Desert Activities for Kids

Grade Levels: K-3

In this set of activities adaptable for grades K-3, parents and educators will find ideas for teaching
about desert habitats. These activities are designed to complement the BrainPOP Jr. Desert topic
page, which includes a movie, quizzes, online games, printable activities, and more.

Classroom Activities for

Teaching About Deserts
Desert Encyclopedia
Have each student pick a desert animal or plant and learn about how it survives in the desert. What
special parts does it have to survive in the heat? What does it do to get water? How does it conserve
energy? Students can each draw a picture of their plant or animal and write a few sentences or list
facts. Collect the pages to create a desert encyclopedia that students can reference. If you prefer,
you can have students complete the activity on index cards and create a fact file on the desert
instead of a bound book.

Desert Shadowbox

Have students bring in shoeboxes to create desert shadowboxes. They can add sand, rocks, and
use plastic animals or draw pictures of animals to add to their boxes. They may even want to bring in
small cacti or dried plants to put into their boxes. Make sure students handle the plants with care.
Students can share their creations with the class.

World Deserts

As a social studies and geography link, study a map together as a class. Look for the major deserts
in the world. Which continent has the most deserts? Which continent does not have any deserts?
Where is the largest desert in the world? Remind students that deserts are dry areas that receive
little precipitation, but that deserts can be found in surprising places. Also, there are both cold and
hot deserts. What continents have cold deserts? Does their pattern of rainfall differ from hot deserts?
Polar deserts are arid regions that receive a little snow. Deserts can also be found the mountains.
Have students research world deserts and how the people and animals who live there have adapted
to the climate.

Desert Fables

There are many fables about the desert, including Aesops fable of Truth and the Traveler. Share a
few fables with the class and have students make up their own fables. Students can either write
them down or tell them aloud. Remind students that fables are short stories in which animals are
often the main characters. Most fables teach a moral, or lesson. As a twist, you can start the fable
and then go around the room and have students add to the story.
Family and Homeschool
Activities for Teaching About
Deserts
Desert Pottery

Explain to your child that many Native American peoples live in the desert. Have him or her research
to learn about different peoples and their pottery. What shapes are found in Native American
pottery? What do they represent? Has the desert environment influenced Native American art? Have
your child make designs on construction paper and share them with the family. What does his or her
shapes represent? If possible, have your child paint his or her designs on plain ceramic pots.

Land History

Land has changed over thousands of years. Areas that are lush tropical forests now were once
deserts and vice versa. Scientists have found fossils of fish in areas that are now deserts. Research
the land history of your town, county, or state. What fossils have been found there, and what do they
indicate about your areas past environment? If the environment has changed, what caused the
change? What kinds of plants and animals live there now? By making comparisons between the
past and the present, your child will be able to understand that Earth is constantly changing.

Staying Cool

Summers can be very sunny and hot and its important for your child to learn how to be safe.
Wearing sunblock, lightweight clothing, light colors, and a hat are important ways to prevent
sunburns, heat rash, and even sun poisoning. Staying indoors during the hottest part of the day and
resting in the shade can also minimize sun exposure. Brainstorm different tips your child and your
family can follow in order to protect themselves on sunny, hot days, while also enjoying the weather.
Create a poster with the tips and post them in your home.

Comparing Habitats
Lesson Plan: Rainforest,
Desert, or Freshwater?
Submitted by: Rachel Zindler
Grade Levels: 3-5, K-3
In this multi-day comparing habitats lesson plan, adaptable for grades K-5, students use BrainPOP
and/or BrainPOP Jr. resources to learn about three different habitats in which animals live
(rainforest, desert, and freshwater). Students chart how different animals survive in their habitat by
working on a class poster, and compare and contrast different animals in different habitats.

Lesson Plan Common Core State Standards Alignments

Students will:

1. Learn about three different habitats that animals live in (rainforest, desert, and freshwater).

2. Chart how different animals survive in their habitat by working on a class poster.

3. Compare and contrast different animals in different habitats.

Materials:

Books suggested from BrainPOP Jr.'s Read About It

Chart paper

Index cards

Sticky notes

Markers, crayons, or other drawing materials

Computer and internet access for BrainPOP

Vocabulary:
Word Wall vocabulary from the following BrainPOP Jr. movies: Rainforest, Freshwater, and Desert

Preparation:
Create a chart paper or large mural paper prepared with the title Animals and 4 columns labeled
Rainforest, Desert, Freshwater, and Our Habitat." Photocopy a class set of the Activity page from
the Rainforest movie; a class set of copies of the Write About It page from the Rainforest movie. Set
up your interactive whiteboard or print/project large versions of the Talk About It activities from
the Rainforest and Desert movies.

Lesson Procedure:

1. Note: This sequence is approximate and should be stretched out over several days. If you
have access to a computer lab or several computers simultaneously, you may want to
incorporate even more of the BrainPOP Jr. games, quizzes, and activities. You can also
rotate students through the computers to give them opportunities to work on the different
features of the site. SESSION 1: Introduce the concept of a habitat by asking the class,
"Where do we live and why?" Ask them to describe their environment. What is the weather
 like all year? Do they have different seasons? How does that affect their homes and how
they live (do they use air conditioning most of the year? Do they need heat?) Ask them to
think about how they dress and eat at different times of the year. Jot down answers to refer
back to on chart paper or whiteboard.
2. SESSION 2: Freshwater Habitats. Explain to your class that a habitat is where animals or
plants live. Tell your class that they are going to be learning about different animal habitats
and ask them to list what kinds of animals they already know live in their area. Ask them to
think about why those animals might live in the area. Jot down students' answers to refer
back to.

