4.01 Analyze the water cycle:

*evaporation

*condensation

*precipitation

*groundwater

Big Ideas:

• Our world is made of cycles: seasons, water cycle, rock cycle, days & weeks.
• The water cycle is a natural process for everything to renew itself.
• The stages of the water cycle surround us on a daily basis.
• Researching is something scientists do.
• Students are scientists when they investigate the world around them.

Objectives:

1. TSW present the stages of the water cycle.
2. TSW identify the important parts of the water cycle.
3. TSW recognize the importance of the water cycle.

Multiple Intelligences:

Bodily/Kinesthetic- students creating the individual water cycle displays

Visual/Spatial- a concrete representation of water condensing, evaporating, and precipitating

Universal Design:

EC- these students are getting extra reinforcement of the vocabulary and what the water cycle involves; the very concrete visual will be especially helpful for these students; students will work in partners of low ability and high ability

Materials: clear plastic cups, ice cubes, tape, microwaved water (from the teacher’s lounge), lamps as heat source, and overhead with list of partners, task card #2

Procedure:

1. One of the ways you suggested we could do research was observing the outside. Instead of observing the outside, we’re going to observe a miniature version of the water cycle. We will still be observing though and this is a good way to conduct research as a scientist.
2. I will place the list of partners on the overhead. I will pass out the task cards for further instruction and read over the directions with them while modeling the procedure.
3. I will have the warm water poured into 10 different clear plastic cups and hand them to the partners.
4. Each pair will receive a tray with the necessary materials: tape, empty clear cup to place on the warm water cup, ice, and lamp.
5. The students will follow the directions on the task card and answer the questions on it.
6. The water cycle demonstrations can be made using clear plastic cups. Place warm water in one cup and immediately cover this with an inverted cup. The two rims should meet and be taped to keep the upper cup in place. Put ice cubes on the top cup and place it near a source of heat. Watch for clouds and rain.

Debriefing & Assessment:

1. What is the way we researched the water cycle today?
2. So we have now researched in three different ways. Raise your hands if you enjoyed this way of researching the best! Why? How has this way of researching been different from the others?
3. I would have some of the partners share the observations they made while filling out the task card.
4. By doing this experiment today, were you able to understand the cycle aspect better (thumbs up for yes)? What other cycles have we mentioned happen in our world?
5. We got to see the water cycle in miniature form today, but if we had gone outside to observe, what would we see around us that is part of the water cycle on a daily basis? (have students write this down and turn in)

**the observations on the task card will also be used as an assessment

Reflection:

Unfortunately due to time constraints, I was unable to actually do this lesson with the students. We had to move onto making the presentations because we already had a set date of when we would perform (the last day before Thanksgiving Break). I really wish that time would have allowed this experiment because I think the students really would have enjoyed it and would have seen something more concrete of how it works.

This lesson idea was found in:

Butzow, C. M., & Butzow, J. W. (1989). Science through children’s literature: An integrated approach. Englewood, CO: Teacher Ideas Press.