Definition:

to be amazed at and/or curious about something that is pleasantly unexpected, beautiful, or  mysterious. 

In short:

Curiosity sparks endless discovery. 

Summary:
On the first page of this beautifully illustrated book, a young boy named Isaac pours a jar of water into a small pool near his home. It starts to rain and when the pool gets full, it makes streams that flow into a river. The story follows the water’s journey as it eventually  joins the ocean, where the sun warms the salty water, creating mist that rises into the air, making clouds and rain. Eventually the water returns to Isaac’s pool, and the cycle is repeated. 

Lesson Objectives: 

1. Students can explain the steps in the water cycle from start to finish.  
2. This story can introduce a science unit on the water cycle and the unique properties of water. 

Guiding Questions: 

1. What does Isaac do with his jar of water? 
2. Where does the water go when the pool fills up? 
3. What’s it like where Isaac lives? 
4. How does water help the animals and people in this story? 
5. What happens when the sun warms the ocean water? 
6. Why is water called a “gift” in this story? 
7. Scientists talk about three states of matter:  liquid, gas, and solid. This story is about water as a liquid and a gas. Share about the water’s journey from liquid to gas to liquid. What happened first? Next? 
8. What does the word “cycle” mean when we’re talking about water? 
9. Do you like to play in the rain? In puddles? Do you know how to swim?  
10. Do you think the water that Isaac poured into the pool in the beginning could be the exact same water that returned to the pool at the end of the story? Why or why not?