Beyond Penguins and Polar Bears: Water, Ice, and Snow

Wa te r , I c e , a nd S no w

Hi ghlights From Issue 5 (Augu st 2008) BERGS. Photo courtesy of Kris Kuenning, U.S. Antarctic Program, National Science Foundation.

Table of Contents

Water, Ice, and Snow, Issue 5 (August 2008) Science Content Knowledge

Reconsidering the Water Cycle in the Context of the Polar Regions

By Jessica Fries-Gaither

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Literacy Content Knowledge

Science Notebooks: Integrating Investigations

By Jessica Fries-Gaither

6

Feature Story

Growing Floaters and Shrinking Sinkers

By Stephen Whitt

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Misconceptions

Common Misconceptions About States and Changes of Matter and the Water Cycle

By Jessica Fries-Gaither

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Across the Curriculum: Lessons and Activities

Water Dance: Integrating Science, Literacy, Art, and Movement

By Jessica Fries-Gaither

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Science & Literacy: Lessons and Activities

The Water Cycle and the Polar Regions: Hands-On Science and Literacy

By Jessica Fries-Gaither

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Off the Bookshelf

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Water, Snow, and Ice: Virtual Bookshelf

By Angela Grandstaff and Jessica Fries-Gaither

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Science Content Knowledge Reconsidering the Water Cycle in the Context of the Polar Regions

By Jessica Fries-Gaither The water cycle is ubiquitous in the elementary science curriculum. Students color pictures, read stories, and even learn songs to help them remember the stages of evaporation, condensation, and precipitation. Yet when the Arctic or Antarctica is considered, a simple yet powerful question emerges: What about all that ice?

Yes, all that ice - from sea ice and pack ice to icebergs and ice sheets - is an important, yet often neglected part of the water cycle. Earth's ice, existing in various forms such as sea ice, ice shelves, icebergs, ice sheets, glaciers, lake ice, river ice, snow, and permafrost, even has a special name: the cryosphere.

While students learn that precipitation means rain, hail, snow, or sleet, many diagrams of the cycle include rain as the sole form of precipitation. Even though, on a worldwide scale, most precipitation is rain, this is

Water Cycle. Photo courtesy of John M. Evans, Wikimedia Commons.

certainly not true for the polar regions.

Additionally, because of the use of the word cycle, students may mistakenly believe that the water is continuously moving through its various forms. Actually, much more water is in storage than is moving through the cycle. In fact, ice caps and glaciers store the second highest percentage of water (the world's oceans being the first). And while water is stored as ice, summer melt of ice sheets and glaciers and calving of icebergs are also contributions to the cycling of water.

Including ice and snow in a study of the water cycle also provides an opportunity to teach states and changes of matter in a real-world context. Solids,

Reservoir

Percent Of Total Water

Oceans

97.25

Ice caps and glaciers

2.05

Groundwater

0.68

Lakes

0.01

Soil moisture

0.005

Atmosphere

0.001

Streams and rivers

0.0001

Biosphere

0.0004

Inventory of water at the Earth's surface.

Adapted from Pidwirny, M. (2006). "The Hydrologic Cycle." Fundamentals of Physical Geography, 2nd Edition. http://www.physicalgeography.net/ fundamentals/8b.html.

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Science Content Knowledge liquids, gases, melting, freezing, evaporation, and even sublimation can be taught within the cycling of the world's water through oceans, water vapor, ice and snow, and runoff. (Note: The water cycle cannot be used to teach the remaining two states of matter: plasma and the BoseEinstein condensate. These states are much more complex and not appropriate for the elementary level.)

THE WATER CYCLE http://ga.water.usgs.gov/edu/ watercycle.html This comprehensive resource from the U.S. Geological Survey provides all the background information needed to teach the water cycle. The interactive site’s pages include a diagram (pictured below) available with or without labels and in several languages, a link to a studentfriendly image of the water cycle, and links to a wealth of information about each step of the water cycle. A narrative story follows a drop of water through the cycle, but doesn't include snow or ice in its many

Mount William, Antarctica. Photo courtesy of Jeff Kietzmann, National Science Foundation, U.S. Antarctic Program.

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possibilities. Summaries of the water cycle (written for teachers) are available in several forms: full summary, text-only, and a onepage quick version.

What Goes Around Comes Around: The Water Cycle http://msteacher.org/epubs/ science/science13/ science.aspx This publication from the Middle School Portal of the National Science Digital Library provides background information and content knowledge for teachers.

While the suggested lessons and activities are for middle school students, you may find them helpful in considering how students will refine their knowledge of water, its properties, and the water cycle in grades 6-8.

STATES OF MATTER AND CHANGES IN MATTER States of Matter http://www.chem.purdue.edu/ gchelp/atoms/states.html An overview of solids, liquids, and gases including the behavior

of particles in each as well as properties of each state. Does not include plasma or the BoseEinstein condensate.

States of Matter Overview http://www.chem4kids.com/ files/matter_states.html An overview of the five states of matter: solids, liquids, gases, plasmas, and the Bose-Einstein condensate. Sidebar links provide more information on each state as well as phase changes. This site may also be appropriate for upper-elementary or advanced students.

WATER, ICE, AND SNOW IN THE POLAR REGIONS Ice http:// icestories.exploratorium.edu/ dispatches/?page_id=13 This page from the Exploratorium's Ice Stories web site discusses the many forms of ice found in the polar regions.

Watch a video of Penn State glaciologist Richard Alley explaining why ice is "cool."

Science Content Knowledge Glaciers and Icecaps: Storehouses of Freshwater http://ga.water.usgs.gov/edu/ earthglacier.html An overview of glaciers and icecaps, with links to additional resources.

Earth's Cryosphere: The Arctic http:// www.teachersdomain.org/ resources/ipy07/sci/ess/ watcyc/cryoarctic/index.html This video segment (3m 59s) adapted from NASA uses satellite imagery to provide an overview of the cryosphere in the northern hemisphere, including the Arctic.

Earth's Cryosphere: Antarctica http:// www.teachersdomain.org/ resources/ipy07/sci/ess/ watcyc/cryoantarctica/ index.html This video segment (2m 37s) adapted from NASA uses satellite imagery to provide an overview of the cryosphere in Antarctica.

Glaciers http:// www.teachersdomain.org/ resources/ess05/sci/ess/ earthsys/glaciers/index.html This interactive activity adapted from the National Park Service offers a comprehensive introduction to glaciers. Explore the different sections to learn where and why glaciers form, what influences their growth and decline, and how a glacier moves.

Antarctica: Sea Ice http:// www.teachersdomain.org/ resources/ess05/sci/ess/ watcyc/seaice/index.html This NOVA video clip (2m 35s) explains how sea ice forms, how its seasonal fluctuation dramatically changes the continent of Antarctica, and the role sea ice played in the failed Endurance expedition.