3. Log on to BrainPOP Jr. and take the Easy Quiz to assess student's prior knowledge. Then,
show the Freshwater Habitats movie. Remember to pause at points where Annie's notebook
questions are posed to give students an opportunity to answer.

4. After showing the movie, ask students to work with a partner to list as many freshwater
animals as they can remember from the movie, and any others they know, too. Meanwhile,
pairs of students can take turns using the computer to play BrainPOP Jr.'s Freshwater
Habitats Game.

5. To regroup, invite the whole class to try the Easy (or Hard) Quiz again.

6. SESSION 3: Desert Habitats. Ask your students what they already know about deserts.
Invite students to list animals they think might live in the desert and explain why they might
live there. Add notes from discussion to the chart.

7. Review the Easy Quiz for Deserts. Challenge students to keep an eye out for the words and
facts reviewed. Show the Desert Habitat movie. Pause to discuss as you did with the other
movies.

8. Next, gather students again to complete the Talk About It from the Desert movie (Venn
Diagram: How is a desert alike or different from your town?) This is a great opportunity to
use an interactive whiteboard, or to print the graphic organizer and model while students
complete independently.

9. SESSION 4: Rainforest Habitats. Review the two habitats you have learned about so far.
Ask students to compare freshwater habitats with desert habitats and the types of animals
that live there. Would they like to live in one of these habitats? Why or why not?

10. Ask students what they know about rainforests. What kinds of animals do they think might
live there? Jot down answers.

11. Preview the Word Wall words and/or take the Easy Quiz before showing the Rainforests
Movie, remembering to pause for discussion again.
 12. Hand out copies of the Rainforest Activity page and model the activity. When students are
done, they can use the Write About It stationary to answer the prompt.

13. Later, gather the class to complete Talk About It from the Rainforest movie.

14. SESSION 5: Sort and classify. Invite students to look back through the materials they have
completed during the study of habitats, including all activity sheets, writing, and class charts.
Then ask students to write down as many animals as they can remember onto individual
sticky-notes.

15. Have students add their sticky notes to the 4-part chart you have prepared (under the correct
habitat!) If there are duplicates, students can stick their sticky notes on top of each other.

16. Finally, hand out index cards to pairs of students and allow them to choose one animal from
the chart (or you can assign them). On their card students should draw a picture of their
animal, label it, and explain how it survives in its habitat. When they are done they can
replace the sticky notes with their completed cards on the chart and select a new animal (if
there are more left to complete). The final product should be a carefully designed chart
displaying many kinds of animals sorted into their habitats!

Extension Activities:
Invite another class to come and visit your class chart to learn about Habitats. Visit BrainPOP Jr.'s
Grown Ups Guide (on each movie topic page) for many more extension activities

duration
PRINTOne 30 45 minutes class period

objectives
The learner will:

identify three major desert regions around the world.

describe general human and physical characteristics of deserts.
give examples of animals and vegetation particular to deserts.
identify how the people that live in desert regions conserve water and other resources.
learners will describe how working to take care of the land is an act of philanthropy.

materials
A variety of cacti. (Note: Try to get at least one with a bloom.These can be found at most
garden centers in the house plant sections.Remind learners not to handle plants with
needles. If live plants cant be obtained, post some pictures of different cacti for the
learners to see.)
Container of sand
Container of rocks
Ice or representation of ice
 Any other relative material that you might have that would represent physical
characteristics of a desert.
Chart paper for recording observations about the plants and other items on display. Chart
paper will also be used for creating the two question charts.
Picture book: Cactus Desert (One Small Square) by Donald M. Silver and Patricia
Wynne. Teacher Note: While this is a 4-9 year old reading level, learners will enjoy
having the book read to them.
Several different color markers for recording information on charts.
A copy of Handout One: Desert Vocabulary List or a representative vocabulary list.

home connection
Ask learners to talk to their families or other adults about deserts. Ask learners to share the
writing assignment with members of their families or other adults.

bibliography
Silver, Donald M and Wynne, Patricia. Cactus Desert (One Small Square). McGraw-Hill;
1st edition (September 1997) ISBN: 0070579342
Principal Deserts in the World http://www.factmonster.com/ipka/A0778851.html

related resources
Leopold, Aldo (Paper II)
Conservation International Foundation
Environmental Service-Learning Toolkit

