Dear Friends, This week 2nd grade will perform the Water Cycle necklace activity
(Rooms 203 Monday, Room 204 Tuesday, and Room 202 on Wednesday).
Classes begin at 8:30 and last about 90 minutes.
This is a kinetic demonstration of the random flight of a water molecule through nine possible places where water is found on earth: ocean, clouds, glaciers, lakes, rivers, soil, groundwater, plants, and animals. So we create nine stations, each one equipped with its own unique die (singular of dice) and a bowl of beads. The students start at one of these stations carrying a cord, knotted at one end. They take a bead from the bowl and thread it onto the cord. Then they roll the die. The die tells them where their water molecule will go next. For example, from ocean to cloud. The student goes to the cloud station and threads a cloud bead, then rolls the cloud die. It might land in such a way that it instructs the student to go to the cloud. That means the student stays at the cloud station, threads another bead, and rolls again. The student rolls 20 times, creating a unique trail, a unique story about the motion and experience of one water molecule in this world. After twenty rolls, we attached barrel clasps on each end of the cord to create a necklace, suitable for gifting or keeping. The students also write about their molecules’ journey. Part of the profound meaning of the water cycle is its endless dynamism, a masterpiece of recycling. We can tell the students with a good degree of certainty that some of the water molecules currently in their bodies were once in clouds, glaciers, dinosaurs, and spiders. Truly we are all part of everything in this living world. Another wonderful realization is that the water cycle is powered by two fundamental forces: the Sun to raise the water to the skies, and gravity to return it to Earth. Also, the great flow of waters from the Mississippi into the Gulf carries with it the taint of our civilization: eroded soils, fertilizers, and chemical pollutants of every sort. The Water Cycle, Mother Nature, bails us out by evaporating that spoiled water, thereby distilling it, and returning it to us as pure, drinkable water. How lucky can we be? One can imagine 30 students cycling through nine stations, rolling (throwing) 9 large dice, threading beads, and accidentally letting their beads slip from their cord. It is very kinetic! Volunteers are greatly appreciated. If you can help, you will witness a very fun and important lesson. I teach the kids a song about water and us. I borrowed it from Yoko Ono and added my own verses.
We're all Water (Ono / Leki) We're 90% water We're like the plants and algae, We're mostly water We're 90% water Like the surface of our planet Our Mother Earth. (Chorus) We're all water from different rivers That's why it's so easy to meet We're all water in this vast, vast ocean Someday we'll evaporate together. We're cousins to the glaciers The raindrops are our aunties Because we're water We're like the streams and rivers, The lakes and ponds and oceans Because we're water (Chorus) Hope you can join us! Mr. Leki