Water+Cycle+6-8

Lesson Objectives By the end of this lesson, students should be able to:


 * How is the sun’s energy transferred around the globe?
 * What is the water cycle and why is it important?
 * How does the water cycle influence weather patterns?
 * How do winds form?



Engage: Activate Prior Knowledge; Generate Interest

Activate Prior Knowledge:

Open the session by asking students where rain comes from. If students answer “clouds,” ask students how clouds form. Ask students where the water comes from that forms clouds and falls to Earth as rain. Accept all reasonable responses.

Tell students they will learn about the water cycle in this lesson. Display a [|simple image] of the water cycle. Have students begin a Know-Wonder-Learn chart for the topic Water Cycle in their science notebooks. Ask students to complete the “Know” and “Wonder” columns. Check students’ work and take note of what students already know about the water cycle.

Explore: Allowing Students to Experience Content

Post the Essential Questions that constitute what students will be learning. Explain to students that their explorations should help them answer the Essential Questions


 * What is the water cycle and why is it important?
 * How does the water cycle influence weather patterns?
 * How is the sun’s energy transferred around the globe?
 * How do winds form?

Divide students into groups of two to five, depending on your materials supply and the number of students. Have students cover a bowl of ice water with plastic wrap and leave the bowl on a windowsill or other warm location. Move on to the **[|Hands-On-Activity: Observing Evaporation and Condensation]**. Return after several minutes and have students observe their bowls. Condensation should be visible on the inside of the plastic wrap. If not, leave the bowl in the sunlight for several more minutes and return for another observation. Once condensation is visible, have students record their observations in their science notebooks. Have students discuss their observations with the class and lead them in a class discussion about where the condensation came from and how it got there.



Next, provide students with the reading passage **[|Water Drop Odyssey]**, again using the Essential Questions as an overarching question. Use a single passage for all students or address different reading levels by using a mixed group approach in which students read the appropriate passage and contribute to the understanding of the group. Have students develop their answers to the essential questions by adding additional information they may have gained from reading the passages. Then have students complete the activity on page two.

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

Have students review the glossary terms **[|humidity]**and **[|dew point]**. Ask them to explain how measuring humidity and dew point can help weather scientists learn about weather conditions. You may also want students to review the following glossary definitions and animations: **[|atmosphere]**, **[|hydrosphere]**, **[|condense], [|cloud], [|weather], [|water cycle], [|water vapor]**, and **[|precipitation]**.





Have students read **[|We Need Water!]** Lead a discussion recapping the three states of water andhe main water cycle processes by which water changes from one state to another (evaporation, condensation, freezing, melting) and move from one Earth system to another (precipitation, runoff). As you discuss, have students create a simple water cycle diagram in their notes. Label and describe the reservoirs and processes of the water cycle. Review the types of weather conditions that are associated with different processes in the water cycle.

Elaborate: Allow Students to Apply What They Know

Have students complete the Exploration [|Energy Transfer and the Water Cycle] After completing the Exploration have students write and essay describing how energy and the water cycle are related



To help your students apply their understanding of Energy Transfer and 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.

**Project Ideas:**
 * Students could design simple experiments to determine whether sunlight affects the rate of evaporation. For example, students could place cups containing equal amounts of water in and out of the sunlight.
 * Students might observe examples of condensation in everyday life, such as on the mirror after a shower or on a car window in the morning. Encourage students to record their observations in their science journals and include inferences and explanations based on their observations.
 * Students could watch weather reports and link weather conditions to water cycle processes. For example, students could create a chart with a brief description of weather conditions in column one and the associated water cycle processes in column two.
 * Research the Law of Conservation of Energy and explain how it relates to the water cycle. Compare scientific laws like this one with societal laws, such as state water conservation and recycling laws.
 * Research and cite examples of weather lore, sayings, and myths, and explain how they relate to the water cycle. Explain whether or not there is scientific basis for these ideas.

Evaluate: Check for Understanding

Review students’ written responses to the essential questions as a means of checking for understanding. As they complete the Exploration, work with individual students who may be having difficulty.

Explain to students that during the water cycle, water changes it physical state several times. In order for water to change its physical form, energy is needed. According to the Law of Conservation of Energy, energy can not be created nor destroyed using ordinary chemical or physical means. This means that during the water cycle energy (from the sun) is not created with the cycle nor destroyed, it is conserved and used to help water change its physical state.

Have students complete the Learned section of their KWL charts. Encourage students to include information about the states of water, water cycle processes, the Law of Conservation of Energy, and how the water cycle relates to weather.

Have students complete the student worksheet for the Exploration **[|Energy Transfer and the Water Cycle]** and the skill builder, **[|The Water Cycle]**.

Once they complete the worksheet and the skill builder, have them turn the worksheet over and draw a simple diagram of the water cycle on the back including how energy is conserved. You may need to explain the difference between a drawing (with drawn images of mountains, rivers, oceans, etc.) and a scientific diagram which uses word labels and arrows. If time allows, students may add sketched images to the diagram, but the point is to outline the water cycle on their own.

Have students create a diagram that shows how energy from the sun causes winds.



Have students complete the Brief Constructed Response (BCR) item titled **[|Energy Transfer & the 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 **[|Energy Transfer & the Water Cycle Review Sheet]**.