WATERSHED CURRICULUM
A. The General Concept of Water
Objective
Objective: To familiarize students with watershed vocabulary
Materials
Materials: Pictures of vocabulary words
Books: Water Dance and Come a Tide
Procedure:
1. Introduce the vocabulary words to the students prior to reading the
watershed books.
2. Show the students pictures of the words if available.
3. Read Water Dance and Come a Tide.
Vocabulary:
Air
Air:: colorless, odorless, tasteless gaseous mixture of mainly nitrogen
and oxygen; this mixture and low altitude pollutants envelop the earth
Breath
Breath:: air inhaled and exhaled
Cloudburst
Cloudburst:: a sudden rainstorm or downpour
Creek
Creek:: a small natural stream of water that empties into a larger body
of water such as a river, lake or ocean
Flooding
Flooding:: to cover or submerge with a flood usually water; to fill with an
excess of water
Fog
Fog:: condensed water vapor in cloud-like masses that lie close to the
ground and limit visibility
Hail
Hail:: small pellets of ice or snow that fall through the air
Ice
Ice:: water frozen solid
Lake
Lake:: a large inland body of fresh or salt water, a large pool of liquid
River
River:: a large natural stream of water that empties into a large body of
water such as a lake or the ocean
Rain
Rain:: water falling to earth in drops
Snow/Snow flake
flake:: Solid water in the form of variously shaped white or
translucent ice crystals forming in the upper atmosphere as frozen
particles of water vapor
Tide
Tide:: change in the surface level of the oceans and of bays caused by
the gravitational attraction of the sun and moon
Thunderhead
Thunderhead:: the swollen upper portion of a thundercloud, often
associated with the coming of a thunderstorm
Waterfall
Waterfall:: a steep descent of water from a height
1
Activity # A-1
Where is Water?
Objective: Get children to think about the following:
• What will happen when there is no water?
• Where does our water come from?
Materials
Materials: Flannel board story cut out & story line
Procedure
Procedure:
1. Introduce two questions to the children: What will happen when there is
no water? Where does our water come from?
2. Tell the flannel board story.
3. At the end of the story,, get the children’s input. Children can
brainstorm to answer the question posed.
Storyline
Storyline:
One morning Millie got up very early. She got dressed for school. She went
into the bathroom to brush her teeth. She turned on the faucet and
discovered that there was no water coming out. She ran into the kitchen and
discovered that there was no water coming out of that faucet either. Millie
finished getting ready, jumped on her bike, and headed for school.
Millie met Mike at the bike rack. Millie said, “Hey, Mike, guess what?
We did not have any water at our house this morning. I had to brush my teeth
without water. My mother couldn’t make the frozen orange juice, and I
couldn’t change the water in my goldfish bowl.”
Mike said, “ We didn’t have any water either! We couldn’t rinse the
dishes or anything. I wonder if we will have any water at school?”
“I hope so, because I’m thirsty!” said Millie.
Once in the classroom, Mike and Millie ran to the drinking faucet
only to discover that there was no water there either!
They went to talk to Mrs. Santos to tell her that there wasn’t any water
at school or at their homes this morning. “Mrs. Santos, Mrs. Santos,” shouted
Mike and Millie.“ We don’t have any water in our classroom.”
Mrs. Santos said, “I wonder what has happened to our water supply.
This is something we need to learn more about! How can we find someone
to help us solve this problem?”
2
Activity #A-2
The States of Water
Objective: The children will experience changing states of water right in
front of their eyes, and understand three states of water: water (liquid),
steam (gas), and ice (solid).
Materials: A bag of ice cubes
Cookie sheet
Skillet
Oven or electric hot plate
Procedure:
1. Have children explore the ice cubes. Ask them how it feels when they
touch ice. Ask them what do they think ice is made of. Write down their
answers for future discussion.
2. Put all the ice into the skillet and start to melt the ice. Have children
observe carefully. Continue to ask questions about what they see and what
they think is happening. Write down what they say for later discussion.
3. Continue to heat the water until the water boils and you can see the
steam going up. Then use the cookie sheet to catch the steam until water
drips down from the cookie sheet like rain.
4. Go over the process with children again to reinforce the concept of
“states of water.”