Earth System: Ice and Global Warming http:// www.teachersdomain.org/ resources/ess05/sci/ess/ earthsys/esglaciers/index.html

This video segment (3m 04s) adapted from NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center explains how global warming may increase glacial melting and the consequences for the planet.

NATIONAL SCIENCE EDUCATION STANDARDS: SCIENCE CONTENT STANDARDS A study of the water cycle and states and changes of matter aligns with the Physical Science and Earth and Space Science content standards of the National Science Education Standards: K-4 Physical Science • Properties of Objects and Materials K-4 Earth and Space Science • Changes in the Earth and Sky 5-8 Earth and Space Science • Structure of the Earth System Read the entire National Science Education Standards online for free or register to download the free PDF. The content standards are found in Chapter 6, http:// books.nap.edu/openbook.php? record_id=4962&page=103.

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Literacy Content Knowledge Science Notebooks: Integrating Investigations

By Jessica Fries-Gaither In inquiry-based science, students learn science by doing science - conducting investigations, recording data, and drawing conclusions. These types of activities require sophisticated cognitive abilities such as analyzing data, linking claims to evidence, and formulating explanations.

Repeated practice and consistent, timely feedback support students as they develop these critical thinking skills.

Left: Student Writing. Photo courtesy of Stock4B, Stockbyte.

Right: Journal Writing III. Photo courtesy of edenpictures, Flickr.

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However, learning and doing science means more than just reflecting on evidence. The ability to communicate data, ideas, and conclusions with others is also an essential component. These two aspects of learning science - making meaning from experience and relating that meaning to others come together in a powerful tool called a science notebook.

In Using Science Notebooks in Elementary Classrooms Michael Klentschy describes the basic principles of implementing science notebooks or improving existing practice. His work in the Valle Imperial Project in Science in El Centro, California, has demonstrated that linking science and literacy through the use of notebooks improves both science content knowledge and language arts skills.

Used to its fullest, the science notebook is more than a physical space to record and

organize information. Instead, the notebook becomes a permanent record of student wonderings, decisions, evidenced-based claims, and reflections. Klentschy succinctly describes a notebook as "a central place where language, data, and experience operate jointly to form meaning for the student."

WHAT ARE SCIENCE NOTEBOOKS? Science notebooks are a place for students to record questions, predictions, data, conclusions, and visuals such as charts and diagrams. They also provide a place for students to link prior knowledge with the new information gained in an investigation. Notebooks are a permanent record of what students actually learn. They can be used throughout an inquirybased unit, from vocabulary terms to conclusions at the end of a lesson or unit.

Literacy Content Knowledge WHAT TYPES OF INFORMATION BELONG IN SCIENCE NOTEBOOKS? As described by Klentschy, a science notebook contains seven essential components: • Question, Problem, Purpose Student-generated, investigable questions serve as the starting point.

• Prediction A prediction tells what the student thinks will happen. A good prediction relates to the question, connects to prior knowledge, and provides an explanation or reason.

• Developing a Plan This often occurs in two stages: a general plan that identifies variables and controls and an operational plan that clearly describes the procedure for the investigation and the materials needed. Plans could be developed as a class and posted for reference. At this time, students also create data collection devices such as Tcharts or tables.

• Observations, Data, Charts, Graphs, Drawings, and Illustrations Students collect data in devices such as T-charts or tables. They might draw an illustration or create a graph.

Students also record observations in a narrative that accompanies their data.

• Claims and Evidence Students use their data to make meaning from the investigation. A T-chart often helps students clearly link their claims to the evidence from their investigation.

• Drawing Conclusions Students record what they have learned from the investigation as a whole.

• Reflection - Next Steps and Next Questions Students have an opportunity to reflect on what they have learned, make personal connections, and record questions for further exploration.

Klentschy devotes a chapter to each component, providing explanations and samples of student work to clearly illustrate what a notebook should look like. It is also important to note that students progress in their ability to effectively use each of the seven components. Practice, class discussions, and written feedback help students improve over time.

HOW CAN SCIENCE NOTEBOOKS SERVE AS A FORM OF ASSESSMENT? Student notebooks provide a clear picture of student understanding and are an excellent formative or summative assessment tool.

“

The key to effective science teaching is to enable students to develop ideas about the world around them from evidence that they have collected and developed personal meaning.

Learning science involves both the process of thinking and the ability to communicate those thoughts.

”

-Michael Klentschy, Using Science Notebooks in Elementary Classrooms

As teachers read and evaluate student entries using a criterionbased rubric, gaps between the desired learning and actual student learning may emerge.

These gaps can be addressed through guiding questions, repetition of investigations, or follow-up lessons. Rubrics can also assist teachers in assessing science process skills and supporting student development. Finally, the use of rubrics as formative assessment also provides an opportunity for

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Literacy Content Knowledge metacognitive thinking students reflecting on their own work.

When used as formative assessment, feedback becomes extremely important. Teachers can use guiding questions to support students as they link claims to evidence. Timely feedback can also help to correct the many misconceptions that may emerge from inquiry-based investigations.

Notebooks can also serve as summative assessment at the end of a unit. Again, rubrics are the suggested tool for assessing student understanding. By assigning point values to each criterion, teachers can convert a formative assessment to a numeric grade.

Klentschy provides examples of rubrics that can be used for formative and summative assessment in a chapter devoted to assessment.

HOW DO STUDENTS IMPROVE IN THEIR ABILITY TO USE NOTEBOOKS AND THINK SCIENTIFICALLY? Students develop critical thinking skills and writing abilities through continued practice, timely feedback, and class discussions. Klentschy suggests that teachers use sticky notes to provide quick feedback. Class

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Writing. Photo courtesy of peruisay, Flickr.

discussions also provide high levels of support throughout an investigation. A discussion may be used to help students generate investigable questions, develop a plan, or make meaning from data.

HOW DO SCIENCE NOTEBOOKS FIT INTO EXISTING CURRICULA? Notebooks can be used in conjunction with any textbook, kit, or curriculum. Both the Valle Imperial Project in Science and the Scientist's Notebook Toolkit web sites include information about specific kits.

HOW CAN I LEARN MORE ABOUT SCIENCE NOTEBOOKS? These resources provide more information about using science notebooks.

Science Notebook Essentials http://www.ebecri.org/media/ Science%20Notebook %20Essentials%20by %20Klentschy.pdf This article from Science and Children discusses the components of a science notebook.

Scientist's Notebook Toolkit http://www.ebecri.org/custom/ toolkit.html This site includes links to a wide variety of articles, presentations, lesson planning guides, kitrelated resources, and much more.

Using Science Notebooks in Elementary Classrooms by Michael Klentschy http://www.nsta.org/store/ product_detail.aspx? id=10.2505/9781933531038 This book discusses in detail the components of a science

Literacy Content Knowledge notebook and provides examples of student work, rubrics, and strategies for teachers.

HOW CAN SCIENCE NOTEBOOKS HELP FULFILL STANDARDS? Integrating science and literacy through the use of notebooks fulfills several NCTE/IRA Standards. View the Standards at http://www.ncte.org/ standards.

