Assess your students’ science inquiry skills and understanding with this engaging investigation into the process of evaporation.

Students will conduct an experiment to compare the rate of evaporation between fresh water and salt water. They will add the same amount of water to 3 jars. One jar will have water only with a lid screwed on (the control), one will have water only (no lid) and the last one will have salt dissolved in the water (no lid).

Students will mark the water line with a pen and leave the jars in a sunny location. Over a period of time, students will observe the rate of evaporation between the jars, recording their findings. Throughout the experiment students will identify variables to ensure a fair test is conducted, record data using formal measurements and create a graph of the results. Students will then create a poster to communicate the results.

The resource includes an instructions page and a series of scaffolded worksheets. A comprehensive rubric is also provided to assess your students understanding of evaporation and their science inquiry skills, making assessment a breeze.

This is part of our Year 4 Earth & Space Sciences: The Water Cycle UNIT PLAN.