The Water Cycle and Earth Materials
STEM CURRICULUM PLANNING UNIT_DRAFT 2
HASKINS, KIM
Water Cycle and Earth Materials
During this unit of study, students will learn about the water cycle and how water
interacts with earth materials (erosion, etc.). A close reading exercise is also
included in this unit. The unit concludes with students writing an article about the
water cycle.
STEM CURRICULUM PLANNING UNIT_DRAFT 2
HASKINS, KIM
Next Generation Science Content Standards
ESS2.C: The Roles of Water in Earth's Surface Processes
 Water continually cycles among land, ocean, and atmosphere via transpiration,
evaporation, condensation and crystallization, and precipitation, as well as
downhill flows on land. (MS-ESS2-4)
 The complex patterns of the changes and the movement of water in the
atmosphere, determined by winds, landforms, and ocean temperatures and
currents, are major determinants of local weather patterns. (MS-ESS2-5)
 Global movements of water and its changes in form are propelled by sunlight and
gravity. (MS-ESS2-4)
 Variations in density due to variations in temperature and salinity drive a global
pattern of interconnected ocean currents. (MS-ESS2-6)
 Water’s movements—both on the land and underground—cause weathering and
erosion, which change the land’s surface features and create underground
formations. (MS-ESS2-2)
Reading Content Standards
Informational
RI. 5.3
 Students will explain the relationships or interactions between two or more
individuals, events, ideas, or concepts in a historical, scientific, or technical text
based on specific information in the text.
RI.5.4
 Determine the meaning of general academic and domain-specific words and
phrases in a text relevant to a grade 5 topic or subject area.
RI.5.8
 Students will explain how an author uses reasons and evidence to support
particular points in a text, identifying which reasons and evidence support which
point(s).
RI.5.9
 Students will integrate information from several texts on the same topic in order
to write or speak about the subject knowledgeably.
Literature
RL.5.1
 Students will quote accurately from a text when explaining what the text says
explicitly and when drawing inferences from the text.
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Writing Content Standards
W.5.2
 Students will write informative/explanatory texts to examine a topic and convey
ideas and information clearly.
W.5.2.A
 Students will introduce a topic clearly, provide a general observation and focus,
and group related information logically; include formatting (e.g., headings),
illustrations, and multimedia when useful to aiding comprehension.
W.5.2.B
 Students will develop the topic with facts, definitions, concrete details, quotations,
or other information and examples related to the topic.
W.5.2.C
 Students will link ideas within and across categories of information using words,
phrases, and clauses (e.g., in contrast, especially).
W.5.2.D
 Students will use precise language and domain-specific vocabulary to inform
about or explain the topic.
W.5.2.E
 Students will provide a concluding statement or section related to the information
or explanation presented.
STEM CURRICULUM PLANNING UNIT_DRAFT 2
HASKINS, KIM
Science Day 1
Resources/Materials:
Smartboard
Brainpop video
Content Objective (s): I can describe the process of the water cycle.
Language objective (s): I can use sequence words to describe the water cycle.
Important Questions: (Teacher will display questions on chart paper and post on/near
Science Word Wall. Upon the completion of each lesson teacher will post studentdeveloped answers for each question.)
o Where can you find water? ¿Dónde se puede encontrar agua ?
o Where does it come from? ¿De dónde viene eso?
o How does the water cycle work? ¿Cómo funciona el ciclo del agua ?
Lesson Activity: Introduction
This lesson will serve as an introduction to the new unit.
1. Spend time recalling prior knowledge with the class using a KWL chart to find out
what students know about the water cycle and the interactions with earth materials.
2. Students will view the Brainpop video “Water Cycle”. At the end of the video, take
the ‘graded quiz’ as a class using the Smart Board, discussing each question as a
class.
3. Teacher will introduce Word Wall Words for the unit in English and Spanish.
Students will complete a KWL chart for the terms.
Daily Formative Assessment:
Video quiz
After the quiz discussion, students will turn to a neighbor and use sequence words to
describe the water cycle.
