HASPI MS Medical Earth Science
Lab 04 – The Water Cycle
Teacher Information Sheet
Introduction
a. Modeling the Water Cycle
Do you realize that without the water cycle our health would suffer…in fact, forget about our health!
Life could not survive on planet Earth without the water cycle. The recycling of water on the Earth
allows for its continual use. The water that you drink, swim in, and see today is the same exact water
that the dinosaurs used millions of years ago. It may sound funny, but the water cycle could not occur
without heat, primarily from sunlight. In this activity students will have the opportunity to model and
observe the driving force behind the water cycle – heat from the sun. They will also have the
opportunity to learn about acid rain and how it can impact human health.
b. Water Quality & Human Health
Water quality is a serious issue worldwide. Nearly 1 billion people in the world do not have access to
safe drinking water, and poor water quality accounts for more than 2 million deaths worldwide, most
of which are children under the age of five. In this activity students will have the opportunity to test
the quality of water from a fresh water source of their choice. Following the water quality test,
students will have the opportunity to research and investigate the impact of water quality on our
health.
Next Generation Science/Common Core Standards
Students who demonstrate understanding can:
MS-ESS2-1. Develop a model to describe the cycling of Earth’s materials and the flow of energy that drives this
process.
MS-ESS2-2. Construct an explanation based on evidence for how geoscience processes have changed Earth’s
surface at varying time and spatial scales.
MS-ESS2-4. Develop a model to describe the cycling of water through Earth’s systems driven by energy from
the sun and the force of gravity.
Medical Application: At different points in the water cycle organic and inorganic pollutants can enter water
reservoirs and reduce water quality. The quality of water can have an adverse impact on human health.
Science and Engineering Practices
Disciplinary Core Ideas
Crosscutting Concepts
Developing and Using Models
• Develop and use a model to describe
phenomena.
• Develop a model to describe unobservable
mechanisms.
Analyzing and Interpreting Data
•
Analyze and interpret data to provide
evidence for phenomena.
Constructing Explanations and Designing
Solutions
•
Construct a scientific explanation based on
valid and reliable evidence obtained from
sources (including the students’ own
experiments) and the assumption that
theories and laws that describe nature
operate today as they did in the past and
will continue to do so in the future.
ESS2.A: Earth’s Materials and Systems
•
All Earth processes are the result of energy
flowing and matter cycling within and
among planet’s systems. This energy is
derived from the sun and Earth’s hot
interior. The energy that flows and matter
that cycles produce chemical and physical
changes in Earth’s materials and living
organisms.
•
The planet’s systems interact over scales
that range from microscopic to global in
size, and they operate over fractions of a
second to billions of years. These
interactions have shaped Earth’s history
and will determine its future.
ESS2.C: The Roles of Water in Earth’s
Surface Processes
• Water continually cycles among land,
ocean, and atmosphere via
transpiration, evaporation,
condensation and crystallization, and
Scale, Proportion, and Quantity
•
Time, space, and energy phenomena can
be observed at various scales using
models to study systems that are too large
or too small.
Energy and Matter
•
Within a natural or designed system, the
transfer of energy drives the motion and/or
cycling of matter.
Stability and Change
• Explanations of stability and change in
natural or designed systems can be
constructed by examining the changes over
time and processes at different scales,
including the atomic scale.
The Water Cycle & Water Quality, HASPI MS Medical Earth Science Lab 04
105
precipitation, as well as downhill flows
on land.
• Global movements of water and its
changes in form are propelled by
sunlight and gravity.
• Water’s movements—both on land and
underground—cause weathering and
erosion, which change the land’s
surface features and create
underground formations.
Connections to other DCIs in this grade-band: MS.PS1.A, MS.PS1.B, MS.PS2.B, MS.PS3.A, MS.PS3.B, MS.PS3.D, MS.LS2.B, MS.LS2.C,
MS.ESS1.B, MS.ESS3.C
Articulation to DCIs across grade-levels: 3.PS2.A, 4.PS3.B, 4.ESS1.C, 4.ESS2.A, 4.ESS2.E, 5.PS2.B, 5.ESS2.A, 5.ESS2.C, HS.PS1.B, HS.PS2.B,
HS.PS3.B, HS.PS3.D, HS.PS4.B, HS.LS1.C, HS.LS2.B, HS.ESS1.C, HS.ESS2.A, HS.ESS2.B, HS.ESS2.C, HS.ESS2.D, HS.ESS2.E, HS.ESS3.D
Common Core State Standards Connections:
ELA/Literacy –
RST.6-8.1
Cite specific textual evidence to support analysis of science and technical texts.
