Key Concepts in Science
EARTH’S WATER
TEACHER GUIDE
© 2015 Sally Ride Science
EARTH’S WATER: CONTENTS
Student handouts are at the back of the Teacher Guide.
Correlation to Standards ............................................................................................................................. 3-4
Sally Ride Science Teacher Guides ................................................................................................................ 5
Earth’s Water: About the Book ....................................................................................................................... 6
Preview Earth’s Water, read the introduction, and discuss key concepts.
Getting Started: In Your World .........................................................................................................................7
Chapter 1: Our Watery Planet ...................................................................................................................... 8-9
Model note-taking while reading, read Chapter 1, and explore properties of water.
Students: Chapter 1 handout
Chapter 2: The Water Cycle ...................................................................................................................... 10-11
Model summarizing with a flowchart, read Chapter 2, and discuss key concepts in the chapter.
Students: Chapter 2 handout
Create a Science Illustration ......................................................................................................................... 12
Create a science illustration showing one scenario of water moving through the water cycle.
Students: Create a Science Illustration handout
Chapter 3: Freshwater Resources ........................................................................................................... 13-14
Make a prediction about water use, read Chapter 3, and discuss key concepts in the chapter.
Students: Chapter 3 handout
Thinking Like a Scientist ................................................................................................................................ 15
Read Thinking Like a Scientist and answer the questions about water-saving strategies.
Students: Thinking Like a Scientist handout
Science Writing: Water Wise ......................................................................................................................... 16
Write a plan for how to save water during different activities.
Students: Science Writing: Water Wise handout
How Do We Know?
> Read How Do We Know? ......................................................................................................................... 17
Read How Do We Know?, about natural resources expert Shorna Broussard Allred, and answer the questions.
Students: How Do We Know? handout
> Investigation Connection ......................................................................................................................... 18
Make a plan to eliminate point sources of pollution around the school.
Students: Investigation Connection handout
Study Guide: Hey, I Know That! ............................................................................................................... 19-20
Complete the study guide questions.
Students: Hey, I Know That! handout
© 2015 Sally Ride Science
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CORRELATION TO STANDARDS
Correlation to Science Standards
For information on alignment to state science standards and NGSS, visit
https://sallyridescience.com/learning-products/product-standards
Correlation to Common Core
Sally Ride Science’s Key Concepts and Cool Careers book series provide students with authentic literacy experiences
aligned to Common Core in the areas of Reading (informational text), Writing, Speaking and Listening, and Language
as outlined in Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts & Literacy in History/Social Studies, Science,
and Technical Subjects. Earth’s Water: Weird, Wonderful Water and the accompanying activities align to the following
standards:z
Reading Standards for Informational Text K-5 (RI), Grades 3-5
Key Ideas and Details
1. Ask and answer questions to demonstrate understanding of a text, referring explicitly to the text as the basis for
the answers. Grade 3
Refer to details and examples in a text when explain what the text says explicitly and when drawing inferences
from the text. Grade 4
Quote accurately from a text when explaining what the text says explicitly and when drawing inferences from the
text. Grade 5
2. Determine the main idea of a text; recount the key details and explain how they support the main idea. Grade 3
Determine the main idea of a text and explain how it is supported by key details; summarize the text. Grade 4
Determine two or more main ideas of a text and explain how they are supported by key details; summarize the
text. Grade 5
3. Describe the relationship between a series of historical events, scientific ideas or concepts, or steps in technical
procedures in a text, using language that pertains to time, sequence, and cause/effect. Grade 3
Explain events, procedures, ideas, or concepts in a historical, scientific, or technical text, including what
happened and why, based on specific information in the text. Grade 4
Explain the relationships or interactions between two or more individuals, events, ideas, or concepts in a
historical, scientific, or technical text based on specific information in the text. Grade 5
Craft and Structure
4. Determine the meaning of general academic and domain-specific words and phrases in a text relevant to a grade
appropriate topic or subject area. Grades 3-5
Integration of Knowledge and Ideas
7. Use information gained from illustrations (e.g., maps, photographs) and the words in a text to demonstrate
understanding of the text (e.g., where, when, why, and how key events occur). Grade 3
Interpret information presented visually, orally, or quantitatively (e.g., in charts, graphs, diagrams, time
lines, animations, or interactive elements on Web pages) and explain how the information contributes to an
understanding of the text in which it appears. Grade 4
Range of Reading and Level of Text Complexity
10.By the end of the year, read and comprehend informational texts, including history/social studies, science, and
technical texts. Grades 3-5
© 2015 Sally Ride Science
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CORRELATION TO STANDARDS
Writing Standards K-5 (W), Grades 3-5
Text Types and Purposes
2. Write informative/explanatory texts to examine a topic and convey ideas and information clearly. Grade 3 a.-d.,
Grade 4 a.-e., Grade 5 a.-e.
Production and Distribution of Writing
4. With guidance and support from adults, produce writing in which the development and organization are
appropriate to task and purpose. Grade 3
Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development and organization are appropriate to task, purpose,
and audience. Grades 4 and 5
Research to Build and Present Knowledge
7. Conduct short research projects that build knowledge about a topic. Grade 3
Conduct short research projects that build knowledge through investigation of different aspects of a topic. Grade 4
Conduct short research projects that use several sources to build knowledge through investigation of different
aspects of a topic. Grade 5
9. Draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support analysis reflection, and research. Grade 4 b., Grade 5 b.
