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Lesson Plan Assignment Topic Earth and Space Systems: Grade 2 – Air and Water in the Environment

(Time: 50 min)

Water is the most essential component for life to exist. We’ll be exploring the characteristics of water condensation and evaporation through building a simple apparatus to collect fresh water from the atmosphere. Connection to Education for Global Peace: Water is considered a scarce resource from a global perspective. Although Canada is fortunate to have natural sources of fresh water, developing countries are struggling to secure enough potable water for their population. The World Health Organization (WHO) estimated in 2002 that “1.1 billion people do not have access to improved water sources”. This represents 17% of the world’s population. Everyday – 30,000 people worldwide die from water related diseases. Furthermore, the press has recently reported that water disputes between countries may be an impetus for future wars, just as oil is currently at the center of conflict today. This lesson plan brings awareness to the grade-2 students – the importance of water for sustaining life. A practical hands-on activity involving evaporation and condensation will illustrate a creative way of harnessing water from the atmosphere. It will emphasize the idea of responsible uses of water, conservation of it and preservation of natural clean sources (such a lakes, streams and wells). When critical resources are in short supply – world peace is challenged. Education plays an important role by engaging young minds to be cognizant of issues around water and the life it supports. Curriculum Expectations As per “Science and Technology Ontario Curriculum (Gr 1-8)”, 1998: Strand - Earth and Space Systems: Grade 2 – Air and Water in the Environment By the end of Grade 2, students will: • demonstrate an awareness of the forms in which water and air are present in the environment, and describe ways in which living things are affected by water and air;

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describe ways in which clean air and water are vital for meeting the needs of humans and other living things.

Specific Expectations • • • • •

identify and describe forms of moisture in the environment (e.g., dew, snow, fog, frost, rain); recognize evidence of the water cycle (e.g., observe water in a closed container and water in an open container; observe puddles evaporating after a rainstorm). describe the different uses of water and identify some that are essential for maintaining our health (e.g.,water is used for drinking and washing; clean drinking water is essential for the health of humans); identify sources of drinking water (ie. wells, springs, Great Lakes, rivers); recognize that clean water is an increasingly scarce resource in many parts of the world and that the water we use is part of our environment and should be used wisely (e.g., taps should be turned off while brushing teeth; toxic substances such as paint should not be poured down the drain);

Resources “A Drop of Water - a Book of Science and Wonder” / Walter Wick (ISBN: 0590221973). “The Best of WonderScience – Elementary Science Activities” / James Kessler, Andrea Bennet (ISBN 0-8273-8094-1) – Unit 18, p.138. Material Activity 1: Read “A Drop of Water - a Book of Science and Wonder” “A Drop of Water - a Book of Science and Wonder” / Walter Wick Activity 2: Collecting for a collage/poster of life and water Magazines (eg. National Geographic, Mountain Equipment Co-op Catalog, Canadian Geographic, Chatelaine, Home and Gardening, Ontario Outdoors, Time, Maclean’s, Sports Illustrated, etc), scissors. Activity 3: Make a clean water collecting apparatus Large bowl, heavy glass cup, teaspoon, clear plastic food wrap, clear cellophane tape, penny, blue food colouring, paper towels, salt.

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Introductory Activity (Previous Knowledge)

(Time: 2 min)

To engage the student, ask open ended questions to discuss and challenge their understanding of water: •

Your body feels pretty solid. Believe it or not – it’s mostly made out of water – can you guess how much of your body is water? (Ans: 70%) And how do you feel when your body doesn’t have water –you feel really thirsty, right ? So, what do you do when you’re thirsty? (drink pop, water, lemonade, etc).

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Imagine that you are stranded on a deserted island. If you’re “allowed” to have just one thing – would you rather have food or water? Why? Discuss.

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What happens if you don’t have water? What happens to a plant if you forgot to water it? Can you think of anything live, that can live without water?

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When you open the kitchen tap at home - where does the water come from? Is the water clean? Can you drink it directly from the tap?

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What part of the earth is covered in water? Show a globe and spin it around. Is ALL that water drinkable?

Lesson Development

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Activity 1– Read the following Scholastic book to the class.

(Time: 15 min)

“A Drop of Water - a Book of Science and Wonder” / Walter Wick (ISBN: 0590221973). This is a wonderful theme based book, illustrated with unusual photographs and closeups of water and its countless applications and uses. Use the story book and discuss the subject of water and life with these questions: where it comes from, what are the different states of water, what are the common uses of water, where are the natural sources, are all sources of water clean and drinkable, does everyone have access to clean water, what can you do with water/ what can’t you do without water, how would you conserve water, introduce weather system and water cycle – how does this contribute to water production.

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Activity 2 – Collecting for a collage/poster of life and water

(Time: 10 min)

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Start with a brainstorming activity – ask students to give words that are associated with water and its relationship to life. Use the lesson from Activity 1 to start this activity. Pair up students and ask them to search through a variety of different magazines and cut out photos, illustrations, diagrams and titles of articles, etc. The goal is to find thing related the theme of “water and life”. While in the process, the student will discover and realize the inherent relationship between how all forms of life and its dependency on water. Circulate around the class and ask probing questions to get the students thinking about the sources of clean water and how it can be captured and bought to use (eg. re-directing rain water, lake water, locating streams and wells, water purification devices for camping and filtration systems in municipal plants, icebergs, etc) These clippings are collected for Art Class, where they will be making a collage/poster.

