US Global Scientists

Lead Partners
3rd Grade
Highview School
 May 15, 2017

Dear Families,

We are delighted to inform you that your children will be participating in a Level Up
Village program called Global Scientists as part of our regularly scheduled science
classes. Level Up Village (LUV) delivers pioneering Global STEAM (STEM + Arts)
enrichment courses that promote design thinking and one-to-one collaboration on
real-world problems between students at more than 250 schools in the U.S. and
over 40 Global Partner organizations in 20+ countries.

In Global Scientists, students study the chemical properties of water, the water
cycle, and the engineering design of aquifers and filtration systems to better
understand how water systems can be polluted and purified. In collaboration with
partners from developing countries, students engage in hands-on research on global
water issues and propose solutions to these problems.

Our students will be paired with students in Jordan. Students will interact with their
Global Partners throughout the course via project collaboration and the exchange
of video messages using Level Up Village’s Global Collaboration Platform - an easy-
to-use and secure portal. These guided interactions allow students to share their
findings, learn about each other’s lives and discuss the real-life application of their
learning. The result is meaningful global collaboration and an enhanced understanding
of the world.

For more information, please see the Level Up Village blog for stories about LUV
classrooms around the world and their press page.

We look forward to embarking on this global exchange!

Sincerely,

Mrs. Hanan D’Ariano

Mrs. Davenport/Mrs. Sarno
3rd Grade Teachers
About This Course
Clean water. Nearly one billion
people on our planet lack access to
it, and even more are running out.
In this course, you will learn how to
contribute to solving this problem.
You will explore the unique
properties of water, learn about
the water cycle, and study the
basic rules of chemistry as they
affect water. You will also engage
in hands-on experiments, and even
build your own aquifer.
 In this course, students will:
1.  Interact with their Global Partner through video
letters.

2.  Learn about water’s unique physical

characteristics.

3.  Understand water as a natural resource that

must be protected and conserved.

4.  Learn about how other parts of the world view

water.

5.  Learn information about their Global Partners’

countries, cultures, and interests and
collaborate with their partners on conservation
projects.
 Lesson 1
STEM
!  Learn about course objectives and
outcomes

Global
!  Begin the virtual exchange process by learning
about our Global Partners (GP) and record our
first videos.
!  Explore and learn how to use the LUV Global
Communication Portal
Listen Level Up Village

Discussion Guidelines
Here are some things to remember
to have a great discussion in your classroom

EVERYONE IS EQUAL
Everyone should sit in a circle to have
an equal place in the discussion.
No one’s ideas are more valuable than another’s.
What do you
SHARE YOUR THINKING AND EXPLAIN WHY
hope to get
YOU THINK THAT WAY (SUPPORT WITH EVIDENCE!)
out of this
Your opinions are important, but be sure to
include proof from what
class?
you have learned to support your thinking.

LISTEN CAREFULLY TO OTHERS AND RESPOND TO THEM DIRECTLY

Active listening means that you are facing the speaker

and listening carefully,
not thinking about what you want to say.

YOUR TEACHER WILL BE ASKING QUESTIONS, NOT GIVING ANSWERS

In a discussion, everyone is a learner

and works to discover answers
together, including your teacher!

DISAGREE RESPECTFULLY
There are no wrong answers when you can support your thinking.
Use phrases like “I liked what you said about________ ,
but I disagree with ____________.”
Understand

Global Partner Intro

You will have Global Partners from another
country. You will use the LUV Global
Collaboration Portal to send and receive video
letters and profile information. Your Global
Partner Country is…

Hello: Marhaba Goodbye: Ma’a

Salama
Understand

Student Workbooks
  What do we know about our Global Partner (GP)
Country?
  How do you think students in your GP partner country
are similar to you?
  How are they different?
  What questions should we ask our Global Partner
students to learn more about them?
Click!

  What did you learn from the video?

  What new questions do you want to ask? Encourage
students to make
  Note what you want to ask your GPs.
 
 LUV Collaboration Portal
Understand

The global exchange and collaboration in this class will

happen through the LUV Global Collaboration Portal,
where you will be watching and recording video letters
for your partners.

Today, we will focus on learning how to record great video

letters and send them!

The Global Collaboration Portal might seem overwhelming

at first, but it is really easy and simple to use once you
get the hang of it! We will be going through the whole
process now.

Click!
 Recording Our
Hello: Marhaba
Understand Goodbye: Ma’a Salama

First Video Letter

A: Tell your partner about your country. Describe a
place where you would like to take your partner if
he/she came to visit you?