Range of Writing
10.Write routinely over extended time frames (time for research, reflection, and revision) and shorter time frames (a
single sitting or a day or two) for a range of discipline-specific tasks, purposes, and audiences. Grades 3-5
Speaking and Listening Standards K-5 (SL), Grades 3-5
Comprehension and Collaboration
1. Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacher-led) with diverse
partners on grade appropriate topics and texts, building on others’ ideas and expressing their own clearly.
Grades 3-5 a.-d.
2. Determine the main ideas and supporting details of a text read aloud or information presented in diverse media
and formats, including visually, quantitatively, and orally. Grade 3
Paraphrase portions of a text read aloud or information presented in diverse media and formats, including
visually, quantitatively, and orally. Grade 4
Summarize a written text read aloud or information presented in diverse media and formats, including visually,
quantitatively, and orally. Grade 5
Language Standards 3-5 (L), Grades 3-5
Knowledge of Language
3. Use knowledge of language and its conventions when writing, speaking, reading, or listening. Grade 3 a.-b.,
Grade 4 a.-c., Grade 5 a.-b.
Vocabulary Acquisition and Use
4. Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning words and phrases based on grade
appropriate reading and content, choosing flexibly from a range of strategies. Grade 3 a.-d., Grade 4 a.-c.,
Grade 5 a.-c.
6. Acquire and use accurately grade-appropriate general academic and domain-specific words and phrases
including those that:
> signal spatial and temporal relationships. Grade 3
> signal precise actions, emotions, or states of being (e.g., quizzed, whined, stammered) and that are basic to
particular topic (e.g., wildlife, conservation, and endangered when discussing animal preservation.) Grade 4
> signal contrast, addition, and other logical relationships (e.g., however, although, nevertheless, similarly,
moreover, in addition). Grade 5
© 2015 Sally Ride Science
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SALLY RIDE SCIENCE TEACHER GUIDES
The Sally Ride Science Key Concepts in Science and Cool Careers book series are available as print books
and eBooks.* A Teacher Guide accompanies each of the 36 Key Concepts books and 12 Cool Careers books.
More information: sallyridescience.com/learning-products
*Book pages pictured in the Teacher Guides are from eBook editions. Some pages in the print books have different images or layouts.
Cool Careers
Cool Careers in Biotechnology
Cool Careers in Earth Sciences
Cool Careers in Engineering (Upper Elementary)
Cool Careers in Engineering (Middle School)
Cool Careers in Environmental Sciences (Upper Elementary)
Cool Careers in Environmental Sciences (Middle School)
Key Concepts in Science
Adaptations
Biodiversity
The Biosphere
Cells
Earth’s Air
Earth’s Climate
Earth’s Energy
Earth’s Natural Resources
Earth’s Water
Elements and Compounds
Energy Basics
Energy Transformations
Cool Careers in Green Chemistry
Cool Careers in Information Sciences
Cool Careers in Math
Cool Careers in Medical Sciences
Cool Careers in Physics
Cool Careers in Space Sciences
Flowering Plants
Food Webs
Forces
Genetics
Geologic Time
Gravity
Heat
Life Cycles
Light
Motion
Organic Molecules
Photosynthesis and Respiration
Physical Properties of Matter
Plant and Animal Systems
Plate Tectonics
The Rock Cycle
Solids, Liquids, and Gases
Sound
Space Exploration
Sun, Earth, and Moon
Units of Measurement
Vertebrates
The Water Cycle
Weathering and Erosion
Sally Ride Science provides professional development and classroom tools to build students’
passion for STEM fields and careers. Founded by Dr. Sally Ride, America’s first woman in space,
the company brings science to life for upper-elementary and middle school students.
Visit us at SALLYRIDESCIENCE.COM for more information.
© 2015 Sally Ride Science
5
EARTH’S WATER: Weird, Wonderful Water
About the Book
Earth’s Water: Weird, Wonderful Water introduces students to our watery world. They discover some of water’s
unique properties and learn how these properties help make Earth suitable for life. Students also learn about the
water cycle, tracing a molecule of water as it journeys from continent to continent through the cycle. Students
discover that almost everything we do and use requires water, but that our supply of clean, fresh water is limited.
At the end of each two-page spread, a brief statement called The Bottom Line sums up the key ideas about Earth’s
water covered in those pages.
In Your World sparks students’ interest by presenting three watery scenarios that vary in location and time—from a
dinosaur lapping up water from an ancient lake, to an American Indian girl drinking from a stream hundreds of years
ago, to the reader sipping from a drinking fountain today. The text proposes the intriguing idea that all three events
may have involved some of the same water molecules. This sets the stage for the chapters that follow about the
unique properties of water molecules, the water cycle, and water as a finite resource.
Chapter 1 introduces students to the structure of water molecules and explains why these molecules are attracted
to one another. Students learn that this attractive force accounts for some of water’s unique properties, including
surface tension. Through everyday examples, students explore other properties of water, including its ability to
dissolve substances and the fact that it expands when it freezes. They learn why these properties are important to life
on Earth. Students also learn how water is distributed on Earth.
Chapter 2 takes students on a journey across land and sea as they experience the water cycle from a water
molecule’s point of view. The journey begins with a splash from a local drinking fountain and ends in a meadow
on the other side of the globe. Along the way, students witness evaporation, condensation, precipitation, and
transpiration.