3
Activity #A-3
A House of Seasons
(adapted from
Project WET, page 155)
Sample cards
Picture and Word
Word
Objective: Children will recognize the presence of water within each season.
Materials: Old nature magazines or pictures
Scissors
Glues
Construction paper
Procedure:
1. Have children look through the magazines and pictures. Then cut out
pictures that show different seasons. Encourage children to especially look
for pictures that contain water images.
2. Tell the children to sort out the pictures in four piles—one pile for each
season.
3. As a group, glue the pictures on construction paper according to the
seasons to make one large poster.
4. Discuss the presence of water in each season. Have children compare how
water looks in the spring, summer, autumn and winter.
4
Activity #A-4
Matching Game
(adapted from
Project WET, page 50)
Objective: Children will become familiar with water related vocabulary. They
will learn to distinguish the three states of water—solid, liquid and gas.
Materials: Water match cards (See Appendix 4, page 33 & 34) make two sets
for each group
Procedure:
1. Show the children the large “picture and word” cards. (See Appendix 4
for copies.) Encourage children to express their experiences that were
associated with the pictures.
2. Show children how to play a matching game. First, deal the set of cards
out to all the players. Usually four in a group. Play the game with the cards
face up so those children can easily match them. The children take turns
matching their cards.
3. Then, play with the cards face down. Each child looks at his/her own
cards and tries to match like cards. Then they take turns drawing a card
from another child. If they find a match, they put the cards down. If they
do not, their turn is over.
4. Leave a set of cards in the quiet area for children’s further usage.
5
Activity #A-5
“Ten Little Raindrops”
Objective: Children will have some fun singing about the rain.
Children will learn a little sign language to accompany the song.
Materials: Tape available from the Santa Clara Valley Water District
Procedure:
1. Teach the following song to the children. Use the tune to “Ten Little Indians.”
One little, two little, three little raindrops,
Four little, five little, six little raindrops,
Seven little, eight little, nine little raindrops,
Ten little raindrops falling down.
2. Add sign language. The following signs for each number:
One = hold index finger up
Two = index and middle finger
Three = thumb and index and middle finger
Four = four fingers
Five = four fingers and thumb
Six = touch thumb and baby finger
Seven = touch thumb and ring finger
Eight = touch thumb and middle finger
Nine = touch thumb and index finger
Ten = thumb up and four fingers folded into fist and shake
Rain falling down = hold hands up, shake fingers and move to waist
level.
6
B. Water Cycle
Objective: Children will gain basic understanding of the water cycle.
Materials: Books: Drip! Drop! How Water Gets to Your Tap,
This is the Rain, Rain Song, and Sun Dance Water Dance
Procedure:
1. Review the vocabulary on page one and below.
2. Read
Drip! Drop! How Water Gets to Your Tap,
This is the Rain, Rain Song, and Sun Dance Water Dance.
Vocabulary:
Evaporation
Evaporation:: the process by which surface water is changed into water
vapor
Glacier: huge mass of moving ice formed from compacted snow
Ocean
Ocean:: a great river encircling the earth; the entire body of salt water
that covers approximately 72% of the earth’s surface
Reservoir
Reservoir:: a large man-made storage area for water
Water cycle
cycle:: natural process that continually moves water between
the ocean and land.
7
Activity #B-6
Water Cycle-Flannel Board Story
Objective: Children will learn how water travels.
Materials: Flannel board pictures
Water cycle poster (See Appendix 5, page 47)
Procedures:
1. Display a water cycle poster.
2. Introduce the water cycle.
3. Tell the story below written by Yu-Chyong Chiu.
Storyline:
Once upon a time, there was a little raindrop sitting in the ocean.
One day the sun came out and heated up the little raindrop. It felt
lighter and lighter, until it was light enough to fly up in the sky. It had
such a good time drifting from place to place. Finally way up in the sky, it
met with a group of friend raindrops. They played and danced together.
They became white clouds in the sky.
Suddenly a cold gusty wind blew in and moved the clouds across the
sky. The little raindrop got very cold and started to shiver. It fell down
to the earth as rain. When the little raindrop got down to earth, it landed
in a stream. It followed the stream as it moved down to the lake, and into
the river. In the end, it traveled all the way back to the ocean again.
