A glass of water doesn't seem very complicated. Yet water can be a fascinating topic, full of opportunities for hands-on learning. Today's sites includes dozens of activities and experiments for the young and curious ready to learn about the exciting life of a simple drop of water.
The EPA offers a combination of online lessons, games, and three printable curriculum guides for grades K through 12. Make "Games and Online Activities" your first stop, where (despite the title) you'll find educational, illustrated articles on the water cycle, water treatment, conservation tips, water trivia and two word games. For fun projects for home, scout troop, or classroom (such as "Build Your Own Water Cycle" and "Build Your Own Watershed.") visit "Classroom Activities & Experiments."
Evaporation, condensation, precipitation, and collection: this terrific single-page explains it all for lower-elementary students. Best clicks are the five printable activity sheets, available in both color or color-it-yourself black-and-white. The first printable illustrates the entire cycle, and each individual process has its own sheet. You'll find them at the very bottom of the page. For more "Super Simple Science," explore the topics in the horizontal menu at the top of the page.
The U.S.Geological Survey follows a water drip from ocean to cloud and back down again in this site for middle and high-school students. Their beautiful hydrologic (water) cycle diagram is available in English, Spanish, and a bigger version just for printing. Additional water science topics can be found under the rainbow; just click on a cloud! The glossary of water science terms, however, isn't on the rainbow menu. You'll find its link in the lower right-hand corner of each page.
"Are you drinking the same water a dinosaur drank?" This educational module for fourth through sixth graders was crafted by three teachers, in cooperation with NASA. Each module contains an activity (such as making a cloud in a two-liter soda bottle) and a collection of questions to answer. In a classroom, you'll need about two-weeks to cover all the material. Check the teacher's page for more guidance.
In Science Court, you're the judge. Today's case is I.M. Richman (subway rider) v. Pip Peterson (pipe maker.) Richman claims Peterson's leaky pipes are to blame for his slip and fall. Peterson says the puddle on the subway platform was created by condensation, not faulty pipes. Is there really water in the air? Try the two simple experiments, and decide for yourself. Be sure to click on Professor Parsons for an explanation of the water cycle before you answer.
Buy Water Cycle Printable for $2.00
or try a FREE trial of the Printables ClubThe following links are either new discoveries or sites that didn't make it into my newspaper column because of space constraints. Enjoy!
Earth Floor: The Water CycleWater (Cycle) Background Information |
Free Surfnetkids Newsletter ...Get educational website recommendations in your mailbox every week:Our Privacy Pledge: your email address is never shared with anyone. |
Headline Feed | Online Safety Feed | Newsletter Feed
