Key Concepts in Science
THE WATER CYCLE
TEACHER GUIDE
© 2015 Sally Ride Science
THE WATER CYCLE: CONTENTS
Student handouts are at the back of the Teacher Guide.
Correlation to Standards ............................................................................................................................. 3-4
Sally Ride Science Teacher Guides ................................................................................................................ 5
The Water Cycle: About the Book ................................................................................................................... 6
Getting Started: In Your World .........................................................................................................................7
Preview The Water Cycle, read the introduction, and discuss key concepts.
Chapter 1: Water Planet .................................................................................................................................. 8
Model creating a personal science dictionary, read Chapter 1, and discuss key concepts in the chapter.
Students: Chapter 1 handout
Chapter 2: The Water Cycle .......................................................................................................................9-10
Model asking questions as you read, read Chapter 2, and discuss key concepts in the chapter.
Students: Chapter 2 handout
Thinking Like a Scientist ................................................................................................................................. 11
Read Thinking Like a Scientist and answer the questions about the shrinking Aral Sea.
Students: Thinking Like a Scientist handout
Science Writing ............................................................................................................................................... 12
Make a plan to restore the Aral Sea.
Students: Science Writing handout
Chapter 3: Follow That Water Molecule ........................................................................................................ 13
Model summarizing with a sequence chart, read Chapter 3, and create a sequence chart.
Students: Chapter 3 handout
Create a Comic Strip ....................................................................................................................................... 14
Make a comic strip about a water molecule’s adventures.
Students: Create a Comic Strip handout
How Do We Know?
> Read How Do We Know? ......................................................................................................................... 15
Read How Do We Know?, about hydrologist Hugo Loáiciga, and answer the questions.
Students: How Do We Know? handout
> Math Connection ...................................................................................................................................... 16
Make calculations about how much water a spring produces.
Students: Math Connection handout
Study Guide: Hey, I Know That! ...................................................................................................................... 17
Complete the study guide questions.
Students: Hey, I Know That! handout
© 2015 Sally Ride Science
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CORRELATION TO STANDARDS
Correlation to Science Standards
For information on alignment to state science standards and NGSS, visit
https://sallyridescience.com/learning-products/product-standards
Correlation to Common Core
Sally Ride Science’s Key Concepts and Cool Careers book series provide students with authentic literacy experiences
aligned to Common Core in the areas of Reading (informational text), Writing, Speaking and Listening, and Language
as outlined in Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts & Literacy in History/Social Studies,
Science, and Technical Subjects. The Water Cycle: Fantastic Feats of H2O and the accompanying activities align to
the following standards:
Reading Standards for Literacy in Science and Technical Subjects 6-12 (RST)
Grades 6-8
Key Ideas and Details
1. Cite specific textual evidence to support analysis of science and technical texts.
2. Determine the central ideas or conclusions of a text; provide an accurate summary of the text distinct from prior
knowledge or opinions.
Craft and Structure
4. Determine the meaning of symbols, key terms, and other domain-specific words and phrases as they are used in
a specific scientific or technical context relevant to grades 6-8 texts and topics.
Integration of Knowledge and Ideas
7. Integrate quantitative or technical information expressed in words in a text with a version of that information
expressed visually (e.g., in a flowchart, diagram, model, graph, or table).
Range of Reading and Level of Text Complexity
10.By the end of grade 8, read and comprehend science/technical texts in the grades 6-8 text complexity band
independently and proficiently.
Writing Standards for Literacy in History/Social Studies, Science, and Technical Subjects 6-12 (WHST)
Grades 6-8
Text Types and Purposes
1. Write arguments focused on discipline-specific content. a.-e.
2. Write informative/explanatory texts, including the narration of historical events, scientific procedures/
experiments, or technical processes. b., d., f.
Production and Distribution of Writing
4. Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are appropriate to task,
purpose, and audience.
Research to Build and Present Knowledge
7. Conduct short research projects to answer a question (including a self-generated question), drawing on several
sources and generating additional related, focused questions that allow for multiple avenues of exploration.
