Documenting Your WATER Study Site
 

 
 student describing

In this activity, students document their water study site much as they documented their land water site -- through writing, drawing, photography, audio-taping, and mapping. Later, they will share these words, images, and sounds with other Global Lab classes by posting them on their Web site.

Activity-at-a-Glance

Students can work in teams: artists and writers, media (photographers and audio recorders), and mappers to describe their water.

Materials


Introduction to Mapping
Camera with film
Audio tape recorder and tape
Writing and drawing materials
Tape measure
Journals

Classroom Management and Preparation

See Selecting a Study Site
 
GL Journals
As do scientists, we want each student to keep a journal of his or her daily Global Lab activities. Their entries will include observations, data, notes, and questions.

Student Preparation
Have students familiarize themselves with their team tasks and responsibilities for the field trip using the readings.

Recommended Procedures

1. Introduce the field trip to the study site.

Explain to students that they will visit their water study site to document its features in a way that can be shared with other classes. Organize the class into three teams—artists and writers, media (photographers and audio recorders), and mappers—and distribute team sheets to students.

Make sure students understand their teams'responsibilities and have all the necessary materials.

The mappers should decide on the kind of maps they need. (See Map Questions and More Water Maps and Questions)

The media team need to assemble the necessary cameras.

The artists and writers should have their own materials to carry to the field. They might want to take some protection from the water!

2. Have student teams (Media, Writers, Mappers) complete their assigned tasks.

Rotate among the teams and provide direction when needed.

3. Have the reassembled class fill out the Water Check List, or assign it to teams.

 

Homework


Have students organize their notes and observations from the field trip. You might select the best for sharing.

Back to Water Index

Back to Describing the Water Study Site