Chelsea TramelList 4343

Book Talk The Magic School Bus: At The Waterworks

By: Joanna ColeIllustrated By: Bruce Degen

Summary

The book starts out with one of Ms. Frizzle’s students discussing what a strange teacher they have, and that she makes them grow mold on bread, and read five science books a week. The student also talked about how other classes get to go to the zoo, but she made the class prepare for a month in the library to go to the waterworks (their field trip). The class had to find out exactly how the city gets its water, and collect ten interesting facts about water ( as the reader turns each page, it gives a different fact about water). The students make their way out to the bus, and are surprised to see that Ms. Frizzle is behind the wheel. They start to drive and at the end of the block, the bus went into a dark tunnel, but when they came out of the tunnel everything looked different. They were all wearing scuba diving outfits, and the bus looked different as well. Everyone else noticed the change, but Ms. Frizzle did not seem to act differently. The bus came to a bridge, and in the middle of the bridge, the bus started to rise into the air, so high in fact it went into a cloud. Everyone was told to get out of the bus, the students did not want to, but the Frizzle threatened to give extra homework, so they did eventually get off. The student describes seeing mountains from the cloud, and the fact that it was getting colder. They also noted, that drops of water began to form, and as the drops got bigger, they got smaller. The class eventually were in individual raindrops, and fell into the mountain stream, and began to flowing down the mountainside. They reached the reservoir that held the city water, and were going into the water purification system. They noted how dirty the water was, and that alum was added to the water to help clumping of dirt and whatnot, and it sinks the bottom. They saw a sand and gravel filter, which takes out impurities still in the water. They went to the storage tank, where chlorine was added to the water to kill any remaining disease germs, and fluoride was also added. From the storage tank, they were pushed into a tube, which pushed water into the cities water mains (pipes that run under the city streets). They went into pipes in wall of a building as well, and when the seventh grade faucet was turned on, the class came splashing out. They were dressed in normal clothes again. When they returned to the classroom Ms. Frizzle acted like nothing out of the ordinary had happened. She fed the class lizard and started the class to work right away. They had to make a chart showing how water gets to the homes and building of their city. A student, Arnold, drew a kid in a

rain drop, and the Frizz asked where he had come up with that crazy idea. The students are scared for their next subject to learn about, volcanos.

Benefits Of Using This Book

The benefits of using this book in the classroom because it does a good job of taking students through the water cycle. The students in the book are turned into water drops and they evaporate, condense, and rain down and go through the rivers and streams toward the ocean. It takes the students from the formation of water, how water gets into the cities purification system, and how it gets purified. After several trips through the water cycle the kids are turned back into regular size. This is a good book to use, because it also gives fun facts about water and great pictures of what is happening through the process of water purification. But, the fun part about this book is, that the key for the students to return to normal size is in the seventh grade girls bathroom (the faucet has to be turned on). So, through reading this book to students, they will be able to better understand what is happening through the process of the water cycle, and be able to draw mental images (visual learners) in their minds of the process.

TEKSFourth Grade Science:

(8) Earth and space. The student knows that there are recognizable patterns in the natural world and among the Sun, Earth, and Moon system. The student is expected

(B) describe and illustrate the continuous movement of water above and on the surface of Earth through the water cycle and explain the role of the Sun as a major source of energy in this process

Fifth Grade Science:

(7) Earth and space. The student knows Earth's surface is constantly changing and consists of useful resources. The student is expected to:

(B) recognize how landforms such as deltas, canyons, and sand dunes are the result of changes to Earth's surface by wind, water, and ice;(8) Earth and space. The student knows that there are recognizable patterns in the natural world

and among the Sun, Earth, and Moon system. The student is expected to: (B) explain how the Sun and the ocean interact in the water cycle

Application To The Classroom Before

Fun Facts: Before reading this book to my class, I intend on doing what Ms. Frizzle did with her class. I will have my students get into groups of 4 or 5, and we will go to the library for a class period where

the students will research, and come up with 10 fun facts about water, and attempt to write out the steps in the water cycle. Even though it is a group effort, each student will write their own page of what the group discusses.

Going Hands On: The group will discuss what happens when water is heated, and what happens when it cools. Each group will get a small jar with a lid, zip lock baggies, masking tape, bowl of water, an an eyedropper. Kids will place five to eight drops of water in the lids. Then they carefully, they place lids into baggies and seal them tightly. They will place bags near window (where it gets lots of sun), and tape the bags to the inside of the window. They will leave the bags in the sun for most of the class, and then at the end observe the bags. They should see that much of the water should be gone from lid, and top of the bag may look “cloudy” - that’s water vapor. You may also see droplets on sides of bag.) Ask: What happened to the water? Answer: evaporation. Then ask class what might have happened if we left the bags open? Answer: Water would evaporate into the air in room. ( " L e s s o n p l a n : t h e , " )

During

Students will be asked to get back into their groups, and each group will have a book, and be reading it. They will write down any fun facts about water that they might have not found with their group, and make any adjustments to their steps in the water cycle.

After

After reading the book, the groups will then pick out their five favorite facts about water, and will have the option of creating a visual representation of the water cycle (i.e. power point, poster board, etc.). Then they will share with the class. After all presentations are given, there will be a short class discussion about the water cycle, and as a class the students will to put the steps of the water cycle in the correct order. The groups will then redo their water cycle visuals correctly, and explain what they did wrong, or missed when they did it together previously.

Optional Assignment For Extra Credit: Students can choose to do this assignment outside of class for extra credit, but to prove that they did the activity, they will need to take pictures of each process that they do, with at least a couple of students in each picture. They will also need to answer the questions given below.

See The Cycle: The class will break into their groups again, and do the following activity. Materials:

• 32-ounce mayonnaise jar• 2 cups of water• A strainer• 1 cup of pebbles, leaves, and soil• 2 bowls• 3 coffee filters• Spoon•

Talk About It: Ask: What could you do to make muddy water clear?

What To Do: • Let students examine the water mixture. Ask: How could you make this water clear? What

would you use? • Students hold strainers over bowls. Help them pour the water through strainers twice. • As they work, have students observe the water. Ask: What is happening to the water? Why?• Help groups strain water through three coffee filters, using one filter at a time.• Have students observe water again. Ask: How does the water look? Why do you think that

happened? Why do or don’t you think it’s clean enough to drink? • Ask: What might be in the clear water that you can not see, and how can you find out?

( " L e s s o n p l a n : t h e , " )

Bibliography

C o l e , J . , & D e g e n , B . ( 1 9 8 6 ) . T h e M a g i c S c h o o l B u s : A t T h e Wa t e r w o r k s . N e w Yo r k ,

N Y: S c h o l a s t i c P r e s s .

L e s s o n p l a n : t h e m a g i c s c h o o l b u s w e t a l l o v e r . ( n . d . ) . R e t r i e v e d f r o m h t t p : / /w w w. s c h o l a s t i c . c o m / t e a c h e r s / l e s s o n - p l a n / m a g i c - s c h o o l - b u s - w e t - a l l - o v e r