Natural Phenomenon – Water Troughs
Group Performance Tasks
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Observe the phenomenon and develop questions to investigate
what causes the changes in the two water troughs.
•
Develop a model of the water trough system to explain what causes
water to change to ice.
•
Construct an explanation for what may cause water to change to ice
in only one of the water troughs.
Instructional Scaffolds/Supports
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Make very careful observations:
o What differences do you observe in the two troughs?
o What patterns do you observe?
•
A natural system is a collection of components that interact
to produce a natural phenomenon.
•
A model is a visual representation (e.g., a drawing) of the natural system
that can be used to explain natural phenomena.
•
An explanation describes the causes for the natural phenomenon.
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Use your observations and the Core Ideas listed below to develop your model and
construct an explanation.
Core Ideas
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2-PS1A.1: Different kinds of matter exist and many of them can be either solid or liquid,
depending on temperature. Matter can be described and classified by its observable
properties.
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2-PSB1.1: Heating or cooling a substance may cause changes that can be observed.
Sometimes these changes are reversible, and sometimes they are not.
•
K-PS3B.1: Sunlight warms Earth’s surface
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4-PS3B.2: Light also transfers energy from place to place.
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MS-PS3B.2: The amount of energy transfer needed to change the temperature of a
matter sample by a given amount depends on the nature of the matter, the size of the
sample, and the environment.
•
MS-PS3B.3: Energy is spontaneously transferred out of hotter regions or objects and into
colder ones.
Leadership in Science, LLC
Handout courtesy of RVCC-Science Education Institute
Individual Performance Task
•
Communicate a written explanation supported by evidence for what may cause water
to change to ice in only one of the water troughs.
Leadership in Science, LLC
Handout courtesy of RVCC-Science Education Institute