Hydromania

Curriculum Topics

Each of the following links connects you to a series of lesson plans about that topic. These lesson plans were designed to be taught at a two-week science camp for fourth through sixth graders who attended for six hours per day. Therefore, these lesson plans were originally organized into ten sessions, each session designed to fill up an entire day with exciting, hands-on science lessons. Because this site is aimed at classroom teachers who are more likely to attack one lesson at a time, the lessons have been rearranged by topic. Each link takes you to all of the lessons that fit under that topic. Almost every lesson can either stand alone or be taught in succession with some or all of the other lessons. Lesson plans, background knowledge, a materials list, and student handouts are all included.
[Note: Each of the following links goes to a table of contents for that unit, which then links to the pdf files that you are free to download, print out, photocopy, and use. Because they are pdf files, there are no buttons to navigate back to this page. To return to this page, use the "Back" button on your browser.]

1. Group Dynamics: Students will practice important group skills with these enjoyable activities. (Which Oregon Benchmarks or Washington Essential Academic Learnings does this unit address?)


2. Scientific Method: Students will learn the Scientific Method first hand with this fun, hands-on lesson. (Which Oregon Benchmarks or Washington Essential Academic Learnings does this unit address?)


3. Measurement: Students will gain experience with metric units for distance, area, volume, and weight through a variety of experiments and activities. Includes one unit on measuring volume with water displacement. (Which Oregon Benchmarks or Washington Essential Academic Learnings does this unit address?)


4. Surface tension: Students will demonstrate and explore the surface tension of water with these interesting lessons. (Which Oregon Benchmarks or Washington Essential Academic Learnings does this unit address?)


5. Density: Do ice cubes always float? The answer may surprise your students as they look into this and other inquiries surrounding the concept of density. (Which Oregon Benchmarks or Washington Essential Academic Learnings does this unit address?)


6. Newton's Laws of Motion: Students launch water rockets and in the process learn some of Sir Isaac's ideas. (Which Oregon Benchmarks or Washington Essential Academic Learnings does this unit address?)


7. States of Matter: Students look at how matter changes from one state to another. Includes a lesson that relates this concept to transpiration in plants. (Which Oregon Benchmarks or Washington Essential Academic Learnings does this unit address?)


8. Power: Students make turbines, coils, magnets, boats, and kites as they dabble in the many scientific concepts concerning power. (Which Oregon Benchmarks or Washington Essential Academic Learnings does this unit address?)


9. Native American philosophies: A summary adapted from the Federation of Saskatchewan Indian Nations Wildlife Curriculum, 1992, that provides an excellent cross-curricular lesson that ties the science to the many issues related to rivers, energy, wildlife, and Native American rights and philosophies. Also includes several wonderful legends. (Which Oregon Benchmarks or Washington Essential Academic Learnings does this unit address?)


10. Biology: A few lessons that familiarize students with hydroponics, microorganisms, and capillary action in plants. Also includes lab instructions for a fish disection. (Which Oregon Benchmarks or Washington Essential Academic Learnings does this unit address?)


11. Bernoulli's Principle: Students construct devices that fly as they gain some insight into how airplanes can fly. (Which Oregon Benchmarks or Washington Essential Academic Learnings does this unit address?)


12. Water: Students will look at watersheds, ways of testing water quality, water conservation, and the water cycle. (Which Oregon Benchmarks or Washington Essential Academic Learnings does this unit address?)


13. Geology: Students will be introduced to plate tectonics, continental drift, and volcanoes. (Which Oregon Benchmarks or Washington Essential Academic Learnings does this unit address?)


14. Ecology: Students study many types of wildlife (emphasis on salmon and their lifecycle), the food web, preservation, plant classification, pollution, recycling, acid rain, and smoking, among other topics, in these 184-pages of lessons and information. (Which Oregon Benchmarks or Washington Essential Academic Learnings does this unit address?)


15. Glossary: A glossary of terms that are used throughout these science lessons.