WHST.6-8.2
Write informative/explanatory texts to examine a topic and convey ideas, concepts, and information through the selection,
organization, and analysis of relevant content.
SL.8.5
Include multimedia components and visual displays in presentations to clarify claims and findings and emphasize salient points.
Mathematics –
MP.2
6.EE.B.6
7.EE.B.4
Reason abstractly and quantitatively.
Use variables to represent numbers and write expressions when solving a real-world or mathematical problem; understand that a
variable can represent an unknown number, or, depending on the purpose at hand, any number in a specified set.
Use variables to represent quantities in a real-world or mathematical problem, and construct simple equations and inequalities to solve
problems by reasoning about the quantities.
Learning Targets
By the end of this activity students will be able to:
• Develop a model to describe the cycling of Earth’s water and the flow of energy that drives the
process
• Develop a model that demonstrates the effect of the sun and the force of gravity on the water
cycle
• Test the quality of drinking water to determine its safety level
• Identify pollutants that can contaminate the water supply and adversely impact human health
Time
Estimated Time
Actual Time (please make note below)
04a. 1 day
04b. 55-60 minutes
Materials
Supply
Large plastic bags
Green food color
Clear cup
Tape
Marker
Water
106
Provided
(P) or
Needed
(N)
P
P
P
N
N
N
Reusable?
Yes/No
Quantity
Company/ Item #
04a. Modeling the Water Cycle
Y
20
N
1
Y
20
N
1 roll
Y
10
As
needed
N
Approximate
Cost
Grocery
Grocery
Grocery
-
The Water Cycle & Water Quality, HASPI MS Medical Earth Science Lab 04
$3.00
$2.50
$3.00
-
04b. Water Quality & Human Health
Amazon/ B0053PQWEU
P
N
10
P
Y
10
HASPI
N
Y
10
N
N
10
Students collect
As needed
N
N
-
Water test strips
Water test strip sheet
Thermometer
Water samples
Paper towels
$23.50
Cost of copies
-
Company Contact Information:
Amazon
www.amazon.com
HASPI
www.haspi.com
Download free online
Grocery
Can be found at any local
grocery store
Additional Information
Information
Page #
Location
Any color of food coloring can be used. The food coloring is simply
present to demonstrate that most dissolved solutes do not evaporate.
The bags can be left in each location longer and checked
periodically. This would particularly be helpful if it is overcast during
the lab.
The water quality test results are reflective of freshwater sources
only. Different types of test strips are needed to test salt water.
04a
04a
04b
Resources and References
•
ACMP. 2008. Water Cycle Bag. UAF Geophysical Institute.
•
Laiwalla, A. and McCabe. A. 2009. Water Investigation. UCLA SEE-LA GK-12 Program,
UCLA.
•
Posner, A.J. 2010. Water Quality in Freshwater Systems. National Geographic.
•
USGS. 2010. Public Water Supply Use. http://ga.water.usgs.gov/edu/wups.html.
•
WHO. 2015. Facts and figures on water quality and health.
http://www.who.int/water_sanitation_health/facts_figures/en/.
Images
• https://thinkbannedthoughts.files.wordpress.com/2014/05/water-cycle-art2a.png
• http://www.facegfx.com/psd/earth-and-water-psd
• http://pentagist.com/wpcontent/uploads/2014/08/
• www.sydneywater.com.au
• https://c2.staticflickr.com/4/3381/3233464486_1c8f5907d0_m.jpg
• http://mikerendell.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/water-jar.jp
The Water Cycle & Water Quality, HASPI MS Medical Earth Science Lab 04
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The Water Cycle & Water Quality, HASPI MS Medical Earth Science Lab 04
Name: ______________________________________ Period: ____________ Date: ____________
The Water Cycle & Water Quality
HASPI MS Medical Earth Science Lab 04
MS-ESS2-1, MS-ESS2-2, MS-ESS2-4
Introduction
The Water Cycle
The hydrologic cycle, or water cycle, is the continuous movement and recycling of water on Earth.
While the amount of water on Earth is relatively constant, the location of that water can vary widely.
Water moves between reservoirs, or storage areas. These reservoirs include lakes, rivers,
groundwater, oceans, and even the atmosphere as a few examples. Water passes through the
different phases (gas, liquid, and solid) as it moves. This is caused by temperature (energy) changes
in the environment that are mainly driven by the sun.
For example, when sunlight heats up water in a lake it causes some of the water to evaporate into
the atmosphere. Water can also evaporate from plants in a process called transpiration. Once the
evaporated water reaches a high enough altitude the temperature drops and allows the water to
reform into a liquid, called condensation. When lots of water condenses in the atmosphere, it forms
clouds. When the clouds get very full, and the temperature drops closer to ground level, the water
condensed in clouds can fall back to the Earth as rain, snow, or hail. This is known as precipitation.
