Name: Hope Rice
Date: October 2001
Lesson Length: 45 minutes
Subject: Earth Science
Topic: Water Cycle/Clouds
Grade: 4th

Objective

1) After building a plastic sky, the students will be able to explain how the water
cycle recycles the Earth's water supply.

2) The students will be able to use language arts skills of writing and drawing to
explain how the water cycle works.

Essential Question

Why is water conservation so important to life on Earth?

Connections

Kentucky's Learning Goals and Academic Expectations:
2.4 Students use the concept of scale and scientific models to explain the
organization and functioning of living and nonliving things and predict other
characteristics that might be observed.


Kentucky's Core Content for Assessment:
SC-E-1.1.3: Materials can exist in different states-solid, liquid, and gaseous. Some common materials such as water can be changed from one state to another by heating or cooling.

SC-E-2.3.3: Weather changes from day to day and over the seasons. Weather can be described by observation and measurable quantities such as temperature, wind direction, speed, and precipitation.

Context

This is the last lesson in a five-day unit sequence on the water cycle and the formation of clouds. This will be a culminating activity that will bring the whole unit together. The students will construct a plastic sky that will allow them to see how the water cycle works. Previously, the students conducted an experiment to determine what causes evaporation in the water cycle. The students have also had an in-depth explanation of the stages in the water cycle as well as they watched a video to gather information about the different types of clouds and weather. The students also conducted an experiment exposing them to cloud condensation.

Materials/Technology

Soil
Water
Small margarine bowl
Large, clear plastic container
Plastic wrap
Plastic trees, animals, boat
Tape
Bag of ice (optional)
Heat lamp (optional)

Procedures

Initiation: Today, is the last lesson in our unit on the water cycle. Today's activity is going to be really fun and it's going to tie together all the activities that we done over this last week. We are going to start this activity today and finish it up tomorrow. Everyone quietly gather at the carpet.

Strategy:
1) Arrange the soil in the container to make mountains, plateaus, hills, etc.and a lake basin. Fill the bowl with water. The plastic toys may be added to appeal to the student's imagination. Cover the container tightly with plastic wrap and secure it by means of tape.

2) Discuss what is expected to happen in the container (form a hypothesis).

3) This project should take 1 day depending on the amount of sun. In order to speed the process, a bag of ice may be placed on one of the covered containers, while a heat lamp is focused on the other.

4) Watch for condensation on the plastic "sky" of the container. When enough moisture collects, it will fall onto the landforms as precipitation.

5) Compare the hypothesis to actual results by discussion. The hypothesis was formed in Step 2.

Practice: Now that we have discussed our hypothesis, we know that our experiment has shown us how the water cycle works. Your assignment is to draw a picture showing what you have seen in this experiment. You should also draw arrows to show the flow of your water cycle. Use crayons and markers to make your picture colorful. You also need to write a paragraph describing your picture. Be sure to include the following vocabulary words in your paragraph. The teacher should write these words on the board.
-evaporation
-water
-water vapor
-clouds
-precipitation (includes rain, snow, sleet, and hail)
-clouds
-ocean, lakes, or rivers
-condensation
-cools
-rises

Are there any questions about the definitions of any of these words?

Closure: Today is our last day on our water cycle unit. We will review on Monday, and have a test on Tuesday. If you did not finish your drawing and picture then it will be homework. Be sure that you included and labeled all three stages of the water cycle on your drawing.

Assessment: Scoring Guide
The students will be assessed by the number of elements included in their drawing of the water cycle as well as the number of vocabulary words included in their paragraphs.