1. Science Focus Lesson SC.5.E.7.1 Water Cycle
Elementary Science
Science Focus Lesson SC.5.E.7.1
Water Cycle
TEST ITEM SPECIFICATIONS: (NOTE- This benchmark is assessed every year on FCAT)
Benchmark Clarifications
Students will identify and/or explain the parts of the water cycle including the role of the ocean.
Students will identify the states of water associated with each part of the water cycle and/or explain the phase changes that occur as water moves from one part of the water cycle to another
Content Limit
Items will not address or assess transpiration, infiltration, or percolation as processes of the water cycle.
Items assessing the phases of water are limited to a water cycle context.
Polk County Public Schools

2. SC.5.E.7.1
Benchmark: Create a model to explain the parts of the water cycle. Water can be a gas, a liquid, or a solid and can go back and forth from one state to another.
Essential Question:
What causes water to change states throughout the water cycle?
Vocabulary:
evaporation water vapor
condensation precipitation
Evaporation – The process by which a liquid is converted to its vapor phase by heating the liquid.
Condensation - The process of changing from a gas to a liquid
Water Vapor - When water becomes a gas it becomes water vapor.
Precipitation – Water that falls to Earth’s surface as in the form of rain, hail, sleet or snow.

3. States of Water
Solids have a fixed volume and shape. Their particles are tightly packed and vibrate but, they stay in place. Examples of Solid water include – ice, snow, hail, and sleet
Liquids have a fixed volume but their shape changes to fit the shape of the container they are in. Their particles are close together, they vibrate and change place. Liquid water – examples- dew, ocean water, lake water, mist, and rain.
Note that : All Particles are moving in some way and have energy (even in solids)
Particles in a:
gas are well separated with no regular arrangement.
liquid are close together with no regular arrangement.
solid are tightly packed, usually in a regular pattern.
gas vibrate and move freely at high speeds.
liquid vibrate, move about, and slide past each other.
solid vibrate but generally do not move from place to place. (
Solid is the state in which matter maintains a fixed volume and shape
liquid is the state in which matter maintains a fixed volume but adapts to the shape of its container
gas is the state in which matter expands to occupy whatever volume is available
Gases have no fixed volume or fixed shape. Their particles are well
separated without order, they vibrate and move freely and quickly from
place to place. Gas–examples–steam, humidity in air and water vapor

4. What is the Water Cycle?
The WATER CYCLE describes the continuous movement of water on and above the surface of the Earth.
Water can change states among liquid, gas, and solid at various stages of the water cycle.
The water that was here during the time of the dinosaurs is the same water that is here today.

5. Click on Diagram to access Interactive Water Cycle Web Site
There is no start or stop to the water cycle it is a never ending process powered by the sun.
Evaporation – The process by which a liquid is converted to its vapor phase by heating the liquid usually from the sun
evapotranspiration is another form of evaporation from plants/leaves
The water vapor then condenses into water droplets as it cools during condensation.
Precipitation occurs when so much water has condensed that the air cannot hold it anymore.  The clouds gets heavy and water falls back to the earth in the form of rain, hail, sleet or snow.
Run off occurs when the water and snow melt runs down hill into lakes, rivers, steams and the ocean
Infiltration – is when water seeps into the soil
Capillary action - is a phenomenon caused by surface tension that results in water being able to travel up a plant against gravity
Click on Diagram to access Interactive Water Cycle Web Site

6. Summarizing
Using the information that you have learned describe the different states of water and give at least one example of each.
Using the information you learned about the water cycle write as many facts as you can remember about the cycle and the water in it.

7. What is Evaporation?
Evaporation occurs when the sun heats up water in rivers, lakes, puddles, ponds or the ocean and turns it into vapor or steam. The water vapor or steam leaves the river, lake, puddle, pond or ocean and goes into the air.
Plants lose water out of their leaves and when this water evaporates it is called transpiration.

