Download E.ES.07.81 Fall 08

Erin Furze
Audrey Cloum
Standard: E.ES. 07.81 Explain the water cycle and describe how evaporation, transpiration,
condensation, cloud formation, precipitation, infiltrations, surface run off, ground water, and
absorption occur with in the cycle
Grade Level: 7
TITLE
Teaching Process
Overview
Students will understand that the water supply on earth is limited and that the same
amount of water has always been on earth. Students will understand how evaporation,
transpiration, condensation, cloud formation, precipitation, infiltration, surface run off, ground
water, and absorption occur with in the cycle. Students will be able to identify the stages of water
cycle in different contexts.
Materials
 Group Activity: Create Your Own Earth (designed for class of 36 in groups of 2)
o Approximately 18 large baby food jars with labels removed – 2 per group
o 1 bag o f potting soil – about ¼ cup per group
o 3 packages of seeds – 1 seed per group
o 1 roll of duct tape – about 1 foot piece for group
o Water on tap – about ½ cup per group
o Window sill
 Demonstration: Cloud Formation
o Clear 2-liter bottle with label removed
o Matches
o Cool water on tap
Engage the Learner
Begin the lesson by having students list the states of water and write them on the board.
Then under the states of water, have students list as many examples of that state of water in
everyday life. Ex: Gas: Boiling water; Solid: a frozen pond in the winter time.
Have the students create lists, individually on a sheet of paper, of how some of the
examples of the states of water in everyday life are in the water cycle while you write the key
terms of the water cycle on the board.
Key Terms:
Evaporation
Transpiration
Condensation
Cloud formation
Precipitation
Infiltration
Surface run off
Ground water
Absorption
This is to help review what students previously know about the water cycle and to help
gage what needs to be covered more in depth in the lesson.
Instruct students to pair off and compare how they have categorized the examples of
states of water in everyday life with how it works in the water cycle. After a few minutes of
comparing, collectively as a class categorize some of the examples that are on the board.
Explore the Concept
While students are still in their groups of two distribute the materials for the Group
Activity: Create Your Own Earth.
Provide students with instructions on how to create their own earths, preferably projected
with an over head (See attached sheet 1 to copy for projector). While students are creating their
own earths, walk around the classroom to observe and answer questions.
HOW TO
Create Your Own Earth



Materials
What every group should have now:
2 large baby food jars
1 seed
1 piece of duct tape about 1 foot long


What every group will get when they get to the step:
¼ cup potting soil
About ½ cup water
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.





Procedure
Go to the potting soil station and place ¼ cup of potting soil in the bottom of one baby food jar.
Return to your station, and place the seed in the potting soil so it is covered up.
Pour about ½ cup of water gently over the potting soil and the water.
Place the other baby food jar on top of the baby food jar that has the potting soil and water in it so
that the openings are together.
While the jars are on top of each other, take your piece of duct tape and wrap it around the jars so
that they will stay together. Be sure to get the jar close enough together so a seal is created.
After your jars are taped together, write your names neatly and small at the bottom of the jar with the
soil in it.
Place your apparatus on the window sill.
Clean your station and return all borrowed items.
Copy the Things to Think About on a sheet of paper (one sheet of paper per group) and jot down
what you think about the questions.
Things to Think About
What do you think is going to happen?
What terms can you give to the things that you think are going to happen?
Does your apparatus remind you of anything? Thing big.
Will anything leave your apparatus?
Will anything enter your apparatus?
After the students have created their own earths discuss The Things to Think About as a
class. To conclude the discussion, have the questions from The Things to Think About written on
large sheets of paper, and have each group write their answer to one of the questions on a large
sheet of paper so that each sheet of paper has three responses. Post the large sheets of paper by
the apparatuses on the window sill.
Leave the apparatuses on the window sill for 2-3 days.
Explain the Concept and Define Terms
After 2-3 days revisit the apparatuses that the class created. Have the students get back
with their original group and examine their apparatuses. Ask each group to write down their
observations on a sheet of paper.
Revisit the questions from Things to Think About. On a sheet of paper (one sheet for each
group) have students determine what, if any, of the answers to the questions are correct. If the
answers were not correct, how would they adjust the answers to be correct?
Draw a rough model of an apparatus on the board or on an overhead and write the key
terms on the board again while students are analyzing the answers. After a few minutes of
discussion ask students to share what they concluded by writing their adjusted versions of the
answers on smaller pieces of paper and taping it next to the large piece of paper.
Once all of the groups have added their adjustments to their large pieces of paper, direct
their attention to the drawing of the apparatus on the board. Ask students to think about how the
key terms played into the apparatus, paying particular attention to the definition of the terms.
Then, as a class define, each term on the board or the over head.
Elaborate on the Concept
Once the definitions have been decided on, ask individual students to come and label the
drawn apparatus with the key terms. Then point out that there is one key term that can’t be put on
the apparatus: cloud formation.
Explain that cloud formation is a form of condensation and in such a small apparatus the
cloud formation cannot be seen. But we can see a cloud form in a different manner when a little
extra energy is added to a bigger apparatus.
Do the cloud formation demonstration. Fill the clear 2 liter bottle about a ¼ of the way
full of cool water. Light a match and drop it into the bottle, immediately placing the cap on the
bottle. About the water a cloud forms above the water. Discuss how the match caused a small
amount of water to evaporate and the temperature difference between the water and the air cause
the water to condensate and that the sulfur in the match provided the water particles something to
condense on so that they could be seen.
Evaluate Students’ Understanding of the Concept
Ask the students to fill in the blanks of the water cycle chart (see attached page 2) with the key
words from their prior knowledge of the apparatus they created. On the back of the water cycle
chart have students answer these questions:
 What was the apparatus you created intended to represent? In what way did it represent
that?
 Did any of the original water that you placed in your apparatus leave it? What does that
imply about the water supply of what you apparatus represents?
Attached Sheet 1
HOW TO
Create Your Own Earth
Materials
What every group should have now:
 2 large baby food jars
 1 seed
 1 piece of duct tape about 1 foot long
What every group will get when they get to the step:
 ¼ cup potting soil
 About ½ cup water
Procedure
1. Go to the potting soil station and place ¼ cup of potting soil in the bottom of one
baby food jar.
2. Return to your station, and place the seed in the potting soil so it is covered up.
3. Pour about ½ cup of water gently over the potting soil and the water.
4. Place the other baby food jar on top of the baby food jar that has the potting soil and
water in it so that the openings are together.
5. While the jars are on top of each other, take your piece of duct tape and wrap it
around the jars so that they will stay together. Be sure to get the jar close enough
together so a seal is created.
6. After your jars are taped together, write your names neatly and small at the bottom of
the jar with the soil in it.
7. Place your apparatus on the window sill.
8. Clean your station and return all borrowed items.
9. Copy the Things to Think About on a sheet of paper (one sheet of paper per group)
and jot down what you think about the questions and be ready to discuss what you
think with the class.
Things to Think About
 What do you think is going to happen?
 What terms can you give to the things that you think are going to happen?
 Does your apparatus remind you of anything? Thing big.
 Will anything leave your apparatus?
 Will anything enter your apparatus?
Attached Sheet 2