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University of Alaska Southeast
Integrated Unit:
Water:
Water Observations
Submitted to: Alberta Jones
In partial fulfillment of the requirements for
ED 460, Spring 2011
By:
Anthony Ross
Date:
4/6/11
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Alaska Content Standards:
English/Language Arts:
A. A student should be able to speak and write well for a variety of purposes and audiences.
1) Apply elements of effective writing and speaking; these elements include ideas,
organization, vocabulary, sentence structure, and personal style.
2) In writing, demonstrate skills in sentence and paragraph structure, including
grammar, spelling, capitalization, and punctuation.
6) When appropriate, use visual techniques to communicate ideas; these techniques
may include role playing, body language, mime, sign language, graphics, Braille,
are, and dance.
B. A student should be a competent and thoughtful reader, listener, and viewer of literature, technical materials,
and a variety of other information.
1) Comprehend meaning from written text and oral and visual information by
applying a variety of reading, listening, and viewing strategies; these strategies
include phonic, context, and vocabulary cues in reading, critical viewing, and
active listening.
2) Reflect on, analyze, and evaluate a variety of oral, written, and visual information
and experiences, including discussions, lectures, art, movies, television, technical
materials, and literature.
C. A student should be able to identify and select from multiple strategies in order to complete projects
independently and cooperatively.
5) When working on a collaborative project,
b. share ideas and workloads
d. work effectively with others as an active participant and as a responsive
audience.
Science:
A. A student should understand and be able to apply the processes and applications of scientific inquiry.
1) Develop an understanding of the processes of science used to investigate problems, design and conduct
repeatable scientific investigations, and defend scientific arguments.
2) Develop an understanding that the processes of science require integrity, logical reasoning, skepticism,
openness, communication, and peer review.
B. A student should understand and be able to apply the concepts, models, theories, universal principles, and
facts that explain the physical world.
2) Develop an understanding of the characteristic properties of matter and the relationship of these
properties to their structure and behavior
D. A student should understand and be able to apply the concepts, processes, theories, models, evidence, and
systems of earth and space sciences.
2) Develop an understanding of the origins, ongoing processes, and forces that shape the structure,
composition, and physical history of Earth.
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Arts:
A. A student should be able to create and perform in the arts.
1) Participate in dance, drama, music, visual arts, and creative writing.
4) Demonstrate the creativity and imagination necessary for innovative thinking and problem solving.
Technology:
A. A student should be able to operate technology-based tools.
1) Use a computer to enter and retrieve information.
2) Use technological tools for learning, communications, and productivity
4) Manage and maintain technology tools.
E. A student should be able to use technology responsibly and understand its impact on individuals and society.
2) Discriminate between responsible and irresponsible uses of technology.
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Pre- and Post- Test:
WATER
1.
Water is _______.
2.
What does water do when it hits a sponge?
3.
Does water have a definite shape?
4.
What shape does water form on flat surfaces?
5.
On which surface does water bead?
Name:________________
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6.
You can see through water.
7.
What causes water to pull together in the smallest possible volume?
8.
What substance changes surface tension in water?
9. Water flows downhill.
10. What causes water to flow quicker?
11. Water does the same thing on all surfaces?
12. What should you increase to make water flow quicker?
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13. Why is water so important?
14. Describe surface tension in your own words? (Multiple Choice only for Smart Board)
15. In your own words, describe which way water flows and why?(Multiple choice only for
Smart Board)
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Lesson #1
Anthony Ross
3rd/4th Grade Science
Subject/Topic, unit goal(s), grade level & length:
Water Observations. Looking at Water: hands-on experiment. 3rd/4th Grade. 30 minutes.
Objective:
-Students will conduct investigations to observe the properties of water—an important
Earth Material
-Students will compare and explain how water interacts with four materials: paper towel,
waxed paper, aluminum foil, and writing paper.