Chapter 3 explores some of the many ways people use water, beginning with our bodies’ need for this life-giving
resource. Students may be shocked to learn how much water they use on a typical day. But they discover that this
is just a drop in the bucket compared to the amount of water used for irrigation, manufacturing, and producing
electricity. Students learn more about where their drinking water comes from and how it is stored. They find out how
important it is to protect our limited supply of clean, fresh water. Students learn how they can conserve water and
how well our efforts to conserve water are working.
Thinking Like a Scientist continues to explore the concept of water conservation, focusing on conservation at
home. Students analyze data from a bar graph to compare water usage for brushing teeth, showering, and other
purposes before and after conservation measures are taken. Students discover how much water they can save just
by not wasting it.
How Do We Know? introduces students to Shorna Broussard Allred, a resource conservation expert who works
with farmers, foresters, and other users of the land to protect New York City’s supply of clean water. In Investigation
Connection, students identify nonpoint sources of pollution in and around their school grounds and then create an
action plan to eliminate the sources of pollution.
Hey, I Know That! allows students to assess their own learning through a variety of assessment tasks relating to the
key concepts covered in Earth’s Water.
© 2015 Sally Ride Science
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EARTH’S WATER: GETTING STARTED
In Your World
Preview the book
Ask students to browse through Earth’s Water. Have them look at the table of contents
and the chapter titles. Draw their attention to the special features. Encourage them to look
at each of the photos, charts, and drawings. Explain that paying attention to all of these
features will clue them in to what the text is about and help them understand it better as
they read.
Read In Your World (pages 4 and 5) and discuss key concepts
Tell students to read In Your World. Then ask these questions:
What do the living things in the three scenarios have in common? [Sample answer: They
are drinking water and may be swallowing some of the same water molecules.]
What is a water molecule made up of? [Sample answer: A water molecule is the smallest
possible particle of water. It is made of two hydrogen atoms and one oxygen atom, so its
formula is H2O.]
How is it possible that the next sip of water you take could include some of the same
water molecules that the dinosaur and the American
Indian girl once drank? [Sample answer: Water
doesn’t disappear or get used up. It gets used over
SCIENCE BACKGROUND
and over as it moves through the water cycle. The
Earth’s supply of water is never replenished. The water we
same water molecules may pass through many
have now is all we have had for billions of years and all we’re
different organisms over the eons.]
Where might these same water molecules be in 1
year? In 100 years? In 1,000 years? [Sample answer:
The water molecules could be anywhere on Earth.
They could be in the ocean or a lake. They could be
part of a glacier. They could be floating in the air as a
gas. They could be part of a living thing such as a tree,
a tiger, or a person.]
Call on two or three students to share their ideas with
the class.
ever going to have. What prevents our water supply from being
used up? The water cycle does! Water molecules—those tiny
particles consisting of two hydrogen atoms bonded to one
oxygen atom—constantly move between Earth’s surface and
the atmosphere and between living and nonliving things. On
the surface, a particular water molecule could be part of an
ocean or a puddle. It might be part of a morning dewdrop on
a flower petal or an icicle hanging from a rain gutter. It could
be slowly seeping between particles of rock underground
or coursing through your veins as part of your blood. In the
air, the water molecule might be part of the breath you just
exhaled. It might be floating high in the air as the invisible gas
called water vapor, or it could be part of an ominous-looking
storm cloud. The molecule might return to Earth’s surface as
one of millions of water molecules that make up a raindrop
or snowflake. In fact, the same water molecule could be in
all of these things and in all of these places over the course
of a month, a year, 10,000 years, or more, depending on the
route the molecule happens to take through the water cycle.
These elaborate journeys are possible because water exists
in three states (solid, liquid, and gas) and can easily change
from one state to another. So the same molecule can rack up
some impressive mileage as water freezes, melts, evaporates,
condenses, blows, and flows through our world.
© 2015 Sally Ride Science
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EARTH’S WATER: CHAPTER 1
Our Watery Planet
Read Chapter 1: Our Watery Planet
Before reading: Model note-taking
Before students read Chapter 1: Our Watery Planet, explain that taking notes while reading
will help them understand what they read. Model how to take notes by reading aloud
page 6 while students read along with you. Read aloud the first paragraph. Say,
The first paragraph of a chapter usually does something to grab your attention, like a
real-world situation. I can identify with this scenario. I’ve had a leaky faucet and it really is
annoying. The scenario makes me ask, Why does the water drop cling and stretch out like
that? Maybe the answer is coming up. I’ll read on.
Read aloud the second paragraph. Say,
Ah, there’s my answer. Water molecules are sticky. That’s the gist of this paragraph. So I’ll
write, Water molecules are sticky. I wonder why water molecules are sticky. I’ll read on.
Read the next paragraph aloud. Say,
This paragraph explains what a water molecule is. It all sounds like important information,
but I don’t have to rewrite it all in my notes. I’ll just write the chemical formula for a water
molecule, H2O, and label it. Now I’ll read on to find out more about this molecule.
Read the last paragraph on page 6 aloud. Say,
This paragraph explains why water molecules are sticky—opposite charges on the different molecules attract each
other. In my notes, I’ll draw a couple of water molecules stuck together, like the picture shows. I’ll label the plus signs
and minus signs for positive charges (the hydrogen atoms) and negative charges (the oxygen atoms). Where the two
molecules join, I’ll add the label Opposite charges attract. There, this one simple drawing summarizes the whole
paragraph.
Tell students that the goal of taking notes is to summarize what is important and how ideas relate to one another.
Explain that notes don’t always have to be words. They can include labeled diagrams, sketches and captions, concept
maps, and combinations of words and diagrams—whatever makes the notes meaningful.
