ACMP ©2006-2008 UAF Geophysical Institute A-1 Water, Water Everywhere

Water, Water Everywhere

Overview:Students explore the location of water on Earth using a terrarium to model the water cycle. (NOTE: This lesson requires two separate days.)

Objectives:The student will:• identifythevariouslocationsofwateronEarth;and• explainthatwaterexistsinvariousforms.

Materials:• Wide-mouthglassjar• Smallrocks• Sand• Soil• Smallplant• Plasticwrap• Globe• 1galloncontainer• 2beakers• Water• 100pennies(orothersmallitems,suchasbeans)• Smallmirror,orplasticbagandtape,see“CriticalThinkingQuestion”(oneperstudent)• STUDENTINFORMATIONSHEET:“ModelEarth”• STUDENTWORKSHEETS:“TerrariumModelEarth”and“Water,WaterEverywhere”

GLEs Addressed:• [3-4]SA1.1Thestudentdemonstratesanunderstandingoftheprocessesofsciencebyaskingquestions,predicting,observing,describing,measuring,classifying,makinggeneralizations,inferring, and communicating.

• [3]SD1.2Thestudentdemonstratesanunderstandingofgeochemicalcyclesbydescribingthewater cycle to show that water circulates through the crust, oceans, and atmosphere of Earth.

Activity Preparation: Build a model terrarium as outlined in the STUDENT INFORMATION SHEET:

“ModelEarth”toshowtheclassasanexample.

Activity Procedure:

Day11. Displayaglobe.AskstudentshowmuchofEarth’ssurfaceiscoveredinwater.Explainthattwo-thirds

ofEarthiscoveredwithwater.RemindstudentsthatmatteronEarthisfoundinsolid,liquid,andgasform.

2. Askstudentstodescribesolids,liquids,andgases.Brainstormwordsthatdescribeeachstateofmat-ter.Makesurestudentsknowthatasolidissomethingthatkeepsitsshape,aliquidissomethingthattakestheshapeofthecontaineritisin,andagasissomethingthatchangesitsshapeeasily.

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Grades 3-4

ACMP ©2006-2008 UAF Geophysical Institute A-2 Water, Water Everywhere

3. Askstudentswhatsolidwater iscalled.(ice)Askstudentswhat liquidwater iscalled.(water)Askstudentswhatwaterasagasiscalled.(vapor)

4. TellstudentsthatmostofEarth’swaterisintheoceans.Showstudentsagalloncontainerfilledwithwater.Pour1/8cupofwaterintoabeakerand1/3cupofwaterintoasecondbeaker.ExplainthatifthegalloncontainerrepresentedallthewateronEarth,thebeakerwith1/3cupshowsalltheice,andthebeakerwith1/8cupshowsallthefreshwater.ThewaterleftinthegalloncontainerisallthewaterinEarth’soceans.

5. Askstudentsiftheycandrinkthewaterfromtheoceans.Explainthatthewaterintheoceanscon-tainssalt,andisnotdrinkablebypeople.Explainthatonly1%ofEarth’swaterisusablebypeople(theamountrepresentedbythe1½cupsofwaterinthebeaker).Showstudents100pennies(beans,grainsofrice,oranythingsmallcanbeusedinstead).Removeonepennyandexplainthat1%is1itemoutofa100.Ifthe100pennieswereallthewateronEarth,thedrinkableamountwouldbejustone penny.

6. Askstudentswhere liquidwatercanbe foundonEarth(lakes, rivers, oceans, etc.).AskstudentswheresolidwatercanbefoundonEarth(glaciers, sea ice, ice caps, etc.).AskstudentswherewatervaporcanbefoundonEarth(clouds).Liststudentideasontheboard.Ifnecessary,explainthatliquidwaterisfoundinlakes,rivers,andoceans;andsolidwaterisfoundinicefromglaciers,seaice,andice caps.

7. Displaythe“Earth’sWater”sectionof theGlobal Climate InteractiveDVD.Asaclass,explorethesectionsthatareappropriatetothelevelofknowledgeintheclass.

8. Inform students that they are going to build a terrarium as a model of Earth. Show students the class examplethatwascreatedduringtheActivityPreparation.DistributetheSTUDENTINFORMATIONSHEET:“ModelEarth”andaskstudentstodivideintopairs;anolderstudentwithayoungerstudentworkswell.

