Based on the poem below what questions could I ask my students that will teach them that water is very old?

Question

The glass of water you’re about to drink
Deserves a second thought, I think.
For Avogadro, oceans and those you follow
Are all involved in every swallow.
The molecules of water in a single glass
In number, at least five times, outclass
The glasses of water in stream and sea,
Or wherever else that water can be.
The water in you is between and betwixt,
And having traversed is thoroughly mixed,
So someone quenching a future thirst
Could easily drink what you drank first!
The water you are about to taste
No doubt represents a bit of waste
From prehistoric beast and bird—
A notion you may find absurd.
The fountain spraying in the park
Could well spout bits of Joan of Arc,
Or Adam, Eve, and all their kin;
You’d be surprised where your drink has been!
Just think! The water you cannot retain
Will some day hence return as rain,
Or be held as the purest dew.
Though long ago it passed through you! Written by Verne N. Rockcastle

How could I use the poem to change their misconception that rain is new water that replaces earth's old water in the water cycle process?????

Answer 1

Don't know what grade level you are teaching but I would definitely talk about the word "prehistoric" in the poem. Also, it mentions Joan of Arc and she's from awhile ago. Not sure about discussing Adam and Eve. I probably wouldn't use this poem because of that.

I like the previous posters idea (although the English in the answer is horrible). Just a quick visual showing how the water enters the air and then quickly collects and drops back down.

I have also built terrariums in 2 liter bottles or one of those plastic shoe boxes and showed the students how it stayed quite moist in there and grew grass (using seed) without any water other than the intial squirts. It also very visual and gives them something to take home and be proud of. I love teaching weather and I hope you are enjoying it as well.!

Good luck!

Answer 2

I;m sure this is too simple, but when I taught first grade, I brought in a single unit heating device, put a pan on it, filled it with water brang it to a boil and held a plate about 4 " over it and watched the moisture drip back into the pan, Prettty simple example of how not much changes from when it leaves until it drops back to earth