What age would you think this class is for?

[joannqn]

If the bottom were the description of a "class", what age range would you think it was for? And would you think it was appropriate for a 5 year old? The group mentioned in the description has kids from infants up to age 14, with most of the kids being in the 3-7 age range. There have been discussions about there not being any offerings for the older kids in the group, so we have been attempting to come up with solutions for that age range.

 

Learn about the hydrologic cycle.

 

Everyone knows and has seen this cycle: rain comes down, goes into the ground, flows through rivers to the ocean, evaporates up to the clouds, where it rains down again. This class goes a bit deeper and is geared towards the older kids in the group.

 

We will learn the terms for each part of the cycle: evaporation, transpiration, condensation, precipitation, and runoff. We will learn what each of these are and where they occur in the cycle. There will be demonstrations showing how condensation and precipitation happen. And we'll pretend to be drops of water traveling through the cycle randomly to see where we end up. Not everyone will necessarily visit each part of the cycle!

 

We will also explore where the earth's water is found and how much is in each location. The answer might surprise the kids.

Edited September 26, 2011 by joannqn

[momma2three]

I studied this with my 4 year old, and she mostly got it. I'd say a 6 or 7 year old definitely would. Older than that, and it might be too simplistic.

[joannqn]

The material and demos for the class are available for free here.

Edited September 26, 2011 by joannqn

[K&Rs Mom]

Based on just that description, I would guess early elementary, maybe 1st-4th grades.

[bettyandbob]

5-6

[Mommy22alyns]

K-3?

[Cinder]

Didn't check the link, but your description sounds, to me, like 1st-3d grade.

[joannqn]

Really?

 

I've never met a 5/6/7 year old who used words like hydrologic, evaporation, transpiration, and condensation.

 

And given the group makeup, it is generally considered ages 8 and up as being the "older kids in the group" because those are the ones who aren't happy with the childishness of the normal group activities.

[QuirkyKapers]

Usually in programs offerred around here, older kids refer to 9-12 yr olds

[Mommy22alyns]

I definitely taught Rebecca evaporation and condensation when she was 6/7. The "pretending to be a water drop" skewed it younger for me.

[bettyandbob]

Really?

 

I've never met a 5/6/7 year old who used words like hydrologic, evaporation, transpiration, and condensation.

 

 

My oldest had all kinds of words like that, but he was different.

 

However, these concepts are fairly easy to teach. I think this was one of the topics at a community center science class for preschoolers (4-5) we encountered years ago. The teacher taught the class twice -- first to the 4-5 group and then to 6-9 year olds. She had reading material for the older kids and she always gave some of the older kid material to my ds b/c he could read and he was clearly into science.

 

My dd was not an early reader, but she definitely knew this stuff at 6 too. Perhaps it is just a difference in the interests of your family. We are into science and we accessed all kinds of science experiences at young ages. Hence, science vocabulary was developed.

[Truscifi]

Ds studied this when he was 6, including the terms listed. I think what age it is appropriate for would depend on how it was presented. If it were presented in a more mature, in depth manner, with a project/short paper assigned, it would feel a lot more like an older kids class than if it were modeled with pictures the kids colored in class and pasted on a picture board.

[regentrude]

1-3rd grade

Definitely not something "for the older kids"

[joannqn]

My oldest had all kinds of words like that, but he was different.

 

My older two who will be participating are different, which is why I have trouble gauging grade level. I've learned that I can't assume all, or even most, can do what mine do at their level.

 

I'm the one doing the class. It was originally something we were just going to do at home, but then I thought it would be fun to do with some other kids, but now I have 5 year olds signed up instead of the older kids.

 

I have no idea what grade level the material is suppose to be, because I can't tell. But it definitely isn't kindergarten or first grade stuff. Here's some direct quotes from the material:

 

Transpiration is the evaporation of water from plants through stomata. Stomata are small openings found on the underside of leaves that are connected to vascular plant tissues. In most plants, transpiration is a passive process largely controlled by the humidity of the atmosphere and the moisture content of the soil.

 

Precipitation is the result when the tiny condensation particles grow too large, through collision and coalesce, for the rising air to support, and thus fall to the earth. Precipitation can be in the form of rain, hail, snow or sleet.

 

Condensation is not a matter of one particular temperature but of a difference between two temperatures; the air temperature and the dewpoint temperature. At its basic meaning, the dewpoint is the temperature where dew can form. Actually, it is the temperature that, if the air is cool to that level, the air becomes saturated. Any additional cooling causes water vapor to condense. Foggy conditions often occur when air temperature and dewpoint are equal.