9. Explain that the jar is a model of Earth. If necessary, explain that all living things on Earth contain water. Water is also in the soil and in the air. Water is in the air in the form of clouds. As rain falls from the clouds, or snow on the ground melts, the soil absorbs some of the water and plants in the soil use thewatertogrow.Animalseattheplantsandalsodrinkwaterfromriversandlakes.

10. Ifnecessary,explainthatwaterisnotinallthings.Someitems,suchasrocks,metal,andman-madeitems, such as plastic, do not contain water.

11. AskstudentstofollowtheinstructionsontheSTUDENTINFORMATIONSHEETtobuildtheirmodelEarth.Assistasnecessary.Makesurestudentterrariumsaredonecorrectlyandsetthemunderalamp or near a window.

12. DistributetheSTUDENTWORKSHEET:“TerrariumModelEarth”andaskstudentstodrawandlabeltheir terrarium.

Day213. DistributetheSTUDENTWORKSHEET:“Water,WaterEverywhere.”Instructstudentstocomplete

theworksheetindividuallyorinpairs,bycirclingthepicturesthatshowanitemthatcontainswater.(NOTE: You may also ask students to color just the items that contain water, or color all items.)

Critical Thinking Concept: Think-Pair-Share Method. As a class, list all the sources of water in the class-room.Remindstudentsthatwatercomesinsolid,liquid,andvaporform.Remindstudentsthatwaterisintheairandinplantsandanimals.Todemonstrate,completeoneofthefollowingactivities:1)askstudentstoblowonamirror(thecondensationwilldemonstratehowthereiswaterinthebody),or2)directstudentstoplacetheirhandinaplasticbagandsecureitbywrappingtapearoundthewrist(themoisturethatformsinthebagisfromthestudent’sbody).

ACMP©2006-2008UAFGeophysicalInstitute A-3 Water,WaterEverywhere

Extension Idea:Explaintotheclassthattheaveragepersonuses35gallonsofwaterperday.Askstudentshowtheyusewaterduringtheday,andliststudentresponsesontheboard.Distributeoneplasticbag(labeled“notused”)filledwith35sponges,andoneemptyplasticbag(labeled“used”)toeachstudent.Askstudentstokeeptrackoftheirwaterusebymovingaspongefromthe“notused”bagtothe“used”bageachtimetheyusewateruntilclassthenextday.After24hours,discusswithstudentshowtheyusedwater,howmuchwatertheyused,andhowtheycanconservewater.Makesurestudentsunderstandthatwaterisimportantforhumans(weneedtodrinkwater,brushourteeth,etc.).SincethereisonlysomuchonEarththatisdrinkable,itshouldn’tbewasted.

Answers:STUDENT WORKSHEET: “Terrarium Model Earth”

See illustration at right.

STUDENT WORKSHEET: “Water, Water Everywhere” (Level II)

The following items should have a drop of water drawn on them: glass of water, clouds, bird, tree, and grass. (NOTE: The car also contains water within the radia-tor.)

plastic wrap

glass jar

soil

sand

small rocks

plant

ACMP©2006-2008UAFGeophysicalInstitute A-4 Water,WaterEverywhere

Model EarthStudent Information Sheet

STEP 1. Place a layer of small rocks in the bottom of a glass jar.

STEP 6. Cover the lid of the jar with plastic wrap, poke a few small holes in the plastic wrap, and set in a sunny location.

STEP 2. Place a layer of sand over the rocks.

STEP 4. Make a small hole in the middle of the soil and place a small plant in the hole.

STEP 3. Fill the jar half full with soil. Wet the soil.

STEP 5. Water thoroughly.

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ACMP ©2006-2008 UAF Geophysical Institute A-5 Water, Water Everywhere

Directions: Draw your terrarium and label each part. Circle the names of the items that contain water.

Terrarium Model EarthStudent Worksheet

Name:_______________________

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ACMP ©2006-2008 UAF Geophysical Institute A-6 Water, Water Everywhere

Directions: Draw a drop of water on each item that contains water in the picture below.

Water, Water EverywhereStudent Worksheet

Name:_______________________

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