Assessment:
At the completion of this lesson students will know that water has several observable properties,
including transparency, shapelessness, and movement or flow. Students will also know that
water beads on some materials and is absorbed by others. Students will be assessed through
teacher observations and question and answers. Using the built in assessment chart from the
FOSS science kits (Figure 1) I will note all observations and questions the students have.
Lesson:
Anticipatory Set/ Attention Grabber/ Motivation/ Lesson Introduction:
I will begin the lesson by telling the students that they are going to start an
investigation/experiment of a very important substance—water. At this point I will hold up a
plastic cup filled with water. I will tell the students that water is an earth material, because it
makes up or comes from the earth. I will then ask students to tell me what they know about
water, what it does, how it is used, and where it is found. I will record their ideas on the Smart
Board.
Activities: Explanation/ Stimulus material/Discovery Activity:
I will begin the activity by introducing the term “property,” as a characteristic of a material,
something you can observe, such as shape, color, temperature, and smell. I will then write this
term in our ‘Word Bank” using the Smart Board. I will ask the students about some of the
properties of water that they notice, and record answers on the Smart Board. After all answers
have been recorded I will ask the students two questions: 1) What happens when water gets
spilled, splashed, or dropped on something? 2) Does water do the same thing on all surfaces? I
will then show the students the sheets of waxed paper, aluminum foil, paper towel, and paper
they will use to investigate/experiment to see what happens when they put water on different
materials.
At this point I will demonstrate the dropper, and how to use it to make drops. Standing so that
all students can see me I will; a. Squeeze the bulb. b. Put the tip into the water. c. Release the
pressure on the bulb. d. Take it out of the water. e. Squeeze the bulb gently to release one drop at
a time. I will challenge students to place individual drops of water on the different surfaces and
observe and describe what they see. I will encourage the students to observe the drops of water
from all angles and to pay attention to the shapes the water makes—emphasizing the importance
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of careful observations. I will remind students that they will be working together, in their
cooperative groups, for this experiment. They are encouraged to work together and
communicate their observations, and to share all materials.
Using the weekly classroom helper we will distribute a tray to each group. There are 4 groups
with 3 of the groups having four students and 1 group having only three students. On each tray
are the materials needed for each group and the investigation. 2 small cups of water, 4 droppers,
a sponge, waxed paper, aluminum foil, paper, and paper towel. Students will be asked to begin
once they have their materials in their group. As students experiment with water and the
different materials I will move about the room and ask questions and note observations for all
students. At the conclusion of the investigation I will have the weekly helper and another
student help me to collect the materials and clean up any mess. The lesson will conclude with a
short question and answer session in which students can explain their findings.
Closure and evaluation/assessment:
Students will know what they have learned through observation and peer communication.
During the hands-on investigation I will move about the room and ask students/groups specific
questions; which include:
What happens to the circles of water as more and more drops are added to make bigger drops?
How close together can you put two drops of water without them touching? What happens when
they do touch?
Can a drop of water bounce off another drop?
Can you drag a drop of water around with the dropper tip?
What shape are drops of water as they fall through the air?
During my questions and teacher observations I will note all observations on the assessment
chart that comes with the FOSS science kits. Notes may include: How the student interacted
with his/her group members, participation, which material they worked with the most, any
questions or observations they had during the experiment.
At the conclusion of the lesson, during the question and answer session, I will use the name-stick
strategy to call on students, with the help of their group members, to answer specific questions;
which include:
What happened when the water was dropped on the aluminum foil? Paper towel? Paper? Waxed
Paper? Sponge?
On which material could you drag a drop of water around with the dropper tip?
Diversity Strand:
To accommodate for individual needs and students below grade level, all students will complete
the investigation in a cooperative group. Students will work together to complete the experiment
and communicate their findings and observations with one another. When students are asked a
question using the name stick strategy the can seek assistance from their group members before
answering. Any further assistance will be provided by myself and my host teacher.
