4th Grade ToolKit: Going with the Flow (Water Conservation) Script

Session I: Pollution & the Water Cycle – In Classroom

Sample Timeline
0:00 Arrive at the school, sign in at the office, and meet the teacher in their classroom. Make
sure teacher has made copies of worksheets, organize supplies, and set up activity.

0:05 Introduction to educator, Jordan River Commission, and the outline for the day

0:10 Activity I: A drop in the bucket

0:25 Activity II: Water Cycle Game

0:45 Students share their journey through the water cycle. Finish bracelets/bookmarks.

0:50 Discussion about the importance of water conservation

1:00 JRC educator leaves school *Make sure to set a date for the 2nd field lesson plan

Behavioral reminder before you start:

Today we are staying in the classroom for our activity so that means:
 Use inside voices
 No running
 No pushing/shoving
 Ask lots of questions

Note: It may useful to chat with teacher beforehand to understand procedures they already use
in the classroom. For example, some teachers are very strict about students raising their hands
before and being called on before answering questions. Also, ask if they already have an
attention grabber (teacher: 1,2,3 eyes on me. Students: 1,2 eyes on you)

Introduction
Today we will be staying the classroom investigating all things water! We are going to look at all
the water in the world and discover all of its hiding spots. We will also take a journey as a water
molecule to help us learn more about the water cycle. Then for our field session, we will take a
walk to the Jordan River to find and record any evidence of the water cycle!

Key Concepts
 Students will understand the water cycle.
 Students will understand the importance of water conservation and ways they can help
conserve water.
  Students will learn the world’s ratio of the world’s water sources
Activity I – Water Cycle Game

Materials
 30 pieces of twine long enough for a bracelet and tie a knot at the bottom
 Six different colors of beads and containers
 4-5 dice at each station
 6 different stations signs
o Animals
o Plants
o Groundwater
o Rivers
o Great Salt Lake
o Clouds
Hang each sign in a different location in the classroom. Place the beads in the tin foil container
on the floor, place dice on floor next to bead container
Sequencing Ideas/Suggestions:
Start a warm up discussion with the students about the water cycle
o What do you already know about the water cycle?
o Can you the name stages? (condensation, precipitation, collection and runoff,
evaporation, transpiration, infiltration)
o How does water end up in the Jordan River?

To help us better understanding the water cycle we are going to play a game!
o Tell students to imagine they are a rain drop traveling through the water cycle!
o Let students play water cycle game for roughly 20 minutes

After the game, give students a few minutes to compare and contrast their bracelet with their
classmates and share observations.
o Do you have more of one color?
o Did anyone end up at a station more than once?
Ideas to cover:
Water Cycle
Water is always on the move! The Earth has a limited amount of water. The Sun’s energy causes
water to evaporate from oceans and lakes into the atmosphere. Plants and animals also release
water vapor into the atmosphere as they breathe. When the atmosphere cools, water vapor
condenses; making clouds that might produce rain or snow. Water has been recycled in its
different forms as ice, liquid, or vapor --for more than 3.5 billion years.
 Evaporation:
 Condensation
 Precipitation
 Collection
 Transpiration
 Activity II: A Drop in the Bucket
Materials
 Map of world or globe
 5-gallon water container
 Measuring cups
 Eye dropper
 5 gallons of water
 Small, clear container
 Water distribution worksheet

Now that we have learned more about the precious resource, let’s talk about water
conservation. Show students a globe or map ask them what percentage is covered by water?
(75%) That’s a lot of water! Is it all available for human use?
 Why is freshwater so important?
 Do you know how much we have? * Don’t give them an answer
 What are some things we use water for?

Show the students the 5 gallons of water in the container. Explain that the 5 gallons represents
all the water on earth.
 If this is ALL the water on earth, where would we find the majority of it? (Oceans)

Tell them that because the majority of the water is in the ocean, we will leave that water in the
bucket. We will be taking out all the water that is from a source other than the ocean.

Ask students to name sources of water. As they give you answers, remove the correct amount of
water for the area (refer to chart in the background section), and place it into the clear container.