Reading Day 1
The following Reading lessons accompany the close reading lessons, Water Cycle Close
Reading 3rd-6th Grade-CCSS Aligned , found on the following website:
https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Water-Cycle-Close-Reading-3rd-6th-GradeCCSS-Aligned-1798608
Resources/Materials:
Close Reading Passage: Water Cycle (Lexile Level 1070)
Main Idea, Key Words, and Summary graphic organizer
The Water Cycle by Craig Hammersmith
Word Wall
Lesson Objective (s): I can determine the meaning of general academic and domainSTEM CURRICULUM PLANNING UNIT_DRAFT 2
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specific words and phrases in a text relevant to a grade 5 topic or subject area.
Important Questions:
o What strategies are important to use when reading difficult text? ¿Qué estrategias
son importantes para utilizar al leer el texto difícil?
o How can graphic organizers help with reading comprehension? ¿Cómo pueden los
organizadores gráficos ayudar con la comprensión de lectura ?
Lesson Activity:
1. Read The Water Cycle by Craig Hammersmith aloud each day to students. While
reading, allow students to ask questions and make connections from prior
knowledge. Teacher will model highlighting strategy by selecting (using highlight
tape) words that are important to the text. Teacher and students will discuss why
these words are important to the text.
2. Provide students with Close Reading Passage: Water Cycle. Students will read
the passage and highlight words they feel are important to the passage.
3. Have students complete the graphic organizer: Main Idea, Key Words and
Summary (English Language Learners will work with more proficient language
users)
4. Students will share their completed organizer with a partner for feedback.
Daily Formative Assessment:
Completion of the Main Idea, Key Words and Summary graphic organizer
‘Flashlight Word’ Word Wall Activity- Start off the game by turning off the lights and
pointing the flashlight at a particular word on the Word Wall. The teacher calls on a
student to read and define the word. When the child has read (in English and Spanish)
and defined the word, it is their turn to shine the flashlight on a word and call on another
student to read or define. Teacher will determine, during the game, where content
vocabulary deficits exists among the students.
Science Day 2
Resources/Materials:
Boiling water
Small glass dish
Ice cubes
Large glass dish
Salt
Plastic wrap
Interactive Notebooks
Word Wall
Content Objective (s): I can describe the process of the water cycle. I can understand
that the earth’s water supply is constantly cycled from the ocean to the atmosphere.
Language objective (s): I can explain the results of my experiment orally to the class,
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using scientific language.” The following sentence frames will be posted for students to
reference as they explain their results: Our hypothesis was________. Our results
showed ______. Our conclusion was _____.
Important Questions: (Teacher will display questions on chart paper and post on/near
Science Word Wall. Upon the completion of each lesson teacher will post studentdeveloped answers for each question.)
o Is water a solid, liquid, or a gas? ¿Es el agua un sólido , líquido o un gas ?
o Where can you find water? ¿Dónde se puede encontrar agua ? Where does it come
from? ¿De dónde viene eso?
o Is ice a solid, liquid, or a gas? ¿Es el hielo un sólido , líquido o un gas ?
Lesson Activity: The Hydrologic Cycle
1. Introduce the water cycle song and sing it a few times with the class.
2. Ask ‘Important Questions’ to activate prior knowledge.
3. Present and discuss vocabulary terms, students will record terms in their notebook.
4. Play the following video without sound: https://youtu.be/jaPvDvO2nUc.
5. Allow students to work in groups to recreate the video experiment. Students will
present their experiment to the class by verbally explaining what they believe
happened. (English language learners will be placed in groups with proficient
language learners.)
6. Using student handouts, replay the video with sound, explaining each of the steps
and highlighting the parts that each group correctly stated
7. Teacher will introduce a Generative Vocabulary Matrix Bulletin Board with the
categories: Everyday Science Words, Academic Words that shows relationships,
and New Domain Specific Content Vocabulary. Students are provided with sticky
notes and are instructed to add words to the matrix categories as appropriate.
Students will recreate the Bulletin Board in their Interactive Notebook, as words are
added to the Board, students will also add to their notebooks.
Daily Formative Assessment:
Students will complete a journal entry in their interactive notebooks, they will cut out and
paste the handout from today’s activity and write captions, using Word Wall words,
explaining each step of the water cycle.
