Water, Water Everywhere! The Water Cycle

To Educators:

As 4th-grade students begin to become aware of weather patterns, geography, and human life, it is important that they understand the role that water plays on Earth. Introducing them to the water cycle is an important building block for them to continue learning about the environment on earth and how nature impacts this. Students will be learning about each step of the water cycle and how these steps interact with one another.

Includes: Vocabulary review, fill in the blank water cycle diagram, and an online game.

Learning Objectives:

1. Students will be able to identify the seven parts of the water cycle.
2. Students will be able to describe what happens during each part of the water cycle.
3. Students will be able to describe how each part of the water cycle interacts with one another.
4. Students will be able to interpret a diagram of the water cycle.

Why is water so important?

Water is the basic element of nature. It covers 70% of Earth’s surface and is an element of survival for humans. Our water needs to be clean, refilled, and in constant circulation so that it can perform its job. This job is called The Water Cycle!

What is the Water Cycle?

What is Evaporation?

What is Condensation?

What is Precipitation?

What is Transpiration?

   Transpiration is when moisture is carried through the plants from the roots to small pores on the bottom side of the leaves. Then the moisture changes to vapor and is released into the atmosphere. To think about it in another way, transpiration is like the evaporation of water from plant leaves.

What is Runoff?

What are Infiltration and Percolation? What is the difference between them?

The three main steps of the water cycle are evaporation, condensation, and precipitation. Transpiration, runoff, infiltration, and percolation are important aspects, but not parts that we can see happening every day. This reoccurring cycle is essential to our planet as it regulates the temperature of our surroundings, it changes weather and creates rain, breaks down rocks into soil, and creates many geographical features we have on earth. Water creates geographical features like icebergs, rivers, valleys, lakes, and more.

You might be wondering, where does the water cycle begin and end? Well, since it is a reoccurring process, that means there is no beginning and end. However, since the ocean holds 96% of the water that belongs to Earth, scientists use the ocean as the starting and ending point when discussing the water cycle.

Vocabulary Review Page

1. Precipitation: water that falls to the earth. Most precipitation falls as rain but includes snow, sleet, drizzle, and hail.
2. Evaporation: the change of state of water (a liquid) to water vapor (a gas).
3. Condensation: the process where water vapor (a gas) changes into water droplets (a liquid). This is when we begin to see clouds.
4. Transpiration: the evaporation of water from plants. The movement of solid, liquid, and gasses through the atmosphere.
5. Runoff: the excess water that flows over land when the soil below it is flooded.
6. Infiltration: movement of water into the ground from the surface.
7. Percolation: movement of water past the soil going deep into the groundwater.

Water Cycle Review Game

https://www.educationsoutheastwater.com.au/resources/natural-water-cycle-game