8. Gather relevant information from multiple print and digital sources, using search terms effectively; assess the
credibility and accuracy of each source; and quote or paraphrase the data and conclusions of others while
avoiding plagiarism and following a standard format for citation.
9. Draw evidence from informational texts to support analysis, reflection, and research.
© 2015 Sally Ride Science
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CORRELATION TO STANDARDS
Range of Writing
10.Write routinely over extended time frames (time for reflection and revision) and shorter time frames (a single
sitting or a day or two) for a range of discipline-specific tasks, purposes, and audiences.
Speaking and Listening Standards 6-12 (SL)
Grades 6-8
Comprehension and Collaboration
1. Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacher-led) with diverse
partners on grade 6, grade 7, and grade 8 topics, texts, and issues, building on others’ ideas and expressing their
own clearly. a.-d.
Presentation of Knowledge and Ideas
4. Present claims and findings, sequencing ideas logically and using pertinent descriptions, facts, and details to
accentuate main ideas or themes; use appropriate eye contact, adequate volume, and clear pronunciation.
Grade 6
Present claims and findings, emphasizing salient points in a focused, coherent manner with pertinent
descriptions, facts, details, and examples; use appropriate eye contact, adequate volume, and clear
pronunciation. Grade 7
Present claims and findings, emphasizing salient points in a focused, coherent manner with relevant evidence,
sound valid reasoning, and well-chosen details; use appropriate eye contact, adequate volume, and clear
pronunciation. Grade 8
Language Standards 6-12 (L)
Grades 6-8
Vocabulary Acquisition and Use
4. Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning words and phrases based on grade 6, grade
7, and grade 8 reading and content, choosing flexibly from a range of strategies. a.-d.
6. Acquire and use accurately grade-appropriate general academic and domain-specific words and phrases; gather
vocabulary knowledge when considering a word or phrase important to comprehension or expression.
© 2015 Sally Ride Science
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SALLY RIDE SCIENCE TEACHER GUIDES
The Sally Ride Science Key Concepts in Science and Cool Careers book series are available as print books
and eBooks.* A Teacher Guide accompanies each of the 36 Key Concepts books and 12 Cool Careers books.
More information: sallyridescience.com/learning-products
*Book pages pictured in the Teacher Guides are from eBook editions. Some pages in the print books have different images or layouts.
Cool Careers
Cool Careers in Biotechnology
Cool Careers in Earth Sciences
Cool Careers in Engineering (Upper Elementary)
Cool Careers in Engineering (Middle School)
Cool Careers in Environmental Sciences (Upper Elementary)
Cool Careers in Environmental Sciences (Middle School)
Key Concepts in Science
Adaptations
Biodiversity
The Biosphere
Cells
Earth’s Air
Earth’s Climate
Earth’s Energy
Earth’s Natural Resources
Earth’s Water
Elements and Compounds
Energy Basics
Energy Transformations
Cool Careers in Green Chemistry
Cool Careers in Information Sciences
Cool Careers in Math
Cool Careers in Medical Sciences
Cool Careers in Physics
Cool Careers in Space Sciences
Flowering Plants
Food Webs
Forces
Genetics
Geologic Time
Gravity
Heat
Life Cycles
Light
Motion
Organic Molecules
Photosynthesis and Respiration
Physical Properties of Matter
Plant and Animal Systems
Plate Tectonics
The Rock Cycle
Solids, Liquids, and Gases
Sound
Space Exploration
Sun, Earth, and Moon
Units of Measurement
Vertebrates
The Water Cycle
Weathering and Erosion
Sally Ride Science provides professional development and classroom tools to build students’
passion for STEM fields and careers. Founded by Dr. Sally Ride, America’s first woman in space,
the company brings science to life for upper-elementary and middle school students.
Visit us at SALLYRIDESCIENCE.COM for more information.
