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Science lesson plan · 5th grade (Year 6 in England) · 60 minutes

Graph where Earth's water is: salty, frozen and fresh

Earth and rocks

CCSS NGSS.5-ESS2-2England: KS2 Geography linksEngland: KS3 Chemistry: Earth and atmosphere

Objective and success criteria

Students will: Graph where Earth's water is: salty, frozen and fresh.

  • I can answer questions on today's skill on my own, without help.
  • I can explain each step and say why it works.
  • I can check my answer and spot a mistake.

Before and after

Needs first: Salt water or fresh water? Where Earth's water is

Leads to: the next skill in this area.

Materials: Rock samples, Hand lenses, Mini whiteboards, A diagram or short video clip of the idea, Printed student sheet (below).

Warm-up · 6 min

  • Quick retrieval from earlier learning (Salt water or fresh water? Where Earth's water is). Students answer on mini whiteboards.
  • Show answers together and note who needs support in the main task.
  1. Is this salt water or fresh water: a mountain stream? (salt water / fresh water) → fresh waterPrompt: Is it part of the sea, or does it come from rain, snow and rivers?
  2. Why can't people drink seawater when they are thirsty? (It is too salty and makes the body lose more water. / It is the wrong colour. / It has no water in it. / It is too cold.) → It is too salty and makes the body lose more water.Prompt: What do you feel like after eating something very salty?
  3. True or false? Oceans cover most of Earth's surface. (True / False) → TruePrompt: Oceans are salty. Where else is water found?

Hook · 6 min

  • Pass round different rocks and ask how each one might have formed.
  • Share the objective: Graph where Earth's water is: salty, frozen and fresh. Read the success criteria together.

I do: model it · 12 min

  • Work through the example out loud, saying why you do each step, not just what you do.
  • Example: About 97% of Earth's water is salty and 3% is fresh. If all of Earth's water were shrunk into 1000 litres, about how many litres would be fresh water?
  • Step 1: 3 × 1000 ÷ 100 = 30
  • Step 2: So the answer is: 30 L
  • Answer: 30 L
  • Pause after each step and ask a student to say what comes next.

We do: guided practice · 12 min

  • Do these together. Students try each step on whiteboards before you reveal it.
  • Use the hints as prompts rather than giving the answer.
  1. About 97% of Earth's water is salty and 3% is fresh. If all of Earth's water were shrunk into 200 litres, about how many litres would be fresh water? → 6 LPrompt: Per cent means 'out of 100'.
  2. Only about 1% of Earth's fresh water is easy to reach in lakes and rivers. What should people do? (Pour waste into rivers. / Use water carefully and keep it clean. / Use as much as possible. / Nothing; water never runs out.) → Use water carefully and keep it clean.Prompt: It is a small and precious store.

You do: independent practice · 17 min

  • Students work on the student sheet. Circulate and check the first two answers of every student early.
  • Students who finish: write a question of their own for a partner, with the answer.

The 8 questions are on the student sheet below, with answers in the key.

Exit ticket · 7 min

  • Two questions on their own. Sort answers into got it / nearly / not yet to plan the next lesson.
  1. About 97% of Earth's water is salty ocean water. If all of Earth's water were shrunk into 100 litres, about how many litres would be salty ocean water? → 97 LPrompt: Per cent means 'out of 100'.
  2. Only about 1% of Earth's fresh water is easy to reach in lakes and rivers. What should people do? (Use as much as possible. / Nothing; water never runs out. / Pour waste into rivers. / Use water carefully and keep it clean.) → Use water carefully and keep it clean.Prompt: It is a small and precious store.

Watch out for

  • Everyday meanings of words getting in the way of the science meaning: define key words explicitly.
  • Remembering facts without the reason: ask "why?" and "what is the evidence?"

Support and stretch

Support

  • Review first: Salt water or fresh water? Where Earth's water is.
  • Use concrete materials: rock samples.
  • Give the first step of each question, or a partly worked example to finish.
  • Pair with a confident partner for the guided practice.

Stretch

  • Explain a common mistake in writing and how to fix it.
  • Write a word problem that uses today's skill, then solve a partner's.

Homework and more practice

Free online practice with hints and printable worksheets for this skill: eurekami.com/science/grade-5.

Free lesson plan from eurekami.com/lesson-plan-builder

eurekami

Graph where Earth's water is: salty, frozen and fresh

Name

Date

Score/ 8

  1. Question 1

    Why could melting ice sheets cause sea levels to rise?

    • A. Ice is heavier than water.
    • B. Oceans shrink when it is warm.
    • C. Water from ice on land flows into the oceans.
    • D. Melting makes new water from nothing.

  2. Question 2

    What does this chart of Earth's fresh water show?

    Where Earth's FRESH water is (%)01020304050607069ice and glaciers30groundwater1lakes, rivers, soil and air
    • A. Groundwater is the largest store.
    • B. Most fresh water is frozen or underground, not in rivers and lakes.
    • C. Most fresh water is in rivers and lakes.
    • D. There is more fresh water in the air than in ice.

  3. Question 3

    About 97% of Earth's water is salty ocean water. If all of Earth's water were shrunk into 500 litres, about how many litres would be salty ocean water?

    AnswerL

  4. Question 4

    Only about 1% of Earth's fresh water is easy to reach in lakes and rivers. What should people do?

    • A. Nothing; water never runs out.
    • B. Use water carefully and keep it clean.
    • C. Use as much as possible.
    • D. Pour waste into rivers.

  5. Question 5

    About 97% of Earth's water is salty and 3% is fresh. If all of Earth's water were shrunk into 1000 litres, about how many litres would be fresh water?

    AnswerL

  6. Question 6

    The chart shows where Earth's fresh water is found. What percentage is lakes, rivers, soil and air?

    Where Earth's FRESH water is (%)01020304050607069ice and glaciers30groundwater1lakes, rivers, soil and air

    Answer%

  7. Question 7

    About 97% of Earth's water is salty ocean water. If all of Earth's water were shrunk into 1000 litres, about how many litres would be salty ocean water?

    AnswerL

  8. Question 8

    About 97% of Earth's water is salty and 3% is fresh. If all of Earth's water were shrunk into 200 litres, about how many litres would be fresh water?

    AnswerL

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Answer key: Graph where Earth's water is: salty, frozen and fresh

  1. 1. C. Water from ice on land flows into the oceans.

  2. 2. B. Most fresh water is frozen or underground, not in rivers and lakes.

  3. 3. 485 L

  4. 4. B. Use water carefully and keep it clean.

  5. 5. 30 L

  6. 6. 1 %

  7. 7. 970 L

  8. 8. 6 L