Students will add words to the GVM bulletin board and their notebooks.
Teacher will begin collecting Anecdotal notes on students’ use of new domain specific
content vocabulary to monitor growth throughout the unit.
Reading Day 2
Resources/Materials:
Close Reading Passage: Water Cycle (Lexile Level 1070)
Vocabulary graphic organizer
The Water Cycle by Craig Hammersmith
STEM CURRICULUM PLANNING UNIT_DRAFT 2
HASKINS, KIM
Word Wall/ GVM
Lesson Objective (s):
I can determine the meaning of general academic and domain-specific words and
phrases in a text relevant to a grade 5 topic or subject area.
Important Questions:
o What strategies are important to use when reading difficult text? ¿Qué estrategias
son importantes para utilizar al leer el texto difícil?
o How can graphic organizers help with reading comprehension? ¿Cómo pueden los
organizadores gráficos ayudar con la comprensión de lectura ?
Lesson Activity:
1. Read The Water Cycle by Craig Hammersmith aloud each day to students. While
reading, allow students to ask questions and make connections from prior
knowledge.
2. Provide students with Close Reading Passage: Water Cycle. Students will read
the passage and highlight words they feel are important to the passage.
3. Have students complete the graphic organizer: Vocabulary
4. Students will share their completed organizer with a partner for feedback.
Daily Formative Assessment:
Completion of the Vocabulary graphic organizer
‘Guess My Word’ Word Wall Activity-Teacher gives clues about each word. This activity can be
done in a couple of ways. The teacher asks the students to number their paper from 1 to 10 in
their notebooks and gives clues about the word. The student then writes down what they believe
the word is. The other method is to do the activity orally and let a student point to the word on
the word wall.
Science Days 3 & 4
Resources/Materials:
Poster board for each group
Markers
Word Wall/ GVM
Content Objective (s): I can describe the process of the water cycle. I can understand
that the earth’s water supply is constantly cycled from the ocean to the atmosphere.
Language objective (s): I can distinguish between the vocabulary words condensation
and precipitation and explain their role in the Hydrologic Cycle.
Important Questions: (Teacher will display questions on chart paper and post on/near
Science Word Wall. Upon the completion of each lesson teacher will post studentSTEM CURRICULUM PLANNING UNIT_DRAFT 2
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developed answers for each question.)
o Where can you find water? ¿Dónde se puede encontrar agua ? Where does it
come from? ¿De dónde viene eso?
o How does the water cycle work? ¿Cómo funciona el ciclo del agua ?
o What are the parts of the water cycle? ¿Cuáles son las partes del ciclo del agua?
Lesson Activity: The Hydrologic Cycle
1. Sing the water cycle song.
2. Review what was discussed the previous day about the water cycle, vocab, etc.
3. Students then will be placed into five groups. English Learners will be placed in
groups with proficient language users. Each group will be given one of the
processes of the water cycle. They are to illustrate the process on poster board and
write a description of their process. Encourage groups to use academic language
and content vocabulary to label their drawings and in their written responses.
Sample Groups: condensation, precipitation, evaporation, infiltration and
transpiration.
4. Students will present their posters the following day. Posters will be displayed in the
building (library, cafeteria, science lab) and featured on school’s website.
5. Students will add to GVM (Bulletin Board and Notebooks) as appropriate.
Daily Formative Assessment:
Exit Slip- Explain the difference between the following vocabulary words: condensation
and precipitation.
Teacher will collect Anecdotal notes on students’ use of new domain specific content
vocabulary during poster presentations to monitor growth throughout the unit.
Reading Day 3
Resources/Materials:
Close Reading Passage: Water Cycle (Lexile Level 1070)
Text Evidence graphic organizer
The Water Cycle by Craig Hammersmith
Word Wall/ GVM
Lesson Objective (s): I can explain how an author uses reasons and evidence to
support particular points in a text, identifying which reasons and evidence support which
point(s). I can determine the meaning of general academic and domain-specific words
and phrases in a text relevant to a grade 5 topic or subject area.