After you have removed all the different water sources (other than oceans), ask:
 Why is some this water not useable by humans?
 Discuss other sources icecaps/glaciers, some of the groundwater, inland seas/salt lakes
and the atmosphere.

Show the students the small amount of water that is left for humans to use. Whoa! All of us on
planet Earth only have that much water to share.
 What are some things we use water?

We use water for a lot of things: growing crops, watering yards, showering, washing hands,
brushing teeth, manufacturing, and don’t forget swimming! Since the number of ‘us’ humans is
only getting bigger and we have no way of getting more water it is very important for us to
conserve and protect the water we do have.
 How do you conserve water?
Session II: Field Day – Water Cycle Walkabout
Sample Timeline
0:00 Arrive at the school, sign in at the office, and meet the teacher in their classroom. Make
sure teacher has made copies of worksheets, organize supplies, and set up activity.

0:05 Warm up activity: draw the water cycle & prepare to go outside

0:15 Water Cycle Walkabout

0:50 Go over worksheet and Q&A

1:00 JRC educator leaves school *Make sure to set a date for the 2nd field lesson plan

Behavioral reminder before you start:

Today we are staying in the classroom for our activity so that means:
 Use inside voices
 No running
 No pushing/shoving
 Ask lots of questions

Note: It may useful to chat with teacher beforehand to understand procedures they already use
in the classroom. For example, some teachers are very strict about students raising their hands
before and being called on before answering questions. Also, ask if they already have an
attention grabber (teacher: 1,2,3 eyes on me. Students: 1,2 eyes on you)

Introduction
For our field session, we will take a walk to the Jordan River to find and record any evidence of
the water cycle!

Key Concepts
 Students will investigate evidence of the water cycle
 Students will record and map their findings

Activity I: Water Cycle Walkabout

Materials

 Water Cycle walkabout worksheet (copies)

 Journal
 Pencil
Sequencing Ideas/Suggestions
To begin, tell the students we will be going on a water cycle walkabout today at the Jordan River.
We will be making observations and looking for evidence of the water cycle. Let’s review the
water cycle.

 Who can name one part of the water cycle?

Have the students draw their stage on the board and continue until there is a complete water
cycle on the board.

Behavioral reminder before you start:

Today we are going outside so we have a few more rules:
 No running
 No pushing/shoving
 Stay on the path/trail
 No climbing on rocks or trees
 No throwing of any kind
 Stay with the group and away from the water
 Leave all wildlife alone
 Ask lots of questions

After you have discussed the rules have the students grab a journal, pencil, and water cycle
walkabout worksheet.
Note: Make sure to make a stop at the bathroom before heading outside. Tell students to go
even If they do not think they have too.
As you are walking out with the students encourage them to point out anything they think may
be evidence of the water cycle. If they observe something else or spot wildlife, be sure to point it
out so the rest of can see it!
Evidence of the water cycle in the outdoor classroom.

 Evaporation: Water changes from a liquid to a vapor (or gas). Hint: Evidence of
evaporation could be a dried up mud puddle, low water levels in a pond, and a dried up
leaf.
 Condensation: Water vapor in the air is changed into liquid water. Hint: Evidence of
condensation could be clouds, fog, dew on grass, and water droplets on the side of a cold
water bottle on a hot day.
 Precipitation: Water released from clouds in the form of rain, sleet, snow, or hail is
precipitation. This provides for the delivery of water from the atmosphere to water on
the Earth. Hint: Evidence of precipitation could be snow on the ground, a mud puddle, or
wet grass after a rain.
As you begin to find evidence of the water cycle, remind students to draw and map it in their
journals. Also encourage them to draw or write about anything else they found, we can share
when we get back to the classroom.
Once you’re back in the classroom, ask a few students to share their findings.

 Did anyone find evidence for all parts of the water cycle? What did you find?
 Are some parts of the water cycle not visible to the naked eye?
 Did anyone find something cool unrelated to the water cycle? Bug, piece of park, cool
shaped rock
During the last 1-2 minutes open the conservation up to ANY question.
Background Information

Water Cycle
Water cycle: The paths water takes through its various states-vapor, liquid, and solid-as it moves
throughout Earth's systems (oceans, atmosphere, groundwater, streams, etc.). Also known as
the hydrologic cycle.