Instructions
PRINT
1. Anticipatory Set: At the beginning of the class period place several cacti, a container
of sand, a container of rocks, and ice or ice representation on a desk or table in front
of the students. Allow the learners to make some observations about the items on the
table. Record their observations about what these items have in common, or how they
might be related, on the chart paper and keep for future reference. You want to guide
them to the idea that these things are found in a desert.
2. Label a sheet of chart paper with the question What do we know about
deserts?Record learners responses. Some responses might include: hot, dry, not
many plants, cacti, snakes, ice.
3. Label a second sheet of chart paper with the question: What do we want to know
about deserts? Record learners responses. Some responses might include: What
kinds of animals live in a desert? How hot does it get? Does it get cold? What animal
life is in the desert? What do the animals eat? Do people live there? How much water
is in the desert?
4. Read the book Cactus Desert (One Small Square). Discuss the story and concepts
found in the book. Ask the learners what new information they want to add to the two
charts. Guide them to the idea that the people living in the desert regions need to act
 responsibly to protect the limited resources. They should be good stewards of the
Earth. (Define and discuss stewardship as needed.) Remind them that physical
characteristics are things that are not human made and human characteristics are things
that are human made. Record any new information in a second color on the chart.
5. Point out that deserts are located on all continents including the Polar Regions of
northern Europe and North America, and the continent of Antarctica. These regions
are considered deserts because they get less than ten inches (25cm) of precipitation a
year. (For more desert information see: Principal Deserts in the
World at http://www.factmonster.com/ipka/A0778851.html)
6. Create a Word Wall (chart) of some of the vocabulary discussed in the book. (See
Handout One: Desert Vocabulary List for a list of some of the words.) Keep this list
posted and add to it in future lessons.

assessment

Ask the learners to write two short paragraphs (3-4 paragraphs for older learners) on what they have
learned about the human and physical characteristics of deserts. Remind learners to use a proper
paragraph writing style that the teacher/school supports. Tell the learners to include at least three
kinds of animals that live in the desert, three kinds of plants that live in the desert. (See Handout
Two: Rubric for Writing Activity)Teacher Note: This writing assignment may be done as a homework
assignment.

The Desert is one of the driest biomes. The word desert means abandoned.
The desert gets a minimal amount of rain which is why its one of the driest
biomes. There are both hot and cold deserts. Survival in the desert is difficult
due to the extreme temperatures and the dryness. One fifth of the Earth is a
Desert biome.
Location: Deserts are found along coastlines and also within continents. Hot
deserts are found in North America, South America, North Africa, Central
Australia and Cold deserts are found in the Antarctic, Greenland and Central
Asia.
Weather: Deserts get less that 25 cm or 10 in of rain per year.
Evaporation rates are faster than rainfall rates which keeps the desert very
dry. In some deserts, rain doesnt fall for years. Cold deserts although still dry,
get more rainfall (which is in the form of snow or fog) than the hot deserts. In
hot deserts, daytime temperatures can be over 38 Degrees C and 100
Degrees F in the
daytime and below 4 Degrees C and 25 Degrees F in the evening.
Temperatures in cold
deserts are usually between 0 Degrees C and 4 Degrees C or 32F and 39
Degrees F.
Seasons: In the hot deserts, the seasons are warm throughout the year and
very hot in the summer. In the cold deserts there are long cold winters and
short warmer summers. The cold deserts are cold most of the time.
Animals: Desert animals tend to get their water from food. They have a thick
outer coats, they tend to have larger ears and they will burrow through the
day. Many desert animal have adapted to this harsh environment by being
nocturnal. Examples of animals in the desert are rattlesnakes, jack rabbits,
lizards, and kit foxes. There are also reptiles, scorpions and grasshoppers.
Plants: The soil is coarse and rocky. Plants typically have few leaves and
thick roots to help them retain moisture in the dry climate. The dessert has
cacti, smaller bushes and grasses .

Desert Worksheets
Habitat worksheets. Desert Biome worksheets. The desert is the driest of the biomes. There are cold
deserts (Antartcica) and hot deserts (Sahara in Africa). Hot deserts are extremely hot during the day
and they cool down at night, many of the animals adapt by being nocturnal and by burrowing through
the day. The animals in the desert get their water from food, store their water and they need very
little water to survive. Plants are mainly cacti as very few plants survive the desert climates. Hot
deserts rarely see precipitation as the water evaporates before it reaches the ground. The cold
deserts have greater moisture but it's mostly snow and fog. The antarctica is considered a cold
desert due to the lack of vegetation that grows. Some scientists would argue this fact. The desert
habitat.

Plants and animals living in the Desert must be able to adapt to extreme heat
and dryness, and the Deserts harsh environment. The Deserts are very hot
during the day but will cool during the evening. There is constant sunlight
almost daily. Plants and animals also need to be able to adapt to strong
winds, limited access to water and extreme temperatures. (The Antarctica is
also considered a desert due to the lack of vegetation, however, it is not
included here.)
Plant Adaptations in the Desert Biome
In order for plants to survive in the desert, they have adaptations that allow
them to collect and store water and moisture and, prevent moisture loss. The
plants in the Desert biome store water in their roots, stem, leaves, or fruit.
Plants called succulents store water in their stems or leaves. Some of the
desert plants have roots that grow deep enough in the ground that they are
able to reach the water. Small, spiny leaves of the desert plants prevent
evaporation, helping them to retain moisture. Some plants have glossy leaves
that will reflect the sun's rays which also help them retain moisture. Some
plants have a short life cycle, they grow, flower, germinate and die within a
year. Some plants will shrink in size during dry times which allow them to use
the stored moisture. The plants are often slower growing types which require
less energy (food and water).
Examples of Plants found in the Desert:
Sage Bushes, Creosote Bushes, Cacti, Lupine, Indian Paintbrush, Prickly
Poppies, Chia, Ghost Flower, Desert Chickory, Prickly Pears, Dragon Trees,
Desert Spoons.

