THE WATER CYCLE
MASTER TEACHER Colleen McGran
GRADES 1-3
OVERVIEW
In this lesson the students will be able to explain the water
cycle and define these four parts: evaporation, condensation,
precipitation, and collection. They will be able to describe how each
process takes place and explain the importance of the water cycle. The
students will conduct an experiment to form a mini water cycle.
ITV SERIES
Bill Nye the Science Guy: 147 Water Cycle
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
Students will be able to:
*identify the three states of water
*illustrate and describe the four stages in the water cycle
*define molecules and their role in the water cycle
*create a model of a cycle based on what they have learned
*create a mini-water cycle using a baggie and water
*list reasons why the water cycle is important
MATERIALS
(per student)
2 sheets of paper for the layer book
an assortment of colored markers
an assortment of crayons
one quart size zip-loc baggies
2 ounces of water
masking tape to hang the mini-water cycle
3.5 oz clear Solo bathroom cups
(per group of three or four)
small mouthed clear glass jar
hot water
match sticks
ice cubes-enough to fill a baggie and cover the mouth of the jar
flashlight
VOCABULARY
solid: water is solid when it is frozen
liquid: water that flows freely
gas: water that is not a solid or a liquid, it has
no shape or size of its own
vapor: moisture in the air that can be seen
water cycle: the process in which water is
recycled, it has four parts
evaporation: first part in the water cycle, water
is turned into vapor
molecules: a very small particle
energy: power to work or act
invisible: cannot be seen
condensation: the joining together of water vapor
clouds: a white or gray mass in the sky made of
tiny water droplets
precipitation: rain, snow, sleet, hail; the third
phase of the water cycle
collection: the final phase of the water cycle, a
place where water gathers
PREVIEWING ACTIVITIES
Ask the students to define a cycle. Record their responses
on a chart. Next ask the students what they know about weather and why it
changes. Then ask them what water has to do with it. Display a globe
and point out all of the blue section. Explain that most of the earth's
surface is covered with water and this water has been here for a very long time.
If the water did not
somehow get recycled, nothing could live on the earth. All
living things depend on water. Introduce each vocabulary word and have the
students make flash cards color coding the words (putting them all in the same
color) water cycle, evaporation, condensation, precipitation, and
collection. Allow the students to have the color coded vocabulary flash
cards in front of them while viewing the video.
FOCUS FOR VIEWING
To give students a specific responsibility while viewing say,
"You are going to see a video that explains the water cycle. Listen
for the phases of the water cycle and how each one takes place. Also
listen for the importance of the water cycle."
VIEWING ACTIVITIES
Begin the tape immediately following the opening
credits. Pause when Bill Nye says, "... it could also be a gas
or a vapor." Ask the students what the three forms of water can be.
(solid, liquid, gas) On a piece of paper have students predict what these
have to do with the water cycle. They can either write or illustrate their
response.
Resume video. Pause when Bill Nye says,
"Well it's energy, energy from the sun and that's called evaporation."
Ask what form they think water is in during evaporation. (vapor) Point out
that the word vapor is in the word evaporation. Have the students hold up
the flash card evaporation and underline the word vapor. Place the flash
card on their work area.
Resume video. Pause when Bill Nye says,
"When the water turns back into a liquid we call that condensation."
Ask the students, "At home you've seen condensation, can you tell me
where?" (answers will vary, on a glass, on a mirror, on the car in the
morning, etc.) Ask what form water is in at this point of the water cycle.
(liquid) Have the students hold up the flash card condensation and place
it next to the word evaporation on their work area.
Resume video. Pause when he says,
"Now that's called precipitation, that's a word you may have heard
before." Explain that first we learned about evaporation, second
about condensation, and now third precipitation. Ask what forms
precipitation may take ( answers may vary at this point in the video, liquid,
solid-sleet, snow, hail) Ask the students why this is called a cycle?
(write down their answers to compare with previous answers) Have the
students hold up the flash card precipitation and place it with the first two.
Resume video. Pause when he says,
"Then it flows to the sea to start the cycle all over again."
Ask what was the final stage of the water cycle? (collection) Have the
students hold up the word collection and place it near evaporation,
condensation, and precipitation. Have the students make and label a four
layered book with the four stages written, one on each layer beginning with
evaporation. ( See directions for a layer book at the end of this lesson.)
Resume video. Pause when
"Nifty Equipment" appears on the screen. Ask students what forms
precipitation might be in, according to what they just heard on the video. (dew,
frost, snow, rain)
Fast Forward when Bill Nye is talking to Jackie Smazz
again.. Resume video. Pause when Bill says,
"These are going so fast that some of them are flying off to form
what?" Explain that water is made of molecules. Define that
molecules are small particles. As these molecules heat up what happens?