Important Questions:
o What strategies are important to use when reading difficult text? ¿Qué estrategias
son importantes para utilizar al leer el texto difícil?
o How can graphic organizers help with reading comprehension? ¿Cómo pueden los
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organizadores gráficos ayudar con la comprensión de lectura ?
Lesson Activity:
1. Read The Water Cycle by Craig Hammersmith aloud each day to students. While
reading, allow students to ask questions and make connections from prior
knowledge.
2. Provide students with Close Reading Passage: Water Cycle. Students will read the
passage and highlight words they feel are important to the passage.
3. Have students complete the graphic organizer: Text Evidence
4. Students will share their completed organizer with a partner for feedback.
Daily Formative Assessment:
Completion of the Text Evidence graphic organizer
‘Peer Test’ Word Wall Activity- Students take turns testing each other on the meaning of
each of the words on the Word Wall.
Reading Day 4
Resources/Materials:
Close Reading Passage: Water Cycle (Lexile Level 1070)
Comparing Text graphic organizer
The Water Cycle by Craig Hammersmith
Word Wall/ GVM
Lesson Objective (s): I can explain, using precise language, the relationships or
interactions between two or more individuals, events, ideas, or concepts in a historical,
scientific, or technical text based on specific information in the text. I can integrate
information from several texts on the same topic in order to write or speak about the
subject knowledgeably.
Important Questions:
o What strategies are important to use when reading difficult text? ¿Qué estrategias
son importantes para utilizar al leer el texto difícil?
o How can graphic organizers help with reading comprehension? ¿Cómo pueden los
organizadores gráficos ayudar con la comprensión de lectura ?
Lesson Activity:
1. Read The Water Cycle by Craig Hammersmith aloud each day to students. While
reading, allow students to ask questions and make connections from prior
knowledge.
2. Provide students with Close Reading Passage: Water Cycle. Students will read the
passage and highlight words they feel are important to the passage.
3. Allow students to preview graphic organizer: Comparing Text. Pair English Learners
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with proficient language users. Ask pairs of students to verbally discuss how they
would complete the organizer.
4. Students will independently complete the graphic organizer: Comparing Text
5. Students will share their completed organizer with their partner for feedback.
Daily Formative Assessment:
Completion of the Comparing Text graphic organizer; partner discussion
‘Cartoon Caption’ Word Wall Activity- Give students a collection of comics from the
Sunday paper and have them each choose a strip. Tell them to cut the strip apart and
glue three of the individual panels in sequence on a piece of paper. Then have the
students write new captions under each of the panels or in the speech bubbles, using
words from the word wall to create a story. Have students share their cartoon captions
with the class.
Science Days 5-8
Resources/Materials:
Stream table
Nylon netting pieces
Small river rocks
Popsicle sticks
Small model pine trees
Watering can
Labels on sticks
Interactive notebook
Word Wall/ GVM
Content/Language Objective (s): I can explain, using domain specific vocabulary,
interactions of water with Earth materials and the results of those interactions.
Important Questions: (Teacher will display questions on chart paper and post on/near
Science Word Wall. Upon the completion of each lesson teacher will post studentdeveloped answers for each question.)
o What happens to creeks, streams, and rivers after a heavy downpour of rain?
¿Qué sucede con riachuelos , arroyos y ríos después de un fuerte aguacero ?
o What do you think are some of the effects of flooding? ¿Qué crees que son
algunos de los efectos de las inundaciones ?
o How did flooding affect erosion and deposition in your stream table? ¿Cómo
afectan las inundaciones erosión y deposición de la tabla corriente ?
o What was observed at the bends of the streams for erosion and deposition?
(Erosion on the outside curve, deposition on the inside curve) Lo que se observó
en las curvas de las corrientes de la erosión y la deposición ?
o What was observed where the stream hit the lake or ocean? (Deltas or alluvial
fans) Lo que se observó en el torrente golpeó el lago o el océano ?