© 2015 Sally Ride Science
5
THE WATER CYCLE: Fantastic Feats of H2O
About the Book
The Water Cycle: Fantastic Feats of H2O highlights the importance of water to life on Earth. Students learn about
the unique set of properties that make water so valuable and important. They also learn how water moves around on
Earth in a continuous cycle of evaporation, transpiration, condensation, precipitation, runoff, and absorption. Students
then focus on how the water cycle affects conditions in the Pacific Northwest. At the end of each two-page spread, a
brief statement called The Bottom Line sums up the key ideas about the water cycle covered in those pages.
In Your World piques students’ interest in the water cycle by describing a scenario involving a snowflake. The
scenario encourages students to think about where a drop of water has been and where it will end up next. Doing so
highlights the importance of water and introduces topics related to how water moves and changes.
Chapter 1 explains that water has unique properties that make it behave differently from other substances. Students
also learn that Earth’s water moves in a continuous cycle, from location to location and from phase to phase.
Chapter 2 explains how currents and temperature differences in the oceans help fuel the water cycle. Students learn
that water moves into the atmosphere mainly by evaporation from the oceans. In the atmosphere, water vapor moves
to different locations, condenses into clouds, and falls as precipitation. When water returns to the surface through
precipitation, it is stored or moves about as surface water, groundwater, or ice. Students also learn that people are
part of the water cycle and affect it in many ways, including by changing the climate.
Thinking Like a Scientist features the story of the shrinking of the Aral Sea, which is considered one of the greatest
environmental disasters of our time. Students get a chance to interpret and draw conclusions based on a satellite
photo of the Aral Sea and on real science data about the area and volume of the Aral Sea from 1960 to 2011.
Students also make a line graph using the data and analyze it to answer questions.
Chapter 3 reinforces the concept that water moves around the globe in a continuous cycle. To illustrate water’s
movement, the chapter follows a water molecule as it rides an air current from Hawaii to Seattle and then moves
from place to place, changing from water vapor to liquid water to ice and back again. Students learn that evaporation
from the warm Pacific Ocean feeds moist air that flows toward the Pacific Northwest and that the Cascade Mountains
affect where precipitation falls.
How Do We Know? focuses on Hugo Loáiciga, a hydrologist whose childhood experiences on his family’s rice farm
led him to a career researching the management of water resources in California. Then in Math Connection, students
calculate the impact and value of the water that comes from a natural spring.
Hey, I Know That! allows students to assess their own learning through a variety of assessment tasks relating to the
key concepts covered in The Water Cycle.
© 2015 Sally Ride Science
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THE WATER CYCLE: GETTING STARTED
In Your World
Preview the book
Ask students to browse through The Water Cycle. Encourage them to look at the cover,
table of contents, chapter titles, special features, photographs, and diagrams. Explain that
paying attention to these features will give them clues about the text.
Read In Your World (pages 4 and 5) and discuss key concepts
Tell students to read In Your World. When they have finished reading, start a discussion by
asking,
Where is water shown in the photo? [There is water in the snow and the clouds. Snow is
frozen water, and the clouds are made of tiny water droplets.]
Remind students that water in its gaseous state, water vapor, is also always present in
the air around us, but that we don’t see it because it is an invisible gas. Lead students to
understand that the air in the image on page 4 contains water vapor.
Have students look over the questions in the last paragraph of
page 5:
How does water travel?
How long does its journey take?
What amazing feats does water perform along the way?
Spend some time as a class discussing students’ ideas related
to these questions. Guide students to an understanding that
water is always moving. Have them share which aspects of the
water cycle they think are most dramatic, such as rainstorms,
crashing ocean waves, or giant waterfalls.
SCIENCE BACKGROUND
Energy from the Sun powers the water cycle, the
endless movement of water around the globe.
Most of Earth’s water is in the oceans. When the
Sun warms the surface of the oceans, some water
molecules gain enough energy to evaporate—they
break free of the surrounding water molecules and
float off into the air as water vapor. When water
vapor rises and cools, it condenses—the water
molecules lose energy and join with other water
molecules to form tiny droplets of liquid water.
Billions of these droplets get together to form
clouds. Winds driven by the Sun’s energy shuttle
clouds to different places. Eventually, when enough
water molecules have joined together, droplets in
the clouds become heavy enough to fall as rain. If
this rain falls on the land, some of it is absorbed and
some flows as runoff into rivers, lakes, and oceans.