Precipitation will flow down due to gravity, or runoff, until it reaches another reservoir. Some of this
runoff will seep, or infiltrate, into the ground forming groundwater reservoirs.
https://thinkbannedthoughts.files.wordpress.com/2014/05/water-cycle-art2a.png
Water Quality
The water that currently covers the Earth is the same water that has
always been here. This means that the water you drink is the same
water that every organism that has ever lived on Earth drank.
Approximately 97% of all water is stored in the ocean. Another 2% is
found in glaciers, which leaves only 1% as drinkable freshwater.
Water recycles between these reservoirs. While water has remained
the same over time, the substances that are dissolved in water have
http://www.facegfx.com/psd/earth-and-water-psd
changed drastically.
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Pollution from human activities; such as transportation,
construction, agriculture, mining, and sewage; have greatly reduced
the water quality worldwide. With only 1% of water found in
drinkable freshwater, a reduction in this amount can have dire
consequences for the organisms living on the Earth. The
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regularly tests the quality
of drinking, industrial, and environmental water. Some toxic
contaminants can be removed through water treatment, but others
persist and can impact the health of organisms that drink and/or live
http://pentagist.com/wpcontent/uploads/2014/08/
in contaminated water.
Incidence of Waterborne Illness
The Impact of Water Quality on Human Health
1991-2000
Water contaminants that pose a risk to human health may
include metals, chemicals such as pesticides, or microorganisms
such as bacteria or protists. While water quality in the U.S. is
some of the highest worldwide, the quality of water, particularly in
Chemical,*16%!
Protozoa,*21%!
most undeveloped countries, is often contaminated. In fact,
Viruses,!6%!
approximately 1 billion people worldwide do not have safe drinking
water. These conditions cause more than 2 million deaths each
Bacteria,*18%!
year. According to the EPA, the primary water pollutants in the
Undetermined,*
U.S. are fertilizers from agricultural waste, heavy metals, and
39%!
microorganisms in sewage.
Agricultural wastes are mainly made up of fertilizers and pesticides
that seep into groundwater. Fertilizers and pesticides can damage
the immune system, cause liver failure and infertility, and can cause hormone imbalance. A high level
of exposure can also result in neurological disorders. Heavy metals can enter the water supply
through industrial chemical use, dump sites, toxic emissions, or mines. Exposure to heavy metals
can cause birth defects, infertility, slow development, or increase the risk of cancer. The impact on
health by contamination of sewage is largely dependent on the type of microorganism found in the
water. For example, E. coli is a bacteria that can be found in water that may cause liver and kidney
damage. The most common water-borne illnesses include typhoid, cholera, and dysentery.
Review Questions
1.
2.
3.
4.
What is the water cycle?
What is a reservoir? Give two examples.
What drives the water cycle? How?
Define the following terms: evaporation, transpiration, condensation, precipitation, infiltration,
and runoff.
5. How much water on Earth is found in the oceans? Glaciers? Freshwater?
6. How much water on Earth is available for drinking water?
7. What has reduced the quality of water? Give two examples.
8. Why is water quality important? Explain your answer.
9. Why is it important for the EPA to monitor water quality?
10. How many people worldwide do not have access to safe drinking water?
11. What was the most common source of waterborne illness in the U.S. from 1991-2000?
12. How can water quality impact human health? Give two examples.
110
The Water Cycle & Water Quality, HASPI MS Medical Earth Science Lab 04
Name: _____________________________________ Period: ____________ Date: _______________
Modeling the Water Cycle
HASPI MS Medical Earth Science Lab 04a
Scenario
Do you realize that without the water cycle our health would
suffer…in fact, forget about our health! Life could survive
on planet Earth without the water cycle. The recycling of
water on the Earth allows for its continual use. The water that
you drink, swim in, and use today is the same exact water
that the dinosaurs used millions of years ago. It may sound
funny, but the water cycle could not occur without heat,
primarily from sunlight. In this activity your lab team will have
the opportunity to model and observe the driving force behind
the water cycle – heat from the sun. You will also have the
opportunity to learn about acid rain and how it can impact
human health.
www.sydneywater.com.au
Materials
Ziploc bag
Water
Clear cup
Tape /marker
Green food color
Paper towels
Directions
Task
Response
In this activity, your lab team will build two models to observe how heat from the sun drives the natural
!
water cycle.