Animal Adaptations in the Desert Biome

Animals of the desert need to adapt to intense heat, and lack of water and
shelters. Many of the Desert animals are only active during the evening when
the temperatures are cooler. Other animals burrow during the day to avoid the
harsh conditions during the day. It is difficult for large animals to survive the
desert without shelter to hide from. Some animals dont need to drink water as
they get all the water they need from the insects, plants and seed that they
eat. Many desert animals don't have sweat glands which enables them to
retain moisture and not need to drink. Birds have feathers that keep them
insulated from the strong heat of the sun. Some rodents have specialized
kidneys that return their water to the bloodstream instead of losing it through
urination.

Examples of Animals found in the Desert:

The animals of the desert tend to be reptiles, insects birds and small
mammals. Camels, Frogs, Lizards, Bobcats, Golden Eagles, Kangaroo Rats,
Spadefoot Toads.

Water Cycle Lesson Plan:

Create Your Own Water
Cycle
Grade Levels: 3-5, 6-8, K-3

In this lesson plan, which is adaptable for grades 2-6, student use BrainPOP and/or BrainPOP Jr.
resources to explore the water cycle. Students will use hands-on materials to create and observe
their own water cycles.

Lesson Plan Common Core State Standards Alignments

Students will:

1. Identify each part of the water cycle.

 2. Create a water cycle replica using hands-on materials.

Materials:

Internet access for BrainPOP

Materials for experiments below

Vocabulary:
precipitation, condense, evaporate, water cycle, atmosphere

Preparation:
Preview the BrainPOP and BrainPOP Jr. Water Cycle movies and determine which one is the best fit
for your students. Then make photocopies of either the BrainPOP Experiment or the BrainPOP Jr.
Activity. You'll also need to gather the materials needed for the experiments.

Lesson Procedure:

1. Play either the BrainPOP or BrainPOP Jr. Water Cycle movie. Be sure to turn on closed
captioning to aid students in comprehension.

2. Talk about the elements of the water cycle with students and clarify any misconceptions.

3. Have students work collaboratively to complete either the BrainPOP Experiment or

the BrainPOP Jr. Activity.

4. Challenge students to create their own water cycle! Have partners take a clear plastic
container and fill it partway with soil. Then they can plant a seed or a small seedling or plant
cutting. Water the plant and then cover the top with plastic wrap or with a clear plastic lid.

5. Put the container in a sunny place and have students observe what happens. They may
want to record, draw, or photograph their observations in a chart and measure their plants'
growth. Students should see condensation on the sides of the container

Classroom Activities for Teaching the Water Cycle

Water Cycle

Create your own water cycle! Have partners take a clear plastic container and fill it partway with soil.
Then they can plant a seed or a small seedling or plant cutting. Water the plant and then cover the top
with plastic wrap or with a clear plastic lid. Put the container in a sunny place and have students observe
what happens. They may want to record, draw, or photograph their observations in a chart and measure
their plants growth. Students should see condensation on the sides of the container.
Pollution and Plants

Remind your students that all living things rely on water in some way. How might water pollution affect
living things? As an experiment, give pairs or small groups a small cup of water, a stalk of celery (with
leafy tops), and food coloring. Have them add a few drops of food coloring into the water and add the
stalk of celery. Students can record their observations on a chart. What might happen to plants if our
groundwater got polluted?

Family and Homeschool Activities

ONTEXT
In this lesson, students build upon their previous investigations of waterand its different formsby
learning about the water cycle and its continuous flow around us. Students begin by reviewing what they
already know about water and how it can freeze into ice or turn into a gas depending on how low or high
temperatures become. They then learn about the water cycle and its key processes that affect our lands,
oceans, and atmosphere. The ongoing need for fresh-water conservation is also highlighted.

In general, students at this level should already have an understanding of the following benchmark ideas:
some events in nature have a repeating patternsuch as daily weather patterns or changes in
temperature and the appearance of rain and snow at different times of the year; water can be a liquid or a
solid and can go back and forth from one form to the other; and water left in an open container
disappears, but water in a closed container does not disappear. Understanding of these concepts grows
slowly as students mature and encounter them in different contexts.

This lesson furthers what students know about the connection between liquid and solid forms of water, in
addition to helping them recognize that water can also be a gas, which is much more difficult at this level.
For example, students will be asked to think about where water in an open container goes when it
disappears. This is neither self-evident nor easy to detect. But the water cycle is of such profound
importance to life on earth that students at this level should certainly have experiences that will in time
contribute to their understanding of evaporation, condensation, and the conservation of matter.
(Benchmarks for Science Literacy, pp. 6768.) This lesson introduces these formal concepts.

While teaching, be aware that research shows that students' ideas about the conservation of matter,
phase changes, clouds, and rain are interrelated and contribute to understanding the water cycle.
Students seem to go through a series of stages to understand evaporation. Before they understand that
water is converted to an invisible form, they may initially believe that when water evaporates it ceases to
exist, or that it changes location but remains a liquid, or that it is transformed into some other perceptible
form (fog, steam, droplets, etc.). With special instruction, some students in the 5th grade can identify the
air as the final location of evaporating water, but they must first accept air as a permanent substance.
This appears to be a challenging concept for upper elementary students. Students can understand rainfall
in terms of gravity in middle school but not the mechanism of condensation, which is not understood until
early high school. (Benchmarks for Science Literacy, p. 336.)

