Cabrini students explore water cycle at St. Christopher

Cabrini High School’s “Science Squad” was invited to St. Christopher School in Metairie to give a presentation on the water cycle.
 
Science Department chair Ann Smart, senior Lauren Blady and junior Elizabeth Favret explained to the 59 students in St. Christopher’s three sixth-grade classes how water cycles through the environment and the processes it goes through.

“We showed the children that if we start with water in the ocean, it can evaporate and go up into the atmosphere,” Smart explained.

“When it cools, it condenses in clouds and comes back to earth as precipitation. On earth, it can soak into the ground or fall into a body of water like a lake or river. It can be frozen in a glacier or be taken in by a plant or an animal.”

The presentation is specifically designed for the elementary level and includes various activities to engage students and keep them interested in the subject.

“We began with a water cycle song using hand motions, like water going up into a cloud or falling back to the ground,” Smart said

Following the song lyrics, students were given a leather cord with a lanyard. They started at one station, took a bead representing water, then moved on to the next station.

Each station was sign-labeled, such as blue for the ocean or green for a plant. They rolled dice to find out where to go next and what process got them there. They did this 20 times and then tied the cord to hang from their book bags to remember the water cycle.

The Science Squad is an academic activity open to all schools in the New Orleans area. Its purpose is to expand the STEM concept at the elementary level.

Cabrini science teachers and student assistants teach hands-on science activities exploring chemistry, physics, life and environmental sciences. Elementary school teachers can choose from a variety of science topics for the Science Squad to tackle.

Topics are available in the Science Squad brochure mailed to all schools or on the Cabrini website. Schools may invite the Science Squad to visit their classes or have their class visit the Science Squad at Cabrini.