Water's Properties: The Elixir of Life
Inquiry Framework
Question Framework
Driving Question
The overarching question that guides the entire project.How does the interplay between water's chemical and physical properties, particularly hydrogen bonding, enable life and influence the resilience of organisms and ecosystems in the face of pollution?Essential Questions
Supporting questions that break down major concepts.- How does water's chemical structure contribute to its unique properties?
- What role does hydrogen bonding play in water's properties?
- How do these properties of water enable life to exist?
- In what ways do living organisms utilize water's properties to maintain homeostasis?
- What are the consequences of water pollution on living organisms and ecosystems?
Standards & Learning Goals
Learning Goals
By the end of this project, students will be able to:- Students will be able to explain the chemical structure of water and how it leads to its unique properties.
- Students will be able to describe the role of hydrogen bonding in water's properties.
- Students will be able to explain how water's properties enable life to exist.
- Students will be able to explain how living organisms use water's properties to maintain homeostasis.
- Students will be able to explain the consequences of water pollution on living organisms and ecosystems.
Entry Events
Events that will be used to introduce the project to studentsMystery Spill Challenge
**Mystery Spill Challenge:** Students are presented with an 'environmental disaster' scenario involving an unknown liquid contaminating a local water source. They must use their existing knowledge and initial observations to hypothesize the liquid's identity and potential impact, prompting them to investigate water's unique properties to understand the crisis.Water Drop Photography Exhibit
**Water Drop Photography Exhibit:** Students view a curated collection of macro photographs and time-lapse videos showcasing the aesthetic and unusual behaviors of water droplets. This sparks curiosity about the underlying scientific principles, leading them to explore concepts like surface tension, adhesion, and cohesion to explain the visual phenomena.'Life Without Water' Brainstorm
**'Life Without Water' Brainstorm:** Students engage in a thought experiment where they imagine a world devoid of water and its implications for various ecosystems and human societies. This activity encourages them to consider water's vital role in biological processes, prompting inquiry into its chemical and physical properties that make it essential for life.Water Taste Test Challenge
**Water Taste Test Challenge:** Students participate in a blind taste test comparing different water samples (e.g., distilled, tap, mineral). This generates discussion about water purity, the presence of dissolved substances, and how these factors influence taste and potability, naturally leading to questions about water's chemical composition and its ability to act as a solvent.Build a Water Filter Design Challenge
**Build a Water Filter Design Challenge:** Students are tasked with designing and building a water filter using readily available materials to purify a sample of contaminated water. This hands-on activity encourages them to consider the different types of impurities found in water and how water's properties can be exploited to separate and remove them, stimulating inquiry into filtration, solubility, and other relevant concepts.Portfolio Activities
Portfolio Activities
These activities progressively build towards your learning goals, with each submission contributing to the student's final portfolio.Water Molecule Architect
Students will create a visual model illustrating the molecular structure of water, including the arrangement of atoms and the polarity of the molecule. They will then write a short paragraph explaining how this structure gives rise to water's unique properties.Steps
Here is some basic scaffolding to help students complete the activity.Final Product
What students will submit as the final product of the activityA labeled 3D or digital model of a water molecule with an accompanying paragraph explaining its structure and properties.Alignment
How this activity aligns with the learning objectives & standardsLearning Goal 1: Students will be able to explain the chemical structure of water and how it leads to its unique properties.Hydrogen Bond Explorer
Students will conduct an experiment to observe the effects of hydrogen bonding on water's properties, such as surface tension or cohesion. They will document their observations and explain how hydrogen bonding is responsible for the observed phenomena.Steps
Here is some basic scaffolding to help students complete the activity.Final Product
What students will submit as the final product of the activityA lab report detailing the experiment, observations, and explanation of how hydrogen bonding affects water's properties.Alignment
How this activity aligns with the learning objectives & standardsLearning Goal 2: Students will be able to describe the role of hydrogen bonding in water's properties.Life's Water Web
Students will research and present on a specific example of how water's properties (e.g., high heat capacity, solvent properties) are essential for life processes in a particular organism or ecosystem.Steps
Here is some basic scaffolding to help students complete the activity.Final Product
What students will submit as the final product of the activityA presentation (oral, poster, or digital) explaining how water's properties support life in a chosen context.Alignment
How this activity aligns with the learning objectives & standardsLearning Goal 3: Students will be able to explain how water's properties enable life to exist.Homeostasis Helpers
Students will investigate how organisms use water's properties to regulate temperature, transport nutrients, and remove waste. They will create a diagram or model illustrating these processes in a specific organism.Steps
Here is some basic scaffolding to help students complete the activity.Final Product
What students will submit as the final product of the activityA diagram or model illustrating how a specific organism uses water's properties to maintain homeostasis, with a written explanation.Alignment
How this activity aligns with the learning objectives & standardsLearning Goal 4: Students will be able to explain how living organisms use water's properties to maintain homeostasis.Water Guardians
Students will research a specific type of water pollution and its effects on living organisms and ecosystems. They will propose a solution to mitigate the pollution and present their findings in a persuasive essay or presentation.Steps
Here is some basic scaffolding to help students complete the activity.Final Product
What students will submit as the final product of the activityA persuasive essay or presentation detailing the causes and consequences of a specific type of water pollution, along with a proposed solution.Alignment
How this activity aligns with the learning objectives & standardsLearning Goal 5: Students will be able to explain the consequences of water pollution on living organisms and ecosystems.Rubric & Reflection
Portfolio Rubric
Grading criteria for assessing the overall project portfolioWater's Properties and Life Rubric
Molecular Structure
Focuses on the student's understanding and representation of water's molecular structure.Molecular Model and Explanation
Accuracy of the model and explanation of water's molecular structure.