B: What are some things you are excited to learn in

this class? Why?

C: Tell your partner 3 things you think you have in

common.

D: Using the “Message to your partner” box below,

write to your partner about the 3 things you think
you have in common.
Visualize

What Did You LUV?

L What is something new you learned
today? (Listen/Learn)

U What is something you hope to

learn about your GP and their
country? (Understand/Apply)
V What is one thing you are excited
to do in this class? (Visualize)
 Lesson 2
STEM
!  Understand the steps of the scientific method
and follow them during experiments
!  Understand the importance of water
!  Learn about surface tension

Global
!  Begin Water Conservation Plan
!  Continue to develop an online profile
Listen
Review
What are you most excited to do and
learn about during this class?

Introduce
• What do you think surface tension is?
• Where do you see surface tension
working in everyday life?
 Water Conservation Guide #1
Understand

During the course, you and your Global Partner will

be answering questions related to water use and
conservation. You will both be adding to a
document on the LUV Platform. Your GP has
started with the first question.

To view it:

• Download the file from the LUV Portal.

• Complete the first section about calculating
your water use.
• Save the document as [studentname] Water and
upload the file to the collaboration section of the
LUV Portal.
• Example: NickiWater
• Now your Global Partner will be able to read
your answer.
 The Scientific Method
Understand

The scientific method is a way to ask and answer scientific

questions by making observations and doing
experiments. There are five steps in the scientific
method:

1.  Question (Form a question)

2.  Hypothesis (Form a hypothesis or theory)
3.  Experiment (Test theory/hypothesis by doing
experiments)
4.  Observe (Record information)
5.  Conclusion (Analyze your data and write a conclusion)
Why is the scientific
method important to Click!
follow when conducting
experiments?
What are the steps of the
scientific method?
 Understand Surface Tension
Experiment #1
What do you think surface tension is?

Workbook Page 2.1

!  Use the steps of the scientific method, and your
workbooks, to complete the Surface Tension
Experiment.

Materials
!  Share your hypotheses and reasons for those
• 12 small coins hypotheses with a friend prior to beginning the
• Pipets or experiment.
droppers
• Soap !  Complete the same experiment three times,
• Small index card
record the results in the lab report.
• Dishwashing soap
• Ruler
• Scissors
!  Was your hypothesis correct?
• Large water
container !  Were you surprised by the results? Why? Why
not?
Understand Surface Tension
Experiment #2
Workbook Page 2.2
!  Conduct the same experiment again, but add a drop of soap to
the penny prior to adding water.
!  Complete the new experiment three times.
!  Complete the graph in their workbooks and answer the
questions about the experiments.

Discuss
!  Discuss the results of the experiments.
!  How do the two sets of results compare?
!  What do you think made the difference?
!  What do you think surface tension is?
!  Why is surface tension important?
Visualize

What Did You LUV?

L What is something new you learned
today? (Listen/Learn)
U How do scientists use the scientific
method? (Understand/Apply)
V What is one thing you are excited
to do in this class? (Visualize)
 Lesson 3
Polarity and Surface Tension
STEM
!  Learn about water’s unique physical and
chemical properties
!  Continue to learn about hydrogen and oxygen
molecules
!  Learn about Earth’s water problems

Global
!  Share ideas with your GP about Water
Conservation
Listen
Review
•  What did we learn about the scientific method?
•  What is surface tension?
•  How did the experiments we did with the penny
demonstrate surface tension?

Introduce
•  How much water on Earth do you think can be used
for drinking?
•  Think about water use around the world and how
much water we use. We will also see how much water
our GP’s use in a day.
•  Explore surface tension more by doing experiments.
 The Scientific Method
Understand

The scientific method is a way to ask and answer scientific

questions by making observations and doing
experiments. There are five steps in the scientific
method:

1.  Question (Form a question)

2.  Hypothesis (Form a hypothesis or theory)
3.  Experiment (Test theory/hypothesis by doing
experiments)
4.  Observe (Record information)
5.  Conclusion (Analyze your data and write a conclusion)
Why is the scientific
method important to Click!
follow when conducting
experiments?
What are the steps of the
scientific method?
 Learning About Water
Understand

Brainstorm:
●  What are some ways you can help
conserve water?
●  Can your partners do the same?
What plans can we propose to
conserve water together?
Click!
Answer the Ranking Question on the LUV
Portal, and compare your answer with your
GP.
(Drag and drop the boxes up or down based the order of
importance. Most important at the top to least import at
the bottom. Be sure to click the Save button.)
Understand Water Conservation Guide #2
Think about the video you just watched and about
your water use calculations from the last lesson.
You will continue adding to your shared document on
the LUV Portal.