To learn more about the water cycle in the context of the earth's climates, read this excerptfrom Science
for All Americans.
 PLANNING AHEAD
This lesson is appropriate for older students in the 3-5 grade level. As a prerequisite, students should
have had experiences with water in liquid and solid forms, as well as with water "disappearing" from a
cup. These concepts are reviewed in the Motivation section of this lesson. There are three Science
NetLinks lessons at the K-2 level that deal with the three states, or forms, of water:

Water 1: Water and Ice

Water 2: Disappearing Water
Water 3: Melting and Freezing

MOTIVATION
In order for students to understand how the water cycle works, it is important for them to review what they
have already learned about water itself, and the different states it can assume (solid, liquid, or gas) in our
ever-changing environment. This can be done by showing the class three itemsa half-filled glass of
water, a dish with an ice cube, and a dish with a wet paper towel.

Begin by drawing attention to the glass of water. Ask questions such as:

What is in this glass?

What is water? What does it look or feel like?
Is water a solid, a liquid, or a gas?
Where can you find water? Where does it come from?
Guide the class in establishing that water is a liquid that both falls from the sky in the form of rain and can
be found in abundance in oceans, lakes, streams, and underground. Next, pick up the dish with the ice
cube and show it to the class. Ask questions such as these:

What is in this dish?

Describe ice. What does it look or feel like?
Is ice a solid, a liquid, or a gas?
What is ice made of? How is it made?
If I left the ice in the room for a few hours, what would happen to it?
Help the class to see that ice is water that has been frozen into a solid because it has been exposed to
very low temperatures. Make sure they understand that when ice is allowed to warm up, it returns to liquid
water.

Next, present the dish with the wet paper towel, asking questions like these:

What is this?
What would happen if I left it out for a few hours?
Why would it dry out?
Besides paper towels, what are some other examples of wet things that dry out over time? (Examples
could include wet clothes, watered plants, glasses of water, and puddles.)
What if I put this wet paper towel outside during the winter? What might happen to it? Why?
At this point, students should understand that when water is exposed to warm temperatures, it disappears
or evaporates, becoming a gas, while under colder conditions it can freeze into ice, becoming a solid. It is
 important to emphasize that the three water samples they've seen represent the three states, or forms,
that water takes on as temperature and other conditions change.

DEVELOPMENT
To help students better understand the constant circulation and transformation of water in the outside
worldthe water cyclehave them think about and discuss questions such as these:

Where does water go when it disappears or evaporates?

What role does the sun play in the evaporation process?
Where does water come from when it rains?
How are clouds formed?
When rain (snow/sleet) falls to the ground, what usually happens to it?

(Accept all reasonable answers. Encourage students to elaborate on their responses.)

Using their Water Cycle student esheets, students should visit Round & Round It Goes! The Water
Cycle to learn more about how the water cycle works. Students will be directed to click on and read each
process of the water cycle as shown on the graphicstarting with precipitation and ending with water
vaporand answer questions and take notes using their Round and Round It Goes! student sheets.
When finished, discuss with them what they have learned and be sure to emphasize key benchmark
concepts involving both the transformative (liquid/solid/gas) and the continuous, cyclical aspects of the
global water cycle process.

Next, divide the class into groups, depending on the availability of your resources. To better apply and
reinforce what they have learned, have each group complete the hands-on activity on the Model Water
Cycle student sheet. Each group will be asked to create a model of a water cycle in class. Among other
things, they will be able to observe how water condenses and then precipitates. Once the models are
completed and the changes within them start taking place, include in your discussion questions such as
these:
Describe what is happening in your miniature water cycle.
What effect is the sun having on your water cycle? The shade?
What caused the water to evaporate in the mug or "ocean"?
Where did the water go?
How can you explain what is taking place on the plastic wrap?
How can you explain the dripping that is taking place?
Explain the processes involved in the water cycle that took place inside your models.

ASSESSMENT
Divide the class into seven groups with each one representing one of the key processes in the water
cycleprecipitation, infiltration, ground water, water table, evaporation, transpiration, and water vapor.
Hand out poster paper and crayons or markers, and have each group draw a picture showing how their
process works within the water cycle. Instruct them to use their notes and previous websites as
resources. When they have finished, have the teams arrange their posters on the wall in the correct
order, starting with precipitation. Ask each team to explain how their process works. After their
presentations, encourage a class discussion, supported by their water cycle models or real-world
examples.
 For further enjoyment and a greater challenge, assign a new water cycle process to the same groups and
have them do the water cycle presentations all over againthis time without use of their notes.

Optional Activity:
The Water Cycle Boogie is a sing-a-long about the water cycle which features key terms and processes
that students have already learned in the lesson. It may be sung for fun and further reinforcement.

EXTENSIONS
Students can further apply what they have learned by doing the My Life As A Drip activity, where they
imagine that they are a drop of water, and write a short story about where they think they came from (in
the context of the water cycle).

Students of all grade levels can learn much more about the ways the water cycle affects the environment
at the EPA's Water Sourcebook Series website. This resource features activities, fact sheets, reference
materials, and more.

Franklin Institute's Water in the City website can help to broaden students' understanding of water and the
continuous, global water cycle. This resource covers the "Water Basics" and science of water and also
presents an analysis of Philadelphia's water system and case studies on waterways throughout the world.

Water 1: Water and Ice

MATERIALS
One per group of 3 students:
ice
clear plastic cups
clear plastic container of a different shape or size
ice cube tray
access to a freezer
timer
PURPOSE
To explore what happens to water as it goes from solid to liquid and back again; to use observation,
measurement, and communication skills to describe change.

