Hydrosphere

Unit for grade 10 ST

Duration: 75 minutes
Topic: hydrosphere- watershed , water currents. Teaching Goals:
Cross-curricular competency: PC11: To engage in professional
• Communicates effectively development individually and
• Exercises critical judgement with others.
QEP:
Competency 2: Makes the most of scientific and technological tools, objects and I would like to work on ensuring
procedures the learning environment is
Competency 3: To communicate in the languages used in science and technology suitable for everyone. (facing the
students, arrangement of desks,
lighting, noise level, etc.)

Main objective: Prior Knowledge

▪ Students will be able to understand properties and characteristics of matter
- Water cycle
on Earth in relation to the hydrosphere.
- Gravity
▪ Students will be able to identify natural sources of fresh water (brooks,
- Structures of the Earth
lakes, rivers) and natural sources of salt water (seas, oceans).
(continents, ocean, ice
▪ Students will understand the scope of what type of water is available to us
caps, mountains,
and how water is distributed in the hydrosphere.
volcanoes)
▪ Students will understand how the ocean is in constant movement due to
different factors including wind, temperature and salinity.

Understandings: Essential Question:

▪ Students should know that 97% of water on Earth is salt water where as only What is a watershed and why is
3% is freshwater. human activity around a watershed
▪ Students should know where the freshwater is distributed and the so important?
percentage in each category. Key terms:
▪ Students should know that a watershed is an area where all the water from
rivers, lakes and rain will drain into. Watershed, basin, gravity, rivers,
▪ Students should understand that water moves along the watershed due to salt water, fresh water, catchment
the force of gravity. areas, water current.
▪ Students should be able to recognize that St. Lawrence river is a watershed
that drains into the gulf of St. Lawrence river.
▪ Students should understand that water is oceans is constantly moving due Materials:
to wind that is responsible for the surface currents.
▪ Students should understand that subsurface currents are caused by - SMART Board
differences in density and that density is affected by temperature and - Plicker cards
salinity. - HW handout
▪ Students should know how temperature and salinity of the water create the - Facilelearning.com
movement of subsurface currents.
Demonstration: subsurface currents
▪ Students will be able to understand that near the equator the heat from the
sun, increases the energy of the water molecules and causes them to move - Bin, oil, water and blow
in all direction. dryer
Time Lesson Plan Adaptations/ Resources

2 mins Introduction:
▪ Good morning everyone Write due dates and topic for the
day on the board.
Announcements: ST-01
- You can expect to have a test around April 18th
- Make sure to attend tutorials if you are not understanding
the concepts.

5-10 Checking Understanding… Adaptations/ Resources:

mins
For students who write at a
slower pace or difficulty seeing
Go over homework answers p.123-124
the fonts/ Dyslexic: provide notes
- Ask the class if they had any specific question they had. with Arial font for them to recopy
- Go through each question and explain and ensure the into their notebooks.
students have understood the concepts.
Plickers
Ask 3 plickers questions to gauge student understanding of Adaptations/Resources:
concepts from last class on the atmosphere. Ensure to give enough time for
students who take more time to
Explain the questions once the assessment is done.
reason and think.

30 mins Hydrosphere notes p.125-127 Adaptations/resource:

Using visuals to explain the
Use the SMART board notes and facilelearning.com (interactive watershed: videos and animation.
site) to explain concepts.
Key ideas:
- 97% of water on Earth is salt water, only 3% is
freshwater
- Out of the 3%, majority of the freshwater is found in
glaciers (68%) and the rest in underground water, lakes,
water vapour and ice.
- Watersheds is an area od land whose lakes, rivers all
empty into the same larger body of water.
- Limits of watershed are determined by natural
boundaries (mountains, hills, high grounds)
- Movement of water due to force of gravity
 - What affects the flow of water? Topography, geology,
climate, vegetation, agriculture, industrial and urban
development.
- Quebec’s own watershed: St.Lawrence River.
Visual animation of a watershed:
http://techalive.mtu.edu/meec/module01/whatiswatershed.htm

Video of watershed explanation:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QOrVotzBNto&t=1s

30 mins Water currents Adaptations/resource:

Explain how water movements are due to wind, temperature Ask students to come up to the
and salinity… front to observe the demo ensuring
students with physical disability are
Key ideas: able to safely transition
- Water currents include both surface and subsurface
current.
- Surface currents: 400 m deep and moves ocean water
due to wind
- Subsurface currents: deeper than 400m and moves
ocean water due to differences in density.
- Differences in density is due to temperature and salinity
changes.
- Near equator: water molecules are heated up,
increasing their energy and causing them to spread
apart. This creates the movement we see.
- Water near equator also evaporates, leaving behind the
salt and this creates differences in density which causes
the water to move.
➔ Explain the diagrams of subsurface circulation
Handout the homework sheets and call up 2 columns of
students to see the demonstration at a time.
Demonstration:
Materials: bin, water, oil, and hairdryer.
- Students will see the movement of warm layer (oil- less
dense) and the cold water (denser) as the wind blows
across the surface.
 - Students should see upwellings occurring and circulation
of the water underneath.

2 mins Wrapping up Adaptations:

Hw: hydrosphere handout Make sure that students with
If you are still struggling with any of the material we covered difficulty writing and completing
today, come see me after class or make sure to attend tutorials! tasks have written down the dates

Have great day!

Modifications:
- If there is extra time students will be working in class on the homework handout. (circulate to ensure
students are understanding the material and on task).
- If I run out of time, I will pick up where I left off next class and assign the handout as homework.