ALEX Learning Activity

  

Water Cycle

A Learning Activity is a strategy a teacher chooses to actively engage students in learning a concept or skill using a digital tool/resource.

You may save this Learning Activity to your hard drive as an .html file by selecting “File”,then “Save As” from your browser’s pull down menu. The file name extension must be .html.
  This learning activity provided by:  
Author: Shandra Upchurch
System:Madison County
School:Riverton Elementary School
  General Activity Information  
Activity ID: 2459
Title:
Water Cycle
Digital Tool/Resource:
Go Noodle Water Cycle
Web Address – URL:
Overview:

This learning activity may be used before a Water Cycle Lesson to actively engage students. The students will be introduced to the terms condensation, evaporation, and precipitation. Students may dance, sing, and/or move along with the video in order to learn the vocabulary and the movement that is connected to the Water Cycle. 

This activity is a result of the ALEX Resource Development Summit.
  Associated Standards and Objectives  
Content Standard(s):
Science
SC2015 (2015)
Grade: 2
8 ) Make observations from media to obtain information about Earth's events that happen over a short period of time (e.g., tornados, volcanic explosions, earthquakes) or over a time period longer than one can observe (e.g., erosion of rocks, melting of glaciers).

NAEP Framework
NAEP Statement::
E4.3: The surface of Earth changes. Some changes are due to slow processes such as erosion and weathering, and some changes are due to rapid processes such as landslides, volcanic eruptions, and earthquakes.

Unpacked Content
Scientific And Engineering Practices:
Obtaining, Evaluating, and Communicating Information
Crosscutting Concepts: Stability and Change
Disciplinary Core Idea: Earth's Systems
Evidence Of Student Attainment:
Students:
  • Use information from several sources to determine patterns and provide evidence that Earth events can occur quickly or slowly.
Teacher Vocabulary:
  • Earth events/natural phenomena
  • Earthquake
  • Flood
  • Tornado
  • Volcanic explosions
  • Glaciers
  • Erosion
  • Landslides
  • Weathering
Knowledge:
Students know:
  • Earth events and the results of those events may occur slowly or rapidly.
  • Some events are much longer than can be observed.
Skills:
Students are able to:
  • Make observations and obtain information from multiple sources to provide evidence about Earth events.
Understanding:
Students understand that:
  • Eart's events may change the Earth slowly or rapidly.
AMSTI Resources:
AMSTI Module:
Soils and Shores
Pebbles, Sand, and Silt, FOSS
Shrinking Shore, ETA/hand2mind
Alabama Alternate Achievement Standards
AAS Standard:
SCI.AAS.2.8- Participate in multimedia activities (i.e., reading and video) that show Earth events happening over the short term or long term (e.g., volcano, earthquake, erosion, glacier).
Learning Objectives:

Students will make observations from media about a short-term Earth event: The Water Cycle.

The students will say/sing the terms evaporation, condensation, and precipitation with the movements of the Water Cycle correctly. 
  Strategies, Preparations and Variations  
Phase:
Before/Engage
Activity:

Review the states of Matter: Liquid, Gas, and Solid. Tell the students that today we will learn about one of Earth's events, The Water Cycle. Tell them that on the board/chart paper are some terms, vocabulary words, that are used to describe The Water Cycle (Evaporation, Condensation, Precipitation). Have the students say each term after you have pronounced each word. Tell them that Evaporation is the process of turning from a liquid into vapor (gas). Condensation is the changing of a vapor or gas to a liquid; it is about to rain. Precipitation is moisture that falls to the ground such as rain, snow, sleet, or hail. Show the students the video via https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KM-59ljA4Bs After the Educator shows the video the first time, students may sing/dance along with the video thereafter. The students will say/sing the terms evaporation, condensation, and precipitation with the movements of the Water Cycle correctly. 
Assessment Strategies:

During the lesson, the educator will monitor that students are saying or singing the terms evaporation, condensation, and precipitation with the movements of the Water Cycle correctly. 
Advanced Preparation:

Students prior knowledge on examples of some of Earth's events is recommended such as melting of glaciers, earthquakes, etc. Students prior knowledge of what is matter: solid, liquid, and gas is also recommended. Write the terms evaporation, condensation, precipitation, on the board or on chart paper for all students to see. Write the definitions for each term for all students to see: Evaporation is the process of turning from a liquid into vapor (gas). Condensation is the changing of a vapor or gas to a liquid; it is about to rain. Precipitation is moisture that falls to the ground such as rain, snow, sleet, or hail. Have the students repeat each term after the Educator pronounces it. Then tell students what each term means. The educator will need to have the website, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KM-59ljA4Bsready to display.
Variation Tips (optional):

You may give each student a blank sheet of paper, crayons, and cotton balls to have them illustrate the water cycle. The cotton balls may be used as clouds. Students may choose to paste the cotton balls on the paper as they are or break the cotton balls apart for thinner clouds. 
Notes or Recommendations (optional):

If an ad pops up after clicking on the link for the video, click on the Skip Ad button usually located on the bottom right side.  Also, gonoodle.com is free for educators.  You can sign up and find the Water Cycle video.   
  Keywords and Search Tags  
Keywords and Search Tags: Condensation, Earths Events, Evaporation, Precipitation, Water Cycle