Overview:

Water is life. Without water nothing exists. This has become very apparent to me while studying ancient civilizations, explorations, and most recently, life in southwest Kansas. Everyone depends upon the water cycle of evaporation, condensation and precipitation. This lesson will address what the water cycle is, how it affects us, and how to create a model in the classroom.

 

Grade Level:

Grades 4-6

 

Time Needed:

45 minutes

 

Geographic Themes:

Location, Region

 

Kansas Social Studies Standard for Benchmarks, Grades 8-K:

The student will understand the connections among people, places, and environments in the local school and community, Kansas, the United States, and different nations of the world.

 

National Geography Standards, Grades 5-8:

#7	The physical processes that shape the Earth's surface.
#8	The characteristics and spatial distribution of ecosystems on the Earth's surface.
#15	How physical systems affect human systems.
#16	The changes that occur in the meaning, use, distribution, and importance of resources.

Outcome:

The student will understand the three main components of the water cycle.

 

Performance Objective:

The student will be able to name the three components of the water cycle, briefly explain what happens during each, and construct a model of the water cycle in action.

 

Vocabulary (see Glossary):

precipitation, condensation, evaporation (evapo-transpiration), and heat energy

 

Materials Needed:

• Hot plate
• Tea kettle
• Water
• Metal ice tray with ice
• Pot holder
• Access to water records that are available through local USDA offices and Extension offices, local weather reporter, weather bureau, etc.
• Nalbandian, M. (1983). Understanding weather and climate. Society for Visual Education. (filmstrips with tapes)

 

Procedures:

Display a diagram of the water cycle. Discuss that it is continuous. It has no beginning or end. It is affected by wind, pressure, relative humidity and temperature, but it never stops. It is made up of three components: evapo-transpiration, condensation, and precipitation. Discuss what each is and that each component enables the other two to occur. Discuss the importance and significance of each component. Point out that the rate of evapo-transpiration, condensation, and precipitation may be affected by the geographic location and by climatic conditions, etc.

 

Alter the discussion, build a model of the water cycle - boil water in a tea kettle. Explain that the steam coming from the kettle is evaporation - changing a liquid to a gas by using heat energy. Hold the ice tray with ice cubes in it over the steam. The coolness of the ice will cause the steam to condense - vapor changing to liquid by removing the heat energy. After a short time, enough water will collect on the bottom of the ice tray that the tray will not be able to hold it all, and it will begin to drip off. This is precipitation - moisture in the form of rain, sleet, snow, and hail that falls to earth. Farmers are now happy.

 

Assessment:

Ask students to compose responses to the following:

Name the three components of the water cycle. Explain what happens during each component. Draw a picture illustrating how the water cycle operates.

Check student responses for accuracy.

 

Extensions:

Research rates of precipitation and evaporation throughout the state of Kansas (i.e., southwest Kansas has a precipitation rate of about 15-20 inches).

 

Locate practical applications of evaporation, condensation and precipitation (i.e., evaporation: clothes drying, plants needing watered; condensation: water forming on a glass of iced tea, blowing breath on a cold window; precipitation: drops of water coming from the outside of a cold-water pipe, the ring of water left on a coffee table after a class of cold drink has been removed).

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Fort Hays State University | Kansas State University

e-mail: pphillip@fhsu.edu

irc staff 11/13/97 (updated kn 06/18/99) Disclaimer