Unit plan: H2O on the Go
SCIENCE EDUCATION PLANNER: H2O ON THE GO
SCIENCE STRANDS:
MAIN IDEA: What happens to water
LEVEL: 1 2 3 4
Living World
Physical World
after it goes down the sink?
Material World
Plant Earth and Beyond
(Understanding the water cycle as an
YEAR: 5 & 6
interacting
system.)
Nature of Science – understanding, investigating, communicating and
TEACHER: Barbara Ryan
participating and contributing.
STRANDS/AOs:  Interacting systems: investigate the water cycle and its effect on the climate, landforms and life.
KEY COMPETENCIES:
 Thinking – about consequences (how things can interact to result in something else happening) related to the water cycle.
 Using language, symbols, and texts – learn and use the water cycle terminology.
 Managing self – students will think about every use of water and possible consequences of their actions.
 Relating to others – listening, discussing and sharing ideas within groups and in class.
 Participating and contributing – working together within the class community to investigate activities and subsequent discussion.
INTENDED LEARNING OUTCOMES: The students will:
Conceptual LOs
Procedural LOs
Nature of science
Technical LOs
Students will understand that:
Students will be able to:
Students will understand and
Students will be able to:
 the water cycle as an interacting  discuss their prior knowledge of appreciate that scientists:
 navigate the Hub to research
system
the water cycle
 are always thinking about why and
ideas
 the water cycle has an effect on  investigate an interacting system
how things happen – They build on  draw and appropriately present
the climate
and learn the language
(add ideas to and adjust) what they
knowledge of water cycle
 the water cycle has an effect on  examine the effect of the cycle
already know
concepts on charts
landforms
on climate
 realise that different aspects of
 work together to construct and
 the water cycle has an effect on  experiment with the effects of
science in the natural world interact
perform a dance to depict
life.
water on land
with each other to produce certain
science concepts
 explore New Zealand research
effects or consequences – this can  develop the skills for
into the effects of the water cycle
be seen in the interaction of Earth’s
conducting an experiment
on life in New Zealand lakes
system with the water cycle
 read using a reciprocal reading
 engage in scientific discussion
 often initiate exploration because of
approach (group or class)
using developing skills in
problems experienced by human
 write using transactional
listening and responding
beings
genre.
appropriately to each other.
 often explore problems that are a
consequence of human activity.
MANAGEMENT/MATERIALS:
Resources: https://www.sciencelearn.org.nz/resources/713-h-o-on-the-go-the-water-cycle-introduction
ASSESSMENT ACTIVITY EXAMPLES:
 Draw a diagram of the water cycle as an interacting system.
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http://sciencelearn.org.nz
1
Unit plan: H2O on the Go
SCIENCE: PLANNING FOR TEACHING AND LEARNING: H2O ON THE GO
MAIN IDEA: What happens to water after it goes down the sink?
Planned
Intended learning
interactions
outcomes
MESO TASK: To find out what we already know about the water cycle.
Discuss where water might  Jug of water.
 What is this? After
 Focus students on
go.
students say water, ask a
thinking about the water
student to tip it into the
cycle to see what ideas
sink. “Where has the
and knowledge they
water gone?’
already have on the water
cycle.
Discuss where rain might
 Data projector.
 Discuss the image. Where  Students will understand
come from.
 Images>Rain.
does the rain come from?
water cycle terminology
offered during discussion.
MESO TASK: To understand the water cycle as an interacting system.
Learn the terminology and  Interactive>Dynamic and  Give each group of about Students will use the
know the concepts related
complex: the global water
3–4 a printed version of
terminology and understand
to the terms.
cycle.
interactive and ask them related concepts to aspects
 Printed version of the
to cover 2–3 aspects of
of the water cycle.
interactive.
the water cycle (16 are
 Class will learn from each
Teacher reference:
represented).
other to understand terms
 Article>The water cycle
 Students research using
and concepts.
 Article>Earth system
the computer interactive
and present ideas (using
pictures/diagrams/words)
to the class.
 Display ideas and discuss
as a class.
Understand the interacting  Music for dance (same for  Each group will devise
 Students will understand
system of the water cycle
all groups).
and practise a 1-minute
the relatedness of the
through dance.
 Interactive>Dynamic and
dance to depict their
various concepts within
complex: the global water
aspect of the water cycle.
the water cycle. The
cycle.
 Show chart made in
students will have some
 Printed version of the
previous lesson to class
idea of the water cycle as
interactive.
first then present the
an interacting system.
 Data projector.
dance to the class.
Micro task
Resources
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http://sciencelearn.org.nz
Reflections
2
Unit plan: H2O on the Go
Micro task
Resources
Planned
interactions
 Look at the interactive
again through the data
projector. How are all the
‘parts’ of the water cycle
interacting? How are they
connected?
