Comic+Life+2

Here is my //Comic Life// project. It is on the water cycle. Enjoy! :)









**Introduction**

In the fourth grade, students study the water cycle. It is important for students to understand that the water cycle is ongoing and that the same water used millions of years ago is recycled in the water cycle. Students also must know the different phases of the water cycle and be able to explain the cycle. I am always looking for ways to integrate writing into other content areas. This activity was perfect for that.

**Title:** **A Day in the Life of a Water Droplet named Agua** **Audience:** The audience for this activity is fourth grade students and anyone else who studies the water cycle. **Purpose:** The purpose of this activity is to explain how water travels through the water cycle and also explain the stages of the water cycle: evaporation, condensation, and precipitation.

**Learning Objectives/Outcome:** The learning objective is for students to be able to explain how water travels through the water cycle. They should understand what condensation, precipitation, and evaporation means.

**Standards:** ** S4CS4. Students will use ideas of system, model, change, and scale in exploring scientific and technological matters. ** a. Observe and describe how parts influence one another in things with many parts. ** S4E3. Students will differentiate between the states of water and how they relate to the water cycle and weather. ** a. Demonstrate how water changes states from solid (ice) to liquid (water) to gas (water vapor/steam) and changes from gas to liquid to solid. d. Explain the water cycle (evaporation, condensation, and precipitation).

** S4CS7. Students will be familiar with the character of scientific knowledge and how it is achieved. ** Students will recognize that: b. Some scientific knowledge is very old and yet is still applicable today.

** ELA4R3 The student understands and acquires new vocabulary and uses it correctly in reading and writing. **

** ELA4W1 The student produces writing that establishes an appropriate organizational structure, sets a context and engages the reader, maintains a coherent focus throughout, and signals a satisfying closure. **

**Materials:** For this activity you will need: //Comic Life// installed on computers, fourth grade science vocabulary cards, fourth grade science textbooks, paper, pencil, and various art supplies to demonstrate the stages of the water cycle.

**Procedures** 1. Make sure students understand the water cycle and the three steps of the water cycle. 2. Have students in groups/pairs/individually write a story about a day in the life of a water droplet going through the water cycle. 3. Have students sketch out a comic that illustrates the story they wrote. Students can take pictures, act out the stages, draw out the stages, or create the stages for the comic. 4. Have the students use //Comic Life// to turn their story and illustrations into a comic.

**Lessons Learned/Challenges** This lesson turned out to be very successful. It did take a bit more time to complete than I thought it would. It took a while to explain how to use //Comic Life// and to edit the students’ stories. I am glad I chose to have students work in cooperative learning groups because I think that helped. The students were able to better understand the water cycle by writing about it, illustrating it, sharing it, and reading how others interpreted it. Students love comics, especially creating their own and I will definitely use this program again in the future.

**Conclusion** This lesson was really fun. The students enjoyed participating in it. They were able to explain the water cycle in words through their writing and illustrate the cycle through their comic strip. //Comic Life// is the perfect tool to use to integrate content areas with reading and writing. I like activities that can meet multiple standards. I am looking forward to planning other ways to use //Comic Life// in the classroom.

**References** Clipart for images

**Water Cycle //Comic Life// Rubric**
 * **Elements of Project:** ||  **1**  ||  **2**  ||  **3**  ||
 * **Story** ||  The story does not have strong ideas, isn’t organized, doesn’t have style, and few conventions are correct.  ||  The story has some strong ideas, is somewhat organized, has some style, and some of the conventions are correct.  ||  The story has strong ideas, is organized well, has style, and all conventions are correct.  ||
 * **Comic Strip** ||  There are only 1-2 days worth of comics. There are few thought bubbles and conversation bubbles. There are few illustrations.  ||  There are 3-4 days worth of comics. There are some thought bubbles and conversation bubbles. There are some illustrations.  ||  There are five days worth of comics. There are thought bubbles and conversation bubbles. There are illustrations.  ||
 * **Illustrations** ||  Few to no illustrations relate to the water cycle and few or none are neat and colorful.  ||  Some illustrations relate to the water cycle and some are neat and colorful.  ||  All illustrations relate to the water cycle and are neat and colorful.  ||
 * **Content** ||  One stage or no stages of the water cycle are clearly explained and illustrated (precipitation, condensation, and evaporation).  ||  Two stages of the water cycle are clearly explained and illustrated (precipitation, condensation, and evaporation).  ||  All three stages of the water cycle are correctly explained and illustrated (precipitation, condensation, and evaporation).  ||