2. MY CLASS
• MY CLASS IS 28 6TH GRADERS FROM TRACY.
• MY CLASS HAS BEEN STUDYING THERMAL ENERGY AND WATER FOR
THE LAST FEW WEEKS, SO THIS LESSON FIT RIGHT IN.
• MY KIDS ALREADY KNOW THAT WATER IS MADE OF MOLECULES.
WHEN THEY HEAT UP THEY MOVE FASTER, AND WHEN THEY ARE
COLD THEY MOVE SLOWER.
• THEY ALSO KNOW THAT MOLECULES IN A SOLID MOVE VERY SLOWLY,
LIQUID IS FASTER, AND GAS IS REALLY FAST.
• THIS ACTIVITY WAS THE PERFECT SIMULATION TO SHOW THEM HOW
MOLECULES MOVE.
4. THEN WE DID A THINK, PAIR, SHARE
WHAT HAPPENS WHEN WATER
EVAPORATES?
WHERE DOES WATER GO?
5. THEN WE TALKED ABOUT THE WATER CYCLE
AND EVEN LISTENED TO THE SONG!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TWb4KlM
6. A GREAT COMPARISON- WE DISCUSSED AS A
CLASS
WATER IS MADE UP OF MILLIONS OF TINY
MOLECULES. A COOKIE APPEARS TO BE ONE SOLID
PIECE, BUT WHEN CRUMBLED IT IS MADE UP OF
MANY TINY PIECES.
7. OUR SIMULATION
• STUDENTS TAKE ON THE ROLES OF WATER IN DIFFERENT STATES.
• SOME STUDENTS WERE SOLIDS, SOME WERE GAS, AND SOME WERE
LIQUID.
SOLID LIQUID GAS
8. CHANGING STATES
• I USED A RED AND BLUE FLASHLIGHT TO HAVE STUDENTS CHANGE
STATES OF THE WATER AND CHANGE THEIR MOLECULE MOVEMENT.
• IF I SHINED A BLUE FLASHLIGHT ON THEM, THEN SLOWED DOWN
THEIR MOVEMENT. IF I SHINED THE RED FLASHLIGHT ON THEM, THEY
WOULD MOVE FASTER AND BUMP INTO EACH OTHER MORE.
• WE DISCUSSED THE REASONS BEHIND THIS, AS MOLECULES SLOW
DOWN AS THEY COOL AND MOVE FASTER AS THEY ARE HEATED UP.
• IT WAS A LITTLE CHAOTIC BUT STUDENTS WERE ABLE TO SEE THE
POINT AND ENJOYED BECOMING THE MOLECULES.
10. This picture shows
all three states of
water: Solid is the
iceberg, Liquid is
the water, Gas is
the Clouds and
evaporation of the
water. The
students really
liked seeing all
three in one
picture, and I had
some “Aha
moments” with this
one.
11. WRITING TASK
• LASTLY, I HAD THE STUDENTS WRITE ABOUT BECOMING A
WATER MOLECULE AND THE JOURNEY THEY MIGHT GO ON.
• THEY WROTE FOR ABOUT TEN MINUTES IN THEIR SCIENCE
JOURNALS AND THEY A FEW STUDENTS SHARED.
• THEY GOT REALLY IMAGINATIVE AND WE HAD SOME GREAT
STORIES.
• THE FOLLOWING SLIDE IS THE PICTURE AND PROMPT I SHOWED
THEM.
12. Imagine yourself as a
water molecule!
Write a story of your
travels and abilities!