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CONVERSEMOS:
¿Qué hay en el agua del océano?
Haz una lista tan larga como puedas.
CONVERSEMOS:
No podemos ver la sal en el agua del océano.
¿Cómo podríamos averiguar si realmente hay sal en el agua del océano?
If you need a natural stopping point!
Teachers: If you are short on time, this is a good stopping point. Your students can make their Paper Bag Landscapes in a future session.
Si vas a continuar la actividad, ve a la siguiente página.
CONVERSEMOS:
¿Cómo le podrías quitar la sal al agua del océano?
In this lesson, students explore how incredibly salty the ocean is, even though we can't see the salt! In the activity, Tiny Ocean, students create a model ocean to observe how salt seems to completely vanish when dissolved in water. Students then measure and graph quantities of the water and salt to provide evidence that, even though we can’t see it, the salt still weighs the same amount. Students also create a model salt flat, allowing the water to evaporate, leaving the salt behind.
Preview activityTiny Ocean worksheet | 1 per student |
Tiny Ocean Answer Key teacher-only resource | 1 per class |
Baking Sheet
|
1 per 8 students |
Clean-up Supplies (Eg. Paper Towels)
|
1 roll per class |
Black Construction Paper
|
1 sheet per group |
Dixie Cups (3 oz)
|
2 cups per pair |
Measuring Cup
Needs to have 1/4 cup measurement.
|
Details
1 per class
|
Paper Bag, Large
|
1 bag per 8 students |
Paper Plates
|
1 plate per pair |
Plastic Spoons
You can also use a teaspoon measuring spoon. If you use a plastic spoon, check to see how much salt it holds. If it measures significantly less than a teaspoon, we suggest using two spoonfuls in place of each teaspoon of salt.
|
Details
1 spoon per pair
|
Salt
|
2 teaspoons per pair |
Ziploc Bags (Sandwich Size)
|
1 bag per pair |
We suggest students work in pairs. Each pair will make a Tiny Ocean in a plastic sandwich bag.
We suggest four pairs of students (8 students) then work together in a group to add their Tiny Ocean to a Paper Bag Landscape. Homeschool students can work on their own.
Each Paper Bag Landscape needs to dry on a cookie sheet. So if you have 30 students, you will need enough space for 4 cookie sheets. See below for details.
If you have limited time, you can divide this lesson into two sessions.
Part 1 (create a Tiny Ocean) takes 35 to 40 minutes.
Part 2 (create a Paper Bag Landscapes) takes 15-20 minutes. Part 2 begins here.
Cut each piece of construction paper in half so that each pair of students has 1/2 sheet.
Divide your Dixie cups into two equal piles -- one for water, one for salt.
Pour ¼ cup of water into each cup in one pile.
Put a couple of teaspoons of salt into each cup in the other pile.
Watch this video to see how we prepare the Paper Bag Landscapes.
After creating their Tiny Ocean, students will observe as their ocean dries, seeing the salt flat that is left behind. The time it takes for the Tiny Ocean to dry depends on humidity where you live. In Nevada, our Tiny Ocean dried in an afternoon. In foggy San Francisco, it took a few days.
Student slideshow: English | Spanish
Teacher printout: English & Spanish
In this reading, students learn about droughts: what they are, why they happen, and how we can protect environments from them.
For a limited time, view archived reading extensions here.
What Happens When You Add More Salt?
Ask your students: What do you think will happen if we keep adding salt to the Tiny Ocean? Then try the experiment:
Try the experiment and see if you were right!
You can elaborate student learning and engagement with Mystery Science mini-lessons.
Why is the ocean salty? In this mini-lesson, students explore the reasons why there's so much salt in the ocean.
Where does salt come from? In this mini-lesson, students discover where the salt used to flavor our food comes from.
If you are in an NGSS state, these mini-lessons support the DCI PS1.A: Structure and Properties of Matter
Simulation: Dissolving Sugar in Water
This app from Smithsonian in The Classroom uses a model to explain what happens when sugar dissolves in water and when water evaporates.
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