Title: the Three Forms of Water

Theme:Planet Water

Title: The Three Forms of Water

Overview: On earth, water can be found in three different forms: solid, liquid, and gas. Water is the only substance found in those three forms in nature. Water changes forms when it is heated or cooled.

Grade Level: 1-3

Subject Matter: Science

Duration: 4 class periods of about 30 minutes each

National Standards Addressed:

Physical Science

Standard B:

Properties of Objects and Materials

Earth and Space Science

Standard D:

Properties of Earth Materials

Objectives:

Students will identify the three forms of water.
Students will name physical properties of ice, water, and steam.
Students will know the effects of heating and cooling of solids, liquids, and gases.

Materials:

Computers with internet access
3 plastic tumblers-one with water, one with ice cubes, one empty
Rubber glove filled with water and frozen
Heating element
Pot (large enough to fit the frozen rubber glove)
Wax paper
Eyedropper, quarter, dime for each student
Glass of water, paper clips, dish detergent

Procedure:

Part 1:

Show the class a clear glass of water and one with ice cubes.
Ask what is in each glass
The relationship between water and ice should come up.
Explain solid, liquid, and gas if the students do not bring that up.
Use the web link below for student information on the 3 forms of water. It is one page:

What Three Forms Can Water Take? – American Water Works Association / Morris County Municipal Utilities Authority

The following web link of student information has more information if the class does not have much prior knowledge:

Water Has Three Different Forms! – Manatee County, Florida / School District

Do class demonstration of activity on this website. It is called “Forms of Water.” (Rubber glove with water in it and frozen is placed in a pot of water and heated.) On paper folded into fourths, have students draw and label what they see happening in the activity:

Water Forms (natural) – Iowa Dept. of Natural Resources

Part 2:

Review the 3 forms of water. Show the plastic tumblers like Part 1. One with ice, water, and a third one empty.
Discuss the shape of a liquid. Pour the water into another container of a different shape, a cube or rectangular prism. Students should see that liquid takes the shape of the container it is in.
Put the ice cubes into another container-the same one as the water can be used. Ask students what they notice about water as a solid and the shape it takes. Students should see that solids keep their shape.
Discuss the empty tumbler. From what they learned yesterday, they should say that it has water as a gas in it. Conclude that water, as a gas, takes the shape of the container it is in.
Tell students that water is made up of molecules. The molecules behave differently depending on what form the water takes.
Do a demonstration of how the molecules move depending on what form the water takes.

Have about 6 students come to an open area of the classroom. Have them spread themselves apart from each other in a random order. Tell them they are the particles in water as a gas. They should move quickly from one place to another. Stay in each place a second or two. Keep a lot of space between themselves and the others. Let them move around for a minute or so.
Next have another group of about 15 students come to the open area of the classroom. They should also separate themselves from each other in random order. They will model the particles in water when it is a liquid. They should be closer to each other than the gas particles were. They will move easily past one another sliding into a space that once was occupied by another student. Let them move around for a minute or so.
Lastly, the whole class can come forward. (If space allows.) Arrange them in a tight, regular pattern. They are modeling how the particles in a solid move. They will not move their feet from their place. They move very little, basically just side to side. They move for a minute or so.

Part 3:

Ask children how water changes from one form to another. (They should mention change in temperature.)
Use lesson 3 from the following website “Water Changes Forms When it is Heated or Cooled”:

Water Has Three Different Forms! – Manatee County, Florida / School District

Discuss ‘fog.’ (Fog is condensed water vapor like a cloud at ground level.)
Ask them to predict what a ‘fog net’ is. Then listen to POP #846 Fog Nets. Afterward discuss what they learned about a fog net. (A fog net is used in places where water is scarce. The water vapor in the air collects on nets. Water is then collected from the nets.)
Discuss the different forms of water in fog nets.
For a second time, listen to POP #846. Listen for details on how the fog net works and what it looks like.
Have each student draw, color, and label a picture of a fog net. They should include: 2 posts, net, trough, and pipe. They also should label water as a gas (water vapor) and a liquid.