8
Activity #B-7
Water Cycle Songs
(from All About Water, page 11 & 21)
Objective
Objective: Reinforce the water cycle
Materials
Materials: none
Procedure:
1. Introduce the water cycle songs.
2. Review the tunes for “Oh Where, Oh Where did my Little Dog Go?”
and “Old Smokey.”
3. Sing the songs to the appropriate tunes with the children.
Water Cycle Song
Where, oh where, does the water come from?
Oh where, oh where could that be?
As the sun shines down, it heats up the sea,
And evaporates above me.
Where, oh where, does the water come from?
Oh where, oh where could that be?
As water cools down, it groups all around,
And condenses to clouds above me.
Where, oh where, does the water come from?
Oh where, oh where could that be?
It precipitates down – on to the ground,
And rolls back to the sea.
On Top of My Mountain
(Sung to the tune of Old Smokey)
On top of my mountain, all covered with snow.
The sun warms the cube up, and drops start to flow.
The water rolls down, from the hills to the sea.
It gathers in rivers, just waiting for me.
9
Activity #B-8
Imagine: Water Cycle Journey
(adapted from Project WET, page 157)
Objectives: Children will identify changes in the states of water by
mimicking moving the movement of the water.
Materials: Water sound tapes CDs (water lapping on the shore of a pond,
a storm, ocean waves, streams, a waterfall) (optional)
Copy of water cycle journey script
Procedure:
1. In a large group time, tell children, “We are going to have a pretend
field trip.” They are going to pretend to be little water drops and move
around in the water cycle.
2. Start to read the water cycle journey script in a warm and slow voice,
and encourage children to move as they hear the description of the water
in the pool, the atmosphere, the river, and the mountain.
Water Cycle Journey
The Pool
It is a beautiful summer day...the sky is blue ...white puffy clouds floating
overhead ...the sun is shining ...the ground is warm...a song bird sings in a
nearby tree ...imagine in a still pool of water...you are water drops in the
pond...moving gently back and forth, back and forth...the sun warms the
surface of water...you are close to surface of the water...the sun gives
warmth and energy...you begin to move faster and faster...suddenly you
burst out from the surface...you are released into the air.
10
The Atmosphere
You float in the air and rise slowly...there is great space around you ...you
can see the pond below...you continue to rise... you can see the other water
drops floating around you...you cannot reach out and touch them...as you
rise, it is getting cooler and cooler...your movement becomes slower and
slower...you begin to grab on to another water drop ...then another and
another ...you all begin to bond to each other making you larger and
larger...you are clouds...
The Snow
More and more water drops come together...you are becoming heavier and
heavier...then you begin to fall...you are falling faster and faster...the
wind blows you up and around ...you swirl about...you are getting cooler and
cooler...then a white blanket of snow takes you to the ground... you are
becoming the white blankets...everything becomes quiet and cold.
Down the Mountain
Gently, ever so slowly a soft light begins to appear around you...the light
brings warmth with it...you begin to move ever slowly...as the light
brightens the warmth increases...you and the other water drops are
suddenly released and begin to slide...as you tumble downward you feel
other water drops push around you...traveling quickly all moving down a
hill...as you are traveling, you see trees, grass, roots...you seep into the
ground...
The Giant Pool
Tumbling over ground, you continue your gradual descent to the
mountain...gradually you slow down...you sense a gradual decrease in the
slope of the land... you now move gracefully in a large mass of water in a
big river. Ever so slowly the water moves toward the open and becomes a
giant pool...you and other water drops continue to move...where will you go
next?.....
11
Activity #B-9
Thunderstorm-Sound of Water
(adapted from Project WET, page 196)
Objective: Students will mimic the sounds of a thunderstorm.
Materials: none required
Procedure:
1. Instruct students to use parts of their bodies to make different
sounds to represent the coming and going of a thunderstorm.
2. Read and demonstrate each command in slow succession:
• Rub your hands together.
• Snap your fingers.
• Clap your hands together in an irregular manner.
• Slap your hands on your legs.
• Stomp your feet.
• Slap your hands on your legs and stomp your feet.