© 2015 Sally Ride Science
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THE WATER CYCLE: CHAPTER 1
Water Planet
Read Chapter 1: Water Planet
Before reading: Model how to create a personal science dictionary
Before students read Chapter 1 of The Water Cycle, model how to use a personal
dictionary to learn science words. Use the word evaporate on page 5 to model how to use
context clues to help determine a word’s meaning. Say,
Sometimes you can figure out what a word means by reading the text around it. Let’s
read the sentences in the second paragraph to find the context, or how the word is used.
(Next stop—the ground, a creek, or perhaps the stem of a daisy. Eventually, the drip may
evaporate back into the atmosphere.) This context shows that evaporate is a verb that
means “causing water to move from Earth’s surface back into the atmosphere.”
Tell students that they can use a dictionary or the glossary to find that evaporate means
to change from a liquid state and become a gas. Write the definition on the board. Add
the sentence: Liquid water in the puddle will evaporate and become a gas in the air. Tell
students that they could add an example, a diagram, or a picture that illlustrates the term.
As students read The Water Cycle book, have them create a personal
dictionary for science vocabulary. Students should list each glossary word
as well as any additional terms they encounter that are unfamiliar.
Read Chapter 1: Water Planet (pages 6-9)
Ask students to read Chapter 1: Water Planet. Give them the Chapter 1
handout and ask them to use it to take notes as they read. Point out that
there is a place on the handout to make illustrations or diagrams of key
ideas in the chapter.
After reading: Discuss key ideas
After students read Chapter 1, have students look at the image of Earth
on page 6, shown here. Ask,
Where do you see water in this image? [The oceans, clouds, lakes, and
ice cap shown in the image all contain water.]
Where can you find water on Earth? [Water is mostly found in the oceans, but it is also found frozen in ice caps and
glaciers; in the ground; in lakes, rivers, and swamps; and in the air.]
What are some unique characteristics of water? [Water molecules stick together; water’s frozen form is less dense
than its liquid form; many things dissolve in water.]
Why is the water found in different places on Earth different temperatures? [Heat from the Sun hits Earth at different
angles, so the surface of Earth is warmed unevenly. Also, different forms of water react differently to sunlight.]
Call on students to express their ideas and expand on each other’s answers.
© 2015 Sally Ride Science
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THE WATER CYCLE: CHAPTER 2
The Water Cycle
Read Chapter 2: The Water Cycle
Before reading: Model asking questions as you read
Have students turn to page 14 in The Water Cycle. Focus their attention on the diagram at
the bottom of the page, shown here. Say,
This diagram has two labels—Groundwater and
Surface water. I know what surface water is, but
I’m not sure what groundwater is. A question
that I already have is, What is groundwater?
On the board, write, What is groundwater? Tell
students that they can improve their reading
comprehension by asking questions as they
read. Then they can look for answers in the text
or in diagrams or captions. Call on a student to
read aloud the caption for the diagram on page
14: Some groundwater stays in layers of rock or
soil. But some trickles downhill and flows into
lakes or rivers. Say,
Surface water
Groundwater
That helps me understand what groundwater is—it is water that either stays underground
or trickles out of the ground and becomes surface water. But how does the ground hold
groundwater? Is it like a river running underground? That’s another question, and I can
look for the answer as I read.
Encourage students to practice asking questions and looking for answers as they read
Chapter 2.
Read Chapter 2: The Water Cycle
(pages 10-19)
Ask students to read Chapter 2: The Water Cycle. Give them the Chapter 2 handout and tell them to use it to write
down any questions that occur to them as they read and any answers that they find. Point out that the handout also
has a place for them to summarize their notes by drawing a simplified diagram of the water cycle.
After reading: Discuss key concepts
Have pairs of students discuss any questions that they still have about ideas in the chapter. If a student’s partner
cannot help to answer the question, then have both students look up the answer in a reference book or online. Come
together as a group and call on student pairs to share questions they had and explain how they were able to find an
answer.
