Water Cycle
TEKS Objective
The student is expected to explore the processes in the water cycle, including evaporation, condensation, and precipitation, as connected to weather conditions.
Essential Understanding
The student knows that there are recognizable patterns in the natural world and among objects in the sky.
Science Background
Water Cycle: US Geological Survey (website) - The water cycle, also known as the hydrologic cycle, describes the continuous movement of water on, above and below Earth’s surface. Learn much more with the informative content and links here.
Water Cycle
US Geological Survey, Georgia Water Science for Schools, water.usgs.gov/edu
Round and Round it Goes: Environmental Education for Kids (website) - Detailed information about different parts of the water cycle, including transpiration, water vapor and groundwater.
Round and Round it Goes
Environmental Education for Kids, www.dnr.state.wi.us/org/caer/ce/eek
Signature Lesson
Making a Water Cycle: BioEd Online (Website and video) - Students build a simple model of the water cycle using a shoebox, with which they observe and explore the processes of the water cycle.
Making a Water Cycle
BioEd Online, www.bioedonline.org
Create a Lasting Water Cycle - Watch the Related Video
BioEd Online, www.bioedonline.org
- Supporting Lessons
- Extensions
- Assessment Ideas
- Literature Connections
- Related
TEKS - Additional Resources
Supporting Lessons
Rain, Rain, Go Away: Environmental Protection Agency (PDF) - Students learn the steps in the water cycle, the three forms of water (solid, liquid, gas), and that the water cycle is a never-ending process.
Rain, Rain, Go Away
Environmental Protection Agency, www.epa.gov
Water Goes Up and Down: Environmental Protection Agency (PDF) - Learn the definitions of “vapor,” “evaporation” and “water cycle,” and use role-playing to act out the stages in the water cycle.
Water Goes Up and Down
Environmental Protection Agency, www.epa.gov
Make a Water Cycle Wristband: American Chemical Society (PDF) - Students make wristbands from colored beads that represent each stage of the water cycle.
Make a Water Cycle Wristband
American Chemical Society, portal.acs.org
Elaboration Lessons and Extensions
Water Explorations: BioEd Online (website) - Download this student mini-magazine about water and its importance.
Water Explorations
BioEd Online, www.bioedonline.org
The Water Cycle: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administratrion (PDF) - Dice game in which students learn about the water cycle through role playing and identify the states of water in different phases of the cycle. Includes teacher background and assessment.
The Water Cycle
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administratrion, www.noaa.gov
Water Planet Game: FOSSWEB (website) - Students explore the water cycle through an interactive online computer game and accompanying worksheet. The online game is available at the link below.
Water Planet Game
FOSSWEB, www.fossweb.com
Water Planet Worksheet: FOSSWEB (website) - Student worksheet to accompany the “Water Planet” game.
Assessment Ideas
Water Cycle Assessment: Second Grade Locker Room.com (website) - Students make water cycle posters and write about what they have learned. (Scroll to middle of the page for assessment activity description.)
Water Cycle Assessment
Second Grade Locker Room, www.secondgradelockerroom.com
Literature Connections
Mystery of the Muddled Marsh. Tharp, B; Dresden, J.; Moreno, N (ISBN: 978-1-888997-65-1). Download as a PDF from K8 Science. http://www.k8science.org/resources/files/Water_BK_s.pdf
Magic School Bus Wet All Over. Cole, Joanna (ISBN: 0590508334)
Clouds. Saunders Smith, Gail (ISBN: 1560657774)
The Cloud Book. De Paola, Tomie (ISBN: 0823405311)
Liquid to Gas and Back. Patten, J.M. (ISBN: 1559161299)
Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs. Barrett, Judi (ISBN: 0689707495)
What Do You See in a Cloud? Fowler, Allan (ISBN: 0516202227)
Drip! Drop! How Water Gets to Your Tap. Seuling, Barbara (ISBN: 0-823-414 59-0)
A Drop Around the World. Shaw-McKinney, Barbara (ISBN: 1-883-22072-6)
Water. Flanagan, Alice (ISBN: 0-7565-0038-9)
Water. Ditchfield, Christin; Jenner, Jan; and Vargus, Nanci R. (ISBN: 0-516-29369-9)
Water, Water Everywhere. Rauzon, Mark J. and Overbeck-Bix, Cynthia (ISBN: 0-871-56383-5)
Bringing the Rain to Kapiti Plain. Aardema, Verna (ISBN: 0-140-54616-2)
Water Dance. Locker, Thomas (ISBN: 0-152-16396-4)
The Water Cycle. Frost, Helen (ISBN: 0-7368-2314-X)
Additional Resources
The Water Cycle: McGraw-Hill Education (website) - Short interactive video about the water cycle, with a game at the end.
The Water Cycle
McGraw-Hill Education, www.mhschool.com
Follow a Drop through the Water Cycle: US Geological Survey (website) - Students learn the water cycle by envisioning a drop of water as it moves from place to place, and through different states of matter.
Water Cycle: Exploring Earth (website) - Students observe a raindrop traveling through various points of the water cycle in this interactive animation.
Water Cycle
Exploring Earth, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company, www.classzone.com
TEKS Navigation
Grade 2
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