Part A: Setting Up a Model Water Cycle
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
Obtain 2 gallon Ziploc bags, 2 cups, and a marker.
Fill both cups approximately half full of water. Add
2 drops of food color to each cup. The water in the
cups represents water in the environment that could
evaporate from oceans, lakes, rivers, etc.
Place a piece of tape to mark the water level on
each cup.
Place a small piece of tape with your lab team
name on each bag. Label one bag A and the other
bag B.
Carefully place a cup in each bag without spilling
the water. The cups should sit in the CORNER of
the bag (see image).
Seal the bags leaving plenty of air. It may be necessary to blow into the bag to make sure there is
plenty of air present. The air in the bag represents the air in the atmosphere.
Place bag A near a heat source. This could be in front of a sunny window or near a heater. Place
bag B in a cool area such as a dark cupboard or refrigerator. The bags will be left in these
locations overnight. Answer the following questions.
The Water Cycle & Water Quality, HASPI MS Medical Earth Science Lab 04
111
8
9
In the natural environment,
what would the water in the
cup represent?
In the natural environment,
what does the air in the bag
represent?
Hypothesize what will
happen to the water in the
10 cup if the bag is left near a
heat source? Why?
Hypothesize what will
happen to the water in the
11 cup in the bag that is left in
a cool area? Why?
Part B. Analyzing the Results
Collect both of your bags and return to your desk. Be careful to not spill any of the cup or bag
contents. Answer the following questions based on your observations of the bags. When you are
finished with your observations, empty and rinse the cups/bags and return them to your teacher.
What happened to the
water in the cup of bag A?
Why did this happen?
12
What happened to the
water in the cup of bag B?
Why did this happen?
13
14
15
112
Did any of the food color
leave the cup in bag A?
Why or why not?
Did any of the food color
leave the cup in bag B?
Why or why not?
The Water Cycle & Water Quality, HASPI MS Medical Earth Science Lab 04
The basic water cycle
consists of evaporation,
condensation, precipitation,
16 and collection into a water
source. Explain how bag A
modeled each step of the
water cycle.
What was missing from bag
B that prevented the
17 complete water cycle?
Draw a diagram of the water cycle that occurred in bag A on the top and the natural water cycle on
the bottom in the space below. Label evaporation, condensation, precipitation, and collection in
each diagram.
Water Cycle in Bag A
18
Natural Water Cycle
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While the food coloring was not evaporated from the cup, some pollutants, such as sulfur dioxide, in
the environment can be evaporated and condensed into clouds. When these pollutants precipitate, it
results in acid rain. Using the Internet, visit the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) site to
research acid rain and how it can impact human health. The website is:
http://www.epa.gov/acidrain/index.html
What causes acid
rain?
19
What types of
pollutants are
found in acid
20 rain?
How can acid
rain impact
human health?
21
How is acid rain
measured?
22
What can be
done to reduce
the risks of acid
23 rain?
What is the risk in
your area of acid
rain exposure?
24
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The Water Cycle & Water Quality, HASPI MS Medical Earth Science Lab 04
Name: _____________________________________ Period: ____________ Date: _______________
Water Quality & Human Health
HASPI MS Medical Earth Science Lab 04b
Scenario
Water quality is a serious issue worldwide. Nearly 1 billion people
in the world do not have access to safe drinking water and poor
water quality accounts for more than 2 million deaths worldwide,
most of which are children under the age of five. In this activity you
will have the opportunity to test the quality of water from a fresh
water source of your choice. Following the water quality test, you
will have the opportunity to research and investigate the impact of
water quality on our health.
https://c2.staticflickr.com/4/3381/3233464486_1c8f5907d0_m.jpg
Materials
Water test strip
Test strip result sheet
Water sample
Thermometer
Paper towels
Directions
Task
Part A. The Water Quality Test
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
Bring a sample of freshwater to class in a sealed container. The water can be
from a local pond, stream, river, lake, a rain puddle, or tap water.
Record where your sample was collected in Table 1.
Obtain a water test strip, test strip result sheet, thermometer, and paper
towels from your instructor.
Observe your water sample for color, smell, temperature (in Celsius), and
turbidity (cloudiness). Normal results can be found in the table. Record your
results in Table 1.
Mix your water sample and dip the water test strip into your water sample.
Lay the water test strip on the paper towel. The test strip results can be read
after 60 seconds.
Compare your test strip results to the test strip result sheet. Normal results
can be found in the table. Record your results in Table 1. Answer the
questions based on your results.
Hypothesize the cause
of any abnormal
results based on the
location the sample
was collected.
Would you be willing
to drink your water
sample? Why or why
not?