• Standard 4: Students adjust their use of spoken, written, and visual language to communicate effectively with a variety of audiences and for different purposes.

• Standard 5: Students employ a wide range of strategies as they write and use different writing process elements appropriately to communicate

with different audiences for a variety of purposes.

geographic regions, and social roles.

• Standard 6: Students apply knowledge of language structure, language conventions, media techniques, figurative language, and genre to create, critique, and discuss print and nonprint texts.

• Standard 10: Students whose first language is not English make use of their first language to develop competency in the English language arts and to develop understanding of contents across the curriculum.

• Standard 7: Students conduct research on issues and interests by generating ideas and questions and by posing problems. They gather, evaluate, and synthesize data from a variety of sources to communicate their discoveries in ways that suit their purpose and audience.

• Standard 11: Students participate as knowledgeable, reflective, creative, and critical members of a variety of literacy communities.

• Standard 9: Students develop an understanding of a respect for diversity in language use, patterns and dialects across cultures, ethnic groups,

• Standard 12: Students use spoken, written, and visual language to accomplish their own purposes.

National Science Education Standards Content Standards In addition, the inquiry-based science related to the use of science notebooks fulfills the Science as Inquiry Content Standard for grades K-4 and 5-8. View the standards at http://books.nap.edu/ openbook.php? record_id=4962&page=103.

Teacher and Student. Photo courtesy of Wonderlane, Flickr.

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Feature Story

Stories for Students (and Teachers)!

This nonfiction article is written for use with upper-elementary students (grades 4-5). Students learn about the molecular structure of water, why water expands as it freezes, and why ice's ability to float is essential to life on Earth. The concepts and text structure of this article are challenging, and we recommend using the related activities to support student comprehension.

Modified versions are available for students in grades K-1 and grades 2-3, or any student needing a simplified version.

Students in grades K-1 explore the many forms of floating ice on Earth. Students in grades 2-3 are introduced in a simplified manner to the concepts that water expands as it freezes and floats. As always, consider the reading level and needs of your students when selecting a version for classroom use.

Printable pdf files allow you to print this story in either text or a foldable book format. A new partnership with Content Clips has allowed us to create electronic versions of the articles. Your students can read along as they listen to the text a wonderful way to support struggling readers! Related activities provide tips for integrating this story with your science and literacy instruction.

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Growing Floaters and Shrinking Sinkers

By Stephen Whitt Grab an ice cube from the freezer and drop it into your favorite after-school drink. What happens? You probably saw your cube sink a bit, then bob up to the surface and just stay there, floating like a cork or a bath toy. Big deal, right? Wrong!

What you’ve just experienced is one of the oddest and most important events on Earth. Ice floats in water, and that makes water weird!

Ice is of course just solid water.

Hold an ice cube in your hand and you quickly get a wet hand, because your body heat changes the ice from a solid to a liquid. Heat changes other substances (like iron, for instance) from solid to liquid, too. But there’s a big difference.

For most substances, the solid form sinks in the liquid form.

Imagine a vat of molten iron.

Toss in a chunk of solid iron, and it sinks like a stone. Solid iron sinks in molten iron because as solid iron forms, it shrinks.

Ice water. Photo courtesy of stock.xchng.

SHRINKING IRON Think about what really happens when something shrinks.

Everything around us is made of atoms. The atoms that make up molten iron are moving fast!

They are bouncing off each other at high speed. As the molten iron cools, the atoms slow down a little. The slower atoms don’t bounce off each other quite so forcefully, and so the atoms end up closer together. Eventually, the atoms are so slow that they get locked into place, in a shape called a crystal.

You might think of crystals as beautiful, shiny jewels. When scientists talk about crystals, though, they’re talking about something else. A crystal is just an ordered arrangement of atoms. When molten iron cools, it forms crystals. If it cools slowly, it forms one large crystal.

If it cools quickly, it forms lots of little crystals. Either way, the atoms in the crystal solid are closer together than the atoms in the liquid. This is why the solid iron sinks in the molten iron.

Feature Story That’s true for almost every material you can think of. The atoms in the solid are closer together than in the liquid. The solid shrinks, and it sinks in the liquid. But that’s not true for water. Something weird happens as water gets colder and changes to ice.

GROWING ICE But what happens when water turns to ice? The best way to understand is to build your own water molecule. To build this model, you’ll need gumdrops, small marshmallows, and toothpicks.

Every water molecule is made of one atom of oxygen and two atoms of hydrogen. Let’s use gumdrops for the oxygen atoms.

The marshmallows will be the hydrogen atoms. The toothpicks will hold the atoms together.

First stick two toothpicks into a gumdrop. But don’t stick the toothpicks straight across from one another! A water molecule is bent a little. It looks something like this:

Now stick a marshmallow on the ends of each of the toothpicks.

There’s your water molecule.

Let’s think about that liquid water for a minute. Imagine a whole sea of the water molecules floating past one another. Their shape lets them get pretty close to each other without touching. As the temperature drops, they move slower and slower. The slower they move, the closer they can get to each other.

That’s when something strange happens. Just like cooling iron, the cooling water starts to form crystals. But these crystals have a very special shape.

Why? It has to do with the atoms. It turns out the hydrogen atoms can get close to oxygen atoms. But they can't get close to other hydrogen atoms. In your model, this means that the marshmallows can get close to the gumdrops, but not to the other marshmallows. This causes the water molecules to line up something like the diagram below:

In this picture, each blue dot is an oxygen atom, or a gumdrop.

Each red dot is a hydrogen atom, or a marshmallow. Do you

notice how much space there is between the water molecules?

That extra space is what makes ice float!

When water cools down, its molecules get closer together.

The molecules start to form these wide-open crystals. More and more crystals form until the water has turned to ice. The wide-open crystal structure means that the freezing water didn’t shrink. It grew!

POP, POTHOLES, AND POLAR BEARS If you’ve ever left a bottle or can of pop in a freezer, you know how powerful this growing ice can be. It can even break glass!

The ice inside pushes harder and harder on the container’s walls until the container gives way, sometimes in an explosion.

The same thing makes potholes in roads. First, water seeps into small cracks in the road. Then the water freezes. The freezing water grows, and the cracks get bigger. More water creeps in, freezes, and grows, starting the whole thing all over again.

Growing water isn’t all bad, however. In fact, without water’s weird way of growing as it freezes, the world would be a very different place. Imagine if ice sank to the bottom of lakes, or even the ocean. Once there, the ice would likely never melt again. Much of the world’s water

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Feature Story would be trapped forever far below the surface of lakes and the ocean.

If lakes froze from the bottom up, fish could never survive the winter. And what if ice didn’t float on seawater? Polar bears, seals, and many other creatures would need to find a new way of life. They depend on the floating ice of the Arctic.

The next time you cool off your favorite drink with a bit of solid water, consider what an amazing event you’ve just witnessed. Ice floats, and that’s weird!