• Stomp your feet.
• Slap your hands on your legs.
• Clap your hands together in an irregular manner.
• Snap your fingers.
• Rub your hands together.
• Open palms. (Quiet)
3. Go over the process with children. Describe the thunderstorm they
just experienced. Then have children think of other rain sounds they
might make. Let them share their ideas.
4. For another demonstration of the sounds of a thunderstorm, read
Listen to the Rain by Bill Martin, Jr. and John Archambault.
12
Activity #B-10
Evaporation
(adapted from A Year of hands-on Science, page 244)
Objective: Children will understand the concept of evaporation.
Materials:
Clean Styrofoam trays
Water
Eyedroppers
Pencils
Procedure:
1. Let each child create a puddle on a foam tray. To do this, each child
should empty one eyedropper full of water onto the tray.
2. Have children trace the water line of the puddle using a pencil.
3. Let children carefully place their trays in a sunny place. Record
children’s predictions about what will happen to the puddle.
4. Have children check the tray every half-hour to hour. Each time
children check their trays, they should trace around the puddle in
pencil.
5. Children will soon discover that as time passes the puddle will shrink.
Ask children : “Where do you think the water is going?”
6. Introduce the concept of evaporation to the children.
13
C. Water Conservation
Objective: Children will gain basic understanding of the reasons for
saving water.
Materials: Books: The Water Hole, Each Living Thing
Procedure:
1. Review the vocabulary in Appendix 3 and below.
2. Read The Water Hole,
Each Living Thing
3. Teach the Water Conservation Pledge (See Appendix 6) to the
children. Sing the English version to the tune, “On Top of Old Smokey”.
Vocabulary:
Conservation: act or process of saving water
Drought
Drought: a long time with little or no rain
14
Activity # C-11
Passing A Bottle of Water
(adapted from Project WET, page 392)
Objectives: Children will learn about water conservation and problem
solving skills.
Materials: A bottle of water
Water cups
Procedure:
1. After a period of outdoor time, gather children around in a circle,
passing a bottle of water and water cups around for children to drink.
Tell children they can have as much water as they want. Eventually the
water will run out, and children will ask for more water.
2. At this time, have a group discussion about how they feel when they
have or have not drunk water.
3. Have children come up with a solution about sharing the bottle of
water. Discuss the concepts of “sharing” and “water rights.”
4. Then go into the next activity, “Common water.”
15
Activity # C-12
Common water
(adapted from Project WET, page 232)
Objectives: Children will understand how multiple users of water
resource can affect water availability.
Materials: A large clear bucket
Several containers (one for each child)
Water
Storyline
Procedure:
1. Have children brainstorm a list of major water user groups in their
community. Prioritize the users whom children think use the most
water to those who use the least, such as animals, people, farms,
families, factories, and companies.
2. Fill a large bucket with water and tell children the bucket
represents water stored in a reservoir, pond or lake.
3. Start reading the storyline.
4. Label each container with the water users’ name. When calling out
each user’s name, get a container full of water out of the large
bucket. Have children each hold a container until everyone has a
chance to see how much water is left in the bucket when they take
away water.
5. At the end, have children observe how much water remains in the
bucket.
6. Tell children to empty half of the water from their containers
back to the bucket to show the concept of water conservation. As
each pours water back into the bucket, give ideas of how they might
be saving water.
16
Storyline:
Once there was a lake. Some animals lived near the lake and drank
from it every day. (Scoop small container full of water out of the bucket)
Some years later people started to move into the area. (Ask children
how much water they use, and then scoop a medium container full of water
out of the bucket)
Just like you, people use a lot of water. They drank, washed clothes,
watered the plants, washed their car etc. (Scoop more water out of the
bucket.)
Then more people moved to the area. Large farms and factories were
built. (Scoop a large container full of water out of the buckets.)
After several years, people noticed that the level of the lake was
going down very low. (Show children the water level.)
What can we do to help bring up the water level?
17
Activity #C-13
The Long Haul
(adapted from Project WET, page 260)
Objectives: Students will develop an awareness of various volumes of
waters, and appreciate available water supply.
