Water Cycle

Topic: water cycle

Objectives & Outcomes

• Students will understand the water cycle and its steps.

Materials

• Clear container (such as a clear plastic bottle or clear glass jar)
• Ice cubes
• Water
• Food coloring (optional)

Warm-up

• Ask students if they have ever seen rain or snow before.
• Ask them where they think the water in rain and snow comes from.
• Discuss with students that the water in rain and snow comes from the Earth's surface (the ground and ocean) and is recycled through the water cycle.

Direct Instruction

• Show students a picture of the water cycle and discuss each stage of the cycle with them.
• Ask students to name each stage of the water cycle (condensation, precipitation, evaporation, and absorption).
• Discuss with students how the water cycle continues to cycle over and over again.

Guided Practice

• Have students work in pairs or small groups to complete the water cycle matching activity on the worksheets.
• Go over the answers as a class and discuss how each stage of the water cycle connects to the next.

Independent Practice

• Have students choose one stage of the water cycle to research in more detail.
• Students can use books and online resources (e.g., a web search or a science encyclopedia) to gather information about their chosen stage of the water cycle.
• Have students create a poster or presentation to share their findings with the class.

Closure

• Review the main points of the water cycle with the class.
• Ask students to share something they learned about the water cycle during the lesson.

Assessment

• Observe students during the guided and independent practice activities to assess their understanding of the concept.
• Collect and review their written work to assess their ability to demonstrate their understanding of the concept.