GLOSSARY atom – small particles that make up everything around us molecule – several atoms joined together molten – melted or liquid RELATED ACTIVITIES These lessons and activities can help you integrate this article into your science and literacy instruction. The activity suggested in the story (creating a molecular model of water) will help students in grades 4 and 5 visualize why water expands as it freezes. For younger students, firsthand observation of water freezing and melting is sufficient.

Several activities allow students to investigate the consequences of climate change and melting ice in terms of sea level.

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Sea Ice Clip Set (Grades K-5) http://rs1.contentclips.com/ipy/ fwd/ ipy_0808_set_ice_6012.html This Content Clips set includes 11 images of various forms of ice and snow found in the polar regions and a video (from the Teacher's Domain collection) about sea ice.

Water and Ice (Grades K-2) http:// www.sciencenetlinks.com/ lessons.cfm?

BenchmarkID=4&DocID=4 Students use observation, measurement, and communication skills to describe what happens to water as it goes from solid to liquid and back again.

Amazing Ice Cubes: Floating and Sinking (Grades 3-5) http://www.abc.net.au/science/ surfingscientist/pdf/ lesson_plan05.pdf Unlike nearly all other substances, water expands when it freezes, and shrinks when it melts. Students discover this unusual property by observing the mesmerizing process of an ice cube melting in cooking oil. A teacher demonstration of water contracting as it melts is prepared at the beginning of the lesson and discussed after the student investigations.

When Floating Ice Melts in the Sea (Grades 3-5) http://education.arm.gov/ teacherslounge/lessons/ floatingice.stm Students use water and ice cubes to model that the melting of floating ice, such as icebergs and ice shelves, does not affect sea level. It may be a good idea to revise the procedures to include something to catch the overflow of water. Challenge your students to modify the experiment to show what happens to land masses surrounded by water when ice melts.

When Land Ice Melts (Grades 3-5) http://education.arm.gov/ teacherslounge/lessons/ landice.stm Students model the melting of land ice (glaciers and ice sheets) to discover that this type of melting does affect sea level. As with the experiment involving floating ice, it is a good idea to include something to catch the overflow of water. Challenge students to think about the block of wood. Does this effectively model what would happen to the land? What does the water represent? How could they modify the procedure to investigate what happens to another body of land in the same ocean?

Misconceptions Common Misconceptions About States and Changes of Matter and the Water Cycle

By Jessica Fries-Gaither Water is a commonly used example of the solid, liquid, and gaseous states of matter. The properties of these states, along with the phase changes between them, are complex and easily misunderstood. The water cycle, too, is a subject with great potential for misconceptions among students and adults alike.

In this article, we've listed some common misconceptions that researchers tell us students may hold about states and changes of matter as well as the water cycle. This list is meant to stimulate your thinking about the ideas your students bring to the classroom.

misconceptions, please see "Common Misconceptions about Polar Weather and Climate" in Issue 4.

We've also included formative assessment probes, which are modeled (with permission from NSTA Press) after those found in Uncovering Student Ideas in Science, Volumes 1, 2, and 3, as well as lessons and activities to shape students' understanding of these concepts.

NATIONAL SCIENCE EDUCATION STANDARDS Assessing and targeting student misconceptions about states and changes of matter and the water cycle meets the Physical Science Content Standard and the Earth and Space Science Content Standard of the National Science Education Standards.

Read the entire National Science Education Standards online for free or register to download the free PDF. The content standards are found in Chapter 6, http:// books.nap.edu/openbook.php? record_id=4962&page=103.

It may also be helpful to consider weather-related misconceptions, as precipitation is an important part of the water cycle. For more information on weather Fire and Ice. Photo courtesy of U.S. Geological Survey, Flickr.

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Misconceptions MISCONCEPTIONS ABOUT STATES & CHANGES OF MATTER (WATER) S t u d e n t s m ay thi nk ...

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In stead o f th in kin g. ..

When water boils and bubbles, the bubbles are air, oxygen or hydrogen, or heat.

Bubbles formed by boiling water consist of water vapor (steam).

Steam is hot air.

Steam is water vapor.

When steam is no longer visible it becomes air.

When water vapor condenses in the air it is visible as tiny water droplets.

Water in an open container is absorbed by the container, disappears, changes into air, or dries up and goes into the air.

Water in an open container evaporates, changing from a liquid to a gas.

Ice molecules are colder than water molecules.

Ice molecules have less kinetic energy than water molecules.

Condensation is when air turns into a liquid.

Condensation is water vapor in the air that cools enough to become a liquid.

Condensation on the outside of a container is water that seeped (or sweated) through the walls of the container.

Condensation of water vapor happens when the water vapor in air comes in contact with a cool surface.

Expansion of matter is due to the expansion of the particles rather than increased space between the particles.

Matter expands when heated because the molecules are vibrating more quickly, loosening bonds, and increasing the space between adjacent atoms or molecules.

Misconceptions MISCONCEPTIONS ABOUT THE WATER CYCLE Younger students tend to understand the water cycle by focusing on the properties of water. They see the water cycle primarily in terms of freezing and melting. These concrete thinkers also have a difficult time with the idea of conservation of matter in terms of water vapor and air, making evaporation and condensation particularly difficult concepts. Additionally, students may understand the water cycle on a local level and not generalize the concept to a global scale or may not understand that water has been conserved throughout time.

S t u d e n t s m ay thi nk ...

In stead o f th in kin g. ..

The water cycle involves freezing and melting of water.

The water cycle involves evaporation of liquid water, condensation of water vapor, and precipitation (rain, sleet, hail, or snow).

Water only gets evaporated from the ocean or lakes.

Water can evaporate from plants, animals, puddles, and the ground in addition to bodies of water.

The water cycle only includes rain and snow.

Ice in all its forms (sea ice, glaciers, ice sheets, icebergs, permafrost) is part of the global water cycle.

WHAT CAUSES THESE MISCONCEPTIONS? In general, misconceptions result from students creating their own explanations for how the world works. Often, these ideas are formed well before a student arrives in science class - and serve their purpose well.

Numerous studies and anecdotal evidence show that students cling to these ideas even in the face of discrepant events and explicit instruction.

However, some of the misconceptions regarding states

and changes of matter can actually be viewed as part of a developmental process. As children age, they are better able to understand states of matter, particularly the more abstract concept of a gas. Students also develop over the years a better understanding of the conservation of matter like water and air. This increasing sophistication of ideas over time should reassure teachers who find that, despite their best instructional efforts, their elementary students still do not fully understand these concepts.

Finally, language and diagrams used in conversation and in textbooks can also lead to misunderstanding. For example, we often say that cold objects like cans of soda "sweat."

Students may hear this description and relate it to their understanding of how humans sweat, causing them to think that the moisture found on the can's surface actually has come from inside the can and not from the water vapor present in the air. Diagrams of the water cycle in textbooks often show evaporation occurring over a 15

Misconceptions large body of water, such as an ocean. The absence of other arrows indicating evaporation from living things, puddles, and the ground may lead to an incorrect conclusion about where evaporation occurs. It is important for teachers to reflect on how their use of language or diagrams may inadvertently lead to misconceptions.

