Survey
* Your assessment is very important for improving the workof artificial intelligence, which forms the content of this project
* Your assessment is very important for improving the workof artificial intelligence, which forms the content of this project
The Water Cycle and Clouds from the Weather Smart Series written and produced by... Alan Sealls, Meteorologist Produced and Distributed by... 1560 Sherman Avenue, Suite 100 Evanston, IL 60201 800-323-9084 24-Hour Fax 847-328-6706 http://www.unitedlearning.com This video is the exclusive property of the copyright holder. Copying, transmitting, or reproducing in any form, or by any means, without prior written permission from the copyright holder is prohibited (Title 17, U.S. Code Sections 501 and 506). ©MMI Alan Sealls THE WATER CYCLE AND CLOUDS Table of Contents Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1 Curriculum Standards . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1 Program Summary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3 Series Goals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4 Teacher Preparation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4 Instructional Notes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5 Student Preparation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5 Student Objectives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6 Introducing the Program . . . . . . . . . . . . .6 Discussion Questions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6 Blackline Master Activities . . . . . . . . . . .7 Extended Learning Activities . . . . . . . . .8 Answer Key . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9 Reference Material . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12 Bibliography . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13 Script of Narration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13 CC This video is closed captioned. The purchase of this program entitles the user to the right to reproduce or duplicate, in whole or in part, this teacher’s guide and the blackline master handouts that accompany it for the purpose of teaching in conjunction with this program, THE WATER CYCLE and CLOUDS. This right is restricted only for use with this program. Any reproduction or duplication in whole or in part of this guide and the blackline master handouts for any purpose other than for use with this program is prohibited. CLASSROOM/LIBRARY CLEARANCE NOTICE This program is for instructional use. The cost of each program includes public performance rights as long as no admission charge is made. Public performance rights are defined as viewing of a video in the course of face-to-face teaching activities in a classroom, library, or similar setting devoted to instruction. Closed Circuit Rights are included as a part of the pubic performance rights as long as closed-circuit transmission is restricted to a single campus. For multiple locations, call your United Learning representative. Television/Cable/Satellite Rights are available. Call your United Learning representative for details. Duplication Rights are available if requested in large quanti ties. Call your United Learning representative for details. Quantity Discounts are available for large purchases. Call your United Learning representative for information and pricing. Discounts, and some special services, are not applicable outside the United States. Your suggestions and recommendations are welcome. Feel free at any time to call United Learning at 1-800-323-9084. The Water Cycle and Clouds from the Weather Smart Series INTRODUCTION Weather Smart is a series comprised of 10 weather programs for grades 3-8. It is written and produced by Alan Sealls, an award-winning meteorologist who has worked for WGN-TV, and CNN. Each program is supported by exercises, quizzes, Internet references, and hands-on experiments to make the weather come alive to students. The series is an entire "course" in the wonders of weather while each program stands alone in approaching the various facets of meteorology. These delightful and entertaining programs are geared toward kids' fascination with weather. Each program may be used as an introduction, supplement, or follow-up to weather studies. The Water Cycle and Clouds takes a look at one of the most vital components of our ecosystem, water. This program highlights the unique properties of water and the role it plays in forming clouds, generating weather, and maintaining life. Experiments and demonstrations are highlighted so that kids can easily duplicate to gain a greater appreciation for water in all its forms. The program covers both the beneficial purposes and negative hazards of water. CURRICULUM STANDARDS Weather Smart: The Water Cycle and Clouds correlates to the following science standards: National Science Education Standards, grades K-4 Science as Inquiry CONTENT STANDARD A: • Abilities necessary to do scientific inquiry • Understanding about scientific inquiry Physical Science CONTENT STANDARD B: • Properties of objects and materials 1 • Position and motion of objects • Light, heat, electricity, and magnetism Life Science CONTENT STANDARD C: • The characteristics of organisms Earth and Space Science CONTENT STANDARD D: • Properties of earth materials • Objects in the sky • Changes in earth and sky Science and Technology CONTENT STANDARD E: • Abilities of technological design • Understanding about science and technology Science in Personal & Social Perspectives CONTENT STANDARD F: • Personal health • Types of resources • Changes in environments • Science and technology in local challenges History and Nature of Science CONTENT STANDARD G: • Science as a human endeavor National Science Education Standards, grades 5-8 Science as Inquiry CONTENT STANDARD A: • Abilities necessary to do scientific inquiry • Understanding about scientific inquiry Physical Science CONTENT STANDARD B: • Properties and changes of properties in matter • Motions and forces • Transfer of energy 2 Life Science CONTENT STANDARD C: • Populations and ecosystems Earth and Space Science CONTENT STANDARD D: • Structure of the earth system Science and Technology CONTENT STANDARD E: • Abilities of technological design • Understanding about science and technology Science in Personal & Social Perspectives CONTENT STANDARD F: • Personal health • Natural hazards • Risks and benefits • Science and technology in society History and Nature of Science CONTENT STANDARD G: • Science as a human endeavor • Nature of science PROGRAM SUMMARY Beautiful footage of clouds and the sky show how water continuously changes phase. The basic cloud types are presented in vivid examples along with the many awesome colors that water makes in our sky, such as sunsets and rainbows. Students learn the fundamentals of condensation, evaporation, and precipitation, and how to recognize all of these daily events. We see the various forms of precipitation and how they are related to seasons. Terms such as liquid, solid, vapor, moisture, and humidity are used in explaining how the water cycle is vital to life on Earth. Students see how too much water causes problems such as erosion or flooding. A true/false quiz is found at the end of the program. 3 SERIES GOALS The Weather Smart series will give students the entire scope of meteorology, fostering an appreciation for weather as a universal, ever-present aspect of life on Earth. • Varying combinations of heat, air, and water generate weather. • The sun is the driving force behind weather. • Air and water have unique properties. • Neither Earth nor life would exist as we know them without weather. • Humans can affect weather or climate. • Weather forecasts make our lives easier and safer. • Tools and instruments help us to understand and predict weather. • Mathematics is needed to assess and forecast weather and climate. • Scientists do not fully know what makes weather and climate change. • Weather and climate are cyclical. • There is beauty in the sky. • Meteorology is a wide-reaching profession. TEACHER PREPARATION Duplicate a sufficient quantity of the Blackline Masters for your students. In order to undertake all of the exercises in this program the following items are needed in appropriate amounts and quantities: computer with Internet connection water ice kitchen scale measuring cup sponge jar or drinking glass cardboard sheet or construction paper scissors crayons or markers 4 INSTRUCTIONAL NOTES Before presenting this Weather Smart lesson to your students, we suggest you preview the program and review this guide and accompanying Blackline Master activities in order to familiarize yourself with their content. As you review the materials presented in this guide, you may find it necessary to make changes, additions, or deletions to meet the specific needs of your class. We encourage you to do so, for only by tailoring this program to your students will they obtain the maximum instructional benefits afforded by the materials. We also suggest that the program viewing take place before the entire group under your supervision. The lesson activities grow out of the context of the program; therefore, the presentation should be a common experience for all students. To gauge student level of understanding of the water cycle and clouds, you may use any of several of the Blackline Masters as both pre-test and post-test. Those most appropriate would be Blackline Master 1, Video Quiz, Blackline Master 3, Discussion Questions, and Blackline Master 5, Quiz. STUDENT PREPARATION Have students gather around a counter. Pour water into a cup. Let the students examine it. Ask them what they see, where it came from, what makes it special. Have them find ways to describe it to a visitor from a dry planet. Then, take a few ice cubes and place them in another cup. Pass it around so kids can get a closer look and so that the heat from their hands will cause it to partially melt. Ask the same questions you used for water. Leave both cups of water, and ice on the counter for a few days and have students observe evaporation. 