Water
Investigation 1: Water Observations
How This Investigation Fits Within the Concept and Lesson Map:
● This Investigation elicits students ideas about water in general and introduces them to one interesting property of water, surface tension. They also begin to see how water interacts with different materials and how it moves down a slope.
Overarching Question(s) for the Whole Investigation:
● How does water behave in different situations and what are some of its properties?
How People Learn #1: Preconceptions
Eliciting Student Ideas:
● Allow students to share their ideas and experiences with water in the class discussion at the beginning of the first lesson. Use BSD “A Formative Assessment Probe: Your Scientific Study of Water” to facilitate this discussion and recording of student ideas.
Common Student Preconceptions:
● Without directed experiences, children do not recognize that water has identifiable properties that distinguish it from other liquids. Students think that wet means that water is present in or on something. Foss Investigation 1 Folio p. 6-7
How People Learn #2: Facts/Concepts/Knowledge
WA State Content Standards “Science Domains” (EALR 4)
● 2-3 PS2A Objects have properties, including size, weight, hardness, color, shape, texture, and magnetism. Unknown substances can sometimes be identified by their properties.
WA State Science Standards “Crosscutting Concepts and Abilities” (EALRs 1-3)
● 2-3 INQF —Explain— Scientists develop explanations, using observations (evidence) and what they already know about the world. Explanations should be based on evidence from investigations.
Key Understandings For the Teacher:
● The focus of these lessons is to help students identify that water has properties and what some of them are (surface tension, beading, a skin that forms, moves as drops, can be absorbed).
● Surface tension is a property caused by complex molecular interactions and it is not necessary that students have a complete definition at this time. Students may think of it as a property of “stickiness.”
● The movement of water droplets down a slope is driven by gravity, another difficult topic for students to understand at this level. Focus instead on how water moves (beading), not the causes of movement (gravity).
How People Learn #3: Metacognition
Metacognition: How did my thinking change? What caused the change? How did I come to believe this?
● Have students look back at what they recorded during the initial class discussion. Have them make changes and additions to their original work (preconceptions).
● Operationally define vocabulary on the “word bank.”
Suggested Assessments for Student Understanding:
● After each investigation have students update their “A Formative Assessment Probe: Your Scientific Study of Water” with new ideas.
● Water: Survey/Post-Assessment will allow you to assess where your students are at the beginning of the unit with reference to the National Benchmarks concerning water. They will take this assessment again at the end of the unit.
● The Response Sheet for this investigation is not recommended. There is a better assessment provided with these materials: Alternate Water Investigation 1 Response Sheet
● Use Teacher Observation-Assessment Chart from the Foss Assessment Folio for parts 1 and 2
Additional Information
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Materials and Student Management
● The “types” of water can get mixed up, so adding color to them might be useful.
● Make sure all pennies are clean and also free from residual soap. Vinegar works well for this purpose.
● Have students look at the 3 other materials before wax paper, because once they see the interaction with water, they will not want to observe the others.
● There are additional student reading resources that might be more age appropriate than those provided by Foss in the Science Stories.
○ National Geographic Windows on Literacy Series: Water Can Change 2001 and States of Matter 2006
○ Use A Drop of Water by Walter Wick, 1997 to show various pictures that illustrate surface tension (beading).
Timing Considerations
● As outdoor extensions, students can complete the three activities described on the FOSSweb site for FOSS Water under Teacher Resources, Investigation 1 (“Water on Various Surfaces,” “Water on an Outdoor Slope,” and “After a Rainstorm”).
Citations for Student Preconceptions:
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