Read Chapter 1: Our Watery Planet (pages 6-13)
Give students the Chapter 1: Our Watery Planet handout. Ask students to finish reading Chapter 1, taking notes on
their handout as they read. Point out that there is a space on the handout for them to draw a Venn diagram comparing
fresh water and salt water.
After reading: Explore properties of water
Tell students that examples of water’s weird properties are all around them. The stickiness of water can be seen in
the clinging water drops from a faucet, the water strider walking on water, and the buildup of drops on the head of a
penny. Demonstrate these other examples:
© 2015 Sally Ride Science
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EARTH’S WATER: CHAPTER 1
What Is Climate?
1. Have students wet their thumb and forefinger by dipping them in a container of water and then hold them together.
Then tell them to observe closely as they slowly and barely separate their thumb and finger. They should notice
that the water between their thumb and finger stretches out, forming a watery film, before finally separating. Ask,
Why does the water stretch out? [The water molecules cling to each other and to the thumb and forefinger. It’s like
the water drop stretching and dangling from the leaky faucet.]
2. Place a clear drinking straw in a clear plastic cup of water colored with food coloring. Have students observe the
colored water in the straw. Ask,
Why is the water in the straw higher than the rest of the water? [The water molecules cling to the inside of the
straw and to each other. As the weak attractions (between water molecules and between water molecules and the
inside of the straw) break and form again and again, some water molecules climb up the straw, pulling up others
behind them.]
© 2015 Sally Ride Science
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EARTH’S WATER: CHAPTER 2
The Water Cycle
Read Chapter 2: The Water Cycle
Before reading: Model summarizing with a flowchart
Tell students that as they read Chapter 2: The Water Cycle, they will summarize what they
read with a flowchart. Give them the Chapter 2 handout and point out that there is a space
on the handout for a flowchart.
To get students started, draw a box on the board. Tell students that in the chapter, they will
read about a water molecule that evaporates from a puddle near a drinking fountain. Write
Evaporation in the first box. Draw an arrow from that box to another box. Say,
A water molecule can move through the water cycle in many different ways. But in this
chapter, our water molecule stays in the air until it gets cold enough to condense into a
water droplet. So in the second box, I’ll write Condensation.
Tell students to copy the beginning of the flowchart on to their handouts. They should keep
adding to their flowcharts as they read about what happens to the water molecule.
Read Chapter 2: The Water Cycle (pages 14–19)
Ask students to read Chapter 2: The Water Cycle, taking notes on their handouts and
adding to their flowcharts as they read.
After reading: Discuss key concepts
After students have read Chapter 2, discuss these questions:
Why is the Sun such an important part of the water cycle? [Sample answer: The Sun’s energy keeps the water cycle
moving. Energy from the Sun warms water molecules at Earth’s surface, whether they are in a puddle, a lake, or an
ocean, causing them to evaporate. The water molecules change from a liquid state on Earth’s surface to water vapor
in Earth’s atmosphere. The Sun also plays a role in the water cycle by creating winds. The Sun does this by heating
different parts of Earth’s surface more than others. That makes warm air rise and cooler air rush in to take its place.
That movement of air is wind. Winds move water vapor and clouds around the globe.]
How does water vapor move long distances? [Sample answer: In the atmosphere, water vapor can be moved by wind
hundreds or thousands of kilometers from its original location.]
What happens when water vapor cools? [The molecules condense into droplets of water by collecting around tiny
particles in the atmosphere. Many droplets together form clouds.]
What causes droplets of water in clouds to fall as precipitation? [Sample answer: The water droplets bump into each
other and combine to form larger droplets. Eventually, they get so heavy that they fall back down to Earth’s surface.]
What is the difference between runoff and groundwater? [Sample answer: Runoff is water that is on the surface of
the land and runs off into creeks, rivers, ponds, and lakes. Groundwater is water that remains underground after
water soaks into the soil.]
For each question, call on two or three students to share their answers. Clarify any incorrect answers and
misconceptions.
© 2015 Sally Ride Science
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EARTH’S WATER: CHAPTER 2
The Water Cycle
ADDRESS MISCONCEPTIONS
Students may have misconceptions related to the evaporation of water. Some students may think that when water
evaporates, it no longer exists or it remains a liquid but just changes location. Remind students that the atmosphere
is made up of several gases, including oxygen, nitrogen, carbon dioxide, and water vapor. When water evaporates,
it changes from a liquid to a gas. Just because you can no longer see the liquid water does not mean that the water
molecules have disappeared or that they no longer exist. They have changed from one state to another and can change
back again during condensation. This concept ties to the idea that matter cannot be either created or destroyed. It just
changes to different forms.
Also, students may think that water molecules actually have bars that connect the hydrogen atoms to the oxygen atom, as
shown in the illustrations. Help students to understand that the purpose of these bars in the illustrations is to indicate the
bonds, or attractions, between the atoms. The bonds exist, but the bars do not.
© 2015 Sally Ride Science
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EARTH’S WATER
Create a Science Illustration
Picture the water cycle
Give students the Create a Science
Illustration handout. Tell them they will
make science illustrations to show what
they have learned about the water cycle.
Wind
They should think up a scenario of water
Evaporation
moving through the parts of the water
cycle. Tell students that they can use the
visuals and the captions in Chapter 2 as
guides, but their illustrations should be
original. They may want to choose one
setting as the basis for their illustration or
several settings, as is done in the book,
to emphasize the element of distance.