8. What is Condensation?
Water vapor in the air gets cold and changes back into liquid, forming clouds. This is called condensation.
You see condensation anytime you have a cold glass of water and on a hot day, water forms on the outside of the glass.  The water doesn’t leak through the glass!  The water on the outside of the glass comes from the air.  Water vapor in the warm air turns back into liquid when it touches the cold glass.

9. What is Precipitation?
Precipitation occurs when so much water has condensed that the air cannot hold it anymore.  The clouds get heavy and water falls back to the earth in the form of rain, hail, sleet or snow.
Rain is a liquid form of precipitation
Hail, sleet, and snow are solid forms of precipitation

10. What is water Collection?
When water falls to the earth as precipitation, it collects before it evaporates- this is collection.
It may create a puddle then start the cycle over again quickly
It may soak into the soil and become part of the ground water and aquifer– be used by plants then evaporate to start the cycle over again
Or it may run downhill and collect in the oceans, lakes, rivers or swamps where the cycle start up again
What is the largest water collection on Earth?
The next slide identifies Oceans as the largest water collection on Earth.

11. The Oceans are the largest water collections on Earth
97% of the water on Earth is in the ocean
75% of the Earth is covered with Water
The oceans are the source of more than 85% of evaporation on Earth
More than ½ of all precipitation occurs over the ocean
Because of all of these reasons the ocean is very important to the water cycle.

12. Summarizing Turn to your shoulder partner.
Partner A explain evaporation.
Partner B explain condensation.
Partner A give an example of solid and liquid precipitation.
Partner B explain why the ocean is so important to the water cycle.
Evaporation – The process by which a liquid is converted to its vapor phase by heating the liquid.
Condensation - The process of changing from a gas to a liquid
Solid precipitation – snow, hail, sleet Liquid precipitation – rain, mist
Ocean – more than ½ of precipitation occurs over the ocean, 97% of the water on Earth is in the ocean, the ocean is the source of 85% of the evaporation on Earth

13. Guided Practice
Talk to your shoulder partner about the answer to each question. Read the question carefully and read all answer choices.
When the Sun heats up the puddle of water in your backyard and turns it into water vapor, this process is known as ________.
Condensation
Evaporation
Precipitation
Collection
Have the students hold up a card with their response on it (A,B,C,D) so that you can easily see if the students are getting the correct answer.

14. B
The answer is
Evaporation is occurring when the Sun heats up the puddle of water in your backyard and turns it into water vapor.

15. Guided Practice
As time goes by, and water goes through the water cycle again and again, the amount of water on Earth _______.
Increases
Decreases
Stays the same
Goes up and down
Have the students hold up a card with their response on it (A,B,C,D) so that you can easily see if the students are getting the correct answer.

16. C
The answer is
The amount of water that is on Earth now is the same amount that has always been here. It is also the same water that has always been on Earth. The water cycle just cleans the water.

17. Summarizing
Pass a piece of paper around the table. Each group member adds a detail that answers the question. Keep the paper moving until time is called- see how many ideas your group can generate!
Essential Question:
What are the parts and function of the water cycle and how does water change state?

18. Check Your Understanding
Number your paper from 1-3, select the answers that you think are correct
The water cycle begins with ________. a. Condensation b. Evaporation c. Precipitation d. Trick question-the water cycle has no beginning or end

19. Check Your Understanding
2. When you look outside and it is raining, the water falling down is in what stage of the water cycle? a. Evaporation b. Collection c. Condensation d. Precipitation

20. Check Your Understanding
3. Why do water droplets form on your ice cold glass of water?
a. Your glass is leaking
b. Evaporation occurred
c. Precipitation occurred
d. Condensation occurred

21. Check Your Answers D
The water cycle is a cycle so there is no beginning or ending
Rain is a form of Precipitation
Condensation occurred because the cold cup caused the water vapor to condense when it cooled (the gas cooled)

22. Summary Question
In your science journal explain what causes the water to change states throughout the water cycle.
Be sure to set high expectations for a written summary!