Natasha Holden Jacinto City Elementary The Water Cycle Natasha Holden Jacinto City Elementary Today we are going to find out what the water cycle is and how it works.

Think about Water The first thing I want you to do is to just think about water. Close your eyes. Think about those hot, scorching days of summer when run inside and you don’t want anything but a nice glass of water. Think about opening the freezer to get ice and how you just keep your sweaty face in there a little longer because of the cold frost. You reach in and get a handful of ice cubes, place them in your glass. Can you hear them hit the cup? Now listen as you pour the water from a jug or the faucet. Sounds nice, huh? Finally you take a drink and its so cold, it sort of hurts, but its refreshing too. Now I want you to look at that glass and think about the water. Where did it come from? Sure the faucet or jug, but before that. We cannot make water, so think about it some more. How old is that water? It could have been part of the rain during the hurricane. It could be the same water a fish swam in. The water you just drank has been around since the world began. There is only a limited amount of water on Earth, so how do we use it, and still have enough? The answer is in the Water Cycle.

Vocabulary Water cycle Evaporation Condensation Precipitation Accumulation We are going to be looking at the Water Cycle today. There are 4 main parts to this cycle- evaporation, condensation, precipitation, and accumulation. We will look at them first separately, and then together.

A cycle of the Earth’s water moving through the environment. Water Cycle A cycle of the Earth’s water moving through the environment. Who remembers what a cycle is? A cycle is a repeated process of steps. What other cycles have we talked about? Life cycles, Nitrogen cycle, Carbon cycle. So the water cycle is a cycle of the Earth’s water moving through the environment. What’s our environment? So is water moving around us? Do we always see it moving? When do we see water moving? http://mbgnet.mobot.org/fresh/cycle/

Evaporation A process of the heat of the sun changing the water on the Earth’s surface into water vapor. As heat from the sun is added to water, it evaporates. We call this water vapor. You have probably seen water vapor during the summer on the streets after a rain shower. If there is a puddle in the road, the street is so hot, it turns the puddle into water vapor. You might have also seen water vapor when boiling water, drinking hot chocolate, or watching your mom iron clothes. Here, the water is changing from a liquid to a gas.

Condensation The process of water vapor changing back into a liquid water. The temperature of the air high above the Earth is very cold, so it causes the gas to liquefy again as tiny droplets. This eventually will lead to the forming of a cloud. We see condensation on our water glasses when our drink is very cold. So, the water is changing from a gas back into a liquid. http://www.ces.purdue.edu/pork/images/jones/condense.jpg

Precipitation Any form of water that falls from clouds. After a lot of water vapor condenses, the water may fall back to Earth as rain, snow, or hail. What makes the difference? The air temperature. The water is either a liquid (rain) or a solid (snow,ice).

The water is a liquid during this phase. Accumulation The process in which water pools in large bodies (like oceans, seas and lakes). Accumulation, or collection, occurs when water is gathered together. It could be in our lakes, rivers, streams, or underground as what is called ground water. Sometimes we use the word runoff to talk about the water gathering together also. This is the “end” of the water cycle. Now, let’s put it altogether and see what happens. The water is a liquid during this phase.

Putting it Together condensation precipitation evaporation The water cycle all depends on the sun because its heat is what sets the whole thing into motion. The sun’s heat causes water to evaporate. The water vapor cools and condenses into a cloud. When the cloud is full, the water falls as precipitation. The water then runs off and accumulates. The sun will heat up the accumulated water to cause it to vaporize and we start all over again. Now, I want you to try it on the back of your note page. accumulation

The Completed Water Cycle A- Evaporation C-Precipitation B- Condensation D- Accumulation Did you get the same thing? Could we start at any point in the cycle and label it? Why is this possible? So let’s think about what we learned today. The water cycle has how many parts? Name one of the parts. How is water found at that phase? Okay, what would the next phase be? How is water seen here? Next? The final stage is? What keeps the water cycle going? Will we ever run out of water? I am passing out some TAKS questions that deal with the Water Cycle. Try them on your own and then we will discuss them. I would like for each group to divide into 3s and 4s to complete a poster of the water cycle. These will be hung in the hallway and need to contain all the stages of the cycle. Now I am going to pass out another sheet. These questions will be for a grade. http://www.kidzone.ws/water/

Droplet Game http://kids.earth.nasa.gov/droplet.html I have found a game online about a droplet of water traveling through the water cycle. I am adding it to the favorites on the computers so you will be able to play when you have computer time.