To assess students’ understanding of key concepts in Chapter 2, say,
The subtitle of Chapter 2 is Endless Journey. Why does the subtitle Endless Journey make sense in a chapter
about the water cycle? [The water cycle is an endless cycle. Water moves around the Earth in a continuous cycle of
evaporation, transpiration, condensation, precipitation, and absorption.]
© 2015 Sally Ride Science
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THE WATER CYCLE: CHAPTER 2
The Water Cycle
How do currents and temperature differences in the oceans help fuel
the water cycle? [Warmer water in the ocean rises and colder water
sinks. This movement drives huge currents that move all through the
oceans and distribute heat around the planet.]
How does water move into the atmosphere? [Water moves into
the atmosphere mainly by evaporation from the oceans. In the
atmosphere, water vapor condenses into clouds.]
How are people part of the water cycle? [Water makes up about
60 percent of the human body. We need water to survive, and we
get it by drinking and eating. Then we pass it on through sweating,
breathing, and eliminating waste. People also affect the water cycle
in many ways, such as when they dam rivers, irrigate fields, or add
greenhouse gases to the air that make Earth warmer. Changes in
Earth’s temperature affect the water cycle.]
SCIENCE BACKGROUND
Explain to students that the word cycle comes
from a Greek word, kyklos, meaning “circle
or wheel.” Ask students to relate the meaning
of the Greek word kyklos to the meaning
of cycle. Help them understand that a cycle
is something that occurs in a repeating or
circular pattern or a loop. Brainstorm other
cycles that they have studied in science
class, such as the rock cycle, the life cycles of
certain organisms, and the carbon cycle.
Have students share their thoughts with the class.
© 2015 Sally Ride Science
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THE WATER CYCLE: THINKING LIKE A SCIENTIST
The Shrinking Aral Sea
Read Thinking Like a Scientist (pages 20 and 21)
Ask students to read Thinking Like a Scientist. Give them the
Thinking Like a Scientist handout and tell them to use it to
answer the questions on page 21. Have students work in small
groups to discuss the questions and come to agreement on the
answers. Then ask each group to present to the class. Each
group should go through one question and show how they
arrived at their answer.
Your turn! Look at the data table and the satellite image of the
Aral Sea. Then answer these questions.
ANSWER KEY
1. Based on the satellite photo, how did the Aral Sea change from 1960 to 2010?
[The satellite photo shows that most of the area once covered by the Aral Sea
had become dry land by 2010. Only a small fraction of the former area was
still covered by water. The photo also shows that the lake had separated into a
northern part and a southern part.]
2. During this time, what do you think happened to the Aral Sea ecosystem?
[Rising salinity, or saltiness, killed off most of the fish in the lake. Also, wind
whipped up the dry lake bottom, causing dust storms. Because the bottom also
contained agricultural chemicals, the dust is harmful to human health and to
other animals that live in the area. So the drying up of the lake damaged the
ecosystem both in the water and around it.]
3. How might restoring the Aral Sea affect the water cycle in this region? [The shrinking of the lake changed the
water cycle in a way that made winters colder and summers hotter and drier. If the sea were restored, seasonal
weather might return to normal. With more water available for evaporation, rainfall and runoff might increase.]
4. Study the data table. In 1960, the Aral Sea covered 67,499 square
kilometers. By 2011, the area had shrunk to 12,130 square kilometers.
What percentage of the sea’s 1960 area was left in 2011? [About 18
percent of the sea’s 1960 area was left in 2011.
(12,130 ÷ 67,499 = 0.179 x 100 = about 18 percent)]
5. Make a line graph of the Aral Sea’s volume from 1960 to 2011, with “Year”
on the X-axis and “Volume (km3)” on the Y-axis. What percentage of the
Aral Sea’s 1960 volume remained in 1989? In 2011? [About 33 percent
of the Aral Sea’s 1960 volume remained in 1989. By 2011, only about 8
percent of the sea’s original volume remained.
