Student Instructions: 6th grade
Complete Water Cycle Quiz
Fill in blanks on the front page then turn sheet over and write a statement describing the
difference between evaporation and condensation. Full credit will be awarded to statements that include
definition or description as well as the energy transfer involved.
Turn in to basket when complete. Do not talk until everyone is done.
Short stretching break (3 minutes)
Problem Finding Review
After you have received your list of problems that you found last week (Fresh Water Crises),
review the list you created in order of significance. You may do this with your partner or alone. Do you
still agree on the order of significance or do you want to revise your list? Do so now if that is the case. You
will need to select the most significant problem to focus on at this time. You may circle it, highlight it, or
re-write it on a new sheet of paper.
For example, if we were working on a school community project, maybe we decide that the most
significant problem is the amount of litter and trash left on our campus.
Decision 1: Are you going to work with your partner or individually? You must decide now if you will
team up or work alone. I will allow groups of 1, 2, or 3. Not more than 3 and everyone must agree on the
one problem to focus on.
Problem Stating
You will now take your most significant problem and re-word it for solving or solution finding.
You will need to use the IWWMW format. This stands for “In what ways might we…” This re-write
should set up the problem with detail and specifics so that you can begin problem-solving and coming up
with possible solutions to your specific problem.
Going back to the community service example: we identified the most significant problem as litter, so
now we might state the problem like this:
In what ways might we reduce the amount of litter around school without resorting to punitive measures?
Or
In what ways might we reduce the amount of litter around school using positive means?
If you find that your problem is very broad or general, like global warming, take some time to be specific
about how your problem relates specifically to the amount of fresh water available.
You will need to write your IWWMW statement on its own piece of paper.
Short Stretching Break (3 minutes)
Idea Finding
Now you will brainstorm possible solutions to your stated problem. You will need to draw upon all
the knowledge you have gained from your research and class lectures. Generate as many different
possible solutions to your problem as you can. These can be any kind of solution- yes even silly ones.
However you should have some realistic solutions as well-not everyone gets to just move to Mars.
In our example on littering, maybe some ideas would be incentives for recycling, awards or rewards for
catching people throwing trash away, more trash cans available, reminder announcements, special
equipment or crews to voluntarily clean at certain times in the day, along with others.
You will need to read 2 different articles (these are class copies, please do not write on them) and read
through 2 different websites from my weebly project page before completing idea generating.
Please list the titles of these resources on your idea page. Articles should be read FIRST, followed by
more idea generating, then you can access a computer for my web site.
Make sure your name is on every page and turn your work into the basket. Staple pages together.
Lab/Application
After this is done you will complete the Dripping Faucet Lab and the Waterful Foods activity. Turn
completed work into basket.
Please listen to your teacher and follow instructions given.
If there is remaining class time, please complete the Fog Catchers activity.