New Bedford ECHO Project - ECHO programs amplify educational benefits, foster greater appreciation of local and national history and the natural environment, and assist communities in maximizing the social benefits of new technologies.

ECHO programs amplify educational benefits, foster greater appreciation of local and national history and the natural environment, and assist communities in maximizing the social benefits of new technologies.

The Wonders of Water Disciplinary Focus: Physical Science Grade Level: Middle Grades 6-8 Water is vital to our existence; however, we sometimes take it for granted. We know that we get some water from rain and snow. We see that some things float in water and others sink. If we live in cold climates, we are aware that in the winter, water freezes. Why? Scientists study water. They pose hypotheses, plan and conduct experiments, and thereby provide explanations that help us understand the various phenomena that we observe about water. These explanations are often complex and difficult to comprehend. This physical science curriculum module contains a series of hands-on activities designed to help teachers and students understand the properties of water. The activities, which can be used to introduce, reinforce, or re-teach concepts about the properties of water, provide students with hands-on opportunities to: • Investigate surface tension; • Observe, predict and test the buoyancy of an object; • Explore the relationship between salinity and density; • Investigate the relationship between temperature and density; and • Describe the physical characteristics of water. Teachers can use these activities while teaching about 1) density, 2) buoyancy, 3) salinity, 4) surface tension, 5) mass, weight, and volume, 6) hermohaline circulation (the circulation of the oceans), and/or the therrmocline (a layer within a body of water where the temperature changes rapidly with depth).

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ECHO programs amplify educational benefits, foster greater appreciation of local and national history and the natural environment, and assist communities in maximizing the social benefits of new technologies.

What is ECHO?

ECHO is an educational and cultural enrichment initiative, annually serving thousands of children and adults in Alaska, Hawaii and Massachusetts. Established by Congress as part of the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001, ECHO brings innovative programs collaboratively produced by the regional cultural institutions to culturally diverse audiences. Read More