Materials List:
FOSS science kit materials (each group):
1 blue tray
4 droppers
2 cups of water
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1 square of waxed paper
1 square of aluminum foil
1 sheet of paper
1 paper towel
1 sponge
Smart Board
FOSS Assessment chart
Pencil for notes and observations
Lesson #2
Anthony Ross
3rd/4th Grade Science
Subject/Topic, unit goal(s), grade level & length:
Water Observations. Looking at Water. Group Read-Aloud and Assessment Worksheet. 3rd/4th
Grade. 30 minutes.
Objective:
-Students will review all the information and observations, which were made on the previous
lesson, to reinforce key terms and observations. Students will also be able to use and define the
terms: absorbed and beads in relation to water.
-Students will read a science fiction story, from their FOSS science story booklets, entitled, “A
Report from the Blue Planet” (Figure 2). Students will understand that this story is science
fiction or an imaginative writing based in fact.
-From the story students will learn that the surface of Earth is mostly water. Water is matter and
can be a solid, liquid, or gas. They will also be able to answer the following questions:
Why did the space visitor call Earth the blue planet?
What are some of the properties of water that the space visitor described?
The visitor makes two damage reports. What was the cause for each of them?
According to the space visitor, what percentage of Earth’s water is in oceans?
What percentage is frozen? What percentage is usable water?
What are clouds and how do the form?
Could this imaginary story be true?
-Students will also complete the worksheet, Water on Surfaces (Figure 3), in which they will
draw and/or describe what they observed when they put water on the materials/surfaces listed.
Assessment:
The objectives for this lesson describe what the students should know and be able to do at the
completion of this lesson. During the group read aloud session students will be expected to
follow along and listen as myself and others read aloud. After the reading portion students will
be expected to answer questions using the name-stick strategy. Student worksheets will be
assessed using the FOSS assessment chart (Figure 1) and will earn a plus (+), a check-mark ( ),
or a minus (-) (Figure 4). On the worksheets students will be able to draw and/or describe how
water interacted with the four different materials on the worksheet. Students should draw and/or
described that water beads on wax paper, absorbs into paper towel, splashes and beads on
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aluminum foil, and absorbs into white paper.
Lesson:
Anticipatory Set/ Attention Grabber/ Motivation/ Lesson Introduction:
The lesson will begin with a short review of what the students did during the previous lesson. I
will ask questions and call on students, with their hands raised, to respond. I will introduce the
terms, absorbed and beads, and add these new terms to our word bank on the Smart Board (5
minutes). After the review I will inform students that we will be reading a story from our FOSS
science stories which will teach us more about water.
Activities: Explanation/ Stimulus material/Discovery Activity
Each student will receive a FOSS science stories booklet. Students will be instructed to turn to
page 1 of the booklet, to the story entitled, “A Report from the Blue Planet.” Students will be
informed that we will be reading this story as a group, and that I expect all students to follow
along, because I will ask questions about the story (using the name-stick strategy) at the end of
the reading. If students do not wish to read they can simply say, “pass” when called upon. Once
we have read the story I will ask students the following questions using the name-stick strategy:
Why did the space visitor call Earth the blue planet?
What are some of the properties of water that the space visitor described?
The visitor makes two damage reports. What was the cause for each of them?
According to the space visitor, what percentage of Earth’s water is in oceans?
What percentage is frozen? What percentage is usable water?
What are clouds and how do the form?
Could this imaginary story be true?
Once all questions have been adequately answered by the students I will post the worksheet,
Water on Surfaces, on the Smart Board, to show students how to correctly fill it out. Students
will have the option to both draw and/or write their descriptions, but they should be clear enough
so that I know what they represent. I will provide an example for the sponge, since it is not listed
on the worksheet, so students understand what an acceptable answer is for both the drawing and
the writing portion of the worksheet. Students will be encouraged to communicate with their
group members about the experiment, but their descriptions and/or drawings need to be
completed on their own.
