It evaporates. b. What does the water turn into when it evaporates? Water vapor. c. What causes condensation to occur? The water vapor cools. d. In what form does the water return to the earth? Precipitation. e. What do we call what happens to water after it returns to the earth? Runoff. 5. Before the students make their water cycle wheels you can have them act out what happens in the water cycle. Give five students one of the construction paper posters that are labeled. Have the students act out the cycle as you go over it once more. Repeat the activity with another group and have one or two of the rest of the class tell what happens in the water cycle while the group holding the construction paper posters act it out. 6. Give each student a copy of the water cycle wheel pattern (Appendix E). 7. Color the pictures. 8. Cut out the small circle and the larger cloud. 9. Cut a small window out of the cloud on the dotted lines. Second Grade, Dancing to the Water Cycle 2002 Colorado Unit Writing Project 5
10. Put the large cloud on top of the smaller circle, matching the center dots. Fasten with a brad through the center dots. Have them turn their wheel to the proper place as you read the following sentences: a. The sun heats the surface of the water changing it into water vapor. This is evaporation. b. The water vapor rises and cools, collecting around bits of dust to form a cloud. This is condensation. c. Depending on the temperature, the water falls back to earth in a form of precipitation. d. The water soaks into the soil, or runs down streams into rivers, ponds, lakes, or oceans. There it evaporates again. (Adapted from Weather Activity Book) E. Assessment/Evaluation 1. The students will identify the water cycle by retelling the steps from memory. 2. The students will demonstrate their knowledge of the water cycle by completing the water cycle diagram and worksheet (Appendix F). This worksheet can be added to the journal. Lesson Four: What Are Clouds? (one day 45 minutes) A. Daily Objectives 1. Concept Objective(s) a. Students understand the processes and interactions of earth s systems. (Colorado State Science Standard # 4) b. Students will understand that nature is predictable. 2. Lesson Content a. Clouds: cirrus, cumulus, stratus. 3. Skill Objective(s) a. The students will be able to describe how clouds are formed. b. The students will be able to identify the three main cloud types. c. The students will be able to describe how cloud formations make it possible to predict certain types of weather. B. Materials 1. Book: The Cloud Book 2. Book: Weather, Seymour Simon 3. Book: Weather and Climate 4. Book: The Colorado Weather Book 5. Card stock (9 x 12 ) enough for each child to have two sheets 6. Blue copy paper enough for each child to have six sheets (8 ½ x 11 ) 7. Pattern and directions for Cloud Diary Appendix G 8. List of Cloud Diary questions Appendix H 9. Key vocabulary (chart, chalkboard, or overhead) 10. Poster of different cloud types (if available) 11. Library books containing pictures and diagrams of clouds (teacher s choice) 12. Drinking straws one per child 13. Wax paper squares about 2-3 square inches and one per child 14. Sugar about a cup and a half (enough to give each child about one teaspoon full) 15. Eye dropper and glass of water 16. Cloud experiment Appendix I (one per student) 17. Cloud checklist Appendix J (one per student) 18. Water Cycle Journals and pencil Second Grade, Dancing to the Water Cycle 2002 Colorado Unit Writing Project 6
C. Key Vocabulary 1. Cirrus a form of white wispy clouds that are made up of ice crystals and are high in the sky 2. Cumulus low level clouds that look like dome shaped balls of cotton 3. Stratus low level clouds that look like a blanket and are gray in color D. Procedures/Activities 1. Read: The Cloud Book to introduce the lesson. 2. Review the water cycle. 3. List the key vocabulary on a chart, chalkboard, or overhead and have the students add them to their journal with the meanings. 4. Explain the different types of clouds and how they are formed using information, pictures, and diagrams found in the following books: Weather and Climate pages 20-21, The Colorado Weather Book page 113,and Weather page 15 18. 5. Give each child a cloud diary. (Appendix G - these can be made in advance of the class.) 6. Give each child a copy of the cloud diary questions (Appendix H). 7. Tell the students that they will be going outside to observe the sky and clouds for about 10 15 minutes each time for three days. During this time for observation they are to draw pictures of the clouds they observe and write the type of cloud they see. An added activity with their observations is describing pictures they may see in the cloud formations. 