[joannqn]

For the activity where they are acting as water moving through the cycle, they need to be able to independently to the following: Roll a die at their station. Then they pick the corresponding card, read it, and follow the directions (ie. stay where they are or move the the appropriate station). As to movement, the cards say things like "An updraft carries you higher into the atmosphere where you become cooler and condense into a cloud. Move to clouds." As they move through the cycle, they need to be able to keep a record of where they moved and in what order.

[Julie in CA]

My guess would've been 8-10, with the higher end more in focus if you're going thoroughly through the info linked in the lesson plan as "Formation of Hurricanes". The other hands-on stuff skews it towards the younger end, imo.

[sbgrace]

Those blurbs you quoted do sound more complicated. The description part, particularly about pretending to be a water drop, made it read younger to me than the course might actually be intended.

[Wabi Sabi]

The bit about "the older kids" is what throws me off. I think I'd be specific because everyone is going to have different ideas as to what that means.

[regentrude]

For the activity where they are acting as water moving through the cycle, they need to be able to independently to the following: Roll a die at their station. Then they pick the corresponding card, read it, and follow the directions (ie. stay where they are or move the the appropriate station). As to movement, the cards say things like "An updraft carries you higher into the atmosphere where you become cooler and condense into a cloud. Move to clouds." As they move through the cycle, they need to be able to keep a record of where they moved and in what order.

 

Yes, elementary school. They have to be able to read and follow directions.

Can't imagine a 12 y/o taking this seriously.

[EKS]

Early to middle elementary (maybe grades 1-4 or so).

[regentrude]

Are your quotes the text the STUDENTS will be reading - or is this your teaching material written to the TEACHER?

 

If this is the text for the students, I see a serious disconnect between the content of the class and the activity on one side and the vocabulary and reading difficulty on the other.

 

If this is the text for the teacher, I would assume a major task for the teacher would be to translate this into words the intended audience can understand. In fact, you can adopt this to whatever age level you want.

[Halcyon]

6-7 years old. Both my kids learned the water cycle, and all the proper terminology, in 1st/2nd.

[joannqn]

Are your quotes the text the STUDENTS will be reading - or is this your teaching material written to the TEACHER?

 

If this is the text for the students, I see a serious disconnect between the content of the class and the activity on one side and the vocabulary and reading difficulty on the other.

 

If this is the text for the teacher, I would assume a major task for the teacher would be to translate this into words the intended audience can understand. In fact, you can adopt this to whatever age level you want.

 

That's part of the difficulty for me. Normally, my students read the text individually straight from the website and we do the learning lessons together (for lack of supplies, misunderstanding the intent of the directions, letting the younger kids watch). I'll be presenting the material at the level my kids understand it, which means the level of the text with some explanation of more difficult vocabulary/context.

 

Some of the lessons we've encountered from this website are more difficult than others. I had to look up other sources to get a better understanding of what one of them intended. Another one failed: a wet barometer that only worked that day and we were suppose to monitor the weather with it for 10 days. Others are very simplistic but make the meaning of the context more clear.

[Amy in NH]

8-12 yo

[Farrar]

Really?

 

I've never met a 5/6/7 year old who used words like hydrologic, evaporation, transpiration, and condensation.

 

But those are just vocabulary words. The underlying concepts are things younger kids can usually understand pretty well. The water cycle is cool, but it's also kind of simple.

 

If you really wanted a science class to appeal to the 8-10 and up crowd, then I personally think you just need a totally different topic.

[abbeyej]

It sounds like K-2 to me. The reference to "older kids" just confuses me.

[Ria]

Really?

 

I've never met a 5/6/7 year old who used words like hydrologic, evaporation, transpiration, and condensation.

 

 

Obviously you never met a child who took my science classes. :D

[Murphy101]

Given that fluent reading is required, I would say 2nd - 4th grade.

 

My 5th grader would indulge playing it with her younger siblings.

[WeeBeaks]

I would guess K-2. My reasoning is heavily influenced by that Ms. Frizzle book on the water cycle we have read over and over and over again as requested by my children. Then we watched the video where the kids of her class became water droplets. By the time my son was finally 3rd grade or so he was over it.

 

My DS definitely had those terms down by 1st grade due to the above book.

[Running the race]

Your description makes me think ages 6-9.

[phathui5]

7-10 year olds.

[LucyStoner]

Really?

 

I've never met a 5/6/7 year old who used words like hydrologic, evaporation, transpiration, and condensation.

 

And given the group makeup, it is generally considered ages 8 and up as being the "older kids in the group" because those are the ones who aren't happy with the childishness of the normal group activities.

 

My son sure did.

 

I think the description sounds younger than perhaps the class is? I would take out the part about pretending to be a water drop.