Closure and evaluation/assessment
Students will know what they have learned by successfully answering the questions, as a group,
after the reading portion of the lesson. I will provide feedback and assistance during the group
read-aloud and the question and answer session. Student worksheets, Water on Surfaces, will be
assessed using the following criteria (Figure 4) a plus (+), a ( ), or a (-).
Diversity Strand:
To accommodate those students below grade level, or those who have trouble reading we will
complete the story as a group read-aloud. Students will be required to follow along, but may
choose to “pass” if they do not wish to read. The student worksheet, Water on Surfaces, will be
assessed in terms of their written description and/or their drawing. By allowing students to
demonstrate their knowledge and what they have learned, in various ways, will better
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accommodate those students who struggle with written and/or graphic descriptions.
Materials List:
-FOSS Science Stories booklet for each student or copies of story 1: “A Report from the
Blue Planet.”
-Worksheet, “Water on Surfaces”
-Smart Board
-Pencil
-Crayons, Markers, or Colored Pencils.
Lesson #3
Anthony Ross
3rd/4th Grade Science
Subject/Topic, unit goal(s), grade level & length:
Water Observations. Surface Tension: hands-on experiment. 3rd/4th Grade. 30-40 minutes.
Objective:
-Students will discover, through an experiment, how many drops of water they can place on a
penny before the water spills off.
-Students will be introduced to surface tension as a property of water.
-Students will change the surface of water by separately adding soap to a dome of water on a
penny.
Assessment:
At the end of this lesson students will know that surface tension is the skin like surface of water
that pulls it together into the smallest possible volume. Students will understand that water
forms domes on pennies because of surface tension, and surface tension can be disrupted by the
addition of some other substances. Students will be assessed through teacher observations and
question and answer sessions during group experiments. Using the Assessment Chart for
Investigation 1 (Figure 1) students will be assessed if they are reporting honest results during
their group experiments. Assessment will be based on a plus (+), a check-mark ( ), or a minus
(-) (Figure 4).
Lesson:
Anticipatory Set/ Attention Grabber/ Motivation/ Lesson Introduction:
The lesson will begin with a simple question, “How many full drops of water do you think you
can fit on a penny? Five drops? Ten drops? More? I will record their answers on the Smart
Board. I will inform students that they will be working with a partner in their group, to see how
many drops of water they can fit on a penny, and see how close their guesses were to the actual
count.
Activities: Explanation/ Stimulus material/Discovery Activity:
Students will work with a partner in their group, the student sitting directly across from them,
(the group with 3 students will work together), to place drops of water on a penny following this
procedure: a. Place a dry penny on a paper towel. b. Use a dropper to place drops on the penny
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one at a time. c. Hold the dropper straight up and own and release drops from about 1cm above
the penny. d. Count the number of drops as you go until the water spills. I will provide an
example of this procedure for the entire class to observe. A partner from every group will grab
their supplies from the back table, and once they return to their group they will be instructed to
begin their experiment. As groups are working I will move about and observe to make sure that
students are counting accurately and reporting honest results and I will record those observations
on the FOSS Assessment chart (Figure 1). After about 3 minutes I will ask the class for their
attention to discuss their results and observations. I will then record their results for the number
of drops of water they actually put on the penny, and compare it to their guesses. Given ample
time to compare the results I will ask the students, “What shape was the surface of the water on
the penny before in spilled?” Someone should have noticed that the water surface curves up
above the penny to form a dome. I will ask a volunteer to come up to the Smart Board to draw
their observation. I will inform the students that, “The curved surface of the water shows us an
interesting property of water. Scientists call this property surface tension. Surface tension
causes water to stick together and try to form into a ball. Surface tension is the ability of liquid
to pull itself together into the smallest possible area, forming a skin like surface.
In the next part of the lesson students will conduct the same experiment, but use soapy water. I
will ask the students, “What do you think will happen if soapy water is added to a water dome on
a penny?” After accepting various responses I will describe the soapy procedure: a. Set up as
before with a dry penny on a paper towel. b. Put 15 drops of plain water on a penny to make a
dome. c. While observing the dome from the side, add one drop soapy water to the dome. d.
