i decided to focus on 4th grade science, analyzing the effects of the water cycle. particularly in an area with a seasonal pattern like here in utah where we experience dry days, rain and snow, i thought it would be interesting for the kids to see examples of each stage of the water cycle and view areas where these examples are prominent. here are the core curriculum ideas i'll be covering:
standard 1
students will understand that water changes state as it moves through the water cycle
objective 1.a
identify the relative amount and kind of water found in various locations on the Earth
objective 1.c
compare the processes of evaporation and condensation of water
objective 2
describe the water cycle
objective 2.a
locate examples of evaporation and condensation in the water cycle
i will include examples of different stages of the water cycle, like an ocean as a massive body of water, a tundra like antarctica where snow is prominent, and an iceberg or glacier to represent water as a solid
i would use this tour in addition to a class discussion about the different physical forms water can take (solid, liquid, gas) and real-life examples of each. the tour would be accompanied by a completion worksheet to review the main points of the lesson.
google earth seems to be a great tool to use for this activity....better than just flipping through a few printed examples or pictures from a text book. google earth allows students to travel to different locations across the globe and hands-on experience where these examples exist.
| Location | Activity | Google Earth Content |
|---|---|---|
| 1. pacific ocean (west coast) | identify oceans as #1 source of water on earth; create a mind map of other types of natural sources of liquid water | Place marker, Ruler Layers: terrain, borders and labels |
| 2. perito moreno glacier (argentina) | water loses energy to become a solid--ice; add a section of solid water to your mind map with other examples of solid water | Place marker, Path tool Layers: terrain, borders and labels |
| 3. antarctica | snow as a form of water--year-round in antarctica. where does it fit into the water cycle? add a section to your mind map identifying other snow-fallen areas, whether year-round or seasonal (like utah) | Place marker, Image overlay Layers: terrain, borders and labels |
| 4. yellowstone park (wyoming) | steam as a form of water. locate a yellowstone park geyser (like castle geyser) and discuss the steam emerging from the geyser. where does it fit into the water cycle? add a section to your mind map identifying where you might find steam (i.e. geyser, shower, boiling water, etc) | Place marker, Path tool Layers: terrain, borders and labels |
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