8. Do the cloud experiment (Appendix I) with the students using the following directions: Give each student a piece of the wax paper and a straw. Put a teaspoonful of sugar on each student s piece of wax paper. Tell them that when hot air rises and cools, it forms small drops of water. Many of these drops group together to form a cloud. Some of them fall to earth and they are still together in groups. Have the students predict what will happen to the sugar when they blow on it. This will be recorded on their worksheet. (Appendix I) Have them blow gently through the straw and record their observation of the results. Put a drop of water on each piece of wax paper. Have them predict what will happen and record on the worksheet. Then have them blow through the straw gently toward the water and record their observation. They can then complete the chart on the worksheet. (Adapted from Primary Whole Language Theme Unit Weather) E. Assessment/Evaluation 1. The student s chart from the cloud experiment will be evaluated with the checklist (Appendix J). Lesson Five: What are Clouds? (one day 45 minutes) A. Daily Objectives 1. Concept Objective(s) a. Students understand the processes and interactions of earth s systems. (Colorado State Science Standard # 4) b. Students will understand that nature is predictable. 2. Lesson Content a. Clouds: cirrus, cumulus, stratus 3. Skill Objective(s) a. The students will be able to describe how clouds are formed. b. The students will be able to identify the three main cloud types. c. The students will be able to describe how cloud formations make it possible to predict certain types of weather. Second Grade, Dancing to the Water Cycle 2002 Colorado Unit Writing Project 7
B. Materials 1. Book: Weather Seymour Simon 2. Book: Weather and Climate 3. Book: The Colorado Weather Book 4. Cloud diaries Appendix G 5. Water Cycle Journals and pencil 6. Glass jar (pickle or small mayonnaise jar works best) 7. Small baggie of ice cubes C. Key Vocabulary Same as in Lesson Four D. Procedures/Activities 1. Review the different cloud types discussed in Lesson Four. 2. Have the students go outside for about 15 minutes to observe clouds and record in their cloud diaries. 3. Make a class cloud with the following directions (teacher does this experiment with the students observing): a. Fill the glass jar about half to three quarters full of hot water. b. Place the small bag of ice cubes of the jar mouth. c. Watch as a cloud appears. d. To make the cloud more visible, you may want to put a piece of dark construction paper behind the jar as the cloud is forming. (Adapted from The Mailbox: Weather) 4. You may want to do this experiment more than once. 5. To check for knowledge on how a cloud is formed, you may want to repeat the above experiment using cold water instead of hot. Ask the students, before you do the experiment, if they think a cloud will form. Why or why not? It will not form a cloud because it is not warm enough to cause the water to turn into vapor. What element is missing? Temperature (heat). E. Assessment/Evaluation 1. The students will record in their journals how a cloud is formed, name the three main types of clouds, and tell how each of these cloud types can help predict weather. Appendix K Grading Checklist can be used for the grading. Lesson Six: What are Clouds? (one day 45 minutes) A. Daily Objectives 1. Concept Objective(s) a. Students will understand the processes and interactions of earth s systems. (Colorado State Science Standard #4) b. Students will understand that nature is predictable. 2. Lesson Content a. Clouds: cirrus, cumulus, stratus. 3. Skill Objective(s) a. The students will be able to describe how clouds are formed. b. The students will be able to identify the three main types of clouds. c. The students will be able to describe how certain types of cloud formations make it possible to predict certain types of weather. B. Materials 1. Cloud diaries and pencil 2. Blue construction paper (9 x 12 ) enough for each child to have one piece 3. Small cotton balls approximately 5 bags of 100 count so each child will have 20 25 cotton balls (this will vary on the size of the class) Second Grade, Dancing to the Water Cycle 2002 Colorado Unit Writing Project 8