Count the number of additional drops of soapy water needed to spill the dome. After students
have enough time to conduct the experiment we will come together as a class to conduct the
results. I will ask the students, “Does soap affect surface tension? How do you know?” Students
should suggest that soap weakens surface tension. The evidence is the flattening and spilling of
the dome with far fewer drops than with pure water. Because of time constraints students will
not experiment with the salt water; but will be informed that it does not affect surface tension.
At the conclusion of this investigation I will have the weekly helper and another student help me
to collect the materials and clean up any mess.
Closure and evaluation/assessment
Students will know what they have learned through observation and peer communication.
During the hands-on investigation I will move about the room and ask students/groups questions
about their investigations, and determine if they are reporting honest results. Student knowledge
and learning will be assessed through a question and answer, as well as, feedback from me and
my host teacher.
Diversity Strand:
To accommodate for individual needs and students below grade level, all students will complete
the investigation with a partner. Students will work together to complete the experiment and
communicate their findings and observations with one another. If needed, further assistance will
be provided by myself and my host teacher.
Materials List:
Foss Science kit materials (per group):
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2 clean pennies
2 droppers
2 paper towels
2 cups of plain water
1 cups of soapy water
1 tray
Smart Board
FOSS Assessment Chart
Pencil for notes and observations
Lesson #4
Anthony Ross
3rd/4th Grade Science
Subject/Topic, unit goal(s), grade level & length:
Water Observations. Surface Tension. Group Read-Aloud and Assessment Worksheet. 3rd/4th
Grade. 30 minutes.
Objective:
-Students will review all the information and observations, which were made on the previous
lesson, to reinforce key terms and observations. Students will be able to use and define the
terms: surface tension and dome.
-Students will read the informational article from their Foss science story booklets, entitled,
“Surface Tension” (Figure 5). Students will understand that this is a narrative—informational
article.
-From the article students will learn that surface tension is a property of water, and that soap
changes the surface tension of water.
-Students will also learn about water striders.
-Students will also complete a worksheet, Surface Tension (Figure 6), in which they will draw
and/or describe what they observed when they placed droplets of plain and soapy water on a
penny.
Assessment:
At the end of this lesson students should have a better understanding of surface tension. During
the group read aloud session students will be expected to follow along and listen as myself and
others read aloud. After the reading portion, students will be expected to answer questions based
on their own experiences with surface tension. Student worksheets will be assessed us the FOSS
assessment chart (Figure 1) and will earn a plus (+), a check-mark ( ), or a minus (-) (Figure 4).
On the worksheet, students will be able to draw and/or describe the shape of plain and soapy
water on a penny—salt water will not be required. Students should also be able to accurately
define surface tension.
Lesson:
Anticipatory Set/ Attention Grabber/ Motivation/ Lesson Introduction:
The lesson will begin with a short review of what the students did during the previous lesson. I
will ask review questions and call on students, with their hands raised to respond. I will
reintroduce the terms, surface tension and dome, and add these new terms to our word bank on
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the Smart Board. After the review, I will inform students that we will be reading an information
article from our FOSS science stories which will teach us more about surface tension, but first
students will learn about Water Striders.
Activities: Explanation/ Stimulus material/Discovery Activity:
Using the Smart Board I will display a picture of a water strider and some of the characteristics
this insect possess, such as :
-Water striders are insects usually seen skating over the surface of a pond or stream.
-They have three pairs of legs: short front legs to capture prey, long middle legs used for
propulsion, and long hind legs for steering.
-Their tarsi, or feet, are covered with fine water-resistant hairs that work with surface tension to
keep them on top of water.
After the introduction of the water strider each student will receive a FOSS science stories
booklet. Students will be instructed to turn to page 3 of the booklet, to an article entitled,
“Surface Tension.” Students will be informed that we will be reading this story as a group, and
that I expect all students to follow along. I will ask questions after the reading. If students do
not wish to read they can simply say, “pass” when called upon. Once we have completed
reading the article I will ask the students to share their experiences they have had with surface
tension using the following questions:
-Has anyone seen an insect walk across water?