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o How does the riverbed change as it travels over steeper and flatter terrain? (Digs
deeper and stays straight on steep ground, meanders over flatter terrain) ¿Cómo
cambia el cauce del río a medida que viaja por un terreno empinado y más
plano?
o Talk about the health of watersheds, bringing in the ethics of land use. Hable
acerca de la salud de las cuencas hidrográficas , con lo que en la ética del uso
de la tierra .
o What is the relationship between the angle of the mountain, rainfall, and
landslides? ¿Cuál es la relación entre el ángulo de la montaña, la lluvia y los
deslizamientos de tierra ?
o How does slope effect erosion? (Steeper slopes have increased erosion) ¿Cómo
afecta la pendiente de la erosión ?
Lesson Activity: Erosion Investigations
Sub-activities
Streams as part of the water cycle
1. Introduce the rules of the stream table. For example, no water or sand
outside the table, no splashing, washing hands before and after use, and
keeping sand away from the outlet.
2. Show students how the stream table works. Include modeling a
landscape, turning on the water, and observing the movement of sand
particles at the edges of the streams.
3. Allow students to experiment with the stream table and various landforms,
stream configurations, and water flows.
4. Discuss as a group or in writing what was observed and what other trials
could be explored with the stream table.
Healthy watersheds demonstration
1. Give the students information about watersheds and how they operate.
2. Create two hills in the sand with a valley in between that could have a
stream. Turn the water off for this demonstration.
3. Sprinkle the hills with water to show that the runoff goes into the stream.
This illustrates that the watershed is the land that collects the water from
rainfall, with the stream being the overflow. Also observe the amount of
soil that runs off the hills during the rainfall.
4. Reshape the hills if necessary. Place a piece of netting over one hill. The
netting illustrates roots or grass on the hill. Sprinkle with water. Observe
the decrease in soil runoff when roots help to hold the soil in place.
5. Reshape the hills if necessary. Place small model pine trees on the hill.
These can be on top of the netting or separate. Sprinkle with water.
Observe the decrease in soil runoff when trees slow the fall of water to the
soil.
6. Reshape the hills if necessary. Remove the trees to simulate a fire or clear
cutting situation. Sprinkle with water. Observe the increase in soil runoff
when trees have been removed.
7. Reshape the hills if necessary. Place popsicle sticks along the contours of
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the hill to simulate reclamation work on the hills after a fire. (Fire crews
place tubes stuffed with straw along the contour lines to slow the flow of
water and soil runoff after a fire.) Sprinkle with water. Observe the
decrease in soil runoff when reclamation work is done.
8. Demonstrate other variations of watershed/land management as desired.
9. Discuss what was observed in terms of watershed management and
health, including the ethics, politics, and values of management decisions.
10. Discuss the use of models, how they can be great visualizations of
systems, and how they can exaggerate or under-represent portions of a
system.
11. Point out or ask about the size of watersheds - that they can be very large
(for example, all of the land over which the Mississippi River and its
outflow flow)
Aquifer demonstration
1. Dig into the sand. Water from the ground water will fill the hole to the level
of water in the lake. This illustrates that water is underground within the
pores of the rock/soil and not in an underground lake.
2. Discuss how the water moves through the pores of sand to fill up the hole
through capillary action and gravity.
Mass wasting inquiry
1. Have groups of students use the stream table to explore mass wasting by
creating a mountain and then sprinkling water and observing the
landslides.
Ideas:
* Create mountains of different heights.
* Sprinkle water for different amounts of time.
* Time the sprinkling process from start to slide.
* Measure the extent of landslide compared to height or rainfall.
Daily Formative Assessment:
For each day 6-9, students will respond in their interactive notebooks to the sub-activity
of the day. Students will discuss what they liked about the investigation, what they
learned and what questions they still have and would like to explore more about.
Students are required to include vocabulary from the Word Wall in their response.
Students will complete their KWL chart from Day 1 of the unit. Students will share
questions they still have with the content as well as insights they’ve developed
throughout the unit.
Teacher will collect Anecdotal notes on students’ use of new domain-specific content
vocabulary during activities to monitor growth throughout the unit.