4. Black markers each child needs to have one 5. Glue for each child C. Key Vocabulary Same as for Lesson Four D. Procedures/Activities 1. Have the students go outside and observe clouds and record in their cloud diaries. This should take about 15 20 minutes. 2. Review the lessons from the two previous days along with the vocabulary. 3. Give each student a piece of the blue construction paper. 4. Have them fold the construction paper in thirds and draw a straight line on each of the folds with their black markers. 5. Have them label one section with cirrus, the second with cumulus, and the third with stratus. 6. Give each student the cotton balls and have them construct a model of each type of cloud they have labeled. You may wish to model this or have an example prepared to show them. These can be used to display on a bulletin board after they are done. E. Assessment/Evaluation 1. The models of the clouds can be used as an assessment for this lesson. Lesson Seven: What is Precipitation (two days 45 minutes each day) A. Daily Objectives 1. Concept Objective(s) a. Students understand the processes and interactions of earth s systems. (Colorado State Science Standard # 4) b. Students understand that nature is predictable. 2. Lesson Content a. Precipitation (page 59) 3. Skill Objective(s) a. The students will be able to describe how precipitation is formed. b. The students will be able to list four types of precipitation. B. Materials 1. Book: Weather Seymour Simon 2. Book: Make it Work! Weather 3. Book: Weather and Climate 4. Book: The Mailbox: Weather 5. Key vocabulary (chart, chalkboard, overhead) 6. Water Cycle Journals and pencil 7. #3 can with lid and paper removed one per child 8. Box of table salt 9. Bag of ice cubes (enough for each child to have 3-4 cubes each) 10. Raindrop story or poem pattern Appendix L one per child 11. Venn diagram pattern Appendix M one per child 12. White clay (two ounces per child) 13. Colored clay (two ounces per child) (teacher can decide what color to use; it is better if all colored clay is the same color) 14. Plastic knives (enough for one per group of two students) 15. Gray construction paper (one per group of two students) 16. Scissors 17. Black markers 18. Paper towels (enough for one towel per group of two students) Second Grade, Dancing to the Water Cycle 2002 Colorado Unit Writing Project 9
19. Appendix K grading checklist for journals, one per student C. Key Vocabulary 1. Precipitation the falling of water from the sky in the form of rain, sleet, hail, or snow 2. Rain water that falls in drips from clouds 3. Snow white crystals of ice that form when water vapor freezes in the air 4. Sleet partly frozen rain 5. Hail small balls of ice that fall from the sky D. Procedures/Activities 1. Introduce the key vocabulary and have the students add these words and meanings to their journals. 2. Build background information on precipitation using information found in the following books: Make it Work! Weather pages 28 29, Weather pages 19 = 22, Weather and Climate pages 22, 24, and The Mailbox: Weather page 14. 3. Lead a class discussion on the types of precipitation. Some questions that will get this discussion started are: a. What happens to water droplets in the clouds when they get too heavy to stay suspended in the cloud? They fall back to earth in the form of precipitation. b. What affects the type of precipitation we might get? Temperature of the air. c. How are hailstones formed? They begin as water droplets in a cloud during a storm. They are violently thrown up and down in the air currents going from a colder temperature to a warmer one. As they bounce up and down in these currents, they form layers of ice. They finally become so heavy they fall to earth? d. What is snow? Ice crystals form at the expense of the water droplets. e. What element of weather causes precipitation to fall to the earth in the form of snow instead of rain? The temperature. f. What is sleet? Sleet is a mixture of rain and ice crystals. 4. Give each child a #3 can. (These can be brought in prior to the teaching of this lesson.) Tell the students that today they will be making rain. Use the following directions for the activity: 1) Fill the can ¾ full of warm water. 2) Make sure that the outside of the can is dry and drop 3 4 ice cubes into the can of water. 3) Add about three teaspoons of salt to each can of water. (This will help lower the temperature faster. 4) Have the students observe the outside of their can, reminding them that they do not want to touch the can once the process has begun. 5) Water droplets should form on the outside of the can with some joining together to run down the side to make rain. Ask the students what part they think the can is playing. Dust particles. Let the students share results with each other as some may get results faster than others. (Adapted from The Mailbox: Weather) 5. Have the students record what they did to make the rain and the results in their journals. 6. Divide the class into groups of two. Give each group a piece of the gray construction paper. They will also need a black marker and a pair of scissors. Each group will also need one of the plastic knives and a paper towel. Give each student about two ounces of the white clay and two ounces of the colored clay (each amount of clay about the size of a walnut). Tell the students that the white clay represents the high altitude ice while the colored clay represents the low altitude ice. Second Grade, Dancing to the Water Cycle 2002 Colorado Unit Writing Project 10
