Earth's Water, PBL lesson
The Water Cycle
Target Audience: Kindergartners
Duration: 5 sessions, including presentations
Placement within Overall Lesson/Unit: Early Spring, end of science unit on water
NETS*S: 1a, 1b, 2d, 4a, 6a
NETS*T: 1a, 1b, 2a
CCSS: R.K.1 With prompting and support, ask and answer questions about key details in a text
W.K.2 Use a combination of drawing, dictating, and writing to compose informative/explanatory texts in which they name what they are writing about and supply some information about the topic.
W.K.7 Participate in shared research and writing projects
W.K.8 With guidance and support from adults, recall information from experiences or gather information from provided sources to answer a question.
Essential Question: How does the water cycle help replenish Earth’s fresh water supply?
Objectives: The students will:
1. access and read a book online.
2. collaboratively work in a group.
3. create a group diagram depicting the water cycle.
4. analyze their knowledge of the water cycle to reach consensus on an answer to the essential question.
5. present their final products and answers.
Materials Needed for Activity: computer or laptop for each group, list of possible books, rubrics, self evaluations, self reflections
Activity: Student instructions
· Students will work in groups of 4-5, heterogeneously arranged.
· Students will access Google Books and search for a book on the water cycle. Teacher will have some book links available, if needed.
· Groups will read books and discuss and compare with prior knowledge.
· Using Google Docs, groups will create a list of water forms that help the Earth.
· Groups will discuss how the listed forms of water fit into the water cycle and how the water cycle helps the Earth.
· Groups will design a diagram of the water cycle using Google Drawings.
· Groups will present diagram and answer to Essential Question.
Assessments could include:
Ø Rubric for presentations.
Ø Self/group evaluations.
Ø Student reflection survey.