-Has anyone used a tent that holds back water?
-Has anyone watched water droplets on a window during a rainstorm?
-Has anyone filled a glass above its rim?
Students will also work as a group to describe what the illustration shows at the bottom of the
article.
Once all questions have been adequately answered I will post the worksheet, Surface Tension, on
the Smart Board, to show students how to correctly fill it out. Again, students will have the
option to both draw and or write their descriptions, but they should be clear enough so that I
know what they represent. I will provide an example for salt water as it was not completed
during our initial experiment, so students understand what an acceptable answer is for both the
drawing and writing portion of the worksheet. Students will be encouraged to communicate with
their group members about the experiment, but their descriptions and/or drawings need to be
completed on their own. Students will also be expected to define and/or draw the term surface
tension at the bottom of the worksheet.
Closure and evaluation/assessment
Students will know what they have learned by successfully completing the worksheet on surface
tension. I will provide feedback and assistance during the group read- aloud session, and also
during the question and answer session . Student worksheets, Surface Tension, will be assessed
using the following criteria (Figure 4) a(+), a ( ), or a (-).
Diversity Strand:
To accommodate those students below grade level, or those who have trouble reading, we will
complete the reading portion of the lesson as a group read-aloud. Students will be required to
follow along, but may choose to “pass” if they do not wish to read. The student worksheet,
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Surface Tension, will be assessed in terms of their written descriptions and/ or their drawing. By
allowing students to demonstrate their knowledge and what they have learned, in various ways,
will better accommodate those students who struggle with written and/or graphic descriptions.
Materials List:
-FOSS Science Stories booklet for each student or copies of article 3: “Surface Tension.”
-Worksheet, “Surface Tension”
-Smart Board
-Pencil
-Crayons, Markers, or Colored Pencils.
Lesson #5
Anthony Ross
3rd/4th Grade Science
Subject/Topic, unit goal(s), grade level & length:
Water Observations. Water on a Slope: hands-on experiment. 3rd/4th Grade. 30 Minutes.
Objective:
-Students will discover, through an experiment, drops of water on a sloped surface flow
downhill.
-Students will understand that changing the size of the water beads affects the flow.
-Students will observe that increasing the slope also affects the flow of water.
Assessment:
At the end of this lesson student will know that water flows downhill. Students will also
understand that larger amounts of water flow more quickly, and increasing the slope over which
water flows, also makes it flow more quickly. Students will be assessed through teacher
observations and question and answer session during group experiments.
Lesson:
Anticipatory Set/ Attention Grabber/ Motivation/ Lesson Introduction:
The lesson will being by asking students to consider what might happen to a raindrop that falls
into a stream flowing down a mountainside. I will accept comments and ideas, but students
should know, before the lesson begins, that the water will flow downhill with the stream. Using
the Smart Board I will draw a visual representation of the raindrop flowing downhill with the
stream.
Activities: Explanation/ Stimulus material/Discovery Activity:
I will tell the students that they are going to, once again, work in their cooperative groups and
observe what happens when drops of water are placed on a slope or slanted surface. I will first
demonstrate the procedure: a. Create a slope by propping one end of a try on a book. b. Lay
waxed paper on the tray to create a smooth surface. c. Use droppers to drop water on the waxed
paper. Observe the behavior of the drops. d. Return the water to the plastic cup when it collects
at the bottom of the tray. A student from each group will then grab their supplies from the back
table and begin their group experiment. As I visit each group I will ask questions and make
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suggestions, such as: Drop drops on top of each other, drop drops from different heights,
compare the speed of different size beads on the slopes, and find out if one bead can chase and
catch another bead. I will ask students to describe the different behaviors they observed, and
conclude my visit with each group when they agree that water flows downhill when placed on a
slope.