5 STUDENT OBJECTIVES After viewing the program and participating in the followup activities, students should be able to... • List the components of the water cycle. • Identify cloud types. • Demonstrate how floods occur. • Read a rain gauge and measure rainfall. • Desribe the role of the water cycle in Earth's ecosystem. • Describe the properties of water in its different phases. • List the different forms of precipitation. • Create a basic rain gauge. INTRODUCING THE PROGRAM Either Blackline Master 7 or Blackline Master 8 may be used to introduce the topic. Perform one experiment in front of the class to pique curiosity and bring about discussion of how it relates to the water cycle. You may also choose to have either of these experiments undertaken by the class, in small groups. Present the program. Weather Smart: The Water Cycle and Clouds runs 15 minutes. A Video Quiz corresponding to Blackline Master 1 is at the conclusion of the program. You may choose to pause the program for a longer period between questions to allow more time for answers or for discussion. DISCUSSION QUESTIONS As printed on Blackline Master 3, the answers are found in the Answer Key, beginning on page 9. 1. What would Earth be like without water? 2. How is water different from air? 3. What types of clouds make us wet? 4. What happens if too much rain or snow falls at once? 5. Where do clouds come from? 6. How do we get clean water to drink? 7. What are the different types of precipitation? 8. What is the difference between stratus clouds and cumulus clouds? 6 9. What are the three parts of the water cycle? 10. How do clouds help the Earth? BLACKLINE MASTER ACTIVITIES 1. Video Quiz may be used as a pre-test and post-test. The actual quiz is at the conclusion of the program. 2. Water Cycle and Cloud Vocabulary is a fun way to familiarize students with the words associated with clouds and the water cycle. Students may work in groups to find the hidden words. 3. Discussion Questions may be administered at any time or given as a take home assignment. 4. Make a Sentence allows kids to be creative. You might also have them create a poem using each word. 5. Quiz can be used as a further measure of student comprehension or as a take-home assignment. 6. Read a Rain Gauge gives practice in reading a rain gauge. It requires that you either shade in various values for the water before duplication or write a value in the box and then have students color in the height of the water. 7. Heavy Ice? illustrates that when water changes phase, it does not change weight (Law of Conservation of Mass). 8. Flood in a Sponge is an easy way to see how floods start, even from moderate rainfall. 9. Easy Rain Gauge allows students to practice taking observations in measuring rainfall. 10. Dew from the Air shows that there is always water vapor floating in air. 11. Sky Chart gives more opportunity to take weather observations while highlighting the beauty in the sky. 7 12. Water Cycle and Cloud Fun Facts can be used as trivia in a game show format or kids can share it with their friends to show how weather smart they are. 13. Internet Sites takes kids beyond the lesson into further studies and adventures in water and clouds. EXTENDED LEARNING ACTIVITIES • Contact local businesses and agencies that are dependent on water resources. Your class may be allowed to visit them to gain a local perspective. You might also assign students to contact and arrange for a visit or interview. • Meteorologists who work at a nearby office of the National Weather Service or on TV or at a university can discuss the water cycle and clouds. • Your city's water or sewer department can explain how people get clean water and where all the rainwater goes. • Farmers can discuss the importance of water in their profession, and perhaps show their own records of rainfall. Students might be surprised to see how much or how little rain falls in your community each year. • City planners can talk about the importance of expanding drainage creeks and rivers when new neighborhoods or factories are built. • Your forestry and fire departments may have good information on how the lack of rain creates hazards. • A ski resort can explain and maybe demonstrate how they make snow to supplement nature's snow. They can share statistics on snowfall in your area. 8 ANSWER KEY 1. Video Quiz 1. true 2. false 3. true 4. true 5. false 6. true 7. true 8. true 9. false 10. true 2. The Water Cycle & Clouds Vocabulary 3. Discussion Questions 1. Without water, Earth would be dry! There would be no clouds, no rain, and no snow. There would be no life. 2. Water can exist in three different phases (liquid, solid, or gas). Air only stays as a gas. Air can be squeezed (compressed), water cannot. 3. The usual precipitation cloud is cumulonimbus. Other clouds that can make us wet are thick stratus clouds and 9 large cumulus clouds. The true rain cloud was not covered in the material and that is a nimbostratus. 