Water

What students will do

Students work through seven guided investigations: using sight, movement and smell to identify clean water among six mystery liquids in test tubes, including a polluted water sample; testing for acid rain and polluted water using red cabbage indicator; modelling the water cycle by condensing evaporated salt water into fresh water using a sealed container, ice and cling wrap; standing a paddle pop stick in a cup of urea solution to model how a plant draws up water, watching crystal leaves form over the following days; transporting water through a system of tubes and syringes, including a working siphon; exploring surface tension by filling a test tube to the brim and counting how many drops it takes to overflow; and setting up a seed germination experiment with cotton wool. Each activity connects to real-world uses and sources of water.

Learning outcomes

• Use the senses to identify clean water among a set of mystery liquids, including a polluted water sample
• Use a natural chemical indicator to test water samples for acid rain and pollution, and discuss how human activity affects water quality
• Model the water cycle by evaporating salt water and condensing it back into fresh water
• Model how a plant draws water upward, using a paddle pop stick standing in a coloured solution
• Investigate how water can be transported using tubes and syringes, including how a siphon keeps water flowing once started
• Investigate the surface tension of water by overfilling a test tube and counting the drops it takes to spill
• Explain why fresh water is a critical and limited Earth resource

Curriculum links

• VC2S2U09·Core

  Earth's resources, including water, land and air, can be cared for through actions such as reducing, re using and recycling. View on VCAA ↗

• VC2S2I03·Core

  Guided investigations, including making observations using the senses and informal measurement, can be used to explore and answer questions. View on VCAA ↗

• VC2S2I05·Related

  Observations and results can be compared with predictions and with the observations of others. View on VCAA ↗

• VC2S4U07·Enrichment

  Water is a resource used in a variety of ways, and it moves through the environment as part of the water cycle. View on VCAA ↗