 Ask students to think
about how they could link
to another group. (Order
groups so they will link
together and call groups
in order.)
 Do the dance again one
group at a time. Use the
printed interactive to see
how the next group can
link to the previous one.
Work out some dance
moves that show an
interaction between the
two groups. Add each
group in turn, linking the
concepts. Ultimately the
whole class will be
depicting the interacting
system of the water cycle.
Practise to get smooth
presentation.
Whole class discussion:
 What is a system?
 How is the water cycle a
system?
 What are some of the
interactions that are
taking place?
© Copyright. Science Learning Hub, The University of Waikato.
http://sciencelearn.org.nz
Intended learning
outcomes
Reflections
3
Unit plan: H2O on the Go
Planned
interactions
MESO TASK: To understand the effect of water (in its cycle) on the weather.
Understand the relationship  Activity>Precipitation and  Watch the Precipitation
between water and the
cloud formation
and cloud formation
weather through PowerPoint Teacher reference:
PowerPoint as a class.
and discussion.
 Article>Water and
Stop and discuss.
weather
 Ask students to reiterate
how water is related to
weather.
Understand the importance  Some newly washed
 If the weather is fine, peg
of the Sun in the water
clothes items – well rung
out some wet washing –
cycle through watching and
out.
discuss why we might be
discussing video.
 Video>Water and
hanging out some
weather.
washing.
 Watch Video>Water and
weather. Stop and
discuss.
 Students draw an aspect
of the cycle showing the
relationship of water to
the weather (include the
Sun).
 Check the clothing (when
it is dry). Ask what
happened to the water
and why.
MESO TASK: To have an understanding of the effect of the water cycle on landforms.
Understand an effect of
 Activity>Water run-off
 Follow instructions in
water on land through
Water run-off. Note the
experimenting. Explore and
questions asked
make predictions about
throughout. See related
some factors that affect soil
teaching notes.
run-off and ground stability,
including gravity, erosion
and deforestation.
Micro task
Resources
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http://sciencelearn.org.nz
Intended learning
outcomes
Reflections
 Understand the phases of
water vapour in the air
that lead to cloud
formation.
 Understand that the Sun
is the source of the heat
energy that drives the
water cycle and, in turn,
influences the weather
and climate.
 Reinforce the idea of the
Sun as the source of heat
energy causing the
evaporation of the water.
 Students will appreciate
the interrelatedness of the
water cycle with land.
4
Unit plan: H2O on the Go
Micro task
MESO TASK: To have some
Explore some New Zealand
research involving the water
quality in the Rotorua lakes
to observe how human
activity can affect life in the
water cycle.
Planned
Intended learning
Reflections
interactions
outcomes
understanding of the effect of the water cycle on life – specifically how human activities can affect this.
 Picture of a desert and
 Show two pictures. What Students will:
one of a rainforest.
are the differences? Why?  understand the necessity
 Article>Water quality in
 Why is water important?
of water and how water
Rotorua Lakes.
What would happen if
contributes to life
 Data projector.
there was no water?
throughout the water
Extension activity:
 Discuss how the water
cycle journey
 Activity>Groundwater
cycle is important for life.  understand that the water
contamination
 Have students view Water
cycle is involved in the
quality in Rotorua Lakes
production of life – this
(on screen or paper).
might have positive or
 Reciprocal reading with
 negative effects
class, clarify terms and
 appreciate that research
ideas.
in New Zealand shows the
 Discussion: What is algal
effects of human activity
bloom? What do the
within the water cycle
bacteria and nutrients in  appreciate that all actions
run-off have to do with
have consequences
algal bloom? How does it  practise problem solving.
affect the lake? Life in the
lake? Life around the
lake? Humans? (Further
research: Google algal
bloom and its effects.)
 Discuss in small groups
the problem, what needs
to be done, some ideas
how this could be done.
 Transactional writing:
‘Solving the problem in
the Rotorua lakes’.
 Follow instructions in
activity>Groundwater
contamination if time.
Resources
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5
Unit plan: H2O on the Go
Micro task
Summarise and assess the
unit.
Resources
 Jug of water.
 Paper for drawing.
Planned
Intended learning
interactions
outcomes
 Show the jug of water
 To return students to
and ask what it is. Ask a
original question and
student to tip it down the
check their understanding
sink.
of the water cycle as an
 Where did the water go?
interacting system.
Where might it go from
there? What else might
happen to it? What might
be a result of that?
 Class discussion on the
water cycle as an
interacting system.
Assessment:
 Draw a diagram of the
water cycle as an
interacting system.
© Copyright. Science Learning Hub, The University of Waikato.
http://sciencelearn.org.nz
Reflections
6