CONTEXT
This lesson is the first in a three-part series that addresses a concept that is central to the understanding
of the water cyclethat water is able to take many forms but is still water. This series of lessons is
designed to prepare students to understand that most substances may exist as solids, liquids, or gases
depending on the temperature, pressure, and nature of that substance. This knowledge is critical to
understanding that water in our world is constantly cycling as a solid, liquid, or gas.

In these lessons, students will observe, measure, and describe water as it changes state. It is important
to note that students at this level "...should become familiar with the freezing of water and melting of ice
(with no change in weight), the disappearance of wetness into the air, and the appearance of water on
cold surfaces. Evaporation and condensation will mean nothing different from disappearance and
appearance, perhaps for several years, until students begin to understand that the evaporated water is
still present in the form of invisibly small molecules." (Benchmarks for Science Literacy, pp. 66-67.)

In this lesson, students explore how water can change from a solid to a liquid and then back again.

In Water 2: Disappearing Water, students will focus on the concept that water can go back and forth from
one form to another and the amount of water will remain the same.

Water 3: Melting and Freezing allows students to investigate what happens to the amount of different
substances as they change from a solid to a liquid or a liquid to a solid.
 MOTIVATION
Begin this lesson by dividing the class into pairs. Assign each student a role: writer or illustrator. Students
will exchange roles during the course of the lesson.

Distribute an ice cube in a clear plastic cup to each group. Have the illustrator draw a picture of what
he/she sees. Have the writer write a sentence or word to describe the properties of the ice cube. Guide
students' observations with questions such as the following:

What is in the cup?

Describe the ice. What does it look like? Feel like?
What is the ice made of?
How is ice made?
Pour the ice into a container of a different shape or size. What does it look like now? Does it look the
same or different? Has the shape of the ice changed? Why do you think that is?
What will happen if we leave the ice out on the desk/table? Why? How do you know?How long might this
take?

DEVELOPMENT
Tell students that they will be asked to observe the ice over time to see what changes take place. Set a
timer or note 15-minute intervals on the clock. (Please note: The appropriate time interval will vary
depending on the size of the ice cube, amount of sunlight, temperature in the room, etc. Choose the
interval appropriate for your time constraints, number of students, age range. Although the activity could
require an hour to fully complete, other activities are being conducted simultaneously.) Ask students to
repeat the above recording procedures after each time interval.

While this activity is taking place, you may wish to read Amazing Water by Melvin Berger, or I am
Waterby Jean Marzollo.
When the ice has completely melted, allow students to draw their final journal entry. You can post the
students pictures of the ice in a line on the wall, so that students will have a visual representation of the
change that has occurred.

Ask students:

What happened to the ice? Why?

What is in the cup?
How is it like the ice? How is it different from the ice?
Describe the water. What does it look like? Feel like? Pour the water into a container of a different shape
or size. What does it look like now? Does it look the same or different? Has the shape of the water
changed? Why do you think that is?
Did the ice change its shape when you poured it into this container? Why or why not?
Can you think of something else that we can pour in that will take the shape of the container?
Return the water to the glass. Is there any way that we could change this water back to ice? How? How
long might this take?
 Have students place one or more of the cups of water in a freezer. If possible, repeat the procedure used
above to observe change in the melting ice. Allow students to check on the water at regular intervals of
your choice. When the water has frozen and the final illustration has been made, you can place a finished
series of drawings up on the wall, in sequence, so that students can see the change in water
temperature.

Ask students:

Change is happening all around us. There are some changes that happen so quickly or slowly that we
cannot see them. Did the change in the water happen slowly or quickly?
How long did it take for the ice to turn into water? Do you think that there is any way to speed up this
change? How? If time permits, allow students to share and test their ideas. (Students might suggest and
test blow dryer, fan, sunlight, different spots in the room, radiator, salt, stirring it, different container, etc.)
Is there any way to slow down this change? (different container, insulator, different location in the room,
place in the shade, put a fan on it, etc.) How can we compare the rate of change? (Time it, use ice in a
plastic cup as a control.)
Can you think of anything else that changes from one form to another? In the kitchen? In the bathtub?
How might soap change?
In groups or as a class, create a Venn Diagram comparing water in solid form and water in liquid
form. How are they alike? How are they different?

ASSESSMENT
Have students answer the questions below in their journal, using words and/or pictures. Allow students to
explain their answers verbally.

How can we make water go from water to ice?

How can we make water go from ice to water?
Give two examples of where you would see water going back and forth from one form to another.
Does the water ever "get tired?" Would we ever get to a point where we couldn't get this change to
happen?

EXTENSIONS
Follow this lesson with the other lessons in the Water series:
 Water 2: Disappearing
Water
MATERIALS
coffee cans with lids
water
wooden stirring sticks
markers
paper for journal entries

PURPOSE
Students will observe the amount of water in an open container over time, and they will observe the
amount of water in a closed container over time. Students will compare and contrast the sets of
observations over time.

CONTEXT
This lesson is the second in a three-part series that addresses a concept that is central to the
understanding of the water cyclethat water is able to take many forms but is still water. This series of
lessons is designed to prepare students to understand that most substances may exist as solids, liquids,
or gases depending on the temperature, pressure, and nature of that substance. This knowledge is
critical to understanding that water in our world is constantly cycling as a solid, liquid, or gas.

