Due Friday, December 6!
In science class this semester, we studied about the water cycle. If you would like to improve your science grade or just have a little science fun at home, you may choose to do a water cycle project on your own for extra credit. This project is completely optional. Please note that we will not be rotating into another science unit until after the end of the first semester, so this opportunity is especially important for students who did not receive a grade they were happy with at progress report time. This project will be worth 30 extra credit points and is due on or before Friday, December 6th. You may take your science book home to help you. Here are some ideas, but make sure you do a complete, careful, neat job if you would like full credit.
Ideas for Water Cycle Project
-Create a PowerPoint presentation using various slides with words and pictures to explain the concept of the water cycle.
-Construct a 3-dimensional model of the water cycle using any materials you wish. Recycled materials, such as plastic grocery bags, or materials from around the house, like cotton balls, can be used. The model can be diorama-style and constructed in a shoebox, or it can be more involved and include scale models. A model can also be constructed out of modeling clay or salt/flour dough and painted as in the picture below.
-Conduct a water cycle experiment at home and display your findings on a tri-fold board. Use photographs, drawings, graphs, etc., to display your data. Make sure to include the title of your experiment, your hypothesis (What do I think will happen?), your materials list (What did I use in my experiment?), procedure (Steps I took in my experiment), results (What actually happened?), and conclusions (what did I learn? Was my hypothesis correct?). There are several ideas online or come ask your teacher for an idea of what you can do for an experiment.
-Draw and color or paint a diagram of the water cycle on a poster board.The elements which play an important role in the functioning of the water cycle are sun, water and clouds. You should include all these elements in the diagram of water cycle. Arrows should be used to show the different processes. A 3D representation of the water cycle diagram can enhance its appearance; this can be done by shading the objects (clouds, mountains etc.).
-Write and illustrate a storybook about your life as a drop of water and your journey through the water cycle, similar to what we did in class but much more detailed. Be creative, but make sure to use the correct vocabulary and go through the entire process.
If you have another idea for a water cycle project, be sure to check with your teacher to make sure it will count towards your extra credit. Regardless of the project you choose, you will also be expected to do a short oral presentation to explain what your project is and how you constructed it. Be prepared to explain how it depicts your understanding of the water cycle. It is a good idea to include the following in your project:
Evaporation Condensation
Precipitation Collection
Percolation Transpiration
Salt water Fresh water
Ground water Surface run off
Have fun and be creative!
Mrs. Nechaev and Mrs. Rench