7. Give the following directions: a. Have one student in each group make a small ball some of the white clay. b. The second student then uses a small amount of the colored clay to form a layer around the white ball. c. The group continues doing this until all the clay is gone. d. Then one member of the group carefully cuts the ball of clay in half on the paper towel using the plastic knife. e. Have each group draw a large cloud on the gray construction paper and cut it out. f. Looking at the half of the clay ball, have the students graph the hailstone s travels to earth. They will put a black dot high on the cloud for the first white layer of the ball. Then they will put a dot lower down on the cloud to represent the first colored layer. They continue across the cloud in this manner until they have dot on the cloud representing all the layers of the clay ball. Each dot will represent each trip the hailstone made. Have the students connect each of the dots going up and down from dot to dot with the marker. g. Display each group s cloud and have the class compare the hailstones stormy travels. (Adapted from The Mailbox: Weather) 8. Give each group of two, a copy of the Venn diagram (Appendix M). Have them compare and contrast two forms of precipitation. For example: rain snow, sleet hail. E. Assessment/Evaluation 1. The Water Cycle Journal can be graded on the rain experiment using the grading checklist Appendix K. 2. Using the raindrop pattern (Appendix L), have the students write a poem or story about precipitation. They may wish to choose only one of the four types or they may choose all four. These may be graded using the checklist Appendix K. 3. The Venn diagram may also be assessed and added to the science journals. Lesson Eight: What is Humidity and Groundwater? (one day 45 minutes) A. Daily Objectives 1. Concept Objective(s) a. Students understand the processes and interactions of earth s systems. (Colorado State Science Standard # 4) b. Students will understand cyclical change. 2. Lesson Content a. Humidity and groundwater (page 59) 3. Skill Objective(s) a. The students will be able to describe humidity and the part it plays in weather. b. The students will be able to describe groundwater and its uses. B. Materials 1. Key vocabulary (chart, chalkboard, or overhead) 2. Water Cycle Journals and pencil 3. Appendix N Groundwater Basics (one copy only for the teacher) 4. Humidity from http://www.infoplease.com 5. Weather Basics http://wwwlusatoday.com/weather/whumdef.htm 6. Chart paper for notes for the class Second Grade, Dancing to the Water Cycle 2002 Colorado Unit Writing Project 11
7. Review guide for unit test Appendix O (one copy per student) C. Key Vocabulary 1. Humidity the amount of water vapor in the air 2. Groundwater water found in soil or rocks D. Procedures/Activities 1. Introduce the key vocabulary and have the students record the words and meanings in their journals. 2. Using information from the websites explain humidity and the role it plays in weather. Ask the students what part of the water cycle humidity can be considered a part of? Evaporation. Write information on the chalkboard or chart paper. 3. Using the information found in Groundwater Basics (Appendix N) explain groundwater and its uses. Write information on the chalkboard or chart paper. 4. Have the students write two paragraphs in their science journals about what they have learned about humidity and groundwater. They may use the notes you made as a class on the board to help in writing these paragraphs. 5. As a class have the students fill in the third column of their KWL charts used in the first lesson and put in the Water Cycle Journals. 6. Give each student a review guide for the unit test (Appendix O), and go over them with the class. Test may be given the next day. E. Assessment/Evaluation 1. Use Appendix K, Grading Checklist for Journals, to assess the paragraphs written by the students. 2. Unit test will be used as assessment for the unit. VI. VII. CULMINATING ACTIVITY A. Invite a local weatherman, who is a meteorologist, to come to the school for a presentation. B. Take a field trip to a local TV station s weather department. C. Set up a Water Cycle science center in the room with experiments that the children can do on their own. Sources for these experiments can be found in the following books: Make it Work! Weather, The Mailbox: Weather, Hands on Science. * Teacher may decide to set this center up as the unit is being taught so that students may do experiments related to the material being taught in the lessons. HANDOUTS/WORKSHEETS A. Appendix A: Water Cycle Journal, cover page B. Appendix A, page 2: Directions for Water Cycle Journals C. Appendix B: World Map D. Appendix D: Weather Element Chart E. Appendix E: Water Cycle Wheel F. Appendix E, page 2: Water Cycle Wheel G. Appendix F: Water Cycle Diagram and Worksheet H. Appendix G: Cloud Diary Pattern I. Appendix G, page 2: Directions for Cloud Diary J. Appendix H: List of Cloud Diary Questions K. Appendix I: Cloud Experiment Worksheet L. Appendix J: Checklist for Cloud Experiment M. Appendix K: Checklist for Journals N. Appendix L: Raindrop Story or Poem Pattern O. Appendix M: Venn Diagram Pattern Second Grade, Dancing to the Water Cycle 2002 Colorado Unit Writing Project 12
