Homeschool Unit Study: Volcanoes

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Water - it's essential for life on earth! Just two elements, hydrogen and oxygen, make up one of our most important natural resources. Water is simple but fascinating! Did you know we have the same water on Earth now that was here billions of years ago?

Yes, the water from your kitchen faucet was here when dinosaurs walked the Earth. Water around us moves and changes in a regular cycle. Heat from our sun causes water in ponds, lakes, and seas to evaporate (change from a liquid to a gas) and this water vapor forms clouds. When water vapor in the clouds cools it changes back into a liquid in a process called condensation. That water falls out of the clouds as snow or rainfall, and is called precipitation. Bodies of water collect the rain and the process starts over again!

Water is all around us but did you know the human brain and heart are made of almost 75 percent water and our bodies are about 60 percent water? Water performs many functions in our bodies including protecting our tissues and organs or carrying oxygen and nutrients to our cells.

It's important to drink water to stay healthy, but we can also eat our water! Many fruits and vegetables contain large amounts of water including cantaloupe, celery, cucumber, lettuce, peaches, strawberries, tomatoes and watermelon. A human being can live for a few weeks without food but can only live for a few days without water.

Millions of people around the world don't always have clean water for drinking, cooking and washing which can cause sickness and disease. Luckily, we have a lot of people looking for solutions. Some scientists are working on ways to turn saltwater into fresh water using a process called desalination. Other scientists are trying to create water by combining hydrogen and oxygen atoms but it's a dangerous process! The world needs smart, creative people to help us protect our water and maybe even create water in the future. Have fun learning more about our world’s most precious resource.