Introduction
In this Webquest you will be able to discover, analyze, and summarize the water cycle including evaporation, condensation, and precipitation. You will also learn a little bit about NASA's Global Precipitation Measurement (GPM) mission.
Task
1. Students will use reading comprehension skills.
2. Students will know the terms associated with the water cycle: collection, evaporation, condensation, precipitation,
3. Students will differentiate between the states of water and how they relate to the water cycle and weather.
4. Students will be able to explain the water cycle (evaporation, condensation, and precipitation.
5. Students will communicate scientific ideas and activities clearly.
6. Students will locate scientific information in reference books, back issues of newspapers and magazines, and on computer databases.
7. At the end of the lesson each student should be able to reproduce and test at 100%.
8. Students will gain some insight into why NASA is studying Earths precipitation patterns and what effects it has on us.
Process
The first website is an unlabeled diagram of the water cycle. Print it out and complete it, then use it to study the water cycle. http://www.zoomstore.com/geology/label/watercycle/
The second website is a diagram of the water cycle with more information. Read all the information and use it to fill out the unlabeled diagram from the first website. http://www.windows2universe.org/earth/Water/water_cycle.html
The third website is a video on the water cycle. HIt the auto button and watch the video for a better understanding and visualization of the water cycle. http://epa.gov/safewater/kids/flash/flash_watercycle.html
The fourth website is an introductory video about the Global Precipitation Measurement (GPM) mission to give you a sense of what it will do and why the science behind it is so important. http://pmm.nasa.gov/education/videos/gpm-freshwater-connection
Another website you may want to check out for more information is http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/Features/Water/. This article is a little advanced and is therefore not required for this assignment. I have included it strictly for those of you who would like to know more.
Evaluation
A student capture sheet will be handed out with questions pretaining to each link provided (excluding the last optional link). Each student is required to answer all the questions and turn it in.
Students will write a paper on the Water Cycle. What it is, why its important, and how the information form the GPM is important to our understanding of the Earths water.
Conclusion
What information did you find out about the water cycle?
Did you learn something you did not know before?
To figure out how much you learned, ask yourself these three questions:
- What are the steps of the water cycle?
- Why is the water cycle imporatnt to us as well as nature?
- Why is it important to learn about the water cycle in school?
What is the GPM?
Why is it important to our understanding of the Earths water?