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Water Cycle Unit Revised

Identifies / describes the physical properties of solids, liquids and gases. Explains the water cycle and its relationship to weather and climate. Water is a renewable resource, but only a small portion of the water on Earth is usable.

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107 views

Water Cycle Unit Revised

Identifies / describes the physical properties of solids, liquids and gases. Explains the water cycle and its relationship to weather and climate. Water is a renewable resource, but only a small portion of the water on Earth is usable.

Uploaded by

api-153533843
Copyright
© Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Middle Childhood Water Cycle Unit


Prepared by Molly Stump, Fall 2010

Correlations to Anser Curriculum Guidelines:


Identifies/describes the physical properties of solids, liquids and gases. (3rd/4th) Explains that heating and cooling cause changes of state of materials [water]. (3rd/4th) Explains the water cycle and its relationship to weather and climate. (4th)

Correlations to Idaho State Content Standards:


3.S.2.1.2 Identify the physical properties of solids, liquids, and gases. 4.S.2.1.2 Describe the physical properties of solids, liquids, and gases 3.S.2.1.3 Explain that heating and cooling can cause changes of state in common materials. 4.S.2.1.3 Explain the changes caused by heating and cooling materials.

Big Ideas/Enduring Understandings:


Water is a renewable resource, but only a small portion of the water on Earth is usable. Water moves and changes continually through the water cycle. Water changes form (solid, liquid, gas).

Guiding Questions:
How much usable water do we have on Earth? What is the water cycle? What are the states of matter for water? How does water move and change in the water cycle? How is the water cycle related to weather?

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Students will know. . .


Water is a renewable resource. The processes within the water cycle (evaporation, condensation, precipitation). Water can be a solid, liquid, or gas. The sun is the energy source that drives the water cycle.

Students will be able to . . .


Create a labeled water cycle collage. Label and explain the processes of the water cycle on a diagram. Use the words solid, liquid, and gas when discussing and writing about the water cycle. Describe the role of the temperature and/or the sun through collage or writings about the water cycle.

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Calendar (each crew leader will adjust, as needed, for their trip to BAM):

Fri. 1st Pre-assess

Mon. 4th Hook Where is Earths water?

Tues. 5th Intro Water Cycle (Scholastic Lesson) Tues. 12th Watershed Presentation?

Wed. 6th CBC

Thu. 7th NO SCHOOL

Fri. 8th NO SCHOOL

Mon. 11th NO SCHOOL

Wed. 13th CBC

Thu. 14th Bindy to BAM Incredible Journey

Fri. 15th Melissa to BAM Water Cycle Collage Fri. 22nd

Mon. 18th

Tues. 19th Michelle to BAM (Catch-up day due to BAM trips)

Wed. 20th CBC

Thu. 21st

Post-Assessment

Other lessons that may be added (integrated curriculum): o o o o Readers Theater (Water Cycle Adventure) Squiggle Writing about the Journey of a Raindrop Content Area Spelling Words: Evaporation, Condensation, Precipitation Read alouds

Assessment for retention: One month later during Land and Water Experiments

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Lesson Name and Time Needed


Pre-assessment Complete this on Friday, Oct. 1 or on Monday, Oct. 4 before starting the Hook Lesson

Water Cycle Unit Lesson Descriptions (full plans and materials are attached)
Pre-assessment: Students receive an unlabeled copy of a water cycle diagram. Students will describe in writing what is happening in the diagram. Accommodations: struggling writers may dictate to a scribe.

Day One HOOK for unit Monday, Oct. 4 20 minutes bucket lesson 15 minutes Guiding Questions

Where is our Earths water? lesson [LESSON ATTACHED]. Students color in a picture of a bucket as you fill a real bucket representing the location of water on earth (97% ocean, 2% glaciers and ice, <1% rivers, lakes, swamps). Introduce Guiding Questions. Tell students that we will be studying the water cycle. As we learn, we will try to discover:

How much usable water do we have on Earth? What is the water cycle? How does water move and change in the water cycle? What are the states of matter of water? How is the water cycle related to weather?

Day Two Intro Water Cycle AM -- 10 minutes to set up inquiry activity PM -- 10-15 minutes intro/discuss inquiry and 45 minutes for video and lesson

IN THE MORNING: Set up inquiry activity -- have the class leave a small amount of water (1 TBSP?) in an uncovered dish on a table or on windowsill of classroom. Leave a second dish with an ice cube in it in the same location. Identify water in the two forms as solid or liquid. Have class predict what will happen by afternoon. AFTERNOON LESSON: Discuss the water in the dish and the ice cube: What happened to the water? What happened to the ice? Where did they go? Use student ideas and again use the words solid and liquid. Introduce the words gas and vapor into the discussion. Could the water have gone into the air as a gas or vapor? What do you think caused this to happen? Briefly discuss: So, what about puddles on the playground? Where do they come from? Where do they go? (possible student answers: disappear, evaporate, run-off). Show Scholastic Water Cycle video and complete accompanying lesson [LESSON ATTACHED]. Students will create and use a three section wheel with the terms evaporation, condensation, and precipitation. http://teacher.scholastic.com/activities/studyjams/water_cycle/ Informal assessment: Can students use the wheel to identify parts of water cycle? Can the whole class determine answers to the video quiz together?

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Day Three Watershed Presentation

A guest speaker will provide interactive demonstrations of water cycle concepts including boiling water, a percolation jar, and a water cycle quilt with Velcro labels. Students will also participate in water cycle skits.

Day Four Incredible Journey 10 minutes review vocab 10-15 minutes explain activity 20 minutes doing activity 20 minutes to discuss/assess

Review vocab and water cycle info from previous lesson Incredible Journey dice rolling activity from Project Wet [LESSON ATTACHED]. Students move through stations and document their travels. Informal assessment: Student will complete a tracking sheet. In addition, student will complete an exit ticket or participate in a whole class discussion after the lesson: What did you notice about how water moves between the stations? What did you learn about water or the water cycle today? What questions do you have about the Incredible Journey activity?

Day Five Water Cycle Collages 60+ minutes

Each student will make a collage detailing the water cycle [LESSON ATTACHED]. Criteria for content and quality will be established. Assessments: Do collages accurately depict water cycle? Are water cycle processes accurately labeled? Can students discuss/explain collages? Self-Assessment: Students will use a rubric featuring the criteria they established to evaluate their collages.

Day Six Wrap-up/Assess 30-45 minutes

Post-Assessment: Each student will receive an unlabeled copy of the water cycle diagram with a word bank. Students will label diagram and describe in writing each part of the water cycle they labeled. Accommodations: struggling writers may dictate to a scribe.

Integrated Curriculum Options

Readers Theater: Water Cycle Adventure [ATTACHED] Squiggle writing story: Journey of a Raindrop Read alouds. Content area spelling words: evaporation, condensation, precipitation Assess water cycle concepts one month later along with Land & Water Experiment concepts.

Assessment for Retention

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