Science

Week One Lesson Plan

Water Cycle Experiment

Strand 1: Inquiry Process
Concept 1: Observations, Questions, and Hypotheses
PO 1: Formulate relevant questions about the properties of objects, organisms, and events in the environment.
PO 2: Predict the results of an investigation (animal life cycle, phases of matter, water cycle).
Strand 1: Inquiry Process
Concept 3: Analysis and Conclusions
PO 1: Organize data using graphs.
PO 3: Compare the results of the investigation to the predictions made prior to the investigation.

This lesson will done as a whole class activity.

Things you will need:
soil, water, small margarine bowl, large clear plastic container or an old aquarium, plastic wrap, tape or large elastic band, bag of ice (optional), heat lamp (optional).

Activity:
Day 1: Arrange the soil in the container to make mountains, plateaus, hills, etc., and a lake basin. Place the margarine bowl in the lake basin. Fill the bowl with water. Cover the container tightly with plastic wrap and secure it by means of tape or the elastic band. This process needs to be done two different times.
Day 2: Make a large class chart. Discuss what is expected to happen in the container. Document their responses.
Day 3: Watch for condensation on the plastic "sky" of the container. When enough moisture collects, it will fall onto the landforms as precipitation.
Day 4: Compare the hypothesis to actual results by discussion.
Day 5: Have children draw a picture showing the water cycle. Have them include descriptive words and arrows to show the process occurs.

Week Two Lesson Plan

Water Cycle Review
Activity:
Day 1: Review the prior weeks work and discuss the process of the experiment.
Day 2: Have the students check the experiment and document what activity they saw.
Day 3: Have the students chart their discoveries individually (from the week before and the current week).
Day 4: Have the students write a rough draft of the water cycle process.
Day 5: Have the students combine there writing with their drawing from the week before to post on the wall.

Play the following video to help remember the water cycle.
The Water Cycle Song, provided by Science Explosion.

http://www.teachertube.com/view_video.php?viewkey=53bdf2518c53ddf3bce6&page=&viewtype=&category=&action=addfavour

Water cycle worksheets
Please pick two of the worksheets to print and complete.

http://bogglesworldesl.com/watercycle_worksheets.htm