Writing Day 9
Resources/Materials:
STEM CURRICULUM PLANNING UNIT_DRAFT 2
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Chart Paper/markers
Informative Writing Graphic Organizer
Word Wall/GVM
Mentor text: Weather: The Water Cycle
Lesson Objective (s): I can write informative/explanatory texts to examine a topic and
convey ideas and information clearly. I can introduce a topic clearly, provide a general
observation and focus, and group related information logically; include formatting (e.g.,
headings), illustrations, and multimedia when useful to aiding comprehension. I can
develop the topic with facts, definitions, concrete details, quotations, or other
information and examples related to the topic. I can link ideas within and across
categories of information using words, phrases, and clauses (e.g., in contrast,
especially).
Language Objective: I can use precise language and domain-specific vocabulary
(Word Wall) to inform about or explain the topic.
Lesson Activity:
1. Provide each student a copy of the mentor text. Together, develop an anchor
chart of the characteristics of an article. Students will highlight those
characteristics on their copy of the mentor text. Students will also discuss the
presence of academic language within the article. In a different color, students
will highlight academic language including phrases, clauses, etc. that make the
text more scholarly. Teacher will create sentence frames from that discussion
and post on the board for students to reference throughout their writing.
2. Students will organize their thoughts into the Informative Writing Graphic
Organizer.
3. Students will be placed with a peer conferencing partner to share and receive
feedback on their ideas throughout the writing process. English learners will be
partnered with proficient language users.
4. Students will conference with teacher throughout to edit and revise their article.
5. Students will identify several domain specific words to include in their article. A
chart will be developed and displayed of potential content vocabulary terms to
use as well as other academic vocabulary. Included on the chart will be possible
phrases and clauses that students may consider using as they write in addition to
the sentence frames from earlier in the lesson.
Daily Formative Assessment:
Conference form
Students ability to find academic language in the mentor text.
Writing Day 10
Resources/Materials:
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Writer’s Notebook
Word Wall/ GVM
Mentor text: Weather: The Water Cycle
Lesson Objective (s): I can write informative/explanatory texts to examine a topic and
convey ideas and information clearly. I can introduce a topic clearly, provide a general
observation and focus, and group related information logically; include formatting (e.g.,
headings), illustrations, and multimedia when useful to aiding comprehension. I can
develop the topic with facts, definitions, concrete details, quotations, or other
information and examples related to the topic. I can link ideas within and across
categories of information using words, phrases, and clauses (e.g., in contrast,
especially).
Language Objective: I can use precise language and domain-specific vocabulary
(Word Wall) to inform about or explain the topic.
Lesson Activity:
1. Students will introduce their topic and draft their opening paragraph
2. Students will share and receive feedback with peer conferencing partner
3. Students will conference with teacher
4. Students will identify their use of precise language and domain-specific vocabulary
during peer and teacher conferences and edit as appropriate.
Daily Formative Assessment:
Conference form
Writing Days 11-12
Resources/Materials:
Writer’s Notebook
Word Wall/ GVM
Mentor text: Weather: The Water Cycle
Lesson Objective (s): I can write informative/explanatory texts to examine a topic and
convey ideas and information clearly. I can develop the topic with facts, definitions,
concrete details, quotations, or other information and examples related to the topic. I
can link ideas within and across categories of information using words, phrases, and
clauses (e.g., in contrast, especially).
Language Objective: I can use precise language and domain-specific vocabulary
(Word Wall) to inform about or explain the topic.
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Lesson Activity:
1. Students will draft the remaining paragraphs in their article.
2. Students will share with peer conferencing partner
3. Students will conference with teacher
4. Students will identify their use of precise language and domain-specific vocabulary
during peer and teacher conferences and edit as appropriate.
Daily Formative Assessment:
Conference form
Use of precise language and domain-specific vocabulary
Writing Day 13
Resources/Materials:
Writer’s Notebook
Word Wall/ GVM
Mentor text: Weather: The Water Cycle
Lesson Objective (s): I can write informative/explanatory texts to examine a topic and
convey ideas and information clearly. I can develop the topic with facts, definitions,
concrete details, quotations, or other information and examples related to the topic. I
can link ideas within and across categories of information using words, phrases, and
clauses (e.g., in contrast, especially). I can provide a concluding statement or section
related to the information or explanation presented.