In these lessons, students will observe, measure, and describe water as it changes state. It is important
to note that students at this level "...should become familiar with the freezing of water and melting of ice
(with no change in weight), the disappearance of wetness into the air, and the appearance of water on
cold surfaces. Evaporation and condensation will mean nothing different from disappearance and
appearance, perhaps for several years, until students begin to understand that the evaporated water is
still present in the form of invisibly small molecules." (Benchmarks for Science Literacy, pp. 66-67.)

In Water 1: Water and Ice, students explored how water can change from solid to liquid and back again.

In this second lesson, students will focus on the concept that water can go back and forth from one form
to another and the amount of water will remain the same. Even at the end of elementary school, many
students do not understand that matter is conserved. They do not accept weight as an intrinsic property,
and so they may think that as a substance changes from a solid to a liquid, its weight will change.
 Because of this notion, students believe that as a substance is broken down into infinitely smaller pieces
it comes to a point where the material no longer has weight. They do not assign an intrinsic weight to
substances so they believe that weight can change as the substance changes. (Benchmarks for Science
Literacy, pp. 336-337.)

Water 3: Melting and Freezing allows students to investigate what happens to the amount of different
substances as they change from a solid to a liquid or a liquid to a solid.

PLANNING AHEAD
You could search the following sites for useful background information as you prepare to do this lesson:

Chem4Kids
The Exploratorium
Nye Labs

MOTIVATION
Show students a natural sponge that is wet with water. Move around the room and let students touch and
look at it closely.

Ask students:

What will happen to this wet sponge if I let it sit out in the air for a long time?
What will happen to the water?
Explain to students that they will be looking at water to try to see what happens to the water if it is left out
over time.

DEVELOPMENT
Ask students:

Have you ever played in puddles outside on the sidewalk? Have you ever gone back the next day to play
again? Were the puddles there?
If you get your clothes wet at the drinking fountain, what happens to those clothes over time?
Can you think of any other things like this that have happened around you?

Show students a coffee can filled halfway with water.

 Tell students: "We are going to take two coffee cans with water. We will cover one can and let the other
sit open. We are going to watch the cans. We are going to try to find out what will happen to the water
over time. Your job is to keep a journal that shows the results of what you see happening in each can. We
will try to decide what happens at the end of our study." Divide the students into partners so that they may
work in small groups.
Have students:

1. Mark each can with a colored dot (you may wish to use more than one set of cans to reduce the number
of students working at a can). Show the students the wooden splints. Ask students how the splints could
be used to test what happens to the water level over time.
2. Fill each can with the same amount of water.
3. Have students measure the water levels by dipping their splints into water at the side of the can until it
touches the bottom. They should make a thin line on their splint at the water level. Mark the splints with
the colored dot that matches the coffee can where the measurement was taken.
4. Place the can in a safe area and cover one of the cans. Explain again to the students that one can will
remain covered for the tests.
5. Students should check the cans on a regular basis (daily or every other day). They should use markers
to mark the water levels on their splints. Based on their sticks, the students should draw an illustration
that shows what is happening to the water in the cans over time.
6. Have each group glue its marked sticks to a piece of construction paper. After the sticks have been
glued, students should label each of the lines for the days of measurements taken. The students should
use this to help them answer and understand the following questions.
At the end of the study, ask students:

What happened to the level of the water in the closed can?

What happened to the level of the water in the open can?
Is there a difference in what we saw happen between the two cans? What is the difference?
What did we do that was different with the cans?
What if we used jars instead of cans? Do you think our result would be different? Why or why not?

At a later time, have students repeat this study using sponges that are wet with 1/4 cup of water. Students
can squeeze out the water into the measuring cup to check the water level.

Ask students:

What happened to the sponge in the closed can?

What happened to the sponge in the open can?
Is there a difference between the sponges in the two cans? What is the difference?
Why do you think we used a closed can?
Why do you think we used an opened can?
What might be different about an open can than a closed can?
Have students draw the results of what happened to the wet sponges in the second study. Tell them to be
prepared to share and describe their drawings.
 ASSESSMENT
Have students share their diagrams and describe the results that they saw for each of the studies. In both
cases of the open can, what happened to the water in it? What happened to the water in the closed can?
If you had a glass of water that you wanted to save, should you leave it opened or closed? Why?

Ask students to write/share a brief response to the following scenario. "You are at a pool. You notice a
puddle at the side of the pool and splash in it for a little while. Next you go and swim for a long time.
When you go back to the puddle, what do you think will have happened to it? Draw a picture that
illustrates what has happened."

EXTENSIONS
See the final Science NetLinks lesson in this series, entitled Water 3: Melting and Freezing.
Read Puddles by Jonathan London (illustrations by G. Brian Karas) and ask students the following
questions:
Where did the puddles and baby rivers come from?
What will happen to the puddles over time?
Will it take longer for this to happen to the big puddles or the small puddles? Why do you think this?
What will happen to the wet grass over time?
What will happen to the mud?
You go out into grass early in the morning and your shoes get wet. Later in the afternoon you notice that
your shoes do not get wet. What happened to the water/dew that was on the grass?
If the children in the story had left their coats out in the rainstorm, what would have happened to their
coats if they were left outside over time? What if the coat was put into a plastic bag and shut? Would this
still happen? Why or why not?