After the initial experiment, and once every group has agreed that water flows downhill, I will
pose another question, “If you had a race between two water domes, which one would get to the
bottom of the slope first?” In order to find out I would then propose setting up dome races us the
following procedure: a. Prop one end of the tray on a book. b. Hold up the other end of the tray
so it is level. c. Make several water domes of different sizes across the book end of the level tray.
The domes will contain one drop, two drops, three drops, and so forth. d. Lower the other end of
the tray and observe. I will then ask students to guess which dome of water will make it to the
bottom of the tray first. As I visit and observe each group I will ask students to explain which
dome made it first. Once each group is able to come together and explain that the larger domes
made it first I will proceed to the next group.
Once all groups are able to determine that the larger domes of water flow faster, we will conduct
our final experiment as a group. At this point I will ask students to consider what would happen
to the speed of the water domes if they increased the slope of the tray. After a brief discussion
we will compare a one book slope with that of a two book slope. Students will understand that
by increasing the slope the domes of water will flow faster. At the conclusion of this
investigation I will have the weekly helper, and another student help me to collect the materials
and clean up any mess.
Closure and evaluation/assessment:
Students will know what they have learned though observation and peer communication. During
the hands-on activity I will move about the room and asked students/groups questions about their
investigations, and will not leave a group until the can agree that water flows downhill, larger
amounts of water flows faster, and increasing the slope makes water flow quicker. Student
knowledge and learning will be assessed through question and answer, as well as, feedback from
me and my host teacher.
Diversity Strand:
To accommodate for individual needs and students below grade level, all students will complete
the investigation in their cooperative groups. Students will work together to complete the
experiment and communicate their findings and observations with one another. If needed,
further assistance will be provided by myself and my host teacher.
Materials List:
FOSS Science kit materials (per group):
1 piece of wax paper
2 droppers
1 tray
1 cup of water
1 thick book
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Lesson #6
Anthony Ross
3rd/4th Grade Science
Subject/Topic, unit goal(s), grade level & length:
Water Observations. Water on a Slope. Group Read-Aloud and Assessment Worksheet. 3rd/4th
Grade. 30 minutes.
Objective:
-Students will review all the information and observations, which were made on the previous
lesson, to reinforce key terms and observations. Students will be able to use and define the
terms: slope and flow.
-Students will read the informational article from their Foss science story booklets, entitled,
“Which Way Does it Go?” (Figure 7). Students will understand that this is an expository—
informational article.
-From the article students will learn that water flows downhill, and that the amount of water and
the slope influence the rate of flow.
-Students will also complete a worksheet, Water on a Slope (Figure 8), in which they will draw
and/or describe what they observed when they placed droplets of water on a slope.
Assessment:
At the end of this lesson students should further their understanding that water flows downhill,
and that larger amounts of water and steeper slopes causes water to flow more quickly. During
the group read aloud session students will be expected to follow along and listen as myself and
others read aloud. After the reading portion, students will be expected to answer specific
questions pertaining to the reading. The student worksheets will be assessed using the FOSS
assessment chart (Figure 1) and will earn a plus (+), a check-mark ( ), or a minus (-) (Figure 4).
On the worksheet, students will be able to draw and/or describe what they observed when they
placed drops on a slope. They will also be asked to explain the winners in their water races.
Lesson:
Anticipatory Set/ Attention Grabber/ Motivation/ Lesson Introduction:
The lesson will begin with a short review of what the students did during the previous lesson. I
will ask review questions and call on students, with their hands raised to respond. I will
reintroduce the terms, slope and flow, and add these new terms to our word bank on the Smart
Board. After the review, I will inform students that we will be reading an information article
from our FOSS science stories which will teach us more about the flow of water.
