During this Unit, students will conduct several investigations focused on the process of the water cycle and how that process can be polluted by contaminants. Through experimentation and observation, students will explore the four phases of the water cycle – evaporation, condensation, precipitation, and collection – and investigate how the effects of pollution relate to their entrance into the water cycle.
This Unit will broaden students’ knowledge of the water cycle and the effects of water pollution, enabling them to have a greater understanding of and appreciation for the importance of conserving this resource and preserving the water cycle process. This greater understanding will better enable students to incorporate ways to protect the quality of water resources by practicing safe disposal methods of contaminants and by better managing their water use.
Conceptual Themes addressed in this Unit:
- Cycles
- Changes and Reactions
- Energy