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Activity 3 – Make a clean water collecting apparatus

(Time: 10 min)

Reference: “The Best of WonderScience – Elementary Science Activities” / James Kessler, Andrea Bennet (ISBN 0-8273-8094-1) – Unit 18, p.138. Material: Large bowl, heavy glass cup, teaspoon, clear plastic food wrap, clear cellophane tape, penny, blue food colouring, paper towels, salt. 1) Put tap water in a bowl to a depth of about 5cm. Add ten drops of blue food colouring and 2 or 3 teaspoons of salt. Mix well until the salt is dissolved. This represents your ocean. 2) Stand the heavy glass cup in the center of the bowl so it is surrounded by blue saltwater. 3) Put a loose covering of plastic food wrap over the top of the bowl. Tape the plastic wrap to the sides of the bowl so that no air can get in or out. Make sure the plastic wrap is not pulled tightly across the top of the bowl. 4) Tape a penny to the outside of the plastic wrap directly over the center of the glass. Make sure that the weight of the penny make the plastic wrap slant way down toward the center of the glass. 5) Put the bowl on a flat surface outside, where it will get a lot of sunshine. 6) Do you see any droplets of water forming on the bottom of the plastic wrap? How do you think the water got there?

5 7) Leave the bowl in the sunny spot until it has been exposed for 4 hours. After 4 hours, remove the plastic wrap and lift the glass out of the salty blue water. 8) What colour is the water in the glass? What do you think happened to the blue food colouring? Put your fingers in the glass to get a drop of water on the tip of your finger. Taste the water. Is it still salty? You have found a way to make drinking water from ocean water. ================== Since the rate of condensation depends on the how sunny the day is – it will take some time (1-4 hours) for any significant water droplets to appear. This would be a good opportunity to discuss as a class – what they anticipate will happen. It develops their concept of a hypothesis and be accustomed to predicting outcomes of experiments. Relate the discussion to rain water evaporating from a puddle – where does it go? (into the atmosphere). So what might happen in the bowl? What does the salty water represent ? (ocean) When the water collects – will it be salty if they tasted it? Why ? or Why not? What does the plastic wrap represent? (the atmosphere) Ask to explain what they think is happening? Is there a name for this process ? (evaporation and condensation). Concluding Activity

(Time: 2 min)

Summarize the concepts of water through inquiry. Review the following: -

What are the characteristics of water? What’s it’s relationship to life? Where can you get water from? Is all water clean and drinkable? Review the concepts of evaporation/condensation and relate it to water cycle and weather systems.

Special Considerations/Accommodations In this exercise – I will assume that I have a child with a physical disability in a wheel chair- where hand/arm muscular control is weaken.

6 Reading and discussing the book should not be an issue – providing he/she is sitting with his/her wheelchair in a spot where there is no obstruction. I might move him/her to the front of the class and all the other students can surround him/her on the side. While cutting the magazines, I would ask another student to be his/her “buddy” and work in a pair. The buddy can flip through the magazines and identify water/life pictures together. Depending on the severity of the muscular control and co-ordination – I would still have the child try using scissors. It’s an important skill to exercise – if there is no danger of harm. If this proves not to be possible – obviously the buddy will do the cutting and the child can give verbal directions. This teaches empathy, sensitivity and cooperation to both students. Similarly for construction the water collection bowl, I would allow the child to try and if it proves not possible – I will then intervene and assist personally. I think it’s important for every child to try the regular lesson first – before making any changes. This allows him/her to feel part of the group – without the feeling that they always require special treatment and attention.

Assessment/Evaluation

(Time: 10 min)

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Ongoing observation of student experimenting and recording results from experiment.

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Use worksheet in Appendix 1.

Follow-Up - Make the poster/collage of “water and life” in Art Class. - Describe and write their “own” understanding of what was happening in the bowl. Do this for Language Arts class. Ask them to think about what situations they might want to make this water collection system (ie. stuck on an island, in a life boat in the ocean, etc).

Self-Reflection How well did the students observe and learn the concepts?

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Do the activities need modification? How? Were any activities too simple or too advanced for the grade level?

What other activities can be used to illustrate concepts?

What other teaching strategies/ method of delivery can be used in the future?

Other Comments:

Appendix –A Earth and Space Systems: Grade 2 – Air and Water in the Environment Assessment/Evaluation Name: ________________________________

Date: ______________

1) Name 5 things that come to mind when you hear the word - “water”.

8 2) Draw 3 different forms of water.

3) What do would you do when you come back from recess – and you feel very thirsty?

4) All living things need water to survive. True or false ? 5) Draw a sketch of the water collecting apparatus you’ve made.

6) How long did it take for the first droplets of water to appear on the plastic wrap?

7) Did the collected water taste salty from the glass? Can you think of why it did or why it did not taste salty? 8) Where can you find clean sources of water for drinking? Circle ALL the correct answers. a) b) c) d) e) f) g)

lakes wells puddles on the street sky oceans swimming pool bottled water

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9) Identify 3 ways to conserve water.