Weather/Water Cycle
Initial Publication Date: August 21, 2008
Summary
In this chemistry lesson, students will discuss storms, rain and where the water goes. We will watch the weather and read about the water cycle. Teacher will show what evaporation means by boiling water and watching the steam pour out of the pot. From there, we will plan a game called "Incredible Journey," where students will become a drop in the water cycle. They will see all of the places water goes in the water cycle.
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Learning Goals
This activity is designed for students to have a synthesis of ideas. They will be able to describe what a cycle is, what the stages of the water cycle are, and where they see this cycle happening in their daily live. Students will observe the weather and see where the rain puddles go after a storm. They will observe evaporation and put this knowledge into action.
Vocabulary:
-Cycle
-Evaporation
-Condense
-Precipitation
Key Concepts:
Students will understand what evaporation is, along with what happens when the water vapor condenses.
Vocabulary:
-Cycle
-Evaporation
-Condense
-Precipitation
Key Concepts:
Students will understand what evaporation is, along with what happens when the water vapor condenses.
Context for Use
This lesson will be for first graders. I have 24 students at Chanhassen Elementary, which is a public school. This will be a class lesson and field experience. You will need two hours for this lesson, so two separate days would work well. Do the lesson one day and then play the game the next day. You will need to make the game cubes for the second day of activities. The directions are found in the Project Wet instructional manual. The children should be reminded on how they behave when playing a game and that it is a learning game. They should play according to the class rules. We study the water cycle and weather in science. We could use this throughout our weather unit to reinforce their knowledge of a cycle.
Description and Teaching Materials
1. The students will start on the carpet for story time. The teacher will read the book. "Come on, Rain!" The students will be introduced to the idea of rain, how the little girl waits for the rain to come and plays in the cooling drizzle.
2. The students will discuss their experiences of when it rained. Talk about the puddles and what they do outside when it is raining or after it rains.
3. If it has rained outside, teacher will take students out to observe the puddles and collect a rain sample. If it has not rained, the teacher will fill a cup of water and mark off where the top of the water is on the cup. Students will observe the water gathered and see what happens throughout the hours or days following (it will show evaporation).
4. The students will do an experiment with the teacher, where a pot of water is put on a hot plate, and brought to a boil. The students will see the steam rising from the pot, and questions will be generated. The class will talk about what this steam is and where it is going. Teacher will show what water is left in the pot when we are done boiling it, and we will talk about what happened. The class will be introduced to evaporation and will then talk about the water cycle.
5. From student book, children will read with teacher what the water cycle is, and where the water goes throughout this cycle. They will be introduced to the words cycle, evaporation, condense, and precipitation. Children will be shown a model that shows the whole cycle.
6. After we have read about the water cycle, we will sing the song "Water Cycle Boogie." This describes the water cycle and we can go back to that song throughout the week to remind them of the water cycle order. This is the end of the first day of the water cycle.
Second day:
1. Class starts out by reviewing the water cycle and singing the song "Water Cycle Boogie." Students will also revisit what happened with the water we collected the day before and see what has happened today- has more evaporated? Where did it go?
2. Class will be introduced to the game, The Incredible Journey. Students will be introduced to the different areas a water droplet can go throughout the water cycle. Children will discuss what the different colors of the beads stand for in the game and then play the game.
3. In closing, the students will gather again to see where they visited during the game. Students will see that a drop of water will spend an awful amount of time in the ocean, underground and in lakes and streams. They will see that some droplets will get into a pattern of staying in the ocean for many cycles and not getting to land.
4. We will review the water cycle again and sing the song, "Water Cycle Boogie."
5. For an assessment, the children will use water colors to draw the water cycle on construction paper. The teacher will provide the labels for children to put near the different cycles.
2. The students will discuss their experiences of when it rained. Talk about the puddles and what they do outside when it is raining or after it rains.
3. If it has rained outside, teacher will take students out to observe the puddles and collect a rain sample. If it has not rained, the teacher will fill a cup of water and mark off where the top of the water is on the cup. Students will observe the water gathered and see what happens throughout the hours or days following (it will show evaporation).
4. The students will do an experiment with the teacher, where a pot of water is put on a hot plate, and brought to a boil. The students will see the steam rising from the pot, and questions will be generated. The class will talk about what this steam is and where it is going. Teacher will show what water is left in the pot when we are done boiling it, and we will talk about what happened. The class will be introduced to evaporation and will then talk about the water cycle.
5. From student book, children will read with teacher what the water cycle is, and where the water goes throughout this cycle. They will be introduced to the words cycle, evaporation, condense, and precipitation. Children will be shown a model that shows the whole cycle.
6. After we have read about the water cycle, we will sing the song "Water Cycle Boogie." This describes the water cycle and we can go back to that song throughout the week to remind them of the water cycle order. This is the end of the first day of the water cycle.
Second day:
1. Class starts out by reviewing the water cycle and singing the song "Water Cycle Boogie." Students will also revisit what happened with the water we collected the day before and see what has happened today- has more evaporated? Where did it go?
2. Class will be introduced to the game, The Incredible Journey. Students will be introduced to the different areas a water droplet can go throughout the water cycle. Children will discuss what the different colors of the beads stand for in the game and then play the game.
3. In closing, the students will gather again to see where they visited during the game. Students will see that a drop of water will spend an awful amount of time in the ocean, underground and in lakes and streams. They will see that some droplets will get into a pattern of staying in the ocean for many cycles and not getting to land.
4. We will review the water cycle again and sing the song, "Water Cycle Boogie."
5. For an assessment, the children will use water colors to draw the water cycle on construction paper. The teacher will provide the labels for children to put near the different cycles.
Teaching Notes and Tips
When you are doing the evaporation of water on a hot plate, please explain to the children the rules of use before you start the experiment. The teacher will do this and children will observe. Having good classroom management is a must. This lesson is different from my past lessons on the water cycle and the weather. They will use a game to learn the concepts, which will be exciting for the students.
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Assessment
Children will be given a piece of white construction paper and draw the water cycle from start to finish. I will give them labels to name the different stages. We will hang this in the hall to show our understanding of the weather and the water cycle.
Standards
III B. The water cycle, weather and climate. Students will investigate weather cycles. 1. Students will observe and describe the changes in daily weather and seasonal cycles.