What Is Water?
Initial Publication Date: September 8, 2008
Summary
What Is Water? is an introductory lesson to a unit called W.A.T.E.R.: What A Terrific Environmental Resource. The lesson introduces students to the properties of water and its presence in the environment. It uses guided observation and questioning to help students become curious, use higher-order thinking skills, and develop their own questions about the properties of and need for water.
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Learning Goals
To introduce the lesson and the entire unit, students will be asked to, "Hold the water." As the water runs out of the students hands and of various porous and nonporous devises, the students will be guided to observe how water flows and can be absorbed by soil. The activity will cause students to observed water in its liquid form and question what happens to water in the environment.
Objective:
The students will observe water in its liquid form and verbalize their understanding that water is in our environment and at room temperatures is liquid because of its ability to flow.
Objective:
The students will observe water in its liquid form and verbalize their understanding that water is in our environment and at room temperatures is liquid because of its ability to flow.
Context for Use
This lesson is an easy, approximately 20 minute, introductory lesson that guides a class of kindergarten students to observe while raising their awareness and helps them formulate questions and answers about our world. Although this lesson is presented simply, it can be modified to fit the needs of K-6 students.
Considering the intent of the unit, this lesson would be best presented at the beginning (second to fourth week) of the school year. To conduct the activity, it would be best for students to be brought outside to experience the water in the natural environment.
Materials:
-Pitcher of water,
-Paper towels
-Students' hands
-Coffee filters
-Cups
-Strainers
-Porous and nonporous containers
-Paper
-Pencils
-Markers
-Display or bulletin board
Considering the intent of the unit, this lesson would be best presented at the beginning (second to fourth week) of the school year. To conduct the activity, it would be best for students to be brought outside to experience the water in the natural environment.
Materials:
-Pitcher of water,
-Paper towels
-Students' hands
-Coffee filters
-Cups
-Strainers
-Porous and nonporous containers
-Paper
-Pencils
-Markers
-Display or bulletin board
Description and Teaching Materials
Procedure:
1.Fill a pitcher of water and gather all other containers and material into a bin.
2. Tell the students that they will be going outside today for science
3. Bring the bin of material and students outside.
4. Have the students line up in a half circle.
5.Suddenly tell the students that you need to bring the pitcher back into the school to the kitchen so the cooks can use it and say, "Please hold the water for me?"
6. Give of the students various containers that are porous and nonporous but make sure that you do NOT have enough containers for all of the students.
7. Pour the water into the devises and into the hands of students.
8.Question what the water is doing and where it is going.
9. Make observations and encourage the students to look at what is happening to the water.
10. Have the students dry their hands and throw away the towels and dispose of or pick up all of the material and put it in the bin.
11. Discuss, question their understanding, and have the students (as a group) develop a simple description using words or pictures for what they observed.
12. Write and post this description on a bulletin board or in a Science Center in the room.
1.Fill a pitcher of water and gather all other containers and material into a bin.
2. Tell the students that they will be going outside today for science
3. Bring the bin of material and students outside.
4. Have the students line up in a half circle.
5.Suddenly tell the students that you need to bring the pitcher back into the school to the kitchen so the cooks can use it and say, "Please hold the water for me?"
6. Give of the students various containers that are porous and nonporous but make sure that you do NOT have enough containers for all of the students.
7. Pour the water into the devises and into the hands of students.
8.Question what the water is doing and where it is going.
9. Make observations and encourage the students to look at what is happening to the water.
10. Have the students dry their hands and throw away the towels and dispose of or pick up all of the material and put it in the bin.
11. Discuss, question their understanding, and have the students (as a group) develop a simple description using words or pictures for what they observed.
12. Write and post this description on a bulletin board or in a Science Center in the room.
Teaching Notes and Tips
To kick off the unit, it would be important to build excitement over the need for students to "hold the water" during this lesson. This portion of the activity will help inspire and excite them and build a foundation of observation skills and of self-questioning, which are valuable skills that will develop higher-order thinking and deep understanding. I also believe it is also vital for the activity to be conducted outside so that students observe water as it is seen interacting with the natural environment.
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Assessment
The students will verbalize their understanding that water is in our environment and at room temperatures is liquid because of its ability to flow.
Standards
MN Academic Standards in Science
Grade: K
Strand:
I. History and Nature of Science
Sub-strand:
B. Scientific Inquiry
Standard:
The student will raise questions about the natural world.
Grade: K
Strand:
I. History and Nature of Science
Sub-strand:
B. Scientific Inquiry
Standard:
The student will raise questions about the natural world.