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Experiments
T his lesson plan, based on the topic water and
its cycle, is aimed at elementary and pre-
intermediate students. The activities presented
offer the opportunity to learn and experience the
Ask students to
draw the same
pictures you used
on the board and
water cycle as real scientists do. Students will be explain the water
able to describe each experiment using proper and specific cycle in their
vocabulary (for example: ice, bubble, clouds, rain, folders. They will now have the theory and the new vocabulary
condensation, evaporation, water cycle, soak, dry, etc.) written as an individual activity. Elicit places in which they
Students may also create a glossary with vocabulary learnt may find water (lake, pond, river, ice, glaciers, etc.) Then, ask
in the experiments. They can learn to explain the procedure about the states in which water may be found: Is it only found
to reach a result. It is a great opportunity to become in liquid state? Using the drawings on the board as reference,
scientists and see science as a way to learn facts about explain that when water evaporates, it is found in the state of
nature. gas and ask What about solid? Is it possible to find water in
solid state? When? Is it possible to see water in solid state turn
Objectives into liquid state? How? By the end of this discussion, each kid
may create a glossary with the specific vocabulary learnt. It is
4 To introduce the topic water cycle and the states of water.
a good idea to draw and not to write down the meaning of the
4 To learn topic-related vocabulary. word as in a dictionary. For example: GLOSSARY
4 To develop listening comprehension skills.
4 To learn about facts of nature and to be able to explain an CLOUDS RAIN
experiment following the scientific method.
Pre-Task In this way, the glossary will be more colourful and appealing
to a kid and they will learn new vocabulary in an easier way.
Have on the board some drawings (clouds, sun, lake, river,
three arrows and rain). Divide the class into groups. Ask them By the end of this activity, they will be able to describe the
to think and provide a theory on how rains forms. They may water cycle.
not know all the vocabulary needed, like condensation. If they
ask about specific vocabulary, answer and write the new words Becoming Scientists
on the board for future reference. After five minutes, each
group presents its theory using the drawings on the board. Each kid is given the possibility to become a scientist. Give
When each group finishes, it is time to see if they were close to every student a copy of each experiment. You will find all
the correct answer. Put poster 2 on the board, students can experiments on pages 8 and 9. Decide whether you want
self-correct. students to work in pairs or in groups. After they have finished
the experiments, they share the results both orally and in
written form.
Tasks
To make the activity more challenging, ask students what they
Show the video at [Link]
think may happen once they have read the experiment
and listen to it very carefully. Each group finds similarities
instructions. Then, ask them if their presumptions were right.
between the song and their own theory. Sing the song for fun.
Hope you have fun doing experiments together with your
For more references, you can watch
students.
[Link]
Juliana Lujan Tomas
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Level: Elementary Age: Young learners
THE WATER CYCLE
A) The water cycle.
B) Becoming scientists.
Experiment 1
Materials Procedure Hypothesis Draw
-Piece of cloth -Soak the piece -How long did it take to
-Water of cloth in dry? Why do you think so?
-Peg water. Why do you think that
-Big bowl -Leave it outside cotton takes longer to
-Rope under the sun. dry?
Write a short paragraph
about it.
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Experiment 2
Materials Procedure Hypothesis Draw
-Juice powder -Put some powder inside -Is it possible to dissolve a solid into a
-Water a glass and pour some liquid? Is it possible to evaporate a solid
-Glass water. once it is dissolved? Is there a way to have
-Spoon -Stir the water with the something solid out of a liquid once the
-Pencil (to spoon to dissolve the liquid is gone? Draw your conclusions.
record) powder.
-Leave it under the sun.
Experiment 3
Materials Procedure Hypothesis Draw
-One ice cube -Fill the glass to the top with warm -What do you think is going
-Warm water water. to happen? Will the ice cube
-Glass -Gently place the ice cube inside melt? Did the water spill?
-Pencil (to the glass as it is filled over the edge. Why or why not?
record) -Observe what happens when the -What happens when the ice
melts? Draw conclusions.
ice melts. For further observation,
you can record the level of water in
the glass before and after the ice
melts.
Experiment 4
Materials Procedure Hypothesis Draw
-Glass or cup -Put water into the -What do you think is
-Water glass or cup and going to happen? Will
-Marker mark with a line the ice level be the
-Pencil (to record) the level of water. same as the water
-Put the glass or level? Draw
cup in the freezer conclusions.
until it becomes
solid.
Experiment 5 Only teachers may follow this procedure.
Kids just observe as it is dangerous (hot water).
Materials Procedure Hypothesis Draw
-Kettle with hot -Have some water boiled in a Where do you see water?
water kettle. What can you see on the
-Cold Plate -Hold the plate on top of the plate? Where does that
-Bowl kettle pouring steam. water come from? How do
-Piece of cloth -Show the cloud and steam we call the gap between
to hold the that the spout pours. the kettle and the plate?
kettle -Collect with the bowl the What is there in the bowl?
-Pencil (to condensation (drops of water) And where does it come
record) of the water on the plate. from?
C) Find pictures of water in the three states in magazines. Cut them out and classify them into: liquid water,
water vapour, ice.
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Level: Beginner Age: Young Learners
SOLID, LIQUID OR GAS
A) Match the objects to the word.
SOLID
LIQUID
GAS
B) Watch a story about the water cycle at
[Link]
Now, complete the drawing.
-Evaporation
-Collection
-Precipitation
-Transpiration
-Percolation
-Surface run-off
C) Environment Day. 2
2 2
5th June is Environment day. 2
Let´s colour our planet Earth. 4 5 7
1
6
1- Red 5 5 5
2- Green 5 5 1
6
3- Blue 5
7
4- Purple 5 4 2
5- Pink
6- White 3 2
3
7- Yellow
2
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Level: Elementary Age: Pre-teens
SOLID, LIQUID OR GAS
A) Fill in the missing spaces with the words from the chart below.
All materials are either solid, ________or gas. gas liquid solid
A brick, chocolate and wood are all _____________.
Solids can be ______. They have a definite ___________
poured shape gases
The molecules that make up a solid are packed _________
together.
Milk and syrup are _______. Liquids can be______and take the shape
held invisible liquid
of the ___________they are in.
Steam, helium and carbon dioxide are all ______. Gases are mostly _________
tightly spaces liquid
They will fill empty ___________. Steam is a ________, water is a__________
and ice is a ____________.
container solid
B) What do we use water for? Write sentences.
1)------------------------------------
We use water for 2) We
------------------------------------
3) We
------------------------------------
4) We
------------------------------------
watering plants.
------------------------------------ ------------------------------------ ------------------------------------ ------------------------------------
------------------------------------ ------------------------------------ ------------------------------------ ------------------------------------
------------------------------------ ------------------------------------ ------------------------------------ ------------------------------------
------------------------------------ ------------------------------------ ------------------------------------ ------------------------------------
C) List as many examples of liquids, solids and gases as you can think of.
SOLID:
LIQUID:
GAS:
after exercise, 4) We use water for washing our bodies.
Key: A) liquid, solid, held, shape, tightly, liquid, poured, container, gases, invisible, spaces, gas, liquid, solid; B) 2) We use water for cooking, 3) We drink water
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