Students might include a local setting, such as the school grounds, their neighborhood, or
a local park. Or they might choose faraway places—or both.
Precipitation
Their illustrations should include a title, labels, and arrows to show the order of processes
that water might move through. Students also should write a caption explaining the
movements of water that their illustrations show. Allow them to color their illustrations
with colored pencils.
After students have finished, have them display their illustrations and discuss them
with classmates.
© 2015 Sally Ride Science
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EARTH’S WATER: CHAPTER 3
Freshwater Resources
Read Chapter 3: Freshwater Resources
Before reading: Make a prediction
Before students read Chapter 3: Freshwater Resources, ask them to name some ways they
use water every day. List their responses on the board. Prompt students with questions:
How do you use water when you get ready for school?
When do you use water at school?
What other ways is water used in your home?
What other ways is water used in your school?
Have students copy the class list in their science notebooks. Save the list on the board.
Then display a liter of water. Ask students to guess how many liters of water they use in a
day. Record several of the guesses on the board.
Tell students that they will learn more about how people use water as they read Chapter 3
and Thinking Like a Scientist.
Read Chapter 3: Freshwater Resources (pages 20-23)
Have students read Chapter 3: Freshwater Resources. Provide them with a copy of the Chapter 3 handout. Explain
that they should use the handout to take notes as they read. The handout also has a place to draw illustrations
showing water-saving strategies.
After reading: Discuss key concepts
Call on a student to read aloud the first two paragraphs on page 21, about
typical water use for various activities. Refer to the list you made on the
board earlier about how students use water every day. Using information
from the text, put numbers next to some of the water uses and then add
them up. Have students compare these numbers to their guesses of their
daily water use. Even using incomplete data, it likely will be clear that
students underestimated how much water they use throughout the day.
Ask,
Are you surprised at the difference between your guesses and the amount
of water you really use each day? Why or why not?
Then direct students’ attention to the Be Water-Wise list on page 23. Ask,
Which of these things can you do each day to reduce the amount of water
you use? [Sample answer: I can change the way I wash my hands and
brush my teeth, I can take short showers instead of baths, I can keep a
pitcher of water in the refrigerator instead of letting water run from the tap
until it’s cold, and I can share these and other water-saving tips with friends
and family.]
© 2015 Sally Ride Science
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EARTH’S WATER: CHAPTER 3
Earth’s Climate Is Changing
Do you think that people in every country have access to and use the
same amount of water as we do in the United States? How might they
use water differently? [Sample answer: People in poorer countries may
not have access to water just by turning a faucet. They may have to
use water directly from rivers or lakes. This water may not be clean,
and sometimes they might get sick from drinking it. Because water
may be less plentiful, they might use it more carefully and only when
necessary, such as for drinking or watering crops.]
ADDRESS MISCONCEPTIONS
Students may think that everyone in the
world has access to water in the same way
we do in the United States. Help students
to understand that in some areas of the
world, there are no indoor plumbing, no
running water, and no water-treatment
plants to sanitize water. People may have
to walk for miles to reach water in rivers
or lakes, collect it, and carry it back home.
Women in particular often collect water
for their families. It is estimated that in
a single day worldwide, women spend
the equivalent of 200 million work hours
collecting water for their families. The
amount of water used by people worldwide
differs from the amount used in the United
States as well. While the average daily use
of water for a person in the U.S. is about
300 liters (80 gallons), people in African
countries average only about 40 liters (10
gallons) of water per person per day.
© 2015 Sally Ride Science
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EARTH’S WATER: THINKING LIKE A SCIENTIST
Personal Water Use
Read Thinking Like a Scientist and answer the questions (pages 24-25)
Give students the Thinking Like a Scientist handout. Ask students to read Thinking Like
a Scientist and then answer the questions on page 25 on their handouts. Have students
work in pairs to discuss the questions and come to agreement on the answers. Then
discuss the questions and answers together as a class.
ANSWER KEY
1. How much water does one person save each day just by conserving water during the four uses shown? [Answers
will vary slightly as students estimate the savings by comparing the lines on the bar graph. Sample answer:
One person saves 87 liters of water each day by conserving water for these four uses. Brushing teeth: 18 liters.
Showering: 9 liters. Washing clothes: 20 liters. Flushing toilet: 40 liters. (18 + 9 + 20 + 40 = 87 liters.)]
2. Use your answer in Question 1 to calculate how much water a family of four saves during a year. [Answers will
vary slightly based on the answer students get for Question 1. Sample answer: A family of four saves 127,020
liters of water during a year by conserving water for these four uses. (4 people x 87 liters x 365 days = 127,020
liters.)]
3. Based on the graph, how would you answer the question at the beginning of page 24—do you really save that
much water if you turn the tap off while brushing your teeth? Explain your answer. [Sample answer: Yes, the pair of
bars on the graph shows a big difference (about 18 liters) between water use before and after conserving. That’s a
lot of water saved.]
4. Which pair of bars on the graph surprises you the most? Why? [Sample answer: The bars for brushing teeth
surprise me the most, because I never thought I used that much water just to brush my teeth. And I didn’t know I
could save almost all of it by not letting the tap run.]
© 2015 Sally Ride Science
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EARTH’S WATER: SCIENCE WRITING
Water Wise
Write about water-saving strategies
Give students the Science Writing: Water Wise handout. They
will write about strategies they could use to save water. Their
plan should have an introduction, three paragraphs discussing
different areas of their water-saving strategies, and a
conclusion. They might divide their plans into areas such as In
the Bathroom, Around the House, and At School. Students can
refer to the water-saving tips on page 23 of Earth’s Water and
the bar graph of water savings on page 25. They can
also do research on the Internet to find other possible watersaving ideas.
