Water Cycle

Our project is designed to enhance current
units and curriculums that teach ecology
and the water cycle
 Tanya Sterba, Cheshire High School,
Cheshire, CT, tsterba@cheshire.k12.ct.us
 Amanda Kostecke, Peabody Veteran’s
Memorial High School, Peabody, MA,
A_Kostecke@hotmail.com
Introduction

This unit covers ecology and focuses on the water
cycle component
 Teachers can use materials in this unit to enhance
their traditional methods with technology, our
intention is not to replace your labs or assessments
 Our project provides students with a “hands on”
learning approach to water as it changes states
through the use of mini-projects and computer
simulations
Intended Audiences
Introductory biology students in the 9th and
10th grades
 Unit incorporates Connecticut K-12 Content
Standards and Massachusetts Science
Frameworks
 Students must master these standards to
pass state exams (CAPT, MCAS)

Adjustments and Adaptations

Our unit can be enhanced by incorporating
terrarium or hydroponics projects
 Rubrics can be modified to accommodate
varying academic levels
 Pacing modifications can easily be made to
accelerate advanced groups
Technology
Technology Rich
 Students can perform
simulations at
individual stations
 Individual
opportunities for data
analysis
 More use of Excel for
graphs and charts
Limited Technology
 Simulations can be used
as demonstrations
 Virtual movies can
enhance lecture and
discussions
 Incomplete notes can be
used to keep students on
task during simulations
Placement in the Curriculum

Teachers can use this unit to enhance their
traditional methods of teaching ecology
with technology
 The simulabs are provided for enrichment,
they do not have to replace wet labs
 Students will need previous instruction on
how manipulate the simulab programs
Time

Lesson is intended for a length of five days
 Preparation and clean-up time required for this
unit are limited according to available materials
(see lab write-ups for more detail)
 Suggestions to increase efficiency are given in the
teacher notes
 Follow-up activities can include incorporation of
other simulabs throughout the curriculum as well
as post lab questions for the simulabs
Electronic Equipment

At least one computer with VMDL software
and TV with appropriate connections or a
multimedia projector
 Computer labs with VMDL software on
each computer (we suggest one computer
for every one to two students)
Resources

Materials are outlined within teacher notes and
student labs
 Cost is minimized by availability of in-home
materials (ie. 2 liter soda bottles, matches,
balloons)
 Laboratory exercises can be performed in a
regular classroom
 More information can be located at
http://polymer.bu.edu/vmdl/
Internet Resources and
Shared Materials

The Fireproof Balloon:
http://scifun.chem.wisc.edu/HOMEEXPTS/FIRE
BALLOON.html
 Phase change activities: http://wwwk12.atmos.wshington.edu/k12/pilot/water_cycle/gr
abber2.html
 Terrarium Ideas:
http://www.suite101.com/article.cfm/262/2495
 Hydroponics OnLine:
http://www.hydroponicsonline.com
Goals and Objectives
Massachusetts Frameworks:
6.1 Explain how biotic and abiotic factors cycles in
an ecosystem (water, carbon, oxygen,
nitrogen).
6.2 Use a food web to identify and distinguish
producers, consumers, and decomposers, and
explain the transfer of energy through trophic
levels.

Goals and Objectives
Connecticut K-12 Content Standards:
 3.) Students will understand that all organisms in the

biosphere are linked to each other and to their

physical environments by the transfer and

transformation of matter and energy.
8.) Students will understand the water cycle including
water transfers, the distribution and characteristics of
water, and its influences on human activity.
Enabling Objectives





Students will identify the levels of organization
that ecologists study.
Students will identify the source of energy for life
processes.
Students will trace the flow of energy through
living systems.
Students will evaluate the efficiency of energy
transfer among organisms in an ecosystem.
Students will explain how nutrients are important
in living systems.
Enabling Objectives
Focus on Water Lessons

Students will describe how matter cycles among
the living and nonliving parts of an ecosystem.
 Students will manipulate simulations that
examines how water is affected by its environment
(heat energy).
 Students will develop presentations associated
with components of the water cycle.
Instructional Activities
Day One: Introduction to Water
Fireproof Balloon activity – students will observe
that properties of water will fireproof a rubber
balloon
 Teacher-led discussion on water, what it is, what
forms it can be found in, etc.
 Close day with a discussion of the Fireproof
Balloon
 Online Viewers See: Teacher Notes 1, 2, & 3 and
Fireproof Balloon Activity

Day Two: Introduction to Sims





Teacher will demonstrate and explain the use of
Virtual Molecular Dynamics Laboratory software
Students will perform simulations that model the
balloons with and without water
More discussion of water, now discussing the
water cycle and phase changes
Students will share their prior knowledge of water
with classmates
Online Viewers See: VMDL Balloon Simulations
Day Three: States of Matter

Students will use VMDL to observe the
states of matter and follow water through its
phase changes
 Continued discussion of the water cycle
 Teacher will describe Mini-Projects and
procedure for the next two days
 Online Viewers See: VMDL States of
Matter and Mini-Projects
Day Four: Water Cycle Centers

Students will be assigned to groups of four, and
one person from each group will complete an
activity at the center of their choice
 Centers include: Evaporation, Condensation,
Precipitation, and Saturation
 Students will answer questions for their particular
center and will prepare a ½ page summary and a
visual for presentations on the following day
 Online Viewers See: Teacher Notes 4 & 5
Day Five: Presentations

Groups will be given no more than ten
minutes at the beginning of class to compile
all of their visuals and summaries to prepare
for a presentation
 Presentations will probably be short –
Teacher should be prepared to introduce the
Nutrient Cycles
Assessments

Since this unit is designed to coincide with your
standard plans, your original assessments should
work nicely
 An open-ended quiz on the water cycle is
included in the unit (See: Water Cycle Quiz)
 We have provided rubrics for the Water Cycle
presentations and they represent embedded
assessments for project
 To view these rubrics, see: Water Cycle
Presentation Rubric and Water Cycle Rubric Excel