Image
http://mikerendell.com/wpcontent/uploads/2012/05/water-jar.jpg
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Table 1. Water Quality Test Results
From where was the sample collected?
Test
Normal
Results
Results
Normal or
Abnormal?
Color
Any color other than clear indicates the
presence of dissolved solutes such as dirt
or microbes. Many solutes, particularly
microbes, can be disease causing.
Clear
Smell
Any odor, particularly foul, may indicate
the presence of contaminants that may be
hazardous to our health.
None
Temperature (C°)
An unnatural increase or decrease in
temperature indicates contaminants, such
as fertilizers, that may pose a health
hazard.
Room
Temperature
Turbidity
Turbidity is the cloudiness of water. Any
cloudiness may indicate the presence of
dissolved solutes.
Nitrate
High levels indicate contamination by
septic systems, fertilizer, or animal waste.
Can cause birth defects and miscarriages.
Nitrite
High levels indicate contamination by
septic systems, fertilizer, or animal waste.
Can cause birth defects and miscarriages.
Clear
Less than
10 ppm
Less than 1
ppm
Hardness
Hard water is high in mineral content.
Many of these minerals are beneficial to
health.
150 ppm
Chlorine
High levels indicate contamination by
septic systems, fertilizer, animal waste, or
road salt. High levels can cause eye
irritation and stomach discomfort.
Less than 4
ppm
Alkalinity
Alkalinity is the measure of water’s ability
to neutralize acids. Low alkalinity can
cause corrosion.
pH
Low pH values can be corrosive to pipes
and enamel.
116
80 ppm
6.8-7.2
The Water Cycle & Water Quality, HASPI MS Medical Earth Science Lab 04
Part B. The Effect of Water Quality on Health
Using the Internet, research and answer the following questions.
How many people
die from poor water
1
quality in the U.S.
annually?
Which city or state
in the United States
2 has the lowest
water quality?
What is the cause?
Which country in
the world has the
3 lowest water
quality? What is
the cause?
How many people
become ill from
4
poor water quality
annually?
Find 3 substances/pollutants that can be found in water and cause disease. Record a description of
the substance/pollutant, how it gets into the water supply, and how it can impact human health.
Substance/pollutant:
Description:
5
How does it get in the water supply?
How can it affect our health?
Substance/pollutant:
Description:
6
How does it get in the water supply?
How can it affect our health?
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117
Substance/pollutant:
Description:
7
How does it get in the water supply?
How can it affect our health?
Find 3 diseases/illnesses caused by poor water quality. Record a description of the disease, cause,
symptoms, treatment, and how many people die from the disease annually.
Disease:
Description:
Cause:
8
Symptoms:
Treatment:
Annual Deaths:
Disease:
Description:
Cause:
9
Symptoms:
Treatment:
Annual Deaths:
118
The Water Cycle & Water Quality, HASPI MS Medical Earth Science Lab 04
Disease:
Description:
Cause:
10
Symptoms:
Treatment:
Annual Deaths:
Find and
describe 3 ways 1.
that water quality
could be
improved.
2.
11
3.
The Water Cycle & Water Quality, HASPI MS Medical Earth Science Lab 04
119
Name: _____________________________________ Period: ____________ Date: _______________
The Water Cycle & Water Quality
HASPI MS Medical Earth Science Lab 04
MS-ESS2-1, MS-ESS2-2, MS-ESS2-4
Connections & Applications
Your instructor may assign or allow you to choose any of the following activities. As per
NGSS/CCSS, these extensions allow students to explore outside activities recommended by the
standards.
1. STATISTICS ON POTABLE WATER: Potable water is drinkable water. Create a poster or
newsletter to educate others on the status of potable water worldwide. Include the following
information on your poster/newsletter:
a. A world map of potable water access
b. At least 5 statistics about the status of potable water worldwide (how many people drink
unsafe water, number of diseases, number of deaths, cost of water treatment, etc.)
c. How access to potable water can be improved
2. WATER QUALITY AND EPIDEMIOLOGY: Visit the following website and launch the
interactive activity. Epidemiology is the study of the spread of disease. In this interactive
activity play the role of an epidemiologist who has been called to a national park to investigate
a disease outbreak. Complete the chart below and then write a summary hypothesizing what
is causing dizzy fever.
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/body/disease-detective.html
Laura
Smith
Sam
Smith
Sally
Smith
Jane
Smith
Beth
Smith
Josh
Lee
Bill
Lee
Alex
Lee
Hiked in cave
Ate restaurant food
Went on ranger tour
Visited petting zoo
Got insect bites
Visited gold mine
Swam in lake
Picked berries
Contracted fever
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