Exemplary
4 PointsModel accurately represents the arrangement of atoms and partial charges, and the explanation provides a sophisticated understanding of how this structure leads to water's unique properties.
Proficient
3 PointsModel accurately represents the arrangement of atoms and partial charges, and the explanation provides a thorough understanding of how this structure leads to water's properties.
Developing
2 PointsModel shows a basic understanding of the arrangement of atoms, but may have minor inaccuracies. The explanation shows an emerging understanding of how the structure relates to water's properties.
Beginning
1 PointsModel is incomplete or inaccurate. The explanation shows a limited understanding of water's molecular structure and its properties.
Hydrogen Bonding
Focuses on the student's ability to design and conduct an experiment, and explain the role of hydrogen bonding.Hydrogen Bonding Experiment and Explanation
Clarity and accuracy of the experiment, observations, and explanation of hydrogen bonding.
Exemplary
4 PointsExperiment is well-designed and executed with meticulous observations. The lab report provides an innovative and insightful explanation of how hydrogen bonding accounts for the observed phenomena.
Proficient
3 PointsExperiment is well-designed and executed with clear observations. The lab report provides a thorough and accurate explanation of how hydrogen bonding accounts for the observed phenomena.
Developing
2 PointsExperiment is adequately designed and executed. The lab report provides a basic explanation of how hydrogen bonding relates to the observations, but may lack detail or clarity.
Beginning
1 PointsExperiment is poorly designed or executed, and observations are unclear. The lab report provides a limited or inaccurate explanation of how hydrogen bonding affects water's properties.
Water and Life
Focuses on the student's research and explanation of how water's properties enable life.Water's Properties and Life
Depth of research, clarity of presentation, and connection of water's properties to life processes.
Exemplary
4 PointsPresentation is exceptionally well-researched, creative, and engaging. It provides a sophisticated and insightful explanation of how water's properties are crucial for life in the chosen context.
Proficient
3 PointsPresentation is well-researched, clear, and engaging. It provides a thorough and accurate explanation of how water's properties are crucial for life in the chosen context.
Developing
2 PointsPresentation is adequately researched and explains how water's properties are important for life, but may lack depth or clarity.
Beginning
1 PointsPresentation is poorly researched and provides a limited or inaccurate explanation of how water's properties affect life.
Water and Homeostasis
Focuses on the student's understanding and representation of water's role in homeostasis.Homeostasis Diagram/Model and Explanation
Accuracy of the diagram/model and thoroughness of the explanation of homeostasis.
Exemplary
4 PointsDiagram/model is exceptionally detailed and accurate, demonstrating a deep understanding of the homeostatic process. The explanation is comprehensive and insightful, showing an innovative application of water's properties.
Proficient
3 PointsDiagram/model is accurate and clearly illustrates the homeostatic process. The explanation is thorough and accurately describes how water's properties contribute to maintaining homeostasis.
Developing
2 PointsDiagram/model shows a basic understanding of the homeostatic process, but may lack detail. The explanation provides a limited description of how water's properties are involved.
Beginning
1 PointsDiagram/model is incomplete or inaccurate. The explanation provides a minimal or inaccurate description of how water's properties affect homeostasis.
Water Pollution
Focuses on the student's understanding of water pollution and ability to propose solutions.Water Pollution Solution
Depth of research, persuasiveness of argument, and feasibility of the proposed solution to water pollution.
Exemplary
4 PointsEssay/presentation is exceptionally well-researched and presents a highly persuasive argument for an innovative and feasible solution to water pollution.
Proficient
3 PointsEssay/presentation is well-researched and presents a persuasive argument for a feasible solution to water pollution.
Developing
2 PointsEssay/presentation shows adequate research and proposes a basic solution to water pollution, but may lack persuasiveness or feasibility.
Beginning
1 PointsEssay/presentation is poorly researched and presents a weak or infeasible solution to water pollution.