P. Appendix N: Groundwater Basics Q. Appendix O: Test Review Guide R. Appendix P, pages 1-2: Unit Test S. Appendix P, page 3: Test Key VIII. BIBLIOGRAPHY A. Banana Slug String Band. Singing in Our Garden. Santa Cruz, CA: Distributed by Let s Get Growing. 2000. ISBN 1-56307-171-1. B. Barrett, Julie. Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs. Hartford, CN: Connecticut Printers, Inc. 1978. ISBN 0-689-70749-5. C. Bates, Moni. Hands-On Science. Greensboro, NC: Carson-Dellosa Publishing. 1991. D. De Paola, Tomie. The Cloud Book. New York: Holiday House. 1975. ISBN 0-8234- 0531-1. E. Gemmell, Kathy. Storms and Hurricanes. New York: Scholastic Inc.1995. ISBN 0-590- 97319-3. F. Groundwater Basics. What is Groundwater? [On-line]. Available URL: http://www.groundwater.org/gwbasics/whatisgw.htm. G. Haslam, Andrew and Taylor, Barbara. Make it Work! Weather. Princeton, NJ: Two-Can Publishing. 2001. ISBN 1-58728-253-4. H. Hirsch, E.D. What Your Second Grader Needs to Know. New York: Dell Publishing.. 1998. ISBN 0-385-48120-9. I. Humidity. [On-Line]. http://www.infoplease.com/ce6/weather/a0824520.html. J. Molengraft, Lisa. Primary Whole Language Theme Unit Weather. USA: Instructional Fair. ISBN 0-88012-902-6. K. Nelson, Mike. The Colorado Weather Book. Englewood, CO: Westcliffe Publications. 1999. ISBN 1-56579-342-0.Prior, Jennifer Overend, Smith, Valerie, and Wagner, Laura. From Your Friends at The Mailbox: Weather. Greensboro, NC: The Education Center. 2000. ISBN 1-56234-399-8. L. Simon, Seymour. Weather. New York: Scholastic Inc. 1993. ISBN 0-439-25383-7. M. Stout, Charlene. Weather Activity Book. Dana Point, CA: Edupress, Inc. ISBN 1-56472- 123-X. N. Taylor, Barbara. Weather and Climate. New York: Kingfisher. 1993. ISBN 1-85697-940-7. O. Weather Basics. Understanding humidity [On-Line]. Available URL: http://www.usatoday.com/weather/whumdef.htm. Second Grade, Dancing to the Water Cycle 2002 Colorado Unit Writing Project 13
Appendix A, page 1 WATER CYCLE JOURNAL NAME Second Grade, Dancing to the Water Cycle 2002 Colorado Unit Writing Project 14
Appendix A, page 2 To make the Water Cycle Journals, use page one of Appendix A to make the front cover of the journals out of a piece of 9 x 12 construction paper. Use a second sheet of 9 x 12 construction paper to make a back cover. Use lined paper for the inside of each journal approximately 10 sheets per journal. Put the lined paper between the covers and three-hole punch. Put them together with brads. This way other sheets for activities can be added to the journals. These journals should be made ahead of time and amounts of paper will depend on the size of the class. Each child should have a journal. Second Grade, Dancing to the Water Cycle 2002 Colorado Unit Writing Project 15
Appendix B Second Grade, Dancing to the Water Cycle 2002 Colorado Unit Writing Project 16
Appendix C KWL Chart Weather Things I KNOW Things I WANT to know Things I LEARNED Second Grade, Dancing to the Water Cycle 2002 Colorado Unit Writing Project 17
Appendix D Second Grade, Dancing to the Water Cycle 2002 Colorado Unit Writing Project 18
Appendix E, page 1 Second Grade, Dancing to the Water Cycle 2002 Colorado Unit Writing Project 19
Appendix E, page 2 Second Grade, Dancing to the Water Cycle 2002 Colorado Unit Writing Project 20
Appendix F Appendix G, page 1 Dancing to the Water Cycle Follow the directions and answer the following questions: 1. Does cold water turn into water vapor? Yes No Draw a red ring around the answer. 2. Does water vapor turn into water droplets? Yes No Draw a blue square around the answer. 3. Can you see water vapor? Yes No Draw and orange X on the answer. 4. Do water droplets form clouds? Yes No Draw a brown line under the answer. 5. Does water fall from the clouds Yes No Draw a green star on the answer. Second Grade, Dancing to the Water Cycle 2002 Colorado Unit Writing Project 21
Appendix G, page 1 Second Grade, Dancing to the Water Cycle 2002 Colorado Unit Writing Project 22