PROBING FOR STUDENT UNDERSTANDING Even if some misconceptions about states and changes of matter and the water cycle are to be expected in the elementary grades, it is still important for teachers to take the time to assess student understanding and the preconceived ideas they bring to science class. Simply observing students, asking questions, and paying close attention to their drawings and writings may be sufficient to gauge students' ideas. However, more formal assessment tools may also be helpful.

Volumes 1, 2, and 3 of Uncovering Student Ideas in Science each contain 25 formative assessment probes to help teachers identify misconceptions. Each volume of this series contains several probes that relate to states and changes of matter and the water cycle.

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Related formative assessment probes in Volume 1 of Uncovering Student Ideas in Science: • "Ice Cubes in a Bag" asks students to decide whether there will be a change in mass when ice changes to liquid water. It elicits student ideas about conservation of matter in the context of substances and change in state.

• "Is It Melting?" asks students to select situations that involve melting as opposed to other physical or chemical changes.

It elicits student ideas about the physical process of melting.

• "Wet Jeans" asks students to explain why a pair of jeans dry on a clothesline. It elicits student ideas about where water goes right after it evaporates.

Related formative assessment probes in Volume 2 of Uncovering Student Ideas in Science:

student ideas about the characteristic property of boiling point.

• "Freezing Ice" asks students to decide if the size of an ice cube affects the temperature at which the water freezes. It elicits student ideas about freezing point.

• "What's in the Bubbles?" asks students to explain what is in the bubbles of boiling water. It elicits student ideas about the change in state of boiling water.

Related formative assessment probes in Volume 3 of Uncovering Student Ideas in Science: • "Is It a Solid?" asks students to decide which materials are solids. It elicits student ideas about the properties of solids.

• "What Are Clouds Made Of?" asks students to explain what clouds are made of. It elicits student ideas about clouds.

• "Turning the Dial" asks students to decide if the boiling temperature of water will change with more or less heat.

It elicits student ideas about boiling point.

• "Where Did the Water Come From?" asks students to explain why condensation forms on a container of ice cubes. It elicits student ideas about condensation.

• "Boiling Time and Temperature" asks students to decide if the boiling temperature of water will change over time. It elicits

• "Rainfall" asks students to explain how rain falls from clouds. It elicits student ideas about precipitation.

Misconceptions In addition, we've followed the model used by Page Keeley and coauthors in the three volumes of Uncovering Student Ideas in Science (Š 2005-2008 by NSTA Press) and created a similar probe to elicit students' ideas about the conservation of water through the global water cycle.

How Much Water? http://onramp.nsdl.org/eserv/ onramp:885/ How_Much_Water_probe.pdf This formative assessment probe is designed to assess student misconceptions about conservation of water and the water cycle.

TEACHING THE SCIENCE While identifying student misconceptions is fairly straightforward, creating conceptual change is not.

Researchers recommend using a hands-on approach and providing adequate time and repeated activities to create the conditions necessary for conceptual change. However, it is important to understand that children may be quite resistant to change even when these suggestions are carefully followed. In some situations, researchers found that students developed two parallel explanations for scientific events: one for science class and one for the "real world!" Instead of becoming discouraged, teachers

should be aware of the ideas that students bring with them to science and how these might influence instruction and learning.

It is also important to remember that some of the misconceptions regarding states and changes of matter may be appropriate for students' current developmental level. While concepts such as evaporation and condensation may be introduced in the elementary grades, teachers should remember that students will develop an increasingly sophisticated understanding over the years and that complete mastery of these concepts is not to be expected at this point.

For lessons and activities about the water cycle and states and changes of matter, please see "The Water Cycle and the Polar Regions: Hands-On Science and Literacy" on page 22. Integrating nonfiction text and children's literature may also help students with these more abstract concepts.

The Larsen Ice Shelf in Antarctica viewed from NASA’s DC-8 aircraft. Photo courtesy of NASA, Wikimedia Commons.

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Across the Curriculum: Lessons Water Dance: Integrating Science, Literacy, Art, and Movement

By Jessica Fries-Gaither When we think of integrating science and literacy, most often we think of reading nonfiction text or writing expository paragraphs, lab reports, and science notebooks entries. And while these are all effective (and recommended) instructional strategies, it can be just as effective to incorporate the more creative aspects of literacy poetry and art. Thomas Locker's book Water Dance does just that, using full-page oil paintings and simple poems to depict water in its various forms along the water cycle. Informational text at the end of the book describes the water cycle and supplements the poems.

An example of Locker's poetic language in Water Dance:

“

Water Dance. Thomas Locker.

1997. Picture Book.

Recommended ages: Grades K-5.

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SUGGESTIONS FOR USING WATER DANCE IN YOUR CLASSROOM We've highlighted just a few ways to use Water Dance in an elementary classroom, including science, creative writing, art, and creative movement.

SUPPLEMENT A SCIENCE UNIT In the November 2007 issue of Science and Children, Joanne Toft and Kathy Scoggin discuss how Water Dance engaged fifthgrade students and developed their knowledge of the water cycle. Toft and Scoggin describe three activities, all based on Water Dance, in their article "The Ripple Effect."

Text Matching Game To prepare for this activity, the teachers made copies of the poems and cut them, separating each poem from its onesentence tag line. Students previewed the cover of Water Dance but did not read the book. Pairs or triads matched the poems from each page to the tag line from each

I pass through a gateway of high stone palisades, leaving the land behind.

Cool silver moonlight sparkles and dances on my waves.

I am the sea.

�

poem. As Toft and Scoggin report, listening to the group discourse during this activity proved to be an excellent formative assessment of students' knowledge of the water cycle.

Sequencing and Sharing Following the matching activity, student groups arranged the poems in an order of their own choosing. Once the students had organized the 13 poems, they planned a dramatic reading of the material. Sharing these presentations led to a class discussion and deeper understanding of the nature of the water cycle - and an appreciation of multiple perspectives.

Visual Matching Students reflected on each image and responded to openended questions. These questions allowed students to draw on personal experience and made the ensuing reading of Water Dance much richer.

Across the Curriculum: Lessons For more information on these activities, you can download the article in its entirety. Accessing this article is free for members of the National Science Teachers Association and $0.99 for nonmembers.

The Ripple Effect http://www.nsta.org/store/ product_detail.aspx? id=10.2505/4/sc07_045_03_21 Joanne Toft and Kathy Scoggin tell how they used poetry and art in teaching the water cycle.

From the November 2007 issue of Science and Children.

MODEL THE TRAITS OF WRITING If you use the 6+1 Traits of Writing in your class or school, you know that children's literature is a great way to model the traits at their finest! Water Dance can be used to model and illustrate the traits of Ideas and Word Choice. (It is typically recommended that students focus on one trait at a time.)