Materials: Two 1-gallon buckets for each group
Enough cups for each of the participants
Procedure:
1. Discuss with children ways they use water. “Where does water come
from, and how does the water get to our homes?” Tell children they
are going to play a water hauling game.
2. Organize the game as a relay race in the outdoor playground. Divide
children into three to four groups.
3. Tell the children to count how many cups of water are in the bucket
before they begin the race.
4. Have each group line up between two buckets. Give each child a
container that leaks. Have them transfer water from the bucket filled
with water to an empty bucket.
5. Because their containers leak, some water will fall on the ground as
they attempt to transfer the water from the water source to the
bucket.
6. Measure the bucket of water after the race. Discuss what happened
when they transferred the water. Talk about water conservation.
18
Activity #C-14
Drought
(adapted from All About Water, page 51)
Objectives: Children will define drought by observing the growth of
plants under drought and non-drought conditions.
Materials: Cups
Grass seeds
Water
Eyedroppers
Soil
Procedure:
1. Discuss with children what they think a plant needs to grow. Ask,
what will happen if there is no water? Record the answers for
future discussions.
2. Give each child three cups where they will plant seeds, one labeled
“water,” one labeled “little water” and the other labeled “no water.“
3. Each day have children water the plants with eyedroppers. One
cup labeled “water” is given ten drops of water, the second cup is
given one drop of water and the third cup is given no water. Do this
over a one- to two-week period of time. Observe the results with
the children.
4. Do a comparison among the three cups.
Water
Little
Water
19
No
Water
D. Water Quality
Objective: The children will learn the importance of clean water.
Materials: Book:: The Wide-Mouth Frog
Procedures:
1. Review the vocabulary in Appendix 3 and below.
2. Read The Wide-Mouth Frog.
Vocabulary
Pond
Pond:: a still body of water smaller than a lake
Pollution
Pollution:: contaminates air, soil or water with harmful substances
20
Activity # D-15
Where Do The Fish Go?
Objectives: Children will understand how the quality of water will effect
the living environment of water animals. What can we do to help to keep
the environment safe and clean for the animals?
Materials: flannel board cut out
Procedure:
1. Read the story line written by Vicky Arroyo and Yu-Chyong Chiu.
2. At the end of the story, talk to the children about how trash, oil
and chemicals pollute water.
Story line:
Once upon a time, there was a fish family—papa fish, mama fish, and
three little fish. They lived in beautiful clean lake. One fine day, a people
family came to the lake to have a picnic. They brought a lot of food with
them. There were several bottles of juice, plastic wrapped cookies, and all
kinds of packaged goodies. The people family had a very wonderful time
eating and playing. When the picnic was over, Mama told the children to
pick up the garbage and dump them into a trash can. The children were
playing nicely and did not want to stop to clean up. When they saw that
their parents were not watching them, they picked up the trash and threw
it into the lake.
At this time the three little fish were out playing in the lake. Suddenly a
plastic bottle hit the big brother fish on the head. Then the little brother
fish got caught in a plastic wrap and couldn’t get out. At that moment the
little sister fish drank a mouth full of yucky water and got sick. The
mama fish saw what had happened. She rushed over to help all her little
fish move to a safe and clean place. The papa fish was so mad and sad to
see his children get hurt and sick. He swam up to the people family and
told them to stop putting garbage in the lake and to not dirty the place
where they live. The children were so surprised that the fish could talk.
They got into the water to pick up all the trash that they threw in.
21
Activity # D-16
Water Pollution
Objective: To teach the importance of pollution prevention
Materials: Pictures of garbage
Pictures of water animals to be used in the song
Procedure:
1. Review the tune, “Put Your Finger in the Air.”
2. Teach the song, “Put Your Garbage in the Trash.”
3. Sing the song, written by Vicky Arroyo, with the students.
4. You can change the “fish” to any kind of water animals.
5. Teach the children the new words to “A Tisket, A Tasket.”
6. Review the rules: Invite the children to sit on the ground in a circle.
The children sing the song. One child walks around the circle and
drops a piece of trash. The child nearest to it picks up the trash
and chases the child who dropped it. The child who makes it back to
the space first gets to sit while the other child must walk around
the circle again with the piece of trash.
