Summary Students make a bracelet with repeating colours of beads, each colour of bead representing stages of the water cycle. Science content Earth/Space: Water cycle, Water conservation (2) Lessons activity is in Water cycle Materials beads of 6 distinct colours or shapes. e.g. plastic pony beads - 4 per student e.g. larger wooden beads - 2 per student e.g. larger wooden shaped beads - 1 per student pipe cleaner, cut to an appropriate length for a bracelet (allowing for twisting the ends together) one for each student. If time, bend the ends over to avoid scratching skin with the cut end worksheet (attached and pictured), or other place that students can find the stage of the water cycle that corresponds to each bead colour/shape Procedure Each student makes a bracelet with coloured or shaped beads. The beads are threaded in an order that represents the stages of the water cycle. With with smaller pony beads we repeated the cycle four times and with large shaped beads we used one of each bead shape. Once made, an adult can secure their bracelets on each student's wrist. By tucking the pipe cleaner ends inside the adjacent beads, an unbroken circle of repeating bead colours represents the endless cycling of water on earth. If using the worksheet and small coloured beads: Cut a short length from each student's pipe cleaner before class. Distribute the short lengths of pipe cleaner and one set of the 6 bead colours, to each student. Students thread the beads on the short piece, in the agreed colour order for each water cycle word. Tape the short bead sequence on the worksheet next to the water cycle words. This key shows which colour represents each stage of the water cycle. Then students use their longer pipe cleaner piece and more beads to make their bracelet, in the correct bead colour order, and repeating several times. (Alternatively, coloured pencils/markers can be used to show the bead colours of each water cycle word on the worksheet). If using the worksheet and larger wooden bead shapes: Draw the bead shapes next to each water cycle word. Then make the bracelet in the correct order of bead shapes. Attached documents Water cycle worksheet_1.pdf Notes If you have colourblind students in your classroom, use this tool to choose bead colours that are distinguishable to colourblind students: https://davidmathlogic.com/colorblind/#%23FF0707-%231E88E5-%23FFC107-%2… Grades taught Gr 1 Gr 2 Gr 3