Water 3: Melting and

Freezing
MATERIALS
Ziploc baggies
water/ice
chocolate chips
margarine
paper towels
scale/balance
 Photo Credit: Clipart.com.

PURPOSE
To explore what happens to the amount of different substances as they change from a solid to a liquid or
a liquid to solid.

CONTEXT
This lesson is the third in a three-part series that addresses a concept that is central to the understanding
of the water cyclethat water is able to take many forms but is still water. This series of lessons is
designed to prepare students to understand that most substances may exist as solids, liquids, or gases
depending on the temperature, pressure, and nature of that substance. This knowledge is critical to
understanding that water in our world is constantly cycling as a solid, liquid, or gas.

In these lessons, students will observe, measure, and describe water as it changes state. It is important
to note that students at this level "...should become familiar with the freezing of water and melting of ice
(with no change in weight), the disappearance of wetness into the air, and the appearance of water on
cold surfaces. Evaporation and condensation will mean nothing different from disappearance and
appearance, perhaps for several years, until students begin to understand that the evaporated water is
still present in the form of invisibly small molecules." (Benchmarks for Science Literacy, pp. 66-67.)

In Water 1: Water and Ice, students explored how water can change from solid to liquid and back again.

In Water 2: Disappearing Water, students focused on the concept that water can go back and forth from
one form to another and the amount of water will remain the same.

In this lesson, students will investigate how melting and freezing impact three everyday items: water,
chocolate, and margarine. They will be introduced to the concept of conservation of matter. They will
experience that when a substance changes from a solid to a liquid, the amount (weight) does not change.

Please bear in mind that while water is a single substance, margarine and chocolate are not. Therefore, it
is important that discussion be focused on the amount of the substances, not on their characteristics. For
example, water has a specific freezing and melting point, whereas margarine and chocolate do not. And
while you can melt and freeze water indefinitely without any noticeable changes, the same is not true of
margarine and chocolate.

PLANNING AHEAD
You could search the following sites for useful background information as you prepare to do this lesson:
 Chem4Kids
The Exploratorium
Nye Labs

MOTIVATION
Ask students the following questions:

Has anyone ever eaten ice cream on a hot summer day? What happens to it if it is not eaten?
Have you ever left a glass of ice water out on the table? What happened to the ice?
Have you ever noticed what happens to frozen objects as they heat up?
What happens to the amount of a substance if it is changed from a solid to a liquid?
Next, show students a baggie filled with ice. Ask students to predict what will happen to the substance
(including to the amount of it) over time. This should be done in an open, large group format, and you
should record a list of the students' predictions.

DEVELOPMENT
Break students into small groups and give them a Ziploc baggie, ice, paper towels, and a scale or
balance.

Have students put the ice into the baggie and seal it. Have them record their observations of the ice at
this time, and then record the weight of the bag of ice. Have students take turns holding the bag in their
hands, wiping the outside of the bag as necessary to get rid of any moisture.

Ask students:

What do you see?

What is happening to the ice?
Why is this happening to the ice?
What do you think is happening to the amount of ice?
Have students weigh the bags of ice again.

Ask students:

What happened to the amount?

Does the ice look the same as it did in the beginning? How is it different?
Allow the solid to completely change to a liquid, and have students wipe the bag and weigh it again. If
time allows (and there is a freezer available), put the baggies into the freezer to solidify the liquid. Then
wipe the bags and weigh them a final time.
 Ask students:

Does the amount of water change when it changes from a solid (ice) to a liquid?
Does the amount of water change when it changes from a liquid to a solid?
Imagine that a younger friend has just told you that the amount of ice is gone because she saw it melt.
How would you explain her mistake to her?
How would you explain what you observed to someone who did not perform this experiment?

At a later time perform this same experiment with chocolate chips. Have students hold the baggie in their
hands to melt the chocolate chips.

Ask students:

What happened to the amount of chocolate chips as they melted?

What happened to the amount of chocolate chips as they changed to a solid?
Did you expect this? Why or why not?
If you took a cake and cut it into pieces, would the amount of the cut cake be more, less, or the same as
the uncut cake? Draw a picture of both cakes that explains your answer. Be prepared to explain your
drawing.

At a later time perform this experiment with margarine. Have students hold the baggie in their hands to
melt the margarine.

Ask students:

What happened to the amount of margarine as it changed from a solid to a liquid?

What happened to the amount of margarine as it changed from a liquid to a solid?
At dinner you see a bowl of vegetables on the table with a pat of margarine on the top. As the margarine
melts into the vegetables, what happens to the amount?

ASSESSMENT
Revisit the predictions that students made in the Motivation of this lesson. Discuss how their predictions
related to actual experiences with the substances.

Next, have each of the students respond to the following prompt:

 You leave a bowl outside overnight. It snows and fills the bowl. You notice the bowl in the morning and
leave it. The snow melts as the temperature increases. Diagram what happens to the snow as it melts. Be
prepared to explain if you were to put the bowl on a scale what would happen to the amount of water.

EXTENSIONS
Read the story, White Snow Bright Snow by Alvin Tresselt to the class.
Ask students:

What is snow?
What happened to the snow as the temperature increased?
Did the amount change as the snow melted and turned to a liquid?
Why did the snowman appear to get smaller? What was really happening to him? Did the amount of the
snowman really change? Why or why not?