Resource Bank—Prep to Year 3
Engage
Activities
- Australian water stories (PDF, 38K)*
Use of myth, story or Dreaming stories to introduce ideas of water's origin and future. - What sinks? What floats? (PDF, 26K)*
Predicting and experimenting to see whether different materials will float or sink. - Water places (PDF, 20K)*
Helping students to discover where they find water in their lives, including play activities focused on water.
Explore
Activities
- A catchment in the playground (PDF, 30K)*
A model is built to simulate the workings of a catchment and the effect of height and slope on water runoff. - Another property of water—cohesion (PDF, 62K)*
Initially exploring water's cohesive forces as it flows in a stream and encounters obstacles to its path, and then its resistance to overflowing a container. - Build your own water cycle (Terrarium) (PDF, 40K)*
Create a functioning example of the water cycle using plants and soil inside a bottle. - Catching mini-bugs (PDF, 21K)*
Creating a dip net and using this to explore the small animal life in a local waterway. - Change in water levels (PDF, 35K)*
Exploring water levels as the same bottle is moved into different positions with a consistent volume of water inside. - Dissolving in water (PDF, 37K)*
Exploring water's ability to dissolve salt solutions and tea, and looking at the effect of heat on dissolved minerals in water. - Freezing bottles! (PDF, 23K)*
Exploring expansion of water during freezing using plastic bottles in the freezer. - Making a cloud (PDF, 41K)*
Rapidly expand the air inside a jar or plastic bottle to create a cloud. Use smoke particles on which the water may condense. - Taste differences (PDF, 24K)*
Students undertake blind taste tests to compare four of the following: distilled water, spring water, rainwater, tap water, still mineral water, bore water. - Water in plants (PDF, 63K)*
Exploring the quantity of water contained in plants and different types of vegetables. - Water magic (PDF, 47K)*
Initially testing the cohesive forces of water by floating small objects on it, then looking at the effect of detergent and oil on these forces. - Water stories from other places (PDF, 34K)*
Using children's stories from other countries to make comparisons with how students in the class live and use water. - What does water sound like (PDF, 23K)*?
Creating and exploring water through the medium of sound. - What makes it rain (PDF, 16K)*?
Evaporation and condensation experiment using water in a plastic bag. - What's so serious about a dripping tap? (PDF, 37K)*
Students collect water dripping from a tap, and draw conclusions about how much water can be lost through this medium. - Where did the water go? (PDF, 26K)*
Demonstration of changes of state within the water cycle as a result of exposure to high and low temperatures. - Where did the water go? II (PDF, 27K)*
Evaporation of water from a plate when exposed to a heat source. - Where does our dam water come from? (PDF, 65K)*
Teacher demonstration and whole class discussion of the source and usage of water. A dam and the effect of rainfall are simulated. - Writing with water (PDF, 20K)*
Creative writing (and other arts mediums), discovery and exploration themed around water.
Explain
Activities
- Disappearing puddles (PDF, 38K)*
Analysis of puddle size changes over time and in different settings. - Down the slopes (PDF, 33K)*
Demonstrating and explaining runoff and infiltration by pouring water into an enclosed environment on different surface types. - Sweating glass (PDF, 15K)*
Explaining condensation on glass using refrigerated glass exposed to room temperature. - The water tower (PDF, 46K)*
Construction of a functioning simulated water tower with links to pipes and taps in houses. Creating an understanding of the effect of using tap water. Includes exploration of water pressure activity. - Water for me to use (PDF, 34K)*
Different water sources are analysed for their appropriate uses. Water use is linked to the properties and quality of that water.
Elaborate
Ideas
- A cool drink, please! (PDF, 57K)*
Testing the cooling by immersion of water for drinking using evaporation. - Cloud observations (PDF, 69K)*
Student investigation into cloud types over an extended period of time. Students draw, recognise and predict different cloud types. - Living things need water (PDF, 34K)*
Conducting investigations into the water needed and produced by plants and people.
Evaluate
Activity
- I need water every day (PDF, 24K)*
Students monitor how much they individually drink in a day/week. They use scientific knowledge to make comparisons with their own quantities consumed and present their findings.
Source acknowledgment
This resource is based on or contains material provided by the Toowoomba City Council (2007).
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Last updated: 14 May 2009