Part 4:

Surface Tension

Ask the class what will happen if you drop a penny or stone into a glass of water. Then show them. (The items sink to the bottom of the glass.) Ask what they think will happen when a paper clip is dropped into the glass. Then drop it in the glass. It will sink. Ask them if they think they can get the paper clip to float on the surface. Let individuals try it. Use the website below to explain surface tension:

Surface Tension Experiment – Hometrainingtools.com

Give each student a piece of wax paper and eyedropper. Have children put several drops of water on the wax paper and observe the shape of the water drops. Discuss what they see.
On a sheet of paper each child will predict how many drops of water will fit on quarter and a dime. “The quarter will hold _____ drops of water.”

“The dime will hold _____drops of water.”

Have each child put drops of water on the quarter and count each one. Record the number on the prediction paper. Then do the same with the dime.
Discuss the results with the class. Why did students get different results?

Optional idea:

Another surface tension activity can be found at:

What is Surface Tension? – EPA / Office of Water

Scroll down for more…

Additional Resources

Images

Name: Water Reflections

URL:

Caption: Water reflecting light in Crissy Field.

Credit: Marlith

Name: Watercopter

URL:

Caption: Water is used for fightingwildfires.

Credit: U.S. Dept. of Defense

Name: Irrigation

URL:

Caption: Irrigation of fields crops.

Credit: USDA

Name: Tree in Fog

URL:

Caption: Freezing fog occurs when the water droplets that the fog is composed of are "supercooled". Supercooled water droplets remain in the liquid state until they come into contact with a surface upon which they can freeze. As a result, any object the freezing fog comes into contact with will become coated with ice.

Credit: NOAA

Name: Lake Surface

URL:

Caption: The surface of a freshwater lake in daylight.

Credit: Manage891a3 / Wikipedia

Name: Iceberg 10

URL:

Caption: An iceberg as seen from Newfoundland.

Credit: Carl B. / Wikipedia

Name: Ocean Wave

URL:

Caption: An ocean surface wave crashing into rocks.

Credit: Earth Network Editor

Web Links

What Three Forms Can Water Take? – American Water Works Association / Morris County Municipal Utilities Authority

Water, the Never Ending Story – National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences

Water for Kids – EPA

Water – EPA: Environmental Kid’s Club

Water Has Three Different Forms! – Manatee County, Florida / School District

Round and Round It Goes: The Water Cycle – Environmental Education Kids / Wisconsin Dept. of Natural Resources

Follow a Drop Through the Water Cycle – USGS

Earth’s Water – USGS

Water Phases – Teacher’s Domain / WGBH

What is Surface Tension? – EPA / Office of Water

Surface Tension of Water – Creativekidsathome.com

The Nature of Water: Surface Tension – Environment Canada

Properties of Water – Environment Canada

Water: Nature’s Musician – Environment Canada

Video

Water Surface Tension Experiments for Kids – Expertvillage.com

Animation / Graphics

The Water Cycle (see water cycle in motion) – EPA

Who Owns a Raindrop? (requires flash media)– Cleanwaterways.org

Water Phases – Teacher’s Domain / WGBH

Morphie’s Great Water Ride Adventure – Environment Canada

Articles

“Water Three Phases Are a Key to the Weather” – USA Today

Just For Kids

The Water Cycle (includes forms of water) – Kidszone.com

Water Has Three Different Forms! – Manatee County, Florida / School District

Let’s Weather Together – Planetpals.com

Clean Waterways for Kids

Other

Forms of Water (experiment) – AtoZteacherstuff.com

Water Quiz – Manatee County, Florida / School District

Watershed of Words (PDF - kids’ poetry and stories about water) – Clark County, TX Public Works

Surface Tension Experiment – Hometrainingtools.com

Special thanks to the following scientists for their help with this project:

Pulse of the Planet Programs: # 846 “Fog Nets”

Robert Schenmenauer

Executive Director

Fog Quest

Header Image

Name: Water Reflections

Credit: Marlith