Research and Revise
Now that you have shared information and viewed multiple perspectives about the unique properties of water and the connection between water and life on Earth, it is time for you to research and revise your ideas, using the Web. Please complete the vocabulary exercise and then visit the Web sites listed to advance your knowledge about water and carry out activities designed to help you focus on the important dimensions of the challenge.
Vocabulary List
| States of matter: solid (ice), liquid (water), gas (vapor) |
Density |
Boiling point |
Water quality |
| Covalent bonds |
Surface tension |
Melting point |
Dissolved oxygen (DO) |
| Hydrogen bonds |
Cohesion |
Base |
Biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) |
| Dipole |
Capillary action |
Acid |
Turbidity |
| Solvent |
Specific heat capacity |
pH |
Waterborne diseases |
Labs/Activities
- Properties of water station lab. Explore the unique properties of water as you rotate through lab stations. Hands-on activities include exploring adhesion, cohesion, capillary action, density, and polarity. The curriculum team needs to find a good lab or develop/adapt one.
Homework
- EcoSphere®History
This article describes the development of tiny self-contained ecosystems inside closed glass containers (EcoSphere®). These were developed by NASA as a possible way to keep astronauts alive during long space journeys. The EcoSphere® was later sold for the public and educators to benefit from NASA's work. The EcoSphere® went on to become a commercial item and marked throughout the US.
Lectures and Reading
- To expand your knowledge about water, read the article by Michael Pidwirny in The Encyclopedia of Earth entitled Physical Properties of Water.