The Water Cycle Jonathan Forrester

Water Cycle Content Area: Science Grade Level: 3 Summary: The objective of this presentation is to have the students understand how the Water Cycle works Learning Objective: Through the instruction in this power point and additional information shown on websites, the students will need to be able to describe the Water Cycle with 100 percent accuracy. Content Standard: Accomplishment: Understanding the Water Cycle

Tour of the Water Cycle Go to this website to watch the video for A Tour of the Water Cycle: http://pmm.nasa.gov/education/videos/tour-water-cycle Heat from the sun causes the molecule to evaporate from the ocean's surface. Once it evaporates, it is transported high in the atmosphere and condenses to form clouds. Clouds can move great distances and eventually the water molecule will fall as rain or snow. Ultimately, the water molecule arrives back where it started … at the ocean.

Steps of a Water Cycle Evaporation Condensation Sublimation Precipitation Transpiration Runoff Infiltration

Step 1: Evaporation A process where water at the surface turns into water vapors. The water is heated by the sun and turns into vapors. Water bodies such as oceans, lakes, and rivers are the main sources of evaporation. As water evaporates, it reduces the temperatures of the bodies.

What Evaporation looks like

Step 2: Condensation As water vaporizes into a water vapor, it rises up in the atmosphere. At high altitudes, the water vapors turn into very tiny particles of ice/water droplets because the temperature in high altitudes is low. These particles come together to form clouds and fog. This is called condensation.

What Condensation looks like

Step 3: Sublimation Apart from evaporation, sublimation also contributes to water vapors in the air. Sublimation is a process where ice directly converts into water vapors without converting into liquid water when the temperature is low or pressure is high. The main sources of water from sublimation are the ice sheets in the North and South Poles and ice caps on mountains.

What Sublimation looks like

Step 4: Precipitation Due to wind or temperature change, the clouds pour down. This occurs because the tiny water droplets combine to make bigger droplets. When the air can’t hold any more water, it precipitates. Depending on the temperature and the altitude determines if the precipitation falls as rain or something frozen.

What Precipitation looks like

Step 5: Transpiration As the precipitation falls, some of it is absorbed by the soil. Transpiration is a process similar to evaporation where liquid water is turned into water vapor by the plants. The roots of the plants absorb the water and push it toward the leaves where it is used for photosynthesis. The excess turns into water vapors.

Step 6: Runoff Runoff is the process where water runs over the surface of the earth. When snow melts into water it also leads to runoff. As water runs over the ground it displaces the top soil with it and moves the minerals along with the water stream. The runoff forms channels and rivers and eventually ends up into lakes, seas and oceans and completes the cycle.

Step 7: Infiltration Some of the precipitation does not runoff and is absorbed by the plants or gets evaporated. It moves deep into the soil. This is called infiltration. The water seeps down and increases the level of ground water table. This is pure water and is drinkable.

Fun Stuff Have fun with this interactive water cycle diagram: www.water.usg.gov/edu/watercycle-kids-adv.html Click here to see an animated water cycle: www.biology.ualberta.ca/facilities/multimedia/uploads/al berta/watercycle.html

The Water Cycle Song https://www. havefunteaching The Water Cycle Takes the water and moves it Up and Down and all around the Earth Evaporation comes When the heat from the Sun Warms up all the groundwater Then it turns to water vapor Condensation takes over It goes up to the clouds Water vapor cools down And it changes to a liquid, now Precipitation happens When the drops get big It falls like Rain, Snow, Sleet, and Hail upon my head I know it's the water cycle happening again Evaporation, Condensation, Precipitation

Summary In this lesson, the students have learned about the steps in the Water Cycle. They have watched a video of the Water Cycle. The students can play fun games relating to the Water Cycle for easier understand. They have learned a song about the Water Cycle.