Water+Cycle+3-5

Lesson Objectives

By the end of this lesson, students should be able to:
 * Draw a simple model of the water cycle
 * Understand that the sun provides the energy to fuel the water cycle
 * Know that when water evaporates, it becomes water vapor
 * Describe how water vapor condenses, turns back to liquid form, and falls back to Earth
 * Know that water collects in bodies of water on Earth’s surface and underground



Engage: Activate Prior Knowledge; Generate Interest

Stimulate Interest

To get students excited about this lesson, tell them they will be learning about one of the oldest things on Earth. Take a simple yes or no survey with the question: “Are we drinking the same water dinosaurs did when they roamed the earth?” Do not tell them about the water cycle yet, but allow them to discuss in their science groups if it could be possible. Allow students to share their thoughts before moving on.

Activate Prior Knowledge

Show students the video segment [|**Our Wondrous Oceans: Planet Water**], from 1:00 to 1:30. Ask students to then give some examples of the ways they use water in their daily lives. Then, to activate prior knowledge, ask students if they know where that water comes from. Their responses will be varied, but will serve as a good indicator of prior knowledge.

Finally, post the Essential Questions that constitute what students will be learning. Students may read them or you may wish to read them aloud together.


 * What is the role of the sun in the water cycle?
 * How is water vapor created?
 * What happens to water vapor in the water cycle?
 * Where does water collect on Earth after falling from the sky?

Explore: Allowing Students to Experience Content



Have students use the Essential Questions as an organizer to take notes as they watch [|**The Water Cycle**]. After viewing the segment, break students into pairs, and instruct each pair to share their notes and to answer the Essential Questions. At this point, they will likely not be able to answer all of them, but should be increasing their understanding.

Next, provide students with the reading passages [|**It’s Only Water**] and [|**Going Around in Circles**]. These reading passages are also available as eBook resources. Instruct students to read the passages using the Essential Questions to add to their notes. Because of the different reading levels of these passages, you may want to divide students into reading groups of similar ability, have groups read an appropriate passage, and then contribute to the understanding of the class as a whole by sharing what they have learned.



Students will complete the Hands-On Activity **[|Modeling the Water Cycle]**.

As students are recording data, ask: "Why is it important to repeat the experiment several times instead of just taking the data from one trial?" Discuss that if only one trial is conducted, the results may not represent the general relationship between the variables. However, if many datapoints are collected, an average or range can be established. This provides more accurate data.



Specify the correct level of accuracy that is necessary. Specify that students should be recording time in all lessons.

After students have shared their data, ask: "Did anyone record any measurements that seemed unusual?" Have students share data that seemed not to match typical results from other trials. Ask: "Why do you think that you got a different result for that case?" Confirm that each time an experiment is done there may be tiny and unexpected changes in one trial that do not represent the average results, due to measurements errors, differences in the original conditions, or other unexplained reasons. Explain that this information is called "noisy data" and that it should always be reported, but can sometimes be left out of an average if it is too far from the rest of the other data.

Finally, remind students to record their initial predictions and final conclusions in their science journals.

Explain: Firm Up Understanding; Allow Students to Explain What They Know

Instruct students to review the interactive glossary terms [|**circulate**], [|**condense**], [|**cycle**], [|**evaporation**], [|**precipitation**], [|**water cycle**], and [|**water vapor**]. Students should write each term in their science journal in their own words and illustrate. They should use these glossary terms to do a self-check for their comprehension of the Essential Questions for this lesson.



Have studen ts complete the Exploration [|**Water Cycle**]to review all of the steps in the water cycle. Then, instruct students to draw an illustration of the water cycle. You may wish to write certain words on the board that students must include in their drawing. For example, they should include elements like ocean, cloud, mountain, river, rain, lake, condensation, evaporation, precipitation, etc.



Then, provide students with the reading passage [|**Can You Repeat That?**] Note that this resource is also available as an eBook. Make sure students have a thorough understanding of the Essential Questions. You may wish to summarize all of the main points or have students work in pairs to summarize their answers to the Essential Questions.

Elaborate: Allow Students to Apply What They Know

To further students’ knowledge of the water cycle, show the video segment [|**Groundwater**]. This video builds on the ideas from the rest of the lesson, and deepens students’ understanding of how water moves through our planet. It also addresses some of the sub-concepts for the lesson. Summarize the key points after viewing the video, noting that water percolates into the ground, where it moves underground or joins an aquifer.

Project Ideas**:** To help your students apply their understanding of the water cycle, you may wish to have your students complete some or all of the following projects. The time required to complete each project will vary; some may require students to work outside the classroom.
 * Instruct students to read the reading passage [|**A Fish Out of Water**]. Instruct students to use the reading as a model to create a script. The script should narrate the thoughts of one of the “key players” in the water cycle. For example, write from the perspective of the oceans, describing what the water cycle is like for the oceans. Students can then present their scripts to the class.
 * Have students read the reading passage [|**The Rain Man**]. This reading is at a slightly higher reading level, so students may need some teacher oversight. Students should use the format as inspiration for creating a quiz show. Working in small groups, students write questions about the water cycle, then play the game with another small group, taking turns asking quiz questions. They may wish to play from the perspective of one of the components of the water cycle, like rain or clouds.
 * Students record observations of the water cycle at work for a one-week period, keeping their thoughts in a water cycle journal. At the end of the week, students select their favorite instance of the water cycle at work and either draw a picture to illustrate the event or write a paragraph to summarize what happened.

Evaluate: Check for Understanding

Have students complete the Brief Constructed Response (BCR) item titled **[|Water Cycle]**. You may also wish to assign the online concept assessment and use the results in the student reports to guide you in assigning any remediation to students.

//Review Sheet:// Students may review the information in this section using the [|**Water Cycle Review Sheet**].