Water Cycle

 Our project is designed to enhance current units and curriculums that teach ecology and the water cycle  Tanya Sterba, Cheshire High School, Cheshire, CT, [email protected]

 Amanda Kostecke, Peabody Veteran’s Memorial High School, Peabody, MA, [email protected]

Introduction

 This unit covers ecology and focuses on the water cycle component   Teachers can use materials in this unit to enhance their traditional methods with technology, our intention is not to replace your labs or assessments Our project provides students with a “hands on” learning approach to water as it changes states through the use of mini-projects and computer simulations

Intended Audiences

 Introductory biology students in the 9 th and 10 th grades  Unit incorporates Connecticut K-12 Content Standards and Massachusetts Science Frameworks  Students must master these standards to pass state exams (CAPT, MCAS)

Adjustments and Adaptations

 Our unit can be enhanced by incorporating terrarium or hydroponics projects  Rubrics can be modified to accommodate varying academic levels  Pacing modifications can easily be made to accelerate advanced groups

Technology

Technology Rich  Students can perform simulations at individual stations  Individual opportunities for data analysis  More use of Excel for graphs and charts Limited Technology  Simulations can be used as demonstrations  Virtual movies can enhance lecture and discussions  Incomplete notes can be used to keep students on task during simulations

Placement in the Curriculum

 Teachers can use this unit to enhance their traditional methods of teaching ecology with technology  The simulabs are provided for enrichment, they do not have to replace wet labs  Students will need previous instruction on how manipulate the simulab programs

Time

 Lesson is intended for a length of five days  Preparation and clean-up time required for this unit are limited according to available materials (see lab write-ups for more detail)  Suggestions to increase efficiency are given in the teacher notes  Follow-up activities can include incorporation of other simulabs throughout the curriculum as well as post lab questions for the simulabs

Electronic Equipment

 At least one computer with VMDL software and TV with appropriate connections or a multimedia projector  Computer labs with VMDL software on each computer (we suggest one computer for every one to two students)

Resources

 Materials are outlined within teacher notes and student labs  Cost is minimized by availability of in-home materials (ie. 2 liter soda bottles, matches, balloons)  Laboratory exercises can be performed in a regular classroom  More information can be located at http://polymer.bu.edu/vmdl/

Internet Resources and Shared Materials

 The Fireproof Balloon: http://scifun.chem.wisc.edu/HOMEEXPTS/FIRE BALLOON.html

 Phase change activities: http://www k12.atmos.wshington.edu/k12/pilot/water_cycle/gr abber2.html

 Terrarium Ideas: http://www.suite101.com/article.cfm/262/2495  Hydroponics OnLine: http://www.hydroponicsonline.com

Goals and Objectives



Massachusetts Frameworks:

6.1

Explain how biotic and abiotic factors cycles in an ecosystem (water, carbon, oxygen, 6.2

nitrogen).

Use a food web to identify and distinguish producers, consumers, and decomposers, and explain the transfer of energy through trophic levels.

Goals and Objectives

Connecticut K-12 Content Standards:

 3.) Students will understand that all organisms in the  biosphere are linked to each other and to their  physical environments by the transfer and  transformation of matter and energy.

8.) Students will understand the water cycle including water transfers, the distribution and characteristics of water, and its influences on human activity.

Enabling Objectives

 Students will identify the levels of organization that ecologists study.

 Students will identify the source of energy for life processes.

 Students will trace the flow of energy through living systems.

 Students will evaluate the efficiency of energy transfer among organisms in an ecosystem.

 Students will explain how nutrients are important in living systems.

Enabling Objectives

Focus on Water Lessons  Students will describe how matter cycles among the living and nonliving parts of an ecosystem.

 Students will manipulate simulations that examines how water is affected by its environment (heat energy).

 Students will develop presentations associated with components of the water cycle.

Instructional Activities

Day One: Introduction to Water  Fireproof Balloon activity – students will observe that properties of water will fireproof a rubber balloon  Teacher-led discussion on water, what it is, what forms it can be found in, etc.

 Close day with a discussion of the Fireproof Balloon  Online Viewers See: Teacher Notes 1, 2, & 3 and Fireproof Balloon Activity

Day Two: Introduction to Sims

 Teacher will demonstrate and explain the use of Virtual Molecular Dynamics Laboratory software  Students will perform simulations that model the balloons with and without water  More discussion of water, now discussing the water cycle and phase changes  Students will share their prior knowledge of water with classmates  Online Viewers See: VMDL Balloon Simulations

Day Three: States of Matter

 Students will use VMDL to observe the states of matter and follow water through its phase changes  Continued discussion of the water cycle  Teacher will describe Mini-Projects and procedure for the next two days  Online Viewers See: VMDL States of Matter and Mini-Projects

Day Four: Water Cycle Centers

 Students will be assigned to groups of four, and one person from each group will complete an activity at the center of their choice  Centers include: Evaporation, Condensation, Precipitation, and Saturation  Students will answer questions for their particular center and will prepare a ½ page summary and a visual for presentations on the following day  Online Viewers See: Teacher Notes 4 & 5

Day Five: Presentations

 Groups will be given no more than ten minutes at the beginning of class to compile all of their visuals and summaries to prepare for a presentation  Presentations will probably be short – Teacher should be prepared to introduce the Nutrient Cycles

Assessments

 Since this unit is designed to coincide with your standard plans, your original assessments should work nicely  An open-ended quiz on the water cycle is included in the unit (See: Water Cycle Quiz)  We have provided rubrics for the Water Cycle presentations and they represent embedded assessments for project  To view these rubrics, see: Water Cycle Presentation Rubric and Water Cycle Rubric Excel