Put Your Garbage In The Trash
(Sung to the tune of “Put Your Finger in the Air”)
Put your garbage in the trash, in the trash
Put your garbage in the trash, in the trash
Put your garbage in the trash,
So the
fish can survive
Put your garbage in the trash, in the trash
22
Play the game “A Tisket, A Tasket” and sing these new words:
A Tisket, a tasket,
A trash or litter basket
I ate a candy bar today
The wrapper fell, I lost it.
A Tisket, a tasket,
A trash or litter basket,
I had a coke to drink today.
I dropped the cup and lost it.
23
Activity # D-17
Plants In Polluted Water
(adapted from
All About Water, page 64)
Objectives: Children will observe the effects of different qualities of
water on the growth of a plant
Materials: Five 2-liter clear soda bottles with the tops cut off and holes
in the bottom for drainage
Grass seeds
Water
Liquid soap
Cooking oil
Baking grease
Coffee grounds
Shampoo
Soil
Procedure:
1. In front of the children, make polluted water with liquid soap,
cooking oil, bacon grease, coffee and shampoo.
2. Discuss the importance of the quality of water needed for plants to
grow. Ask the question, “ What will happen if the water is polluted?”
3. Distribute the grass seeds to each different bottle, and set them by
a sunny window.
4. Have children water each bottle with different qualities of water
and observe over a period of time.
5. Make a chart to document the change in the grass.
6. Discuss the findings with children.
24
Growth Recorded in Inches
Week 1
Sample 1-clean water
Sample 2-3/4 clean; 1/4 polluted
Sample 3-1/2 clean; 1/2 polluted
Sample 4-1/4 clean; 3/4 polluted
Sample 5-polluted water
25
Week 2
Week 3
Activity # D-18
Clean Water
(by Sheila Paterson)
Objectives: Children will learn how to clean water.
Materials: 2-liter soda bottles for each group
Different sized rocks
Cheese cloths
Coffee filters
Procedure:
1. Set up two filters made from two soda bottles for each group. Cut
the bottles in half. Invert the nose end of the bottle and set it in the
base. The nose end of the bottle will form a funnel and the base will
collect the water.
2. Put the cheese cloth in one filter and the coffee filter in the other.
3. Put several white rocks in each funnel to provide a base for the
filter.
4. Provide a large container of dirty water.
5. Put the children in small groups. Tell them to use the filters to clean
the dirty water, so a little cat can drink it. (Tell the children that if the
water is dirty, a person would get sick when drinking dirty water.)
6. At the end of the activity, compare each group’s water and see which
one is cleaner. Have children draw pictures or take turns talking about
how they cleaned the water.
26
E. Water Experiment
Objective: To learn about the qualities of water
Materials: Book: Let’s Try It Out In The Water
Procedures:
1. Review the vocabulary in Appendix 1.
2. Read Let’s Try It Out in the Water.
27
Activity # E-19
Rainy Day Walk
(adapted from
A Year of Hands-on Science, page 240)
Objective: Use the five senses to investigate rain.
Materials:
Clipboard
Pen
Procedure:
1. Take children outside for five to ten minutes while it is lightly
raining or sprinkling.
2. Bring along a clipboard to record their observations.
3. Encourage children to use their five senses to find out what is rain
by asking them questions.
Taste: Catch some raindrops on your tongue. How does the rain taste?
Sound: Listen to the rain. Do you hear the drops hit the ground? What
does it sound like? What does it sound like when we walk though wet grass
or a puddle?
Sight: How do things look when they are wet? How does rain look as it
comes down through the air? Look for a drop on a leaf or a piece of grass.
Try to catch one with your hand. What does the drop look like?
Smell: Take a deep breath through your nose. What words describe the
smell of rain?
Touch: Catch some raindrops on you face and hands. How does the rain
feel on your skin? How does the wet ground feel?
28
Activity # E-20
Water Penny
(Adapted from Project WET, page 33)
Objectives: Children learn to use scientific method to test their theories.
Materials: Eyedroppers
Pennies
Water
Procedure:
1. Encourage children to guess how many drops of water they can put
on a penny. Write down the numbers for future discussion.
2. Show children how to use the eyedropper to put drops of water on
the penny.