If you aren't familiar with the model, the 6+1 Traits of Writing give students, teachers, and parents a common vocabulary for talking about writing. The model was developed in the 1980s and originally included six traits: • Ideas: the content of the piece

• Organization: the internal structure of a piece of writing • Voice: the sense that a real person is speaking to us and cares about the message • Word Choice: the use of rich, colorful, precise language that communicates not just in a functional way, but in a way that moves and enlightens the reader • Sentence Fluency: the rhythm and flow of the language, the sound of word patterns, the way in which the writing plays to the ear, not just to the eye • Conventions: the mechanical correctness of the piece– spelling, grammar and usage, paragraphing, use of capitals, and punctuation The model was later revised to include a seventh trait, Presentation. Rather than change an already familiar name, the developers modified the title to read "6+1 Traits.”

• Presentation: the way an author "exhibits" his message on paper These traits, or elements of writing, are common across all modes of writing - narrative, descriptive, expository, and persuasive. The manner in which the traits are used, however, will differ - the organization of

expository writing (a textbook) is quite different from a narrative (story). Strong writers understand the ways in which the traits manifest themselves across the different modes of writing and can make appropriate choices in their own writing.

The resources highlighted below provide more information about the 6+1 Traits, strategies for use in the classroom, and rubrics to evaluate students' work. As we mentioned earlier, using exemplary examples like Water Dance helps students understand a trait (in this case, Ideas or Word Choice) and improve their own work.

6+1 Trait Writing http://www.nwrel.org/ assessment/department.php? odelay=2&d=1 The Northwest Regional Educational Laboratory's web site includes an overview of the model, definitions of each trait, lesson plans, writing prompts, publications, scoring guides, and professional development workshops and institutes.

Writing: 6+1 Traits http://www.emints.org/ ethemes/resources/ S00001707.shtml A collection of resources related to the 6+1 Traits writing model.

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Across the Curriculum: Lessons 6+1 Traits of Writing: The Complete Guide for the Primary Grades http://shop.scholastic.com/ webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ ProductDisplay? productId=30811&langId=-1&st oreId=10001&catalogId=10004 This professional book, available for purchase from Scholastic, provides scoring guides, sample papers, and focus lessons for each trait, and framed to address K-2 teachers' needs.

6+1 Traits of Writing: The Complete Guide: Grades 3 & Up: Everything You Need to Teach and Assess Student Writing with This Powerful Model http://shop.scholastic.com/ webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ ProductDisplay? productId=11998&langId=-1&st oreId=10001&catalogId=10004 This professional book, available for purchase from Scholastic, includes scoring guides, focus lessons, and activities for teaching each trait.

B15-AJ. Photo courtesy of Brien Barnett, National Science Foundation, U.S. Antarctic Program.

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Scholastic: 6+1 Traits http://www2.scholastic.com/ browse/search? query=6%2B1+Traits Scholastic's web site includes many resources for teaching the traits, including video interviews with author Ruth Culham.

found in the polar regions could also allow students to apply their knowledge of Ideas or Word Choice (see 6+1 Traits of Writing for more information). It is typically recommended that students focus on one trait at a time.

INSPIRE ART AND POETRY While glaciers and ice are mentioned in the explanation of the water cycle at the end of the book Water Dance, Locker does not include the solid form of water in his paintings and poems. Challenge your students to study one form of ice found in the polar regions (glaciers, ice sheets, ice shelves, sea ice, and icebergs) and write a poem following Locker's model.

(Teachers in primary grades may want to write a class poem using student input.) Use watercolors or tempera paints to create a corresponding picture!

INSPIRE CREATIVE MOVEMENT We all know that elementary students like to move, and, after all, the book is titled Water Dance! Read the book as a class once, then re-read, asking students to pantomime each step of water's "dance" through our world. In addition to being an enjoyable activity, this provides opportunities for students to appreciate Locker's precise word choice and develop nonlinguistic representations of the concepts.

Pantomime also engages kinesthetic learners in a way that most stories do not.

Writing Water Dance-inspired poetry about the types of ice

Science & Literacy: Lessons The Water Cycle and the Polar Regions: Hands-On Science and Literacy

By Jessica Fries-Gaither The water cycle is a wonderful real-world context for teaching the states and changes of matter. Students need to first have hands-on and inquirybased experiences with each state of matter as well as the state changes of freezing, melting, evaporation, and condensation. In this context, the literacy components (reading, writing, and discussion) are used during investigations and to tie the states and changes of matter together into the water cycle. Children's literature, graphic organizers, narrative stories, and reader's theater all help students to link water through its various forms and stops along the cycle.

Many of the lessons featured on page 22 involve investigations which can be modified to incorporate science notebooks and expository writing as described in "Science Notebooks: Integrating Investigations" (see page 6).

The View. Photo courtesy of U.S. Geological Survey, Flickr.

To do so, teachers need to first identify the investigation's major concepts and possible investigable questions that target them. Teachers should also consider how they will introduce the concepts to promote critical thinking and lead students to pose investigable questions.

Lesson planning templates are often helpful when modifying a lesson in this way. See page 24 for examples.

While these lessons include ice and snow in the water cycle, none deal specifically with the polar regions. Once students understand the basics of the water cycle, challenge them to consider the cycle in the Arctic or Antarctica or add simulations and models of the glaciers, ice sheets, and icebergs found in the two regions. We've included

a separate section with lessons that allow students to investigate glaciers and icebergs, forms of water commonly found in the polar regions (and omitted from typical lessons concerning the water cycle).

These lessons meet the National Science Education Standards: Science as Inquiry Content Standard and Earth and Space Science Content Standard. You can read the entire National Science Education Standards online for free or register to download the free PDF. The content standards are found in Chapter 6, http:// books.nap.edu/openbook.php? record_id=4962&page=103.

Literacy lessons are aligned to the NCTE/IRA Standards. View these at http://www.ncte.org/ standards.

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Science & Literacy: Lessons WATER CYCLE: GRADES K-2 The Wonderful World of Water (Grades K-2) http://www.uen.org/Lessonplan/preview.cgi?

LPid=16248 These activities will help students understand the properties of water as a solid, liquid, and gas.

The Mystery of the Sponge (Grades K-2) http://www.uen.org/Lessonplan/preview.cgi?

LPid=1212 Students observe that water has weight and that weight decreases as water evaporates. The changes that occur as a sponge dries on a balance illustrates this concept.

Water Magicians (Grades K-2) http://www.uen.org/Lessonplan/preview.cgi?

LPid=1219 Students observe water changing states from a solid to a liquid to a gas.

This lesson meets the National Science Education Standards: Science as Inquiry Content Standard and Earth and Space Science Content Standard.

Changing Matter (Grades K-2) http://www.uen.org/Lessonplan/preview.cgi?

LPid=5676 Students will investigate the concept of water changing states.