Evaporation: Heat from the Sun causes water on Earth (in oceans, lakes etc) to evaporate (turn
from liquid into gas) and rise into the sky. This water vapor collects in the sky in the form
of clouds.

Condensation: As water vapor in the clouds cools down it becomes water again, this process is
called condensation.

Precipitation: Water falls from the sky in the form of rain, snow, hail, or sleet, this process is
called precipitation.

Collection: Oceans and lakes collect water that has fallen. Water evaporates into the sky again
and the cycle continues

Transpiration: In a process similar to sweating, plants lose water which is absorbed into the
atmosphere much like evaporation. The combination of evaporation and transpiration is known
as evapotranspiration.

Sublimation: It is possible for a solid to transform into a gas directly (without becoming a liquid).
The most common example of sublimation is dry ice (solid carbon dioxide) which sublimes at
normal air temperature. Under certain conditions snow and ice can also sublime.

Infiltration: The process by which water on the ground surface enters the soil.

Watershed: An area of land from which all the water drains to the same location such as a
stream, pond, lake, river, wetland, or estuary.
Riparian vegetation: The vegetation growing in the riparian area. Healthy riparian vegetation
consists of native, hydrophilic (water loving) plants that help stabilize the stream banks and
control flood waters from inundating adjacent lands.

Earth’s Water
Approximately 75% of the earth is covered with water. Sources of water are oceans, icecaps and
glaciers, groundwater, freshwater lakes, inland seas and salt lakes, the atmosphere, and rivers.
Although the earth appears to have a plentiful supply of water, it is important to realize that
fresh water is a limited resource. See the table below for the percentage of each water source in
relation to the total amount, and the appropriate measurement for each source.
Not all of the freshwater is available for humans to use. Water in the atmosphere and in the
icecaps and glaciers is not available for humans to use. We also cannot access all the
groundwater. Therefore, only the water in rivers, freshwater lakes and a portion of groundwater
can be used by humans. The percentage of usable freshwater is reduced by pollution and
contamination. Therefore, the actual amount of water that is useable by humans is very small
(approximately .00003 %).
Water Source % of the Total Amount Measurement
Oceans 97.2% All water left in bucket
Icecaps/Glaciers 2.0% 1 Cup
Groundwater 0.62% 1/3 Cup
Freshwater Lakes 0.009% 1/8 teaspoon
Inland Seas/Salt Lake 0.008% 1/8 teaspoon
Atmosphere 0.001% One drop
Rivers 0.0001% One flick
Ways to Conserve Water
 Don’t leave the water running while brushing your teeth.
 Limit your showers to 10 minutes or less.
 Look around your house for leaky faucets and ask your parents to fix them.
 Keep a pitcher of water in the refrigerator so you don’t have to run the faucet and wait for
the water to cool.
 Clean your sidewalks with a broom, not a hose.
 Wash your car or dog on the lawn instead of the driveway, this way your lawn gets watered
too.
 Only wash full loads of dishes and laundry.
 Discuss ways students can help reduce pollution to the already small amount of water
available to humans.
 Don’t use excessive amounts of fertilizers or pesticides around your house. They can wash
into the storm drains and end up in a stream.
 Never put something down a storm drain that may hurt a fish.
 Don’t be a litterbug. Always dispose of trash in a proper container, not in the water.
 Make sure that your family car doesn’t leak oil or antifreeze. This can wash into the water
and be dangerous for fish, birds, even cats and dogs.
 Walk only on existing trails when near the water to help reduce erosion.

Resources
http://www.cbwcd.org/DocumentCenter/Home/View/511
http://www.uen.org/Lessonplan/preview.cgi?LPid=31636
http://www.projectwet.org/
http://www.outdoors.sd47.bc.ca/pdfs/Grade4Worksheet-Water_Cycle_Walk_About.pdf