Grades 2-5

Mystery #4 "The Miracle of Water"

In this reader students will learn about the use of irrigation to water crops, the percentage of the earth covered in salt water versus fresh water and the tools used to conserve water. In addition, students will learn about the water cycle and will finish the lesson with a desalination experiment.

Overview

This teacher’s guide is broken into different sections with suggestions of how to use the reader in the classroom and provide ideas on how to extend the learning of your students. This reader can be used in small groups or a whole group for reading or science. Depending on your readers, this magazine would be more appropriate to be read aloud to your students.

Printable Teacher Guide

Learning Outcomes

Students will be able to understand the Water Cycle.
Students will have knowledge of the targeted vocabulary words.
Students will have knowledge about how the Earth’s water is used.
Students will be able to name the different parts of the Water Cycle.

Student Worksheets

Print the Water Cycle Worksheet for student to fill out while watching the Water Cycle video.
Provided is an optional Mystery of Corn Worksheet that can be used as an assessment or a document for student to fill out while reading the reader.
Seesaw Activity

Vocabulary Words

Introduce these words before you begin reading. Ask students if they have heard or recognize the words before. Then, read the definitions and talk about them as a class. Do more of the students recognize the words now? See if students can use the vocabulary words in sentences.

Freshwater: water not of the sea water.
Precipitation: rain, snow, sleet, or hail that falls to the ground.
Evaporation: the process of turning from liquid into vapor.
Conserve: protect from harm or destruction.
Conservation: prevention of wasteful use of a resource.
Irrigation: the supply of water to land or crops to help growth, typically by means of channels or sprinklers.

Front Cover

Allow time for students to share their thoughts on the questions that were asked. Teachers can write down their ideas on the board so it can be revisited after reading.

Inside

When you come to a vocabulary word, take the time to stop and redefine the word.
After reading the content, revisit what students brainstormed from the front cover questions. Were any of their ideas mentioned in the reading?

The Water Cycle

Have students watch the “Water Cycle” video farmer Bill video, to learn more about the Water Cycle.
This can be loaded to Google Classroom.
Pass out the Water Cycle worksheet while students watch the video to write down information they learn.

Back Cover

Water Cycle and Desalination Experiment

This activity is a great way for students to visually see the water cycle and how salt water can become fresh water.
Watch the Farmer Bill instruction video, (just the teacher) before setting up the experiment.
As a class group set up the experiment and then place the bowl somewhere, preferably in the sun, for a whole day or longer.

This lesson is the work product of the Kansas Corn Commission. Our lessons are written in collaboration with Kansas teachers for use in the classroom. Teachers may copy and share this curriculum. Use of this product for commercial or promotional use is prohibited without express permission of Kansas Corn.