4. If too much rain falls at once, we get flooding. If too much snow falls at once, human activities slow until it can be moved. 5. Clouds come from water vapor that is already in the air. 6. Clean water in nature comes from rain or from underground springs. In most areas, water from lakes and rivers is treated to make it drinkable. 7. Precipitation is rain, snow, sleet, or hail. 8. Stratus clouds are flat and stretched out. Cumulus clouds are more rounded and tall. 9. The water cycle's components are evaporation, condensation, and precipitation. 10. Clouds transport water in large quantities. They take water to places where people, animals or plants use it. At night they act like a blanket and keep cities from cooling down as much. During the day they can block the sun to keep cities from getting too hot. 5. Quiz 1. stratus 2. rainbow 3. precipitation 4. water 5. erosion 6. cumulonimbus 7. water cycle 8. cirrus 9. evaporation 10. humidity 6. Read a Rain Gauge Answers will depend upon how high you shade the gauges. The units are inches. You might modify the exercise to where you give the students a rain amount and have them shade the rain gauge. 7. Heavy Ice? When the ice melts, the scale shows no difference in weight. When water changes phase the weight does not change. Over the course of a few days, as the water evaporates the scale will show a lower number. 10 8. Flood in a Sponge Water poured slowly over a sponge will eventually saturate the sponge and then spill off of it. This is analogous to a long period of steady rain causing saturated soil and slow flooding. Water that is poured fast will spill off of the sponge before all of it gets a chance to soak into the sponge. This is analogous to a flash flood where the rate of rainfall causes rapid flooding. 9. Easy Rain Gauge Answer depends upon your rainfall. This method of rain measurement is by volume. It shows that water can be measured by volume although depth-measurement is most common. 10. Dew from the Air Condensation forms on the outside of the jar. The water droplets came from the air. Note that in very dry climates or buildings, or when the air is very cold, no condensation may appear. In these cases, the experiment should be performed in a humid area such as in a kitchen while food is being prepared. 11. Sky Chart Colors and changes in colors will depend upon your environment. 13. Internet Sites Federal Emergency Management Agency kids section http://www.fema.gov/kids/floods.htm Learn more about floods and how to be safe from them. American Red Cross flood safety http://www.redcross.org/services/disaster/keepsafe/r eadyflood.html Make sure you know what to do when floods happen. 11 National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration photo library http://www.photolib.noaa.gov/index.html Search over 10,000 pictures for clouds of all shapes and sizes National Geophysical Data Center online flood quiz http://www.ngdc.noaa.gov/seg/hazard/kqStart.shtml See if you are weather smart when it comes to floods and other bad weather. NASA atmospheric infrared sounder http://www-airs.jpl.nasa.gov/ This new instrument from NASA will help study clouds and the water cycle. Click on education to learn more about clouds and the water cycle and what this new instrument does. As Internet addresses can change, you may have to use a search engine to find the title of the page or website that you are seeking. You may also have luck by going to the host website URL. For example, if you are looking for http://www.alan.edu/weather/cloud.html and you get a message that the page is no longer available, then try http://www.alan.edu/ and look or search for weather and then cloud or something that sounds similar. REFERENCE MATERIAL National Weather Service educators resource links http://www.nws.noaa.gov/om/edures.htm Locate people in your area who can assist in weather and flooding education efforts. Environment Canada weather Information http://weatheroffice.ec.gc.ca Search this website for an online cloud chart. You will also find weather for Canada along with good resource information for ozone, storms, and pollution. NASA Earth Science Enterprise Image Gallery http://www.earth.nasa.gov/gallery.index.html A fantastic collection of images where you can see pic12 tures of clouds, storms, hurricanes and other weather features. Project DataStreme http://www.comet.ucar.edu/dstreme/extras/dsinfo.html This data-sharing project allows your rainfall measurements to go beyond your classroom. The GLOBE Program (Global Learning and Observations to Benefit the Environment) http://globe.fsl.noaa.gov/welcome.html An international data-sharing project between elementary schools gives another way for kids to see how the water cycle affects other areas. Find many more cloud and water cycle experiments and simple designs for weather instruments in the "Hands on Weather" programs, also distributed by United Learning. Comments, suggestions, or questions regarding this Weather Smart program should be addressed to the producer, Alan Sealls ([email