WATER CYCLE WEAR
Lesson One
Lesson One
Overview
When it rains, the rainwater runs off
into storm drains or flows directly into
rivers, streams, lakes, or oceans.
Some of the rainwater makes puddles
on sidewalks or on the ground. Some
of the water soaks into the ground to
become groundwater. After the rain
stops, the sun warms the water, turning
some of it into tiny, invisible drops of
water called vapor. The vapor rises into
the sky, condenses back into liquid,
and joins other water droplets to form
clouds. When the water droplets are
heavy enough they fall to the Earth as
rain, snow, ice, or hail. Then the
process repeats itself. We call this
continuous movement of water “the
water cycle.”
At the conclusion of this section, your
students should be able to
demonstrate the steps of the water
cycle and give an oral or written
definition of the water cycle,
evaporation, condensation,
precipitation and runoff.
Objectives
TEKS objectives that will be addressed
in this section include: Science 8.C
Completion Time
30 minutes
Materials
1. Pipe cleaner (long enough to fit
around a child’s wrist)
2. Two yellow beads
3. One white bead
4. One blue bead
5. One green bead
(Please make sure you have enough
beads for each child. The beads should
have a hole through the center of
them).
Setting the stage
1. Share background information about the water cycle.
2. Review the water cycle graphic on pages 4-5 of the student book.
ACTIVITY
1. Students will create a way to help them remember the water cycle by
creating a bracelet with colored beads that represent the steps of the
water cycle.
2. Pass out one section of pipe cleaner to each student.
3. Have the students begin by feeding one end of the pipe cleaner
through the hole in the yellow bead. What do you think the yellow bead
represents as related to the water cycle? (A: Sun). So, what is the first
step of the water cycle that we want to remember today? (A: Heat from
the sun causing evaporation).
4. Have the students feed the pipe cleaner through the hole in the white
bead. What do you think the white bead represents as related to the
water cycle? (A: Clouds). So, what is the second step of the water
cycle that we want to remember today? (A: The formation of clouds
otherwise known as condensation).
5. Next, have the students feed the pipe cleaner through the hole in the
blue bead. What do you think the blue bead represents as related to the
water cycle? (A: Precipitation). So, what is the third step of the water
cycle that we want to remember today? (A: Precipitation which can
be found in four forms-rain, snow, sleet, and hail).
6. Next, have the students feed the pipe cleaner through the hole in the
green bead. What do you think the green bead represents as related to
the water cycle? (A: The land). So, what is the fourth step of the water
cycle that we want to remember today? (A: Runoff and infiltration
into aquifers and accumulation into rivers, creeks, lakes, and
oceans).
7. Finally, have the students feed the pipe cleaner through the hole in
the second yellow bead. Why do we add another yellow bead? (A: This
represents the sun and shows that the water cycle begins all over
again). Discuss how the water cycle never stops and has been in
existence since the beginning of our planet.
Thank you to Christie Scott-educator with Judson ISD, San Antonio,
Texas for this activity
EXPLANATION
1.