The Magic School Bus Wet All Over
Field Trip Notes
Arnold and Wanda are due to give a report on the town waterworks. But Ms. Frizzle thinks its field trip DRIP time! She turns the bus and class into water drips and the kids evaporate, condense, rain down miles from home, and rush through rivers and streams toward the ocean. After several trips through the water cycle, theyre ready to turn back into regular kids. But the magic key that will get them out of the cycle is locked in the school bathroom! The kids go through the town waterworks, and see how water is purified. Can they get to school through the bathroom pipes? Or are they stuck in the water cycle forever?
Clean-up!
Going Hands-On
Time: 30 minutes
Group Size: Four
During their trip through the waterworks, The Magic School Bus kids see how water gets cleaned up. Your kids can filter water to remove some natural impurities. Ahead of time mix water, pebbles, leaves, and soil together in jars.
Going Hands-On
Time: 30 minutes
Group Size: Four
During their trip through the waterworks, The Magic School Bus kids see how water gets cleaned up. Your kids can filter water to remove some natural impurities. Ahead of time mix water, pebbles, leaves, and soil together in jars.
What You Need
For Each Group
- Small jar lids or soda-bottle caps
- Zip-lock baggies
- Masking tape
- Bowl of water
- Eyedropper
Talk About It
Ask children: What happens when water is heated? When is cools?
What To Do
- Distribute materials and have kids place five to eight drops of water in lids.
- Carefully, they place lids into baggies and seal tightly.
- Have students choose a window that gets plenty of sun (where kids can observe bags easily). Help them tape bags to the inside of the window.
- Leave bags in the sun for most of the day. Near the end of the day, have the kids observe the bags. What do they see? (Much of the water should be gone from lid; top of the bag may look “cloudy” - that’s water vapor. You may also seee droplets on sides of bag.) Ask: What happened to the water? (evaporated)
Next Stop
Ask students: What might have happened if we had left the baggies open? (Water would evaporate into the air in room.) Try it!
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