The Water Cycle: The Properties of Water

When the word 'SCIENCE' is mentioned in my house all the little ears perk up just as if I said the word 'cookies.' For our third unit (weeks 18-21) of First Grade Science we will be studying the Water Cycle. Its a four week unit consisting in studies of The Properties of Water (week1), Making Salt Water (week 2) Movement of Air (week 3), Reading A Thermometer (week 4). Each week is broken into three parts: a pre-lab, lab, post-lab.

from msnucleus.org

Today's post is just about week 1: The Properties of Water Pre-Lab

Objectives:

• Investigating the water cycle 
• Exploring water's three states of matter

Vocabulary

• evaporation
• gas
• liquid
• precipitation
• solid
• water cycle   

Materials:

• Drippy the Hippie by C. Fries 
• scissors 
• worksheet

The hydrologic or water cycle is a major driving force on Earth. Water is important to our everyday lives. First grades see water all around them, but many do not realize its importance. Ask students if we can survive without food or water longer. They are usually amazed that humans can survive without food much longer than water. Humans can only last about three days without water. At that time our kidneys will no longer function, and we will not be able to get rid of the wastes that accumulate in our bodies. Our bodies require fresh clean water to survive. Polluted or salty water will not help our bodies-God made us this way!

Water circulates in the atmosphere through the water cycle. The water on Earth evaporates (or becomes gas) into a cloud. When the conditions are right, the cloud releases water or precipitation.

Procedure:
1. Discuss the different components of the water cycle by having students sing-along to Drippy the Hippie.   
Ok I know, I know this is really chessy, but who cares if your kids learn something and it does not 
disagree from Biblical teaching, even if it's granola ;)

2. Make copies of the worksheets for your students. Color the worksheet and cut out the pieces. 

   
 3. Have students use the pieces they cut out to make the water cycle. Then go over the components of the water cycle with the students slowly. Evaporation from water forms clouds and then precipitates.

Review by asking a few questions:

• What is evaporation?
• Is evaporation a gas? 
• Name a form of precipitation? hail, snow, rain, or sleet
• Can we drink water from water puddles in the street? Why not?
• Is water that falls from the sky clean?   
• Explain the water cycle to me.

All of this and more units can be found at msnucleus.orghttp://www.msnucleus.org/membership/index.html

Follow along for tomorrow's post on the lab on Water Cycle!
 Jenna