To view it:

•  Download the file from the LUV Portal.

•  Read your Partner’s answer.
•  Complete the second section about making a plan
for conserving water in your community. Come up
with at least five new ideas to add.
•  Save the document and upload the file to the LUV
Portal in the collaboration section as
[studentname]Water2
•  Example: NickiWater2
•  Now your Partner will be able to read your
answer.

Due: 5/18
Understand
Wringing Out Water
in Space
!  What happened when water was wrung out in space?
Why?

!  What are the steps of the scientific method?

!  How does this connect with surface tension?

Click!
Understand Surface Tension
Experiment #4
Workbook Page 3.1
  Take a cup of water and paperclips.
  Drop a paperclip into the cup and
observe if it sinks or floats.
  Lay paper clip flat on the surface of
Materials the water. (if challenging: place a piece
• Paper Clips of paper towel bigger than the
• Cup of Water paperclip in the water and lay the paper
clip on top of it. Wait about a minute
for the paper towel to sink.)
  Lay the paper clip on top.
  Complete lab report
 Understand Surface Tension
Experiment #5
Workbook Page 3.2
!  Do the same experiment again, but with soap
added to the water.
!  Discuss your hypotheses with a partner or
friend prior to starting the experiment.
Discuss
Materials !  What happened when soap was added to
• Paper Clips water? Why? (The water molecules are
• Cup of Water unbound, which interferes with the surface
• Dishwasher Soap tension and causes the paperclip to sink.)
!  Was your hypothesis correct?
!  How does this experiment relate to the
space video you watched earlier?
Understand Surface Tension
Experiment #6
Workbook Page 3.3
  Fill container (with mesh lid) with water.
  Place a piece of regular cardboard on top and
tip it upside down. Be sure to hold it really
flat.
  Carefully slide the cardboard away.
Materials !  Use your workbooks to complete the
• Container filled Surface Tension IV experiment.
with water with
a mesh lid
Discuss
• Cardboard
• Water !  Was your hypothesis correct?
!  What surprised you about this experiment?
 Water Bonds
Understand

!  What is water made of? (Water is a molecule made up of two

hydrogens and one oxygen.)
!  Who might win a tug of war: me or you? Why?

Workbook Page 3.4

!  What do you think the red and white pieces represent? (This is a
model of a water molecule: reds are O, whites are H.)
!  In real life, we cannot see one molecule—even with a microscope!
Molecules electrically attract one another instead of attracting
magnetically, but these magnets will help you understand this
concept.

Students will:
!  Work with a partner and explore your water kit using your
workbooks.
!  Discuss the questions in the workbook with your partners.
Visualize

What Did You LUV?

L What is something new you learned
today? (Listen/Learn)
U What do you know about surface
tension? (Understand)
V How can you connect what you’ve
learned to your life? (Visualize/
Apply)
 Lesson 4
Capillary Action
STEM
!  Continue to learn about water characteristics
and properties.
!  Learn about capillary action

Global
!  Share ideas with your GP about Water
Conservation
!  Finish creating student profiles
Listen
Review
•  What are water molecules made of? ( Two parts
hydrogen, one part oxygen.)
•  How did the experiment with the paperclip demonstrate
surface tension?

Introduce
• Do you think that everyone in the world has the
same access to water? Why or why not?
•  Were you surprised by your water use
calculations? Did finding out how much water you use
make you think about ways you could use less?
 Recording Our
Hello: Marhaba
Understand Goodbye: Ma’a Salama
Due: 5/19

Second Video Letter

Watch Partner Video Letters
  What have you learned abou your GP’s and their
country? Fill out the next section of Workbook
Page 1.3 and think of questions you have.

Record student video 2 using the questions on the

LUV Portal.
  Speak clearly, greet them by their name and give
lots of details about the questions you are
answering. Ask questions too!

1.  Where does your water come from and how do

you know it's clean?
2.  Do you use something to clean it? If so, what?
Describe it.
 
 Water is Special!
Understand

• Why is water essential?

• What are some other things you

learned from the video?

Click!
Understand Capillary Action
Gravity Experiment
Workbook Page 4.2

• Twist a couple pieces of paper towel

together until it looks like a piece of
rope. This creates the “wick” that will
absorb and transfer water.
Materials
•  Cup of water • Place one end of the paper towels into
•  Empty cup the glass filled with water and the
•  Paper towels other into the empty glass.
• Record observations.
UnderstandCapillary Action
Chromatography Experiment
Workbook Page 4.3

• Draw on coffee filters with markers.

