Lesson Materials

Per Class

• humidity probes (including 1 humidity probe secured to a ruler or stick)

• hot plate with pot or electric kettle filled halfway with water

• hot mitts

• 1 liter of each earth material for the investigation: wet sand

• dry sand

• crushed ice or snow

• sod or a small potted plant

• rocks

• water

• dirt (optional)

• whiteboard or chart paper

• markers

• tape

• class data table

• computer

• projector

Per Group

• prepared empty 2-L soda bottle with bottom cut off (with cap on)

• humidity probe

• sticky hoop-and-lock fastener material

• reusable plastic bowl

• 1 cup earth material

• 100-watt incandescent bulb and clamp lamp (1 per every 2 groups)

Per Student

• science notebook

Prep

Review 

• Lesson Plan

• Slides

Prepare 

• Measuring Humidity Activity

  • Group size: whole class

  • Setup: Gather a pot and hot plate or an electric kettle and fill it halfway with water for boiling. Gather 1-2 pairs of protective hot mitts. Because the humidity probes are small, you may need to tape a probe to a stick or ruler to safely hold the probe near the steam. Be sure not to cover the vents on the back of the probes.

  • Safety: Ensure that the student volunteers are wearing hot mitts and that the humidity probe is taped to a stick or ruler when gathering humidity readings near the boiling water.

• Sources of Water in the Air Lab

  • Group size: 3-4 students

  • Setup: Watch 6th - Unit 2 Lesson 8 Investigation Set Up OSE.mp4 to see how to prepare the bottles for the investigation.

  • Prepare an empty 2-L soda bottle (with cap on) (1 per group) by cutting off the bottom. Use a hacksaw to start the cut and then cut around the bottle with scissors. Attach a humidity probe to the bottle’s inside surface using sticky hoop-and-lock fastener material to allow the probe’s removal at the end of each class.

  • Gather reusable plastic bowls for holding the earth materials. The flat bottoms must be small enough to fit within the diameter of a 2-L bottle (9.8 centimeters).

• Gather 1 liter of each earth material for the investigation:

  • wet sand

  • dry sand

  • crushed ice or snow

  • sod or a small potted plant

  • rocks

  • water

  • dirt (optional)

• Gather 100-watt incandescent bulbs and lamps (e.g., clamp lamp) (1 per every 2 groups).

• Notes for after the lab: Air the bottles out and lightly shake them to remove any accumulated water before using in the next class.

• Safety: Use caution in cutting the bottles. For safety, start the cut with a hacksaw and then use scissors.