Objectives:
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Students will learn how water cycles through the environment.
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Students will learn how clouds form.
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Students will learn how water is purified.
Unit proceeds for two weeks
Materials:
jar
water
kettle
heat
chalk dust
gravel
fish tank
Student Activity Sheet (SAS) puzzle (water cycle)
plants
2-liter clear bottles
soil
styrofoam pieces
cutter (knife)
charcoal
sand
Procedure/Activities/Presentation:
Explain that the sun heats the rivers, streams, lakes, ponds etc. and causes surface water to evaporate and rise. As it rises, it cools and condenses. It condenses and rests on particles of dirt and dust in the atmosphere. Clouds form. The altitude at which the droplets condense, forms the different kinds of clouds. Cirrus clouds are the highest in the sky and are formed of ice. Stratus are the lowest; fog being included in these. Cumulus are the middle clouds. These sometimes have a very dark undercover, called Nimbus. Nimbus clouds are water carriers.
Water vapor also comes from plants (transpiration) and animals (respiration). It continues down through the earth, until it hits bed rock. Plants take in water through infiltration. As it filters through bed rock, it is purified. Only clean water evaporates. All the salts etc. are left behind.
Assignments/Evaluations:
Put rocks in the tank and cover with soil. Place Ivy plants in the soil, water and close the tank top. Repeat the steps for the clear, 2-liter, soda bottles terrariums. Each student plants his/her own ivy plant. Students will define all vocabulary words.
Use the jars; one filled with sea or pond water. Filter the water through a bag of charcoal into a jar with sand and gravel.
Each student will compile a booklet of the 3/4 types of clouds, using text, pictures, drawings etc., and model each.
Vocabulary List
Bed rock
Cirrus
transpiration
Cumulus
ground water
Nimbus
evaporation
Stratus
condensation
atmosphere
respiration
cloud
precipitation
purify
water table
altitude
infiltration