To further integrate literacy skills into these four lessons, try the following: Rain, Ice, Steam: Using Reading to Support Inquiry About the Water Cycle (Grades K-2) http://www.readwritethink.org/lessons/ lesson_view.asp?id=912 This unit of study allows students to discover the repetitive cycle of water. Read-alouds introduce the topic of rain; hands-on experiments and classroom centers teach students about the

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water cycle and how it functions. After exploring the different parts of the water cycle, students demonstrate the knowledge they have gained by working in groups to write and perform a play.

This lesson meets NCTE/IRA Standards: 1, 8, 12.

WATER CYCLE: GRADES 3-5 The following seven lessons are meant to be used as a comprehensive unit on the water cycle.

This unit meets the National Science Education Standards: Science as Inquiry Content Standard and the Earth and Space Science Content Standard.

Investigation 1: Where Is Water Found?

(Grades 3-5) http://www.uen.org/Lessonplan/preview.cgi?

LPid=9820 Students use 100 pennies to predict and represent the distribution of water on Earth across three categories: freshwater, salt water, and glaciers (ice).

Investigation 2: Why Does a Puddle Shrink?

(Grades 3-5) http://www.uen.org/Lessonplan/preview.cgi?

LPid=9823 Students investigate the role heat energy plays in evaporation.

Investigation 3: Condensation Chambers (Grades 3-5) http://www.uen.org/Lessonplan/preview.cgi?

LPid=9827 Students create condensation chambers and observe the process of water condensation on cool surfaces.

Science & Literacy: Lessons Investigation 4: Heat Energy and Water (Grades 3-5) http://www.uen.org/Lessonplan/preview.cgi?

LPid=9830 This activity is designed to develop the concept of heat's influence on solid and liquid water. The activity should also help students differentiate between heat and temperature.

Investigation 5: The Water Cycle Model (Grades 3-5) http://www.uen.org/Lessonplan/preview.cgi?

LPid=9831 Students observe a model of the water cycle.

Investigation 6: Water on the Move (Grades 3-5) http://www.uen.org/Lessonplan/preview.cgi?

LPid=9832 Students play a game to deepen their understanding of the water cycle.

Water Cycle Celebration http://www.uen.org/Lessonplan/preview.cgi?

LPid=9836 This mini-science fair project summarizes the unit on the water cycle.

Jan. 2009 Antarctica Sail Trip.

Photo courtesy of 23am.com, Flickr.

To further integrate literacy skills into this unit, try the following: Water World Story http://www.uen.org/Lessonplan/preview.cgi?

LPid=11086 Students write a story about how a drop of water may have traveled to arrive at the school. In addition, they design a presentation on the water cycle.

This lesson meets NCTE/IRA Standards: 1, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 11, 12.

Integrating Literacy into the Study of the Earth's Surface http://readwritethink.org/lessons/ lesson_view.asp?id=899 This lesson introduces third- through fifth-grade students to the bodies of water on the earth's surface, including ponds, streams, rivers, lakes, and oceans. The lesson incorporates the use of science trade books, read-alouds, and dialogue journals, and culminates in a comparative study of the different bodies of water performed in a reader's theater. This lesson could be modified to focus on the water cycle by incorporating titles from this month's virtual bookshelf.

This lesson meets NCTE/IRA Standards: 1, 3, 4, 5, 7, 11, 12.

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Science & Literacy: Lessons GLACIERS AND ICEBERGS Glacial Pressure (Grades 3-5) http://www.teachervision.fen.com/science/ lesson-plan/3834.html In this lesson plan, students model glacial formation through the compression of marshmallows, which represent snow. Students observe the effect of pressure exerted on marshmallows and draw conclusions about pressure exerted on snow.

Modeling Glacier Dynamics with Flubber (Grades 2-3) http://bprc.osu.edu/education/lessons/ flubber_activity_grade2-3.zip This hands-on activity simulates glacial flow. The students use a glacier-modeling compound made from glue, water, and detergent ("flubber") to predict and observe glacial flow. The students discuss with the teacher how scientists determine glacial flow with real glaciers. The link opens a zipped file that contains three documents: the teacher's guide, notes, and a worksheet.

Modeling Glacier Dynamics with Flubber (Grades 3-5) http://bprc.osu.edu/education/lessons/ flubber_activity_grade3-5.zip This hands-on activity simulates glacial flow.

The students use a glacier-modeling compound made from glue, water, and detergent ("flubber") to predict and observe glacial flow. The students iscuss with the teacher how scientists determine glacial flow with real glaciers. The link opens a zipped file that contains three documents: the teacher's guide, notes, and a worksheet.

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Do-It-Yourself Iceberg Science (designed for Grades 6-8, modify for K-5) http://www.units.muohio.edu/cryolab/education/ documents/MS%20Icebergs.pdf In this inquiry-based lesson, students will experiment with their own film canister "icebergs" to explore the principles of floating icebergs and ice density. The focus on density and calculating volume is too advanced for most elementary students, but the overall experimental design and ideas for further investigation would be useful for most elementary classes.

To further integrate literacy into these lessons, use the books suggested in this month's Virtual Bookshelf.

Lesson Planning Template From the East Bay Educational Collaborative’s Scientist’s Notebook Toolkit, http://www.ebecri.org/custom/toolkit.html: • Before-During-After template http://www.ebecri.org/media/Before During After.doc • Lesson Planning template http://www.ebecri.org/media/lesson planning.doc From Sacramento Area Science Project, http://sasp.ucdavis.edu/Resources%20and %20Links.html: • Science Literacy Cycle Lesson Plan template http://sasp.ucdavis.edu/Science Literacy Cycle Lesson Plan Template.doc

Off The Bookshelf Polar Oceans: Virtual Bookshelf

By Angela Grandstaff and Jessica Fries-Gaither The water, snow, and ice found in the polar regions provide a real-world context for studying physical science concepts, such as states and changes of matter, and earth and space science concepts like the water cycle.

The size, appearance, and behavior of glaciers and icebergs engage students and adults alike.

Students should investigate the properties of water, ice, and

snow and phase changes through hands-on, inquiry-based experiences, as described in our article "The Water Cycle and the Polar Regions: Hands-On Science and Literacy" in this issue. Reading nonfiction trade books supplements the scientific investigations, connects experiences and concepts, and assists students in visualizing and understanding more abstract concepts, such as evaporation.

As always, most of our selected books are nonfiction. We believe that elementary students need exposure to this genre to set a compelling purpose for reading and to become familiar with the text structures used in expository and informational

text. However, we have included two fiction books as well. Water Dance, by Thomas Locker, was selected for its rich and precise word choice and engaging presentation of the water cycle.

Lulie the Iceberg, an imaginative and heartwarming story, provides a blend of scientific fact, moral lessons, and beautiful illustrations. Carefully selected fiction can serve as a springboard for a science lesson or as a basis for comparison with nonfiction on a similar topic.

We've divided this month's bookshelf into three sections: States of Matter and the Water Cycle, Glaciers and Icebergs, and Penguins and Polar Bears.