Have students use this checklist when writing and editing their work.
> Come up with a title that identifies the topic.
> Write an introduction that grabs readers’ attention.
> Use subtitles to organize different sections of the plan.
> Write a conclusion that connects the main ideas of the plan.
When students are finished, call on several to share their water-saving strategies with
the class.
© 2015 Sally Ride Science
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EARTH’S WATER: HOW DO WE KNOW?
Meet natural resources expert Shorna Broussard Allred
Read How Do We Know? (pages 26-29)
Give students the How Do We Know? handout. Have them read the questions for the first
section of How Do We Know?—The Issue (page 26). Then they should read The Issue and
answer the questions. Have students complete the rest of the sections (The Expert, page
27; In the Field, page 28; Technology, page 29) in the same way. Tell students to share
their answers in pairs. Then go over each question as a class. Call on two or three students
to share their answers to each question.
ANSWER KEY
1. What facts does the science writer include in the first paragraph to make you want
to keep reading? [Sample answer: The writer explains that the people in and around
New York City use more than 3.8 billion liters of water every day. That’s a lot. He also
explains how all that water gets to people. That’s interesting because it’s something
I’ve wondered about as far as the water system where I live.]
2. What actions have people taken to help protect the watersheds that supply drinking
water to New York City? [Sample answer: People have preserved forests, built sewage
treatment plants, and encouraged dairy farmers to keep cows away from streams.]
3. What actions does Shorna take to help protect water as a natural resource? [Sample
answer: Shorna picks up litter while hiking. She works hard to support good decisions made by farmers, foresters,
and others. She collects and shares ideas, such as discouraging landowners from cutting plants along riverbanks
that keep sediment from washing into the water.]
4. What is no-till farming? How does it help protect the environment? [No-till farming is the practice of growing crops
without turning over the soil. It helps protect the environment by reducing erosion and runoff. It keeps soil from
blowing away or washing away, and it helps keep creeks and rivers clean.]
5. How might you convince your family to use a rain barrel? [Sample answer: I would explain that it is important to
conserve water because it is a resource critical to life on Earth. I would explain that a rain barrel can collect up to
600 liters of water per year. We could use the water collected by the rain barrel to water our garden, to wash the
car, or to water houseplants.]
© 2015 Sally Ride Science
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EARTH’S WATER: INVESTIGATION CONNECTION
Get the Point
Give students the Investigation Connection handout. Have them read Investigation
Connection. Then give them time to work with a partner to identify some nonpoint sources
of pollution in and around the school and to create an action plan to eliminate them. Allow
students to do some research on the Web. Here are some websites with information about
preventing nonpoint pollution:
http://water.epa.gov/polwaste/nps/whatudo.cfm
http://oceanservice.noaa.gov/education/kits/pollution/015controlling.html
Have partners share their plans with the class.
Investigation Connection: Get the Point
Where does water pollution come from? A pipe dumping waste into a river is one place.
It’s called a point source. But lots of pollution comes from nonpoint sources. These are
more scattered and less obvious. They include excess fertilizer and weed killer on lawns,
oil drips in parking lots, and even pet waste. When runoff carries away this crud, it can
seriously pollute a watershed. So what can you do about it?
ANSWER KEY
> First work with a partner to identify some nonpoint sources of
pollution in and around your school. [Answers will vary. Nonpoint
sources of pollution may include fertilizers or pesticides used on
lawns or fields; oil or other pollution from cars; or pet waste in a
nearby park.]
> Next work together to create an action plan to eliminate the nonpoint
sources of pollution. [Action plans will vary but may include using
natural alternatives to pesticides or fertilizers on school grounds;
diverting runoff from the school parking lot to a grassy area so storm
water seeps slowly into the ground; and enforcing laws requiring pet
owners to pick up after their pets.]
ADDRESS MISCONCEPTIONS
Students may think that water pollution
comes only from businesses and industry.
Explain that sources of water pollution
from residential and urban areas include
bacteria from faulty septic systems and
pet waste; pesticides and fertilizers used
on lawns or gardens; motor oil and grease
from vehicles; solid waste, or trash, such
as plastic bags and plastic bottles; and
sediment due to erosion. Tell students
that in 2009, scientists analyzed samples
of runoff collected near eight residential
areas in California. They concluded that the
amount of pollution reaching water from
residential areas may be underestimated
by as much as 50 percent.
© 2015 Sally Ride Science
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EARTH’S WATER: HEY, I KNOW THAT!
Study Guide
Complete the Hey, I Know That! study guide
Give students the Hey, I Know That! handout and ask them to answer the questions on
page 30 of Earth’s Water. Have pairs of students discuss their answers. Ask several
students to read their answers aloud, and encourage others in the class to comment and
expand on the answers.
ANSWER KEY
1. Many of water’s unusual properties come from the fact that water molecules cling
together. Why do water molecules cling together? Explain two properties that result
from this fact. (pages 6 and 7) [Water molecules cling together because the negative
part of one water molecule attracts the positive part of another molecule. This creates
surface tension, a tightness in the surface of the water. The attraction between water
molecules makes it so a drop of water stretches and hangs for a moment before
dripping from a faucet. And it makes it so that some insects can walk on the surface of
water.]
