Uses of Water and the Water Cycle

Experiments:
Water cycle in a jar
Easy lesson with jar, sponge, and water
Evaporación
Condensación
Tu propio ciclo de agua

Literature Links:
Uses of Water online audio book
Down Comes the Rain by Franklyn M. Branley
The Watering Hole by Grame Base
The Puddle Pail by Elisa Kleven
The Snowflake: A Water Cycle Story by Neil Waldman

Poem and chants:
English   
Spanish

Student Information sites:
The Water Cycle
USGS for kids - Click the diagram for information about each part.
Water Cycle Interactive

Información en español:
El agua (nivel alto)
La lluvia
El ciclo de agua
Aprender sobre el agua

Soil

What students need to know about soil:

K, 1st, 2nd 
Observe and describe properties of soil such as color and texture.  Give examples of how we use soil.  Plants need soil to grow.

3rd, 4th
Identify and describe the importance of earth materials including soil and classify them as renewable, nonrenewable, or inexhaustible resources. Identify and record properties of soils such as color and texture, capacity to retain water, and ability to support the growth of plants

Lab Activities
Edible Model of Soil Layers
Size of Particles in Soil to be followed by Soil Sizes
Sponge model of water retention of soil
Soil Filters Ground Water - Also use to show how some soils hold (retain) water better than others.

Online Facts and Readings
Minerals in Soil - Click to see how minerals are in each layer of rock and soil.
Types of Earth's Soils - Click and read about each one.
Facts about Soil
Sammy Soil - As you read the book to the class, ask them to be on the lookout for examples of erosion and how trees are helpful to soil.
Soil Forming Factors
El suelo - SPANISH!!!
Tipos de suelo - SPANISH!!!

Interactive Sites
Soil Safari - Dig inside the soil and explore what you find.

Glaciers

Engage:  Video Segment & Partner Discussion
Watch the video segment “Glaciers” (03 mins 02 seconds) from the United Streaming Video titled “Alaska: Most Extreme.” In partners, have students discuss if  they would like to try the sport of glacier surfing. What dangers are there?

Explore:  Glacial Landforms Lab

Explain:  Glacier Simulation - This is AWESOME!!!!
*  Click "Run Now!"  It will open in Java. 
*  Manipulate variables such as air temperature and amount of snowfall to see their effect on glacier size and flow.  In the "Advanced" tab it will allow you to show graphs of variables and students can observe things like:  as temperature increases, the glacier recedes;  as temperature decreases, the glacier grows.
*  Make sure you decrease the temperature and then increase it.  Notice where the sediments are deposited.
*  Have students draw conclusions about relationships between variables and record them in their science notebooks.

Explain: "Life Cycle" of a Glacier
* Read the story out loud.  Students fold a sheet of paper in fourths.  Stop at the end of each paragraph and let them draw and label with a caption what they have heard/learned about that stage of a glaciers growth.

Elaborate: Glacier Research
Students can research a glacier of their choice.  Is it receding? growing? What do scientists know about their glacier in terms of snowfall? average temperature? What lives on/near their glacier?  What questions do they have about their glacier?
Websites to help:  Glaciers Online, Glacier Runoff Research (includes map links using google earth!)

Math Connection:  Comparing Areas  and/or  Looking at Fractions
Even if you haven't officially taught area yet in math, why not introduce it so students get an idea about it?  Use information from this chart.  Depending on grade level, you may want to pre-round the decimal numbers to the nearest whole number. Use graph paper to cut out scaled areas (for example, each graph square = 10 or 100 square kilometers).  Cut, glue and label them on a sheet of paper so students can compare the area of glaciers. You can also choose one state and shade an area of total glaciers versus a total area of the state.  Then place the glacier area on top of the total state's area.  (If you round to whole squares, you may even turn this into a fraction lesson!  What fraction of of Washington is covered in glaciers?  450 / 184,800 sq. km. 

Please post a comment with ideas, suggestions, questions, or share what you like to do to teach about glaciers!

Choice Boards

In working on choice boards, students are being productive and applying skills they have learned in reading, writing, and science. Make sure students understand what is expected on the choice board. Projects shouldn't require a lot of explanation. For example, if it has "pamphlet" as an option, students need to know what a pamphlet is.