Appendix G, page 2 Directions for Making Cloud Diaries To make the cloud diaries, use the pattern found in Appendix G, page 1. Run the pattern on some of the white card stock making one for each child in the class. The card stock should be 9 x 12. Using blue copy paper (8 ½ x 11 ) put six sheets per child as the inside of the diary. Add another piece of card stock as the back cover. Place two staples at the top of the cloud pattern to hold the pages in place. To insure that the pages do not slip as you cut out the cloud shape for the diary, staple around the outside edges of the entire pattern. This will hold the pages in place. The pages inside will then be an even shape. When you have cut out the shape, the whole diary looks like a cloud. Second Grade, Dancing to the Water Cycle 2002 Colorado Unit Writing Project 23
Appendix H CLOUD DIARY QUESTIONS Each day as you observe the sky for your cloud diary, answer the following questions in complete sentences. You may also draw pictures of your clouds. You may see an animal or ship or tree in the cloud formations. Draw a picture and describe what it looks like to you. What types of clouds do you see? What do they look like? A large blanket? Feathers? Fluffy? Are they white, gray, or black? What kind of weather do the clouds you are observing produce? Calm? Clear? Cold? Stormy? Second Grade, Dancing to the Water Cycle 2002 Colorado Unit Writing Project 24
Appendix I Cloud Experiment Directions: questions. Use complete sentences to write your observations and answer the 1. Put a spoonful of sugar on your piece of wax paper. 2. Predict what will happen when you blow on it through the straw. 3. Blow gently through your straw toward the sugar and record your observation. 4. Put a drop of water on the wax paper. 5. Predict what will happen when you blow on it through the straw. 6. Blow gently through the straw toward the water and record your observation. 7. Complete the rest of the chart. OBSERVATIONS SUGAR WATER I predict I observed Could this make a cloud? Why or why not? Second Grade, Dancing to the Water Cycle 2002 Colorado Unit Writing Project 25
Appendix J CHECKLIST FOR CLOUD EXPERIMENT EVALUATION Predictions and observations are written in complete sentences Yes No Predictions could happen Yes No Sugar alone could make a cloud Yes No Sugar mixing with the water could make a cloud Yes No Reasoning for why or why not is correct Yes No Grading Scale: Each correct answer is worth 20 points Grade: Second Grade, Dancing to the Water Cycle 2002 Colorado Unit Writing Project 26
Appendix K Grading Checklist Information is written in complete sentences Yes No Information asked for in lesson is included Yes No Information included is correct Yes No Directions for entries were followed Yes No The student has included all vocabulary words. Yes No The student has listed all the concepts for the lesson. Yes No The student has punctuation and capitalization correct. Yes No Grading Scale: Each correct answer is worth 25 points Grade: Second Grade, Dancing to the Water Cycle 2002 Colorado Unit Writing Project 27
Appendix L Appendix L Dancing to the Water Cycle Second Grade, Dancing to the Water Cycle 2002 Colorado Unit Writing Project 28
Appendix M Second Grade, Dancing to the Water Cycle 2002 Colorado Unit Writing Project 29
What is Groundwater? Appendix N GROUNDWATER BASICS When rain falls to the ground, the water does not stop moving. Some of it flows along the surface in streams or lakes, some of it is used by plants, some evaporates and returns to the atmosphere, and some sinks into the ground. Imagine pouring a glass of water onto a pile of sand. Where does the water go? The water moves into the spaces between the particles of sand. Groundwater is water that is found underground in cracks and spaces in soil, sand and rocks. The area where water fills these spaces is called the saturated zone. The top of this zone is called the water table just remember the top of the water is the table. The water table may be only afoot below the ground s surface or it may be hundreds of feet down. Groundwater can be found almost everywhere. The water table may be deep or shallow; and may rise or fall depending on many factors. Heavy rains or melting snow may cause the water table to rise, or an extended period of dry weather may cause the water table to fall. Groundwater is stored in and moves slowly through layers of soil, sand and rocks called aquifers. The speed at which groundwater flows, depends on the size of the spaces in the soil or rock and how well the spaces are connected. Aquifers typically consist of gravel, sand, sandstone, or fractured rock, like limestone. These materials are permeable because they have large connected spaces that allow water to flow through. Water aquifers are brought to the surface naturally through a spring or can be discharged into lakes and streams. This water can also be extracted through a well drilled into the aquifer. A well is a pipe in the