States of Matter and the Water Cycle Water Dance. Thomas Locker.

1997. Picture book.

Recommended ages: Grades K-5.

Although this book is written in poetic language, the authorillustrator's precise word choices and beautiful paintings will engage students in scientific concepts. The book's back matter gives facts about each of the 13 water scenes depicted. For ideas on using the book, please refer to "Water Dance: Integrating Science, Literacy, Art, and Movement" on page 19.

Water Series. Helen Frost.

2000. Nonfiction books.

Recommended ages: Grades K-1.

Four books in this series use simple text and color photographs to illustrate the water cycle and the behavior and the properties of water in its different states of matter. The book titles are Water As a Gas, Water As a Liquid, Water As a Solid, and The Water Cycle.

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Off The Bookshelf: Water, Water Everywhere: A Book about the Water Cycle.

Melvin and Gilda Berger.

1995. Nonfiction book.

Recommended ages: Grades 2-4.

This beginning reader examines the water cycle, phase changes of water, and how people in cities and small towns get clean water.

Looking at Solids, Liquids, and Gases: How Does Matter Change? Jackie Gaff. 2008.

Nonfiction book.

Recommended ages: Grades 2-4.

Divided into chapters, this book explains the states of matter and how matter can change from one state to another. Each section is headed with a question, making this book perfect for use with a comprehension strategy such as SQ3R. Water. Christin Ditchfield.

2002. Nonfiction book.

Recommended ages: Grades 2-4.

This book is divided into five chapters, such as "What Is Water?" and "The Water Cycle," a list of further reading and web sites, and a glossary.

The Water Cycle. Therese Greenaway. 2001. Nonfiction book. Recommended ages: Grades 3-5.

In this book, readers can find out about how our planet's water is recycled and reused through a series of natural phenomena called the water cycle. Other topics include water for life, water purification, and human consumption and pollution of water. Each chapter is devoted to a separate topic and could be the basis of a series of hands-on science lessons.

Water Science. Deborah Seed. 1992. Nonfiction book.

Recommended ages: Grades 2-5.

This book is overflowing with facts, stories, and 40 water projects! Readers will be enticed by the fascinating facts and be amazed by the many explorations. This book could be used by a teacher to create a series of science centers, or as the basis for independent inquiry and exploration.

Glaciers and Icebergs Lulie the Iceberg. Takamado no Miya Hisako. 1998. Picture book (Fiction) and Audio.

Recommended ages: Grades K-5.

This tale of Lulie, an iceberg that journeys from the Arctic to the Antarctic, was written by Princess Hisako Takamado of Japan, assisted by Icebridge, a forum of scientists and educators dedicated to promoting knowledge

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about the polar regions and the oceans. While the story ascribes human attributes to ice, wind, and animals, it also blends accurate scientific information about ocean currents and the species and conditions found at various latitudes.

Lulie the Iceberg is a story that will easily provide a cross-curricular connection to geography, music, and the language arts.

Water, Snow, and Ice Icebergs, Ice Caps, and Glaciers. Allan Fowler. 1997.

Nonfiction book.

Recommended ages: Grades K-2.

Extremely simple text and bright color photographs make this book appealing to young learners. The author combines facts about icebergs, ice caps and glaciers into a concise introductory book. A glossary with pictures helps students master new vocabulary.

Glaciers. Larry Brimner. 2000.

Nonfiction book.

Recommended ages: Grades 2-4.

This basic book describes what glaciers are, how they are formed, and how they move and shape the earth.

Best for independent reading or sharing with small groups.

Icebergs and Glaciers.

Seymour Simon. 1999.

Nonfiction book.

Recommended ages: Grades 3-5.

Breathtaking photographs mark this introduction to a frozen world of mountaintops and polar regions.

Glaciers (The Library of Landforms Series). Isaac Nadeau. 2006. Nonfiction book. Recommended ages: Grades 3-5.

In this book readers can learn about the types of glaciers found throughout the world, their formation, and how they shape the land, as well as life on or near glaciers. Each twopage spread covers a single topic. The headers and straightforward text make this a great book for practicing comprehension strategies, such as SQ3R. The series publisher, PowerKids Press, has developed an online list of web sites related to the content of this book. The site is updated regularly and provides a great extension to information in the book.

Penguins and Polar Bears A Penguin's World. Caroline Arnold. 2006. Nonfiction picture book. Recommended ages: Grades K-2.

Cut-paper illustrations encourage children to read on and discover more about Adelie penguins. Suitable for student research or for a collage art project.

Polar Bear Math: Learning about Fractions from the Klondike and the Snow. Ann Whitehead and Cindy Bickel.

2004. Nonfiction book.

Recommended ages: Grades K-5.

This book uses charts and recipes for bear milk, prepared for polar bear cubs in a zoo, to teach about fractions. Teachers of younger students can read the right-hand pages only to tell the story of the cubs without the math. A perfect crosscurricular connection!

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Abo u t U s Beyond Penguins and Polar Bears is an online professional development magazine for elementary teachers. It prepares teachers to integrate high-quality science instruction with literacy teaching. The magazine is available for free at http://beyondpenguins.nsdl.org.

Twenty thematic issues link polar science concepts to the scope and sequence of elementary science curricula. The result is a resource that includes issues devoted to day and night, seasons, plants and mammals, erosion, and other physical, earth and space, and life science concepts. Some issues are also interdisciplinary, focusing on polar explorers, the indigenous people of the Arctic, and the challenges of doing science in the polar regions. To browse the complete archive of issues, visit http://beyondpenguins.nsdl.org/archive.php.

Other project features include a companion blog (http://expertvoices.nsdl.org/polar) about polar news and research and a social networking site (http://beyondpenguins.ning.com) for elementary teachers to communicate and collaborate with colleagues across the country and around the world.

Beyond Penguins and Polar Bears is funded by the National Science Foundation under Grant No. 0733024 and is produced by an interdisciplinary team from Ohio State University (OSU), College of Education and Human Ecology; the Ohio Resource Center (ORC) for Mathematics, Science, and Reading; the Byrd Polar Research Center; COSI (Center for Science and Industry) Columbus; the Upper Arlington Public Library (UAPL); and the National Science Digital Library (NSDL) Core Integration team at Cornell University and University Corporation for Atmospheric Research (UCAR).

Copyright June 2010. Beyond Penguins and Polar Bears is produced by an interdisciplinary team from Ohio State University (OSU), College of Education and Human Ecology; the Ohio Resource Center (ORC) for Mathematics, Science, and Reading; the Byrd Polar Research Center; COSI (Center for Science and Industry) Columbus; the Upper Arlington Public Library (UAPL); and the National Science Digital Library (NSDL). This material is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation under Grant No. 0733024. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation. Content in this document is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license. Printed version layout and design by Margaux Baldridge, Office of Technology and Enhanced Learning, College of Education and Human Ecology, The Ohio State University. For more information email: beyondpenguins@msteacher.org.