protected]). BIBLIOGRAPHY Fun Facts are derived in part from information available at Colorado State University (http://waterknowledge.colostate.edu/), and Health Canada (http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/). SCRIPT OF NARRATION Water falls from the sky as rain or snow. It sits on the ground in puddles. We see it on grass early in the morning as dew. When you look at Earth from a satellite in space, you see that most of it is covered with water in the oceans. Look closer and you will see big lakes and rivers. Over the land and over the oceans, we see clouds, and in many places that are cold, we see snow. The clouds and snow are made of water too so water is everywhere. People use water to drink and to stay clean. Plants use water to grow. Without water we would not be able to live. 13 Water is called a liquid because you can pour it and it will change shape. If you put it in a glass, it takes the same shape as the glass. If you pour it on the ground, it spreads out and becomes flat. Liquids can move and change shape. If you pour water into an ice tray and put it in a freezer, you can turn it into ice. When water turns into ice, we call it a solid. A solid is something that is hard and does not change shape. You can touch it and see it, but even if you put it into a glass, it still keeps the same shape. Put it on a counter and it also stays the same. Of course, if you let ice stay out long enough, it will melt and become water again. But what happens when you leave water out for a long time? It disappears. Where does it go? Into the air. Invisible water that floats in the air is called water vapor. We also call it moisture, or humidity. You can't see water vapor, but sometimes you can feel it when the air is warm and sticky. Warm air can hold more water vapor than cold air. When the tiny droplets leave the water to float into the air, we call that evaporation. Once evaporation lets water vapor float in the air, the water is not a liquid anymore because you can't pour it. It's not a solid because you can't see it. Now, it's called a gas. A gas is something that you can't see or touch and it floats with air. Water is very special because it can be a solid, like ice; a liquid, like rain; or a gas, like water vapor. Even in the driest parts of the world, there is water vapor. Wind spreads it around the planet. It's in the air and you don't see it until it makes clouds. When you get enough water vapor together, it grows and forms clouds. Weather forecasters call this condensation. Condensation happens when invisible water in the air grows large enough for us to see. Put a cold glass on a table and watch it. You'll see water droplets grow on the outside of glass. These water droplets came from water vapor in the air. 14 This happens on clear, quiet mornings when you see dew on the grass. When the dew forms, use a thermometer to read the temperature, then you know what the dew point temperature is. The dew point temperature just tells you how cold the air has to be for condensation to make dew. When the air is very cold, instead of seeing dew, you might see frost. In the morning, you can tell dew apart from rain because rain makes everything wet. Dew will only wet cars, rooftops, grass, and a few other things. Dew comes from moisture in the air. Rain comes from clouds. Clouds make rain, snow, sleet, or hail. All of these are called precipitation. Precipitation is any kind of water that falls from the clouds. In the winter, cold clouds make snow and sleet. In the summer, clouds make rain because the air is warm, but if the cloud is very tall, it might reach high enough into the sky where the temperature is cold, and then make hail. Hail is small pieces of ice that fall from tall thunderclouds. Precipitation, evaporation, and condensation are always happening over and over. These three things never stop, so we call it the water cycle. The water cycle has no beginning and no end. Precipitation falls to the ground and makes puddles. Some of the water goes into streams and rivers and then to the oceans. The sun heats Earth to make evaporation happen. That's when water turns into invisible water vapor. Wind moves the water vapor around as condensation turns it back into clouds. When the clouds get too full, the precipitation starts again. The water cycle makes sure that there is always water moving around the world. Even when we can't see water and even when it is frozen into snow or ice, the water cycle takes moisture everywhere. The part of the water cycle that we always see is the beautiful clouds. They float above our heads in all shapes, sizes and colors. Sometimes they are so gentle 15 that we don't really notice them, but other times they grow so large that you just can't miss them. There are four kinds of clouds: cirrus, stratus, cumulus, and cumulonimbus. Cirrus clouds are very high thin clouds. They are so thin that you can see the sun or the moon right through them. They can be more than five miles, or eight kilometers, above the ground - that's higher than where most airplanes fly. Cirrus clouds are gentle, soft and feathery. They are not thick enough to make precipitation; so when you see them, you know that the weather is calm. Stratus clouds are lower clouds that are flat, stretched out, and gray. They can cover the whole sky and hide the sun. Stratus clouds can make rain or snow. Sometimes they stay for more than a day. If they stay for a long time, you might get a lot of rain or a lot of snow. They might also make very light rain called drizzle. In the winter, stratus clouds can make light snow called flurries. When they block the sun, stratus clouds keep you from getting warm. A special kind of stratus cloud is fog. Fog is a cloud that is close to the ground. If you ever want to know what a cloud feels like, just go outside on a foggy day. You can't feel the cloud, but you will feel the moisture. It will make the air damp. Sometimes fog is only a few feet, or meters, thick. Other times, it can be thousands of feet or thousands of meters thick and cause problems because drivers can't see very well and airplanes can't take off or land. Fog happens a lot in some places where you have water. Cumulus clouds are fluffy and puffy and they grow tall. They look like cotton balls as they bubble up into the air. Small cumulus clouds with lots of space in between them tell us the weather will be nice. The larger and taller cumulus clouds make rain showers, or snow showers if it is cold enough. The showers usually don't last very long. When cumulus clouds make lightning, thunder and heavy rain they are called cumulonimbus. The cumulonimbus is the tallest cloud. Sometimes it can reach more than ten16 miles, or 16 kilometers, high. It's the cloud that makes thunderstorms. When you see a cumulonimbus cloud, you have to make sure that you are safe from lightning, and from the heavy rain. Cumulonimbus clouds can make a lot of rain in one spot to start a flood. Floods are dangerous to people. Floods also wash away soil and we call that erosion. You can do an experiment using sponges and a spray bottle to show that when rain falls slowly the ground is able to soak it up but when it falls too fast the ground can't hold all of it and it rises to make a flood. Always stay away from floodwater. Clouds are part of the water cycle. They help the Earth by moving water around. When clouds get thick, they block the sun and keep us cool in the daytime. At night, thick clouds act like a blanket over the Earth and help to keep us warm. Clouds come from condensation. You can make your own cloud in a jar. Just fill the jar with warm water, cover it with plastic, and then put an ice cube on top of the plastic. Look closely inside the jar and after a while, you'll see condensation making a cloud. Many of us make clouds and don't even notice it. The next time you take a shower, look around the bathroom to see what is floating in the air. When you get out of the shower look at the mirror. What do you see? One of the trickiest parts of forecasting the weather is knowing when a cloud will start to make rain. You can practice with your friends by using a cotton ball, water and an eyedropper. Count how many water drops the cotton ball can hold before the water starts falling out. Then try it again with another cotton ball. Do you get the same number? Probably not, because no two clouds are the same. The nice thing about clouds and the water cycle is that when you add sunlight to them, you see many pretty shapes and colors. Cumulus clouds are bright and crisp when they are away from you but when they are over you, they look dark because the cloud blocks the sunlight. 17 When rain ends in the afternoon and the sun comes out you might see a rainbow. Look for a curve of colors in the sky. The rainbow tells you that the rain is over. Cirrus clouds also make something that looks like a rainbow. It's a ring around the sun called a halo. Most people don't notice them because they don't take the time to stop and look up into the sky. Sometimes on the sides of the halo you'll see two bright spots that have a lot of color. These are called sun dogs. At sunset, all of the different clouds help to show magnificent colors. We can see red, orange, yellow, purple and sometimes other colors. Without clouds and the water cycle we would have a pretty boring sky. The clouds are nature's way of giving us art. Enjoy the water cycle and stay weather smart. Now that you are clear on clouds let's take a quiz. Number one- Cumulus clouds are puffy clouds that look like cotton. Number two- Sometimes the water cycle stops. Number three- Invisible water in the air is called vapor. Number four- Fog is a cloud that's near the ground. Number five- Clouds are bad for the Earth. Number six- Too much rain can make floods. Number seven- Evaporation is when water disappears into the air. Number eight- Rain and snow are precipitation. Number nine- Cirrus clouds make thunderstorms. Number ten- When you see water on the outside of a glass, that's condensation. 18 19