Download Newsletters - Cobb Learning

Water Newsletter 2008-2009
Volume 1, Issue 4.1
Dear Parents,
The purpose of this newsletter is to give you an overview of what your child will be learning during our current unit of
study in science. Please take a moment to look over the different sections of this newsletter. You will see example
questions, important terms to know, and some extension activities you can do at home.
Parent Background:
Did you know you drink the same water the dinosaurs drank? We currently have all of
the water we have ever had on the earth. The water cycle is how water travels through
evaporation, condensation, and precipitation. As the sun evaporates water (turning from liquid to
gas) from lakes, rivers, and oceans, it condenses to form clouds. Once the clouds are heavy,
precipitation (falling of water to ground) occurs. This process happens over and over. Our water
continues to move through the same pattern over and over again.
Clouds will form when warm, moist air rises and cools. The cooler air cannot hold as
much water vapor as the warmer air. As the air cools, the water vapor condenses (changes from
gas to liquid) to form water droplets. Air pressure is directly related to cloud formation. The
higher into the atmosphere you go, the thinner the air, therefore, the lower the air pressure.
Stratus clouds are low to the ground and look like spreadsheets crossing the sky. Cumulus
clouds are dense and look like cotton balls. Cirrus clouds are very high in the sky and look like
feathers flowing across the sky. Cloud types indicate upcoming weather.
As water travels through each state of matter, the temperature of the water changes.
Water will freeze at 32° Fahrenheit and 0° Celsius. Water can evaporate into a gas form at any
temperature. Think about leaving a container of water uncovered for a period of time, or putting
wet clothes on a clothes line to dry. The water didn’t come to a boil, it simply evaporated.
Students will know…
 states of water and how they relate
to the water cycle and weather
 how water moves
 the different types of precipitation
Students will be able to…
 explain how water changes states
 investigate cloud formation
 explain and label the water cycle
 differentiate between the states of
water
 research different types of
precipitation
th
Here are some activities you and your 4 grader can do together:
1. Read Water Dance by Thomas Locker & identify the parts of the
Please!
water cycle
We need the following
materials for our science
2. Make flashcards of the vocabulary from the back and quiz your
experiments:
child. They should also describe what they have done in class with
those terms.
Small clear plastic cups
Try these links:
Go to this website for a demonstration of the water cycle.
Larger clear plastic cups
http://www.epa.gov/safewater/kids/flash/flash_watercycle.html
Ways Parents Can Help
This website has great games, stories, and activities about clouds and
precipitation.
http://eo.ucar.edu
Vocabulary
condensation: changing from gas to liquid
evaporation: changing from liquid to a vapor
gas: a state of matter in which the substance takes both the shape and the volume of its
container
liquid: a state of matter in which the substance has a definite volume but takes the shape of
its container
precipitation: water falling from the sky as rain, hail, sleet, or snow
solid: an object with a definite shape and definite volume
Sample Test Prep Question #1
Different types of clouds are associated
with different types of weather. Which
of the following types of clouds would
most likely be seen in the sky during a
thunderstorm?
Sample Test Prep Question #2
Precipitation Puns
Student A: Great news, teacher says
we have a test today come rain or
shine.
Answers for Test Prep:
1) G- Cumulonimbus clouds
2) A – Condensation
Student B: So what's so great about
that?
Student A: It's snowing outside!