Activities: Explanation/ Stimulus material/Discovery Activity:
Each student will receive a FOSS science stories booklet. Students will be instructed to turn to
page 4 of the booklet, to the article entitled, “Which Way Does it Go?” Students will be
informed that we will be reading this story as a group, and that I expect all students to follow
along, because I will ask questions about the story (using the name-stick strategy) at the end of
the reading. If students do not wish to read they can simply say, “pass” when called upon. Once
we have read the story I will ask students the following question using the name-stick strategy:
What is the answer to the title?
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From the tops of mountains, what is the general sequence of water flow to oceans?
How do our investigations with the flow of water relate to what you have read?
Look at the pictures of the waterfalls and the river flowing through the countryside. In which do
you think the water is flowing faster? Why?
Once all questions have been adequately answered by the students, they will receive the
worksheets, Water on a Slope. Students will once again be able to draw and/or write their
responses for question number 1, but provide a brief written response for question number 2.
Students will be encouraged to communicate with their group members about the experiment,
but their descriptions and/or drawings need to be completed on their own.
Closure and evaluation/assessment:
Students will know what they have learned by successfully answering the questions, as a group,
after the reading portion of the lesson. I will provide feedback and assistance during the group
read-aloud and the question and answer session. Student worksheets, Water on a Slope, will be
assessed using the following criteria (Figure 4) a plus (+), a ( ), or a (-).
Diversity Strand:
To accommodate those students below grade level, or those who have trouble reading we will
complete the story as a group read-aloud. Students will be required to follow along, but may
choose to “pass” if they do not wish to read. The student worksheet, Water on a Slope, will be
assessed in terms of their written description and/or their drawing. By allowing students to
demonstrate their knowledge and what they have learned, in various ways, will better
accommodate those students who struggle with written and/or graphic descriptions.
Materials List:
-FOSS Science Stories booklet for each student or copies of article 3: “Which Way Does it Go?”
-Worksheet, “Water on a Slope”
-Smart Board
-Pencil
-Crayons, Markers, or Colored Pencils.
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Figure 1:
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Figure 2:
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Figure 2 (Continued):
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Figure 3:
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Figure 4:
Grade
Water On Surfaces
Report Honest
Results
Surface Tension
Water on a Slope
+
Accurate descriptions
and/or drawings.
Descriptions use correct
grammar, punctuation,
and capitalization.
Drawings are colorful
and creative.
Drops full water drops on
the penny; counts
honestly rather than
trying to win a contest
Accurately describe and or
draw what they observed when
they placed water drops on a
slope. Descriptions use correct
grammar, punctuation, and
capitalization. Drawings are
colorful and creative.
Semi-accurate
descriptions and/or
drawings. Descriptions
have mistakes in
grammar, punctuation,
and/or capitalization.
Drawings use no color.
Drops full drops; counts
accurately most of the
time.
Did not have accurate
descriptions and/or
drawings. Descriptions
use incorrect grammar,
capitalization, and
punctuation. Drawings
use no color are
uncreative, inaccurate,
and very simple.
Touches the surface of
the penny with the
dropper to attempt
smaller and more drops;
counts inaccurately.
Defines surface
tension as the skinlike surface of
water; identifies
surface tension as
the reason for the
water dome on the
penny. Descriptions
use correct
grammar,
punctuation, and
capitalization.
Drawings are
colorful and
creative.
Either defines
surface tension or
identifies it as the
reason for the water
dome on the penny.
Descriptions have
mistakes in
grammar,
punctuation, and/or
capitalization.
Drawings use no
color.
Cannot define or
identify surface
tension.
Descriptions use
incorrect grammar,
capitalization, and
punctuation.
Drawings use no
color are uncreative,
inaccurate, and very
simple.
-
Did not accurately describe or
draw the flow of water on the
slope. Descriptions have
mistakes in grammar,
punctuation, and/or
capitalization. Drawings use
no color.
Neither their drawing or
description depicted their
experiment/observations.
Descriptions use incorrect
grammar, capitalization, and
punctuation. Drawings use no
color are uncreative, inaccurate,
and very simple.
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Figure 5:
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Figure 6:
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Figure 7:
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Figure 8: