Water wonders - summative assessment

During the last week of our unit of inquiry on Water, the children worked on creating a mural or painting and the following questions guided their planning. 

What do you know about water?

Why is water important to people? (what do they use it for)

Why is water important to animals?  

Why is water important to plants?  

What would happen if there was no water?

How can we make sure this never happens; how can we save water?

* Summative assessments evaluate the learning that happened during the weeks of inquiry. The children are given the opportunity to show their understanding of the central idea and to share their knowledge about Water through a final project. 

Together we can impact our water sources in a positive way

After discussions about the importance of keeping our water clean, the children made posters to help raise awareness on the significance of being responsible when it comes to discarding garbage and recycling in their designated areas in order to reduce waste. 

We simulated an oil and garbage spill in the water table and the children manipulated the fish and boats in a way to get an understanding of the difference of living in clean water versus polluted water.

Grace "My feather is so oily. The birds wouldn't be able to fly anymore. Their bodies would be too heavy from the oil." 

Kesler "My fish is eating crackers. He's getting a tummy ache." 

Zoe "The oil makes my hands slippery and difficult to wash." 

Eva "I wouldn't like to shower with this oily water. The dirt would keep me from staying clean and the oil would make it hard to wash the germs away." 

Enjoy, 

Anamaria 

A child's inquiry

At the beginning of the unit, Kesler shared his knowledge about Water and one of his inquiries was about animals that live in rivers and oceans.

On our walk in the forest last week, we found some eggs in the water. After deeper research, we came to the conclusion that they might be frog, salamander or newt eggs. The children also saw a sign in the forest, informing us that Salmon live in the creek.

Kesler "Are there any salmon in the ocean?"

To answer Kesler's question, we learned more about salmon in the last few days and watched a video on "The life cycle of a Salmon".

The children's drawings show the life cycle of a salmon and its different stages.

Esme would like to know why Salmon turn pink when they swim back to the river and Kesler wonders why Salmon die after they lay their eggs.

Next week, we will focus on how people impact water sources and talk about taking responsibility towards this matter. We will discuss different ways of sharing our knowledge and raising awareness in the community about the importance of keeping the water free of litter.