Vocabulary My Way - created by Carolyn Dawson
4-Choice Vocabulary - created by Carolyn Dawson
States of Matter - created by Carolyn Dawson
Energy - created by Carolyn Dawson
Energy Sources - created by Stephanie Means
Earth, Sun, and Moon - created by Stephanie Means
This book has project ideas to use Differentiating Instruction with Menus: Science by Laurie E. WestPhal

Do you have any choice boards you would like to share? Please post a comment with your advice, questions, or ideas  :-)

Musical/Rhythmic Intelligence in Science

In an effort to reach all your learners, here are some ideas of how to reach the muscial/rhythmic intelligence with science.  Also, using songs and poems can improve reading fluency and expression.

Free science lyrics/poems:
Kids Know It
Science Raps (grades 4-12) (Note: lyrics and clips are free, songs available for purchase)
Force and Motion Poem - The Door
Magnetism Poems and Song
Body Systems Poems
Electricity Chant

Songs to Purchase/Download:
Kid-style:  Musically Aligned  (K-5)  Earth -  Physical -  Life 
Various styles (mostly kid-style):  Songs for Teaching (K-5)
Rap-style: Educational Rap (grades 3-12)
Rap-style: Flocabulary  (gr. 4-12)

Anchor Activities and Choice Boards:
As one choice on your choice board or as an anchor activity, students can choose to create a poem or song about a science concept.  Here are some criteria to use as a guide to making a rubric.
1.  Science concept is clearly represented and explained
2.  Song has a rhythm or melody.  Poem has appropriate format.
3.  has auditory appeal (can be sung or chanted)
4.  rich science vocabulary

Rockin' out!

Rock Cycle lessons:
Tasty Rocks * (Thanks, Doris!)
Ride the Rock Cycle
Rock and Rap CD - Elaboration activity

Websites:
Rock Hounds
Identifying Rocks - Info for Teachers
Minerology 4 Kids: The Rock Cycle
Online Rock Cycle Diagram Labeling
Uses of Minerals

Rock Cycle Animations:
Rock Cycle with Volcano
Metamorphic Rock Formation
Sedimentary Rock Formation

Rock Cycle Songs:
Rock Cycle Song - to the tune of Row, Row, Row Your Boat
Ricky the Rapping Rock - Slideshow with a beat.  Rap to the beat.

Rock Cycle literature links:
Magic School Bus: Inside the Earth by Joanna Cole
Rocks in his Head by Carol Otis Hurst
Everybody Needs a Rock by Byrd Baylor  (** Then, go rock hunting with your students outside and have them observe and describe the physical properties of their rock.)

PBS Kids - Sid the Science Kid

 Sid the Science Kid  is a television show on PBS geared towards preschool and kindergarten.  (But I think 1st and 2nd graders would like it, too!)   Every episode follows the scientific method.  Sid starts every episode with a question he is wondering about.  He takes his question to school and he and his classmates investigate and explore the concept.  His teacher, Miss Susie, then explains the concept (usually through song) and real world connections.  When Sid returns home, he tells his grandma and parents what he learned.  At bedtime, he reflects on what he learned about science today.

They don't have full episodes online but here are many songs and investigations played in Flash to go along with science content.   There are songs and investigations on tools & measurement, transformations of matter, senses, health, simple machines, backyard science, human body, and weather.

How do you fit science in? - 4th grade

This one goes out to 4th grade teachers!   So, I know this post isn't directly about science content.  But by injecting social studies into language arts anchor activities, you will have more time for hands-on science later in the day.  If your partner teaches social studies and you don't, please share this. There is no sense in working any harder than we already do!  These activities address the 4th grade Social Studies TEKS.  The anchor activities target reading skills, the use of graphic organizers, and critical thinking.  The projects align with multiple intelligences. 

Texas Geography and Regions
        7 activities and 9 project choices

The First Texans and Native Americans
        7 actvities, 8 project choices, 10 articles for Toolkit.

Texas Exploration and Colonization
        8 activities, 9 project choices

If they build it, they will learn!

TEKS K.6DE, 1.6CD, 2.6AB, 3.5AB, 4.5AB

Kindergarten, 1st, and 2nd grade focus using parts of objects to make a whole.  Other grades go on to use that knowledge to conclude things about systems when parts are removed. I thought these were some neat toys (for rainy-day recess or reward time for your students, or even as an anchor activity with structured question cards).  While they build, ask them questions about what they build and which parts are essential.  Also, ask about how parts can be rearranged to build something new.

K'NEX vehicle kits - $3 each +tax/shipping from their website
Toys R' Us website - legos/block kits starting at $7
Lego Crazy Action Contraptions $15+ on Amazon
Klutz Lego Action Contractions $15 on Amazon
SuperStructs -kits from $20+ from their website