Introduction

Task

Project

Guidance

Resources

Evaluation

Conclusion

 

Introduction:

Have you ever wondered where all the water you drink comes from? Is the water we have on Earth today the same water that was here millions of years ago? Could you possibly be drinking the same water that George Washington drank centuries ago? 

What about rainwater? Where does it go when it hits the earth? These are all questions related to water. You are going on a journey to become a scientist who specializes in the study of water.  You and your partner(s) will use this WebQuest to solve these mysteries.

Task:

 

Water exists in three states: liquid, as water; solid, as ice; and gas, as steam. Through the ages, people have found ways to use water in all three states, both for work and play. With the group, think of ways we use water, ice, and steam. Use the worksheet titled "Water Collage" to make a list. Then look through magazines, books, or the websites listed below for pictures of people using water. Cut out the pictures or make drawings of them and make a collage showing the ways people use water.

You and your partner will be doing a water activity in a mystery format using Science Court.

Science Court Water Activity Website

Project:

You will be collecting information to create the life story of a drop of water.  Each person will be responsible for gathering information and writing a paragraph about two stages of the water cycle (evaporation, precipitation, condensation, and run-off). Your goal is to create a fictional, illustrated story containing information you have collected. You may use any multimedia program or you may hand write your story.

	Choose a stage of the water cycle: EVAPORATION, CONDENSATION, PRECIPITATION, and RUN-OFF.
	With your partner, visit the websites listed below.
	As you look through these websites, take notes in your journal on important concepts or illustrations dealing with the stage of the water cycle that you have chosen.
	After you have finished your research, each group member will individually summarize his/her results in a paragraph in the journal.
	Come together as a group.  Each member ( in the order the stages occur in the water cycle) will share/discuss a summary of his/her findings.
	As a group, brainstorm possible characters, setting, and plot for your collaborative story.  Although this is a fictional story, it must contain factual information gathered throughout your investigation.
	Write the introduction for your story together using a word processing program.
	Each person is also responsible for writing a paragraph (also using a word processing program) following the drop of water through his/her particular stage of the water cycle.
	When you have finished your paragraph for the story, you will need to include a picture illustrating your part of the story.  You can create this picture in a draw/paint program, and you may include any appropriate clip art you find.
	As a group, pull the components of your story together and create the conclusion.
	Each group will present their finished product with the rest of the class.

Guidance:

	Make sure you spend an adequate amount of time at each website.  There is a lot of valuable information in each of the websites given.
	After brainstorming ideas for your topic, it would be very beneficial to create a mind web that includes the characters, setting,, plot, etc.

Resources:

Evaluation:

How well you work with your group:

Story:

5	The story is cohesive and contains elements of voice, originality, and factual information.
4	The story is cohesive, original, and contains factual information.
3	The story is somewhat cohesive and contains factual information.
2	The story contains factual information, but is not in a cohesive format.
1	The story is completed, but it does not contain any of the above elements.
0	The story is not completed.

Conclusion:

Let's return to the mystery. What do you think? Is the water we have on earth today the same water that was here millions of years ago? Could you possibly be drinking the same water that George Washington drank centuries ago?