This document describes a 6th grade science lesson about water molecules and the water cycle. The teacher discusses key concepts the students already know, such as the three states of water and how molecular movement changes with temperature. During the lesson, students participate in a simulation where some become solid, liquid, or gas water molecules. The teacher uses flashlights to represent heating and cooling, changing the students' molecular movements. After discussing phase changes, students write stories imagining their journey as a water molecule.

1. WATER MOLECULES IN
MOTION
PROJECT WET LESSON
SIXTH GRADE

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.

3. FIRST, WE DISCUSSED…
THERE ARE THREE STATES OF WATER.
IDENTIFY THE CONDITIONS NEEDED FOR
EACH TO EXIST.

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.

9. MOLECULES IN WATER- WE DISCUSSED AGAIN
AND MADE CONNECTIONS TO OUR WORK

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!