Utz Rocks

Content Standards: 

S6E3:  Students will recognize the significant role of water in Earth processes.

Elements:

S6E3.a:  Explain that a large portion of the Earth’s surface is water, consistingof oceans, rivers lakes, underground water, and ice.

S6E3.b:  Relate varous atmospheric conditions to stages of the water cycle.

S6E3.c:  Describe the composition, location, and subsurface topography of the world’s oceans.

S6E3.d:  Explain the causes of waves, currents, and tides.

Standards for Characteristics of Sciences:

S6CS6.c:  Organize scientific information using appropriate tables, charts, and graphs, and identifying relationships they reveal.

Here are some of the activities  we will do the help you learn about Earth’s water.  You will hear the story of Magic Schoolbus Wet All Over and relate the story to the steps of the water cycle.  You’ll participate in a “bead” lab which takes you through the water cycle, and then you’ll draw a picture story of your unique trip.  You will also see a demonstration to show you how water is distributed on Earth’s surface.  You will read parts of chapters 11, 13 and 14.  You will fill out a graph based on sonar readings to help you get a “picture” of the ocean floor.  You’ll find out about currents by investigating the path of Nike tennis shoes which were accidentally dumped into the ocean.   You see how warm water compares to cold water and then relate that to currents in the ocean.  Finally, you’ll study how waves and tides are formed and how they affect the Earth.

This unit will last approximately 4 weeks.