(they move faster) What heats these molecules up? ( the sun) What is
Bill Nye demonstrating? ( the water cycle)
Resume video. Pause when Bill Nye
says, "So you can think of this penguin toy as sort of a model for the
water cycle." Review the steps in the water cycle. Ask how the
toy will be a model. Have students illustrate their own model of the water
cycle on a separate piece of paper.
Resume video. Pause when Bill Nye
says, "Water vapor needs a place to stick in order for condensation to
happen." What has to happen to the temperature of water vapor for
condensation to happen? (it has to cool down) The molecules slow
down and are not moving as quickly. If clouds are an example of
condensation, and water vapor needs something to stick to, what are the
molecules sticking to? ( answers will vary, dust) Lets watch to
check our
prediction.
Resume video. Stop video when "Big
Glass Jug Cloud Apparatus of Science" appears. Instead of watching the
experiment, perform a similar experiment to the one that Bill Nye is about
to perform with out the pressure. The class can be set up in groups or it
can be a teacher demonstration. Carefully fill a jar with hot water.
Pour out all but 5 cm of the hot water. Place several ice cubes at the
mouth of the jar. Shine a flash light on the jar. Ask the students
"What is happening?" Perform the experiment again, this time
striking a match and placing it in the jar before placing the ice cubes on top.
Ask again, "What is happening?" (a cloud is forming) When water
vapor has something to stick to in cool air it forms a cloud.
Fast forward through the experiment. Resume
video when Bill is with Jackie.
Pause when Bill Nye says, "Way Cool
Scientist". Review what B.U. and Jackie discussed concerning the
experience. Fast forward video to when Bill Nye is in a raincoat. Resume
video. Pause when he says, ".. and this is rain, isn't it
great?" Ask what happens to cause precipitation? (evaporation,
condensation- the water droplets become too big and fall back to earth as rain)
Ask what forms of precipitation did Bill Nye mention? (rain, snow, sleet,
hail)
Fast forward after Jackie says, "Should we take a
break here?" Resume when Bill and Jackie are talking again. Pause
after Jackie asks, "What can I do to keep the water cleaner?"
Ask the students why this is important. (because all living things depend
on the water cycle)
Resume video. Pause after the fifth thing
is listed. On a chart list the five things. (don't use storm drains to
dispose of water, don't waste water, ride a bike, conserve electricity, clean a
beach) Have students place the flash cards that say water cycle,
evaporation, condensation, precipitation, and collection in front of them.
As they listen to the next part of the video instruct them to hold up the flash
card when they hear the singer mention that word.
Resume video. Stop when Bill Nye says,
"Peace, I'm out of here."
POST VIEWING ACTIVITIES
After watching the video, ask the students what they learned
about the water cycle from the video. Write their responses on a chart.
In the layer book the students labeled evaporation,
condensation, precipitation, and collection, have them write a description of
each stage and illustrate it.
Have students create motions to illustrate the water cycle in
groups of four to present to the class. The motions should include all
four stages; evaporation, condensation, precipitation, and collection.
Have students create a mini water cycle using quart size
zip-lock baggies, bathroom size clear Solo cups-3.5 oz, and masking tape.
Pass out the above mentioned materials to each student or group of students.
Have the student measure approximately 2 ounces of water in the cup and mark the
water line. Tape the cup to the inside of the baggie to prevent spilling.
Close the baggie tightly and tape it in a warm place, tilted on an angle like a
diamond. Have students keep a journal for four days describing what is
happening in the bag. After the fourth day, measure the amount of water
remaining in the cup, if water is in the baggie and not in the cup pour this
into the cup and measure again.
Refer back to the experiment done during the video.
Have each group create a mini science board labeling each part of the
experiment. They may need to do it again to be sure to have each part.
Make a rain gauge using empty 2 liter plastic bottle.
Remove the top third of the plastic bottle, then invert the top inside the
bottom forming a funnel. Use a permanent marker to make a desired scale on the
side of the bottle. Drive a wooden stake into level ground in an open
area. Set the bottle beside the stake, then use large rubber bands
to secure the bottle to the stake.
Graph the amount of water in the rain gauge.
ACTION PLAN
Have the students create posters using the five ways that people
can help to keep the water clean and why it is important to do so. Post
them around the school.
Participate in a beach clean up.
EXTENSIONS
Language Arts
Write a poem about the water cycle or precipitation.
Science/Math
Invite a meteorologist to come speak to the class about the
importance of the water cycle and how it effects the weather.
Layer Book
Place two pieces on top of each other with the top one about an
inch down form the bottom one. Fold the papers so that it creates four
layers as shown in teh diagram. Glue the inside sheet to the top sheet by
placing glue in the fold and holding it down.
Finished Product