3. Give each child an eyedropper and a penny. Tell them to carefully
use the eyedroppers to put water onto the penny . Ask them to count
how many drops of water they can put on the penny before it falls off.
4. Discuss the results in a large group. Compare the results with their
own estimations.
29
Activity # E-21
Sink and Float
(adapted from
A Year of Hands-On Science, page 100)
Objectives: Through the experiment, children will find out what objects
can float on the water and begin to understand the concept of cohesion.
Materials: Several buckets
Water
Different objects (such as wooden cubes or sticks, paper
clips, packing peanuts, plastic spoons, marbles, plastic fish,
metal airplanes, boats, rocks, rubber ducks, etc.)
Procedure:
1. In a large group, show children the materials and encourage them to
guess what objects will sink and which will float. Record what the
children say for future discussion.
2. Put two children in a group. Give each group a bucket of water and
about ten of the same or similar objects. Have them put the objects
into the water one at a time. Ask them to make two piles, one out of
objects that sink and one out of objects that float.
3. Compare the results with their guesses.
30
APPENDIX 1
Titles selected for the program include:
1. Come A Tide by George Ella Lyon
2. Each Living Thing by Joanne Ryder
3. Rain Song by Lezlie Evans
4. Sun Dance, Water Dance by Jonathan London
5. The Wide-Mouth Frog by Keith Faulkner
6. Water Dance by Thomas Locker
7. This Is The Rain by Lola Schaefer
8. The Water Hole by Graeme Base
9. Let’s Try It Out In The Water by Seymour Simon & Nicole Fauteux
10. Drip! Drip! How Water Gets To Your Tap by Barbara Seuling
APPENDIX 2
Bibliography
A Year of Hands-on Science, by Lynn Kepler, Scholastic Professional
Books, New York: 1996.
Project WET: Curriculum & Activity Guide, The Watercourse and the
Council for Environmental Education, 1995.
Water Cycle: All About Water, by Maureen Allen, Gale Kahn, and Vince
Sipkovich. The California Department of Water Resources.
Appendix 3
Vocabulary List
A. General Concepts
Air
Air:: colorless, odorless, tasteless gaseous mixture of mainly nitrogen and
oxygen; this mixture and low altitude pollutants envelop the earth
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Breath: air inhaled and exhaled
Cloudburst
Cloudburst:: a sudden rainstorm or downpour
Creek
Creek:: a small natural steam of water that empties into a larger body of water
such as a river or lake or ocean.
Flooding
Flooding:: to cover or submerge with a flood usually water; to fill with an excess
of water
Fog
Fog:: condensed water vapor in cloud-like masses that lie close to the ground and
limit visibility
Hail
Hail:: small pellets of ice or snow that fall through the air
Ice
Ice:: water frozen solid
Lake
Lake:: a large inland body of fresh or salt water, a large pool of liquid
River
River:: a large natural stream of water that empties into a large body of water
such as a lake or the ocean
Rain
Rain:: water falling to earth in drops
Snow/Snow flake
flake:: Solid water in the form of variously shaped white or
translucent ice crystals forming in the upper atmosphere as frozen particles of
water vapor
Tide
Tide:: change in the surface level of the oceans and of bays caused by the
gravitational attraction of the sun and moon
Thunderhead
Thunderhead:: the swollen upper portion of a thundercloud, often associated
with the coming of a thunderstorm.
Waterfall
Waterfall:: a steep descent of water from a height
Evaporation
Evaporation:: the process by which surface water is changed into water vapor
Glacier: huge mass of moving ice formed from compacted snow
Ocean
Ocean:: a great river encircling the earth; the entire body of salt water that
covers approximately 72% of the earth’s surface
Reservoir
Reservoir:: a large man-made storage area for water
Water cycle
cycle:: natural process that continually moves water between the ocean
and land.
B. Water Cycle
Conservation
Conservation:: act or process of saving water
Drought
Drought:: a long time with little or no rain
C. Water Conservation
Pond
Pond:: a still body of water smaller than a lake
Pollution
Pollution:: contaminates air, soil or water with harmful substances
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APPENDIX 4
Water Match Cards
AIR
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34
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AIR
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37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
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