Language Objective: I can use precise language and domain-specific vocabulary
(Word Wall) to inform about or explain the topic.
Lesson Activity:
1. Students will draft a conclusion and share with peer conferencing partner
2. Students will select photographs to include in their final draft
3. Students will conference with teacher
4. Students will identify their use of precise language and domain-specific vocabulary
during peer and teacher conferences and edit as appropriate.
Daily Formative Assessment:
Conference form
Photos that enhance the content of text
Publish:
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Students will type their final draft and publish it on the class website. Parents will be
invited one evening after school to hear students share articles orally.
Sources:
Ellen DeBacker, Stream Table Uses for Exploring Water Erosion and Deposition
http://www.dpc.ucar.edu/projects/bvsd03/deBackerUnit2Act1.html
Teach to the Core, Water Cycle Close Reading 3-6, Teachers Pay Teachers
Vocabulary Word Definitions retrieved from: http://water.usgs.gov/edu/watercycle-kidsint.html
Word Wall Activities http://www5.esc13.net/thescoop/ell/files/2013/12/IWWHandouts.pdf
Writing Mentor Text- Weather: The Water Cycle
http://www.readworks.org/passages/weather-water-cycle
Images selected from Google Images
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Word Wall (English and Spanish)
acid (ácido)--a substance that has a pH of less than 7, which is neutral.
Specifically, an acid has more free hydrogen ions (H+) than hydroxyl ions (OH-).
aquifer (acuífero)--a geologic formation(s) that is water bearing. A geological
formation or structure that stores and/or transmits water, such as to wells and
springs. Use of the term is usually restricted to those water-bearing formations
capable of yielding water in sufficient quantity to constitute a usable supply for
people's uses.
condensation (condensación)--the process of water vapor in the air turning into
liquid water. Water drops on the outside of a cold glass of water are condensed
water. Condensation is the opposite process of evaporation.
droplet (gotita)--a tiny drop
evaporation (evaporación)--the process of liquid water becoming water vapor,
including vaporization from water surfaces, land surfaces, and snow fields, but not
from leaf surfaces.
evapotranspiration--the sum of evaporation and transpiration.
freshwater (agua dulce)--water that contains less than 1,000 milligrams per liter
(mg/L) of dissolved solids; generally, more than 500 mg/L of dissolved solids is
undesirable for drinking and many industrial uses.
glacier (glaciar)--a huge mass of ice, formed on land by the compaction and
recrystallization of snow, that moves very slowly downslope or outward due to its
own weight.
greywater (agua gris)--wastewater from clothes washing machines, showers,
bathtubs, hand washing, lavatories and sinks.
groundwater (las aguas subterráneas)-- water that flows or seeps downward
and saturates soil or rock, supplying springs and wells.
hydrologic cycle (ciclo hidrológico)--the cyclic transfer of water vapor from the
Earth's surface via evapotranspiration into the atmosphere, from the atmosphere
via precipitation back to earth, and through runoff into streams, rivers, and lakes,
and ultimately into the oceans.
precipitation (precipitación)--rain, snow, hail, sleet, dew, and frost.
STEM CURRICULUM PLANNING UNIT_DRAFT 2
HASKINS, KIM
runoff (huir)--an election to resolve a vote that did not produce a winner
transpiration (transpiración)--the emission of water vapor from the leaves of
plants
water cycle (El ciclo del agua)--the circuit of water movement from the oceans
to the atmosphere and to the Earth and return to the atmosphere through various
stages or processes such as precipitation, interception, runoff, infiltration,
percolation, storage, evaporation, and transportation.
watershed (cuenca)--the land area that drains water to a particular stream,
river, or lake. It is a land feature that can be identified by tracing a line along the
highest elevations between two areas on a map, often a ridge. Large watersheds,
like the Mississippi River basin contain thousands of smaller watersheds.
water vapor (vapor de agua)--water in a vaporous form diffused in the
atmosphere but below boiling temperature
STEM CURRICULUM PLANNING UNIT_DRAFT 2
HASKINS, KIM
STEM CURRICULUM PLANNING UNIT_DRAFT 2
HASKINS, KIM