Place different colors next to each
other and leave white spaces in
between.
Materials
•  Coffee filters • Apply water and watch as the colors
•  Washable bleed into each other.
markers • Record observations and answer
•  Cup of water questions.
UnderstandCapillary Action
Chromatography Experiment
Workbook Page 4.3

• Draw on coffee filters with markers.

Place different colors next to each
other and leave white spaces in
between.
Materials
•  Coffee filters • Apply water and watch as the colors
•  Washable bleed into each other.
markers • Record observations and answer
•  Cup of water questions.
Visualize

What Did You LUV?

L Explain one of the experiments
you did today? What were your
results? (Listen/Learn)
U How does understanding your own
water use help you understand
water use around the world?
(Understand)
V How can you connect what you’ve
learned to your life? (Visualize/
Apply)
 Lesson 5
Solids Liquids, Gases

STEM
!  Learn about the different structures of
water
!  Learn about the properties of water
Listen
Review
•  What do you remember about capillary action?
•  What are some water conservation ideas you included in
your plan?
•  What did your GP include in the plan?

Introduce
• What are the states of matter in which water can
exist?
•  Today you will explore the phases of water and
learn about solubility and saturation.
 States of Matter
Understand

Water can be a solid, liquid, and a gas. If water

behaved like other molecules, it would be a gas
at room temperature. It takes lots of heat
for it to change states. Some weather is
caused by water as it changes from solid to
liquid to gas and back again. Water in gas form
takes up the most volume. Ice has one less
molecule in its crystal structure than liquid
water. When something is soluble in water it
means it will dissolve in water. But there will
always be a SATURATION POINT.
 States of Matter
Understand

Gas: Separate 12 molecules. (In gas state, individual

molecules are moving too fast and too far apart to
form hydrogen bonds.)

Liquid: Clump 12 molecules together (In liquid water,

hydrogen bonds between water molecules are short-
lived. They’re constantly forming, breaking, and
reforming between other molecules.)

Solid: 12 molecules connected in a repeating pattern or

formation that forms ice. (In ice, the hydrogen bonds
between water molecules are more stable and longer
lived.)
Understand Evaporation and Condensation
Experiment
Workbook Page 5.1

  Rub hands together. (Students are producing heat and/or

energy)
  Take three 3D water molecules and hold between your hands.
  Slowly move hands together. (The molecules are moving
around and slowly forming and breaking hydrogen bonds with
each other, which represents water in liquid form.)
  Increase the speed of your hands. (Molecules are moving
fast and not forming hydrogen bonds with each other. This
represents evaporation, water in gas state.)
  Slow hands down to draw heat away from the molecules.
(This represents condensation.)
 Solubility Experiment
Understand

Workbook Page 5.2

  Take 12 3D water molecules and place them along the edges
of a tray.
  Place the sodium chloride molecule in the center of the
tray.
  Shake the tray.
Explanation
In water, salt dissolves. Water molecules always hydrate the
sodium chloride. Ions are charged atoms that have gained or lost
electrons as a result of ionic bond.
The sodium ion (positive charge) is attracted to the oxygen of a
water molecule and chloride (negative charge) so the water
molecules surround the sodium and the chloride, breaking them
apart. Eventually, salt begins to form at the bottom of the
glass when there are not enough water molecules to surround
the salt. This is called a supersaturated solution. When water
evaporates the sodium and chloride bond and form salt again.
Understand

Making Gas Experiment

Materials Workbook Page 5.3
•  Balloon
•  40ml of water
•  Soft drink   Stretch out the balloon to make it easy
bottle to inflate.
•  Drinking straw   Pour 40 ml of water into the soft drink
•  Juice from one bottle.
lemon
•  One teaspoon of   Add the teaspoon of baking soda and
baking soda stir it around with the straw until it has
•  Glass filled with dissolved.
cold tap water   Pour the lemon juice in and quickly put
•  Salt the stretched balloon over the mouth
•  Teaspoon
of the bottle.
Understand

Saturation Experiment
Workbook Page 5.4

  Fill one glass with cold tap water.

Materials   Add salt to the water one teaspoon at
•  Glass filled with a time.
cold tap water
•  Salt   Mix solution after each teaspoon.
•  Teaspoon   Record the number of teaspoons added
to the solution.
Visualize

What Did You LUV?

L What is something new you learned
today? (Listen/Learn)
U Which experiment did you like
best? why? (Understand/Apply)
V How can you connect what you’ve
learned to your life? (Visualize/
Apply)