ground that fills with groundwater. This water then can be brought to the surface by a pump. Shallow wells may go dry if the water table falls below the bottom of the well. Some wells, called artesian wells, do not need a pump because of natural pressures that force the water up and out of the well. Groundwater supplies are replenished, or recharged, by rain and snow melt. In some areas of the world, people face serious water shortages because groundwater is used faster than it is naturally replenished. In other areas groundwater is polluted by human activities. In areas where material above the aquifer is permeable, pollutants can sink into the groundwater. Groundwater can be polluted from landfills, septic tanks, leaky underground gas tanks, and from overuse of fertilizers and pesticides. If groundwater becomes polluted, it will no longer be safe to drink. Groundwater is used for drinking water by more than 50% of the people in the United States, including almost everyone who lives in rural areas. The largest use of groundwater is to irrigate crops. It is important for all of us to protect our groundwater. This material was reproduced from groundwater.org with the permission of The Groundwater Foundation: Copyright 2002 The Groundwater Foundation. All Rights Reserved Second Grade, Dancing to the Water Cycle 2002 Colorado Unit Writing Project 30
Appendix O Most of the earth s surface is covered with water. TEST REVIEW SHEET There are four elements of weather. They are pressure, wind, moisture, and temperature. The study of weather is called meteorology and the person who studies the weather and tells us about it is called a meteorologist. Water vapor occurs because water on the surface of the earth evaporates. As water vapor rises into the air, it cools and turns into water droplets. Water droplets are formed when water vapor mixes with dust particles. Water droplets join together to form clouds. Clouds are made of air and water droplets. Puffy, white fair weather clouds are called cumulus. Feathery, white clouds, high in the sky, made of ice crystals are called cirrus. Clouds that are low in the sky and look like gray blankets are stratus clouds. Precipitation can only occur when there are clouds. When water droplets within a cloud grow too large and heavy, they fall to earth as precipitation. The amount of water vapor in the air is called humidity. Water that is found in soil and rocks is called groundwater. The evaporation, condensation, formation of clouds, and precipitation is called the water cycle. Second Grade, Dancing to the Water Cycle 2002 Colorado Unit Writing Project 31
Appendix P, page 1 WEATHER TEST Circle the correct answer to the following questions. 1. Most of the earth s surface is covered by: a) land b) water c) mountains d) deserts 2. Four elements of weather are pressure, wind, moisture, and: a) temperature b) rain c) snow 3. The study of weather is called: a) weather watching b) meteorology c) weather predicting 4. A person who studies the weather and tells us about it is a: a) scientist b) weather watcher c) meteorologist 5. Water vapor occurs because water on the surface of the earth: a) evaporates b) condenses c) rises 6. As water vapor rises into the air, it cools and turns into: a) fog b) mist c) water droplets 7. Water droplets are formed when water vapor mixes with: a) mist b) dust particles c) clouds 8. Water droplets join together to make: a) clouds b) water vapor c) storms 9. Clouds are made of air and: a) water vapor b) water droplets c) condensation 10. Puffy, white fair weather clouds are called: a) cirrus b) cumulus c) stratus Second Grade, Dancing to the Water Cycle 2002 Colorado Unit Writing Project 32
Appendix P, page 2 11. Feathery, white clouds, high in the sky, made of ice crystals are: a) cirrus b) cumulus c) stratus 12. Clouds that are low in the sky and look like gray blankets are: a) cirrus b) cumulus c) stratus 13. Precipitation can only occur when there are: a) clouds b) water droplets c) storms 14. When water droplets within a cloud grow too large and heavy, they fall to earth as: a) water vapor b) condensation c) precipitation 15. The amount of water vapor in the air is called: a) rain b) snow c) humidity 16. Water that is found in soil or rocks is called: a) a stream b) groundwater c) an ocean 17. The evaporation, condensation, formation of clouds, and precipitation is called: a) rain b) snow c) the water cycle 18. Draw a diagram of the water cycle on the back of this sheet. Label each part of the water cycle. Second Grade, Dancing to the Water Cycle 2002 Colorado Unit Writing Project 33
Appendix P, page 3 Test Key 1. b 2. a 3. b 4. c 5. a 6. c 7. b 8. a 9. b 10. b 11. a 12. c 13. a 14. c 15. c 16. b 17. c Second Grade, Dancing to the Water Cycle 2002 Colorado Unit Writing Project 34