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Water for Life (or My BFF)

Learning Experience 1

Big Idea

Water plays a vital role in our everyday lives, and the lives of all living things.

Summary

Water is essential for all living organisms. Students will explore the many ways they feel connected to water

Engage

What is IT?
Students will examine a set of Water Issue Cards that describe the qualities of water without identifying what “it” is. Students may work in small groups using the cards to gather clues, or as a whole class, writing their ideas as they gain more information.

Linked in the Student Materials section are two slide decks. One is the pdf with 2 cards per slide. The other is a version with a single card per slide. Each card may be used for discussion starters. Use whichever resource format fits your needs. Presenting to the class, sending out via Google Classroom, etc.

Water Wonders is a quick activity from Project Learning Tree about the natural water cycle.  Students move around 7 destination stations, guided by the number rolled on a die. Note: This activity is focused on forests. It can be adapted for urban forest environments.

A slide deck is available in the materials section with the student worksheets for this activity and the instructions for each destination station. Student materials are linked in the student worksheets menu.

Explore and Explain

In this activity students move through learning stations to explore different aspects of water in our world, culture, and daily lives.

This may be done as small group learning stations or as whole class activities.

Have students create (personalize!) individual Watershed Journals to use throughout the Unit.

Learning Station Instruction cards describe each station activity and set up.

A slide deck may be used to guide students through each station.

Elaborate

Writing about Water

A selection of poems about water are available in the Materials menu on the right menu, but feel free to use your own favorites.

Students may write a Love Letter, concrete poem, haiku, or song to water.

Water and Art

Take a walk to a nearby body of water. Bring drawing or painting supplies. Create a landscape painting and/or a drawing. If students are not able to draw while outside, partner with the art teacher to collaborate on this activity.

Look out the window to the school yard. Add an imaginary water element to the scene. Create a pencil sketch and then add color.

Revisit the Paintings explored during the stations activities. Look for how the artists used color and texture to create their water scene.   Painting and Photographs

Additional Paintings and support lesson plans:
Thomas Eakins. Biglin Brothers Racing (on the Schuylkill)
Winslow Homer. The Life Line (painting)  The Life Line painting is on view at the Philadelphia Museum of Art. A Lesson Plan from the Art Museum is available.
The Beauty of Japanese Water (Google Arts and Culture). Compare/contrast styles, media, and settings with western artists

Extension

English Language Learners may make a video with each student naming the word for water in their native language and describing how they use water in their countries of origin.

Students may share images and art of water from their home countries. Encourage them to share events and traditions that involve water.

Students may have stories, myths, folktales that describe the importance of water.

Next Learning Experience

Teacher Support

Essential Question: What is the Value of Water?

Guiding Questions:
How is water accessed around the world?
How do I use water?
How is water depicted in the arts?

Students will be able to:

Express their connection to water through a medium of their choice.

Engage:

Water Issue Cards
Water Wonders

Explore and Explain:

Learning Station Instruction Cards
Global Awareness Fact Sheet
Paintings and Photographs
Writing Utensils
Large Lined Post-It Paper or Chart Paper
Index Cards and Box
Watershed Journal
Writing Utensils
Empty Bucket
½ full glass of water
Water Audio Clips
National Geographic Video: Hurricanes 101
National Geographic Video: Tsunami 101
Device to play video and audio

Elaborate:

Poems:
A Divine Cascade by Connie Marcum Wong
By the Stream by Paul Laurence Dunbar
Let the Rain Fall by Kelly Deschler
Ode to Mi Gato by Gary Soto
The Waterfall by Jesse Belle Rittenhouse
Water by Ralph Waldo Emerson
Waterfalls by Angel Plant

Thomas Eakins. Biglin Brothers Racing (on the Schuylkill)
Winslow Homer. The Life Line (painting)  The Life Line painting is on view at the Philadelphia Museum of Art. A Lesson Plan from the Art Museum is available.
The Beauty of Japanese Water (Google Arts and Culture). Compare/contrast styles, media, and settings with western artists

Water Wonders Teachers’ Guide

BASIC WORDS:

Appreciate (verb) To be grateful or thankful for
Environment (noun) The surroundings or conditions in which a person, animal, or plant lives or operates.
Ecology (noun)—the air, water, minerals, organisms and all other external factors surrounding and affecting a given organism at any time
Essential (adjective) Absolutely necessary
Global (adjective) Pertaining to the whole world
Organism (noun) Living thing

ADVANCED WORDS:

Finite (adjective) Having limits or bounds
Hydrate (verb) Cause to absorb water
Dehydrate (verb) To lose or remove water
Population (noun) The total number of persons inhabiting a country, city or any district or area

Read Global Awareness Fact Sheet. Each student or small group selects one fact presented and in the Watershed Journal explains how it applies to themselves, as consumers of water.

Students collaborate on a slide deck that describes how water is viewed, valued, managed in their culture or other cultures

Students may create a poster/PSA/Infographic/Slide Deck explaining the importance of water.

Students express their relationship to water with an Ode to Water or A Love Letter to Water.

Student Materials

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