2. How does water’s ability to dissolve things help you survive? (pages 8 and 20) [The
cells in my body are made up mostly of water. So is my blood. Vitamins, minerals, and
oxygen gas dissolve in my blood and are carried to different parts of my body. This helps keep my cells, and me,
alive.]
3. Why are the oceans salty? (page 11) [Oceans are salty because salt washes off the land into rivers, which carry
the salt to the oceans. Also, undersea vents and volcanoes release salts into the ocean.]
4. Draw a diagram showing the water cycle. Include labels that show all the processes that keep water moving
between the surface and the air. (pages 14–19). [Student diagrams should show that water from Earth’s surface
evaporates due to the Sun’s energy. It enters the atmosphere as water vapor and eventually condenses when it
cools. Water droplets form, and precipitation (rain or snow) falls back to Earth’s surface. From there, water may
run off into streams, rivers, lakes, and oceans, or it may soak into the ground and become part of groundwater. If
could also be absorbed by plant roots and eventually released back into the atmosphere as water vapor through
the process of transpiration. Students’ diagrams should include arrows and labels in the appropriate places. The
diagrams should show the cyclical nature of the water cycle.]
5. Pick up the story of the traveling water molecule from page 19. Describe where it may go next and how it might
change. Or write your own story of a water molecule’s journey beginning from where you live. Illustrate your
story. (pages 14–19). [Sample answer: The water molecule will travel through the atmosphere until it reaches a
mountain range. As it rises, it cools and condenses, joining other water molecules to form a small water droplet.
When combined with other droplets, it will become part of a cloud and eventually fall back to Earth’s surface as
rain or snow.]
6. Review the water conservation tips on page 23. Then think of one or two more to add to the list. Create a design
for a poster that will remind you and others to practice the tips. (page 23). [Sample answer: fix leaky faucets or
toilets, collect rainwater in a rain barrel. Students might use humor, bright color, vivid imagery, or other techniques
to grab a viewer’s attention and effectively inform and remind about water conservation.]
© 2015 Sally Ride Science
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EARTH’S WATER: HEY, I KNOW THAT!
Study Guide
Caption: Water in all three states exists in this
scene. Describe where each is. Then describe
how water changes from one state to another.
[There is liquid water in the hot spring the
monkeys are sitting in. The snow behind the
monkeys is made up of crystals of solid water.
There is water vapor in the air. The water
in the hot spring changes from a liquid to a
gas when its molecules gain enough energy
to break free of the bonds that hold them
together. Water changes from a liquid to a
solid when the molecules move so slowly that
they become locked together. Water changes
from a gas to a liquid when water vapor in the
air gets cool enough to form droplets.]
© 2015 Sally Ride Science
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Key Concepts in Science
EARTH’S WATER
STUDENT
HANDOUTS
© 2015 Sally Ride Science
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EARTH’S WATER • Chapter 1
Our Watery Planet: Notes for Chapter 1
As you read Chapter 1, write down the most important information you come across. Resist the urge to write down
everything that you read. Instead, focus on the big ideas, or gist, of what you are reading.
WHAT’S SO WEIRD ABOUT WATER?
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WATER’S MAGIC SHOW
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NOW YOU SEE IT . . .
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THE BIG DEAL ABOUT ICE
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OUR WATERY WORLD
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PASS THE SALT, PLEASE
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DEEP BLUE SEA
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© 2015 Sally Ride Science
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EARTH’S WATER • Chapter 1
THE OTHER 3 PERCENT
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PICTURE THIS
Review your notes for Chapter 1. Make a Venn diagram that compares fresh water and salt water. Draw two large circles
that overlap. Label the left circle Fresh Water, the right circle Salt Water, and the overlapping area Both. Fill in the areas
with phrases that apply to fresh water only, salt water only, or all water in general.
PUT IT ALL TOGETHER
Use your notes and Venn diagram to help you identify and list the most important ideas—the key concepts—in Chapter 1.
__________________________________________________________________________________________
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© 2015 Sally Ride Science
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EARTH’S WATER • Chapter 2
The Water Cycle: Notes for Chapter 2
As you read each section of Chapter 2, write down the most important information you come across. Resist the urge to
write down everything that you read. Instead, focus on the big ideas, or gist, of what you are reading.
A WET AND WILD ADVENTURE
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BREAKING FREE
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UP, UP, AND AWAY
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“WE’RE GOING DOWN!”
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“LAND, HO!”
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GO WITH THE FLOW
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© 2015 Sally Ride Science
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EARTH’S WATER • Chapter 2
PICTURE THIS
Review your notes for Chapter 2. Summarize your notes by drawing a flowchart showing how the water molecule in
Chapter 2 moves through the water cycle. Draw a box labeled Evaporation and then draw an arrow to a second box.
Continue recording what processes the molecule goes through as it moves through the water cycle.
PUT IT ALL TOGETHER
Use your notes and flowchart to help you identify and list the most important ideas—the key concepts—in Chapter 2.
__________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
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© 2015 Sally Ride Science
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EARTH’S WATER • Science Illustration
Create a Science Illustration: Picture the Water Cycle
Review the illustrations of water moving through the water cycle in Chapter 2 of
Earth’s Water. Then think up a new scenario of water moving through the water
cycle. Make an illustration showing the steps the water goes through. Choose one
setting or several settings to show how far the water travels. You can include a local
setting, such as the school grounds, your neighborhood, or a local park. Or choose
faraway places—or both.
