The Water Cycle Song

The Water Cycle Song

Grade Level – 2

Strand – Understanding Matter and Energy: Properties of Liquids and Solids

Topic – Science

Overall Expectations –

ü  Assess ways in which the uses of liquids and solids can have an impact on society and the environment

Specific Expectations –

ü  Relating Science and Technology to Society and the Environment; 1.2 assess the impacts of changes in state of solids and liquids on individuals and society

ü  Developing Investigation and Communication Skills; 2.7 use a variety of form (ex. oral, written, graphic, multimedia, etc.) to communicate with different audiences and for a variety of purposes (ex. use a simple drawing program to write a booklet for the school library describing class experiments in investigating liquids and solids)

Materials required – Class copies of “Water Cycle” by Meish Goldish; Guitar (optional)

Procedure –

ü  Ask the students if they know where rain comes from and what happens to it

ü  Ask the students if they know the song “It’s Raining, It’s Pouring”

ü  Tell them you are going to teach them a new song about rain using that tune

ü  Sing the song to the students

ü  Hand out copies of the song, and read it chorally together

ü  Sing it together

ü  This song could/should be sung before each lesson about water begins

Scientific Explanation –

ü  This activity introduces the students to the properties of liquids in a way that they can relate to through the use of a familiar tune

ü  As the lesson progress and new words are introduced, such as evaporation, condensation, precipitation, and collection, the students will relate what part of the song the given word relates to

References – Associate Teacher, Bev Willick, Hanover Heights Public School; Definitions from Merriam-Webster, Incorporated <http://www.merriam-webster.com/>

Opportunities and other considerations –

ü  ELL students will have the opportunity to learn new vocabulary through the repetition of the song

ü  Students can invent actions to the song, making it their own

Glossary –

Evaporation: to convert into vapor; to expel moisture; diminish quickly; to disappear

Condensation: a chemical reaction involving union between molecules often with elimination of a simple molecule (as water) to form a new more complex compound of often greater molecular weight

Precipitation: the quantity of water deposited; a deposit on the earth of hail, mist, rain, sleet, or snow

Collection: an accumulation of objects gathered for study, comparison, or exhibition or as a hobby

Chord Pattern

C

It’s raining, It’s pouring,

C

The oceans are storing

Dm7

Water from the falling rain

G C

While thunderclouds are roaring

Names of presenters – Lorraine Danton, Melissa Fletcher, and Paul Casola