Lesson 1: Water and Ice

This is  the first in a three-part series found at the website.  The lesson addresses the understanding  that water comes in different forms. It includes information about the concept of the lesson, motivating students, development of the lesson, assessment, and extensions.  Questions are included to guide class discussion and to uncover student thinking. Students will observe changes of  ice overtime.  Journal entries with drawings and text are made at 15 minute intervals.   During the 15 minute intervals teachers may read  Amazing Water by Melvin Berger, or I am Waterby Jean Marzollo.  After the ice melts students' drawings are posted in sequential order.  Students then place cups of water in a freezer and follow the  procedure used while observing the melting  ice.   Students create a Venn diagram comparing water in its solid and liquid forms.  Questions to be answered in student journals are provided as an assessment.  

Weblink address (URL): 
Lesson 1: Water and Ice

Standards & Objectives

Learning objectives: 

Purpose:

To explore what happens to water as it goes from solid to liquid and back again; to use observation, measurement, and communication skills to describe change.

Essential and guiding questions: 
  • What is in the cup?
  • Describe the ice. What does it look like? Feel like?
  • What is the ice made of?
  • How is ice made?
  • Pour the ice into a container of a different shape or size. What does it look like now? Does it look the same or different? Has the shape of the ice changed? Why do you think that is?
  • What will happen if we leave the ice out on the desk/table? Why? How do you know?How long might this take?
  • What happened to the ice? Why?
  • What is in the cup?
  • How is it like the ice? How is it different from the ice?
  • Describe the water. What does it look like? Feel like? Pour the water into a container of a different shape or size. What does it look like now? Does it look the same or different? Has the shape of the water changed? Why do you think that is?
  • Did the ice change its shape when you poured it into this container? Why or why not?
  • Can you think of something else that we can pour in that will take the shape of the container?
  • Return the water to the glass. Is there any way that we could change this water back to ice? How? How long might this take?
  • Change is happening all around us. There are some changes that happen so quickly or slowly that we cannot see them. Did the change in the water happen slowly or quickly?
  • How long did it take for the ice to turn into water? Do you think that there is any way to speed up this change? How? If time permits, allow students to share and test their ideas.  (Students might suggest and test blow dryer, fan, sunlight, different spots in the room, radiator, salt, stirring it, different container, etc.) 
  • Is there any way to slow down this change?  (different container, insulator, different location in the room, place in the shade, put a fan on it, etc.) How can we compare the rate of change? (Time it, use ice in a plastic cup as a control.) 
  • Can you think of anything else that changes from one form to another? In the kitchen? In the bathtub? How might soap change?
  • How can we make water go from water to ice?
  • How can we make water go from ice to water?
  • Give two examples of where you would see water going back and forth from one form to another.
  • Does the water ever "get tired?" Would we ever get to a point where we couldn't get this change to  appen?

Lesson Variations

Blooms taxonomy level: 
Understanding
Extension suggestions: 

Extensions:

Follow this lesson with the other lessons in the Water series:

Water 2: Disappearing Water

Water 3: Melting and Freezing

Helpful Hints

Materials:

One per group of 3 students:

  • ice
  • clear plastic cups
  • clear plastic container of a different shape or size
  • ice cube tray
  • access to a freezer
  • timer

References

Contributors: 
Diane Vaughn
Originator: 
Ayers Institute for Learning & Innovation