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The Ripple Effect: A Study of Water

Grade 2, Science

Description of Unit

Students will learn about the properties of water and issues surrounding the quality and quantity of water sources. Students will investigate a local water supply and discuss ways to conserve water and limit pollution. They will conduct a study of their own water usage in order to develop a solution for preserving the local water supply.

This guide links the The Ripple Effect: A Study of Water unit to the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) for second graders. The Ripple Effect: A Study of Water is a science/social studies unit that allows students to explore the properties of water, local water supplies, and sources of water pollution. Though a science/social studies unit, The Ripple Effect: A Study of Water also leads students to practice skills in the other subject areas of English language arts and mathematics. For example, students will prepare to speak appropriately to different audiences as described in the English Language Arts and Reading TEKS. They will also use patterns to describe relationships and make predictions, as described in the Mathematics TEKS. The following document includes the applicable TEKS and the details of The Ripple Effect: A Study of Water unit. The final section of this document presents the applicable Texas College and Career Readiness Standards adopted by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board (THECB) on January 24, 2008.

Phase I. Learning Experiences

  1. Use Water, Water Everywhere by Mark J. Rauzon to introduce the importance of water to the class. Introduce the concept of “water is everywhere.”
  2. Create a KWL chart to show what students already know and what they want to learn. Talk about how much water makes up the human body, earth, and other common objects. Also discuss the physical and chemical properties of water.
  3. Discuss various water sources. How do we get the water we use for cooking, drinking, and bathing? Does it all come from the same place? Compare your local community to another community that your class has studied.
  4. Brainstorm ways that you use water. Each student keeps a diary of his/her family’s water usage (e.g., number of showers, how much water they drink, how much time they spend watering the lawn) for a week. As a class, compare water usage across households. What did students learn?What is the class average amount of water usage? How does water usage compare? Discuss things that can be done to help conserve water in the home.
  5. Think about different sources of water pollution. Look for pollutants at home or in the school. Students will make a list of possible pollutants. Conduct an experiment on pollution and water. Add different pollutants, such as oil or acid, to different containers of water (plus a control container). What do students notice? How do the characteristics of the water change? Add water fleas. What differences do they see? What happens to the water fleas? How do the pollutants get from your home or school to the water source? What changes can you make?
  6. Choose a local water supply to examine. This supply can be as small as a neighborhood pond or as large as an aquifer or other source for drinking water in the area. Look at the history of the source, geography, uses, and potential pollutants. Take a field trip to the water source, or invite a guest speaker to discuss the issue with students.

Phase II. Independent Research

A. Research process

  1. Selecting a topic. Each student chooses an important issue involving water which they would like to investigate; for example: conservation, pollution, or filtration.
  2. Asking guiding questions. What does the student hope to learn about the chosen issue?
  3. Conducting the research. Possible sources of data include experiments, surveys, interviews, and literature reviews.
  4. Drawing conclusions. What has the student learned about the issue he/she researched?

B. The product

Each student completes ONE of the following product options:

  1. Work in small groups or individually to create a public service announcement (PSA) that addresses important issues with water, such as conservation or pollution. Include some useful tips for protecting the water source. If working in groups, each student should make a significant contribution to the PSA.
  2. Develop an invention, idea, or plan for conserving water or creating less pollution. Design a plan to market the invention to homes in the community through the creation of mockup posters, brochures, or websites. Discuss how the invention should be used to address the problem.

C. Communication

The student presents the PSA or invention to an audience. The student talks about what he/she has learned and ways he/she can help preserve the local water supply.

D. A completed project consists of:

  1. Research log, note cards, and/or research process sheets
  2. PSA in audiotape or videotape format, or invention
  3. Marketing materials for invention, including brochures, mockup posters, or website list
  4. Works Cited Page
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