Your illustration should include a title, labels, and arrows to show the order of
processes that the water is moving through. Add a caption explaining what your
illustration shows.
Title: _________________________________________________________
Caption: ___________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
© 2015 Sally Ride Science
EARTH’S WATER • Chapter 3
Freshwater Resources: Notes for Chapter 3
As you read Chapter 3, write down the most important information you come across. Resist the urge to write down
everything that you read. Instead, focus on the big ideas, or gist, of what you are reading.
WASTE NOT, WANT NOT
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DOWN THE DRAIN
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DOWN TO THE LAST DROP
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CONSERVATION NATION
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© 2015 Sally Ride Science
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EARTH’S WATER • Chapter 3
PICTURE THIS
Review your notes for Chapter 3. Summarize your notes by drawing pictures showing two or three ways that you could
reduce your daily water use. Include captions with your pictures.
PUT IT ALL TOGETHER
Use your notes and pictures to help you identify and list the most important ideas—the key concepts—in Chapter 3.
__________________________________________________________________________________________
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© 2015 Sally Ride Science
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EARTH’S WATER • Thinking Like a Scientist
Thinking Like a Scientist: Personal Water Use
Read Thinking Like a Scientist on pages 24 and 25 of Earth’s Water. Then answer the questions on this sheet.
1. How much water does one person save each day just by conserving water during the four uses shown?
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2. Use your answer in Question 1 to calculate how much water a family of four saves during a year.
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3. Based on the graph, how would you answer the question at the beginning of Page 24—do you really save that much
water if you turn the tap off while brushing your teeth? Explain your answer.
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4. Which pair of bars on the graph surprises you the most? Why?
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© 2015 Sally Ride Science
EARTH’S WATER • Science Writing
Science Writing: Water Wise
Write about strategies you could use to save water. Your Water Wise plan
should have an introduction, three paragraphs discussing different areas
where you could save water, and a conclusion. You might divide your plan
into areas such as In the Bathroom, Around the House, and At School. For
ideas, refer to the water-saving tips on page 23 of Earth’s Water and the bar
graph of water savings on page 25.
Use this checklist when writing and editing your work.
> Come up with a title that identifies the topic.
> Write an introduction that grabs readers’ attention.
> Use subtitles to organize different sections of the plan.
> Write a conclusion that connects the main ideas of the plan.
Title: ______________________________________________________________________________________
Introduction: _______________________________________________________________________________
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Subtitle: ___________________________________________________________________________________
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Subtitle: ___________________________________________________________________________________
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Subtitle: ___________________________________________________________________________________
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Conclusion: ________________________________________________________________________________
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© 2015 Sally Ride Science
EARTH’S WATER • Water Works
How Do We Know? Water Works
Review the questions below for each section of How Do We Know? Then
read each section in the book and answer the questions.
THE ISSUE
As you read, analyze the writing by thinking about these questions:
1. What facts did the science writer include in the first paragraph to make you want to keep reading?
_______________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________
2. What actions have people taken to help protect the watersheds that supply drinking water to New York City?
_______________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________
THE EXPERT
3. What actions does Shorna take to help protect water as a natural resource?
_______________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________
IN THE FIELD
4. What is no-till farming? How does it help protect the environment?
_______________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________
TECHNOLOGY
5. How might you convince your family to use a rain barrel?
_______________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________
© 2015 Sally Ride Science
EARTH’S WATER • Investigation Connection
Investigation Connection: Get the Point
Where does water pollution come from? A pipe dumping waste into a river is one
place. It’s called a point source. But lots of pollution comes from nonpoint sources.
These are more scattered and less obvious. They include excess fertilizer and weed
killer on lawns, oil drips in parking lots, and even pet waste. When runoff carries
away this crud, it can seriously pollute a watershed. So what can you do about it?
1. First work with a partner to identify some nonpoint sources of pollution in and
around your school.
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________
2. Next work together to create an action plan to eliminate the nonpoint sources of pollution.
_______________________________________________________________________________________
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_______________________________________________________________________________________
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© 2015 Sally Ride Science
EARTH’S WATER • Hey, I Know That!
Hey, I Know That! Study Guide
Use this sheet to answer the Hey, I Know That! questions on page 30 of Earth’s Water.
1. Many of water’s unusual properties come from the fact that water molecules cling together. Why do water molecules
cling together? Explain two properties that result from this fact. (pages 6 and 7)
_______________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________
2. How does water’s ability to dissolve things help you survive? (pages 8 and 20)
_______________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________
3. Why are the oceans salty? (page 11)
_______________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________
4. Draw a diagram showing the water cycle. Include labels that show all the processes that keep water moving between
the surface and the air. (pages 14–19)
© 2015 Sally Ride Science
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EARTH’S WATER • Hey, I Know That!
5. Pick up the story of the traveling water molecule from page 19. Describe where it may go next and how it might
change. Or write your own story of a water molecule’s journey beginning from where you live. Illustrate your story.
(pages 14–19).
____________________________________________________
____________________________________________________
____________________________________________________
____________________________________________________
____________________________________________________
____________________________________________________
____________________________________________________
____________________________________________________
6. Review the water conservation tips on page 23. Then think of one or
two more to add to the list. On another piece of paper, create a poster
that will remind you and others to practice the tips.
(page 23)
________________________________________________
________________________________________________
________________________________________________
________________________________________________
________________________________________________
Caption: Water in all three states exists in this scene. Describe where each is. Then describe how water changes from
one state to another.
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
© 2015 Sally Ride Science
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