[NanceXToo]

1-3rd grade

Definitely not something "for the older kids"

 

:iagree:

 

I tend to think of "older kids" as being 10 or 11 and up in our group. This class description sounds like it's meant for 5-8 year olds.

[KungFuPanda]

How long are you spending on this topic? I think the material could be part of a 3-5th grade science unit, but if it's stretched out for weeks and weeks you have to go younger.

[joannqn]

One 2-3 hour class

[justasque]

I'm not sure of your goals here.

 

Is your goal to write a blurb to describe the material? Or are you trying to decide whether you can do this material with older kids? Did you write the blurb, or did it come with the material?

 

I find it useful to list both suggested ages, and also any skills the children need to have (reading, for example). I have certainly taught classes for older children that involved using our bodies to create a physical model of the material, but I think the words in the blurb make it seem like it's more for the younger set.

[kalanamak]

One 2-3 hour class

 

I would have read this kind of thing to kiddo aged 6-7, with a game or drawing, or silly story (Ms. Frizzle has an adventure along this lines, AFAIR). I would have expected some "repeat after me" with the words. At 8 I would have asked for some original sentences/narration, but none of this would have been 2-3 hours. For 2-3 hours in a pop on this topic, I'd think 10 or over, some independent work, and quizzing.

 

But I do have a wiggly child.

[TheReader]

We taught the water cycle in K science here. I've not seen the term hydrologic, but we definitely used the other terms, had demos, etc.

 

Pretending to be water droplets/part of the cycle seems pretty young if the group is meaning to gear it to the older kids in the group -- no way would my 13 (turning 14) yr old participate in that, and my 10 yr old would be pretty reluctant as well (and he's a fairly "young" 10 at that....). My 6 yr old would love it.

 

Now, the time frame isn't listed/given, so if this was meant as a one day event to go over it for older kids, maybe.... but I can't tell from the description if it's a one day event or an on-going class. As it's described, I would definitely peg it to top out at 7 or maybe 8 yrs old, even though your description states "for the older kids in the class" --- the activities mentioned just don't seem "older" to me at all, and if you are wanting to get away from babyish activities then role playing water droplets might not be the way to go.....

[Starr]

Can you send out an email of skills needed to take the class? You will need a lot of help for them to get the most of the class if you don't have students that can work independently.

[DarlaS]

I definitely taught Rebecca evaporation and condensation when she was 6/7. The "pretending to be a water drop" skewed it younger for me.

 

:iagree:

 

I've not met too many 8+ who would want to do that. In fact, my youngest would not have wanted to at 5.

[Julie Smith]

Really?

 

I've never met a 5/6/7 year old who used words like hydrologic, evaporation, transpiration, and condensation.

 

And given the group makeup, it is generally considered ages 8 and up as being the "older kids in the group" because those are the ones who aren't happy with the childishness of the normal group activities.

 

We did this, and to this much detail. BUT. My Dad is a water engineer. We spent a long time on it since my eldest was interested, and my Dad was interested that my eldest was interested. We went out to water monitoring sites. Water treatment plants ... We read every picture book we could find on the subject and related to the subject.

 

Mind you I'm not sure how much he remembers about it. But he did enjoy learning about it when he was five? new six? Some kids like trains. Mine liked water.:confused:

[OLG]

Agreeing with the 5-7 age range. My ds did this in K as his science fair project.

[sassenach]

7-10 yr olds.

[DarlaS]

We did this, and to this much detail. BUT. My Dad is a water engineer. We spent a long time on it since my eldest was interested, and my Dad was interested that my eldest was interested. We went out to water monitoring sites. Water treatment plants ... We read every picture book we could find on the subject and related to the subject.

 

Mind you I'm not sure how much he remembers about it. But he did enjoy learning about it when he was five? new six? Some kids like trains. Mine liked water.:confused:

 

My youngest would have loved this. At about age 3, he asked me "Where does water come from?". I answered "The faucet". :tongue_smilie:

 

He was not satisfied with that and kept asking. It took me a while to figure out that he wanted to actually know water gets to us. I found some picture books and websites on the water cycle and he seemed happy to spend quite a bit of time looking at those with me.

 

It was not a subject he abandoned for some time.

[Julie Smith]

From the other details you have given in the thread it sounds like a fun and interestng class. It also sounds above the head of my 7 year old. (Who is no longer obessed with the water cycle). Yes, he could get all that information and get into same as older kids. But it would take him way longer then the 2 to 3 hour time frame for the class.

 

But if I every want to do a unit study on water I know where to look. That site has enough information and fun stuff to allow us to make a huge unit study.