(364 ÷ 1,089 = 0.33 x 100 = 33 percent)
(90 ÷ 1,089 = 0.08 x 100 = 8 percent)]
© 2015 Sally Ride Science
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THE WATER CYCLE
Science Writing
Save the Aral Sea
Give students the Science Writing handout for The Water Cycle. Tell students to imagine
they are scientists coming up with a plan to restore the Aral Sea. Have students work in
pairs to write a description of their plan on the handout. Students can review Thinking
Like a Scientist on pages 20 and 21 for background on the Aral Sea. If time permits, allow
students to do some research on the Internet to get ideas about
how to restore the sea.
Students’ plans should include:
> an explanation of why it is important to restore the Aral
Sea.
> details about how people can help to bring the sea back to
the size it was in 1960.
> pros and cons that could result from the restoration of the
sea.
Call on several students to share their plans with the class.
ADDRESS MISCONCEPTIONS
Because the water cycle is presented
as a continuous loop in which water is
constantly recycled and is never used
up, students may mistakenly believe
that water resources do not need to
be managed or conserved. Point out to
students that while the total amount of
water on Earth is constant, the access to
water resources, especially fresh water,
must be managed. Damming rivers, like
the ones that fed the Aral Sea, is one
example of how use of a water resource
for one purpose can affect humans and
other living things. Pollution of fresh
drinking water is another way that water
resources can be mismanaged.
© 2015 Sally Ride Science
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THE WATER CYCLE: CHAPTER 3
Follow That Water Molecule
Read Chapter 3: Follow That Water Molecule
Before reading: Model summarizing with a sequence chart
Before students read Chapter 3: Follow That Water Molecule, give them the Chapter 3
handout. Tell them that the chapter tells a story about the path of a water molecule that
travels from Hawaii to the deserts of the Pacific Northwest. Tell students that the handout
has a place to summarize the water’s molecule’s journey by making a sequence chart.
To get students started, call on a student to read aloud the first three paragraphs on page
24. Then draw a box on the board and say,
To begin my sequence chart, what should I write in the box to show the first part of the
water molecule’s journey?
Listen to students’ responses and then write, A water molecule evaporates from the ocean
near Hawaii. Then draw an arrow to a second box. Say,
What should I write in the second box?
Again, listen to students’ responses. Then write, The molecule joins a current of warm air
moving Northeast. Tell students to copy the sequence chart on their handouts. They should keep adding arrows and
boxes to the sequence chart as the molecule continues on its journey.
Read Chapter 3: Follow That Water Molecule (pages 22-25)
Ask students to read Chapter 3: Follow That Water Molecule. Have them take notes on their handouts and continue
their sequence charts of the molecule’s journey.
After reading: Make a sequence chart
After students read Chapter 3, have them work in pairs to draw a sequence chart of what might happen to the water
molecule as it continues its journey after the end of Chapter 3. Call on several pairs to share their sequence charts.
Ask,
What processes in the water cycle does the molecule go through in your sequence chart?
Will the water molecule ever stop moving through the water cycle? [A water molecule may stay for thousands of
years in one part of the water cycle, such as frozen in a glacier, but it will always be part of the water cycle.]
Call on several students to share their ideas.
© 2015 Sally Ride Science
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THE WATER CYCLE
Create a Comic Strip
A water molecule’s adventure
Give students the Create a Comic Strip handout. They will use it to draw a comic strip
about a water molecule’s movement through the water cycle. Tell students that they can
use part or all of the water molecule’s journey from Chapter 3 of The Water Cycle or come
up with an original adventure. Comic strips should trace the molecule’s movement through
several parts of the water cycle. Students should use captions or speech or thought
balloons to explain what is happening in each panel of their comic strips.
© 2015 Sally Ride Science
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THE WATER CYCLE: HOW DO WE KNOW?
Meet hydrologist Hugo Loáiciga
Read How Do We Know? (pages 26-29)
Give students the How Do We Know? handout for The Water Cycle. Have them look at the
questions on the handout for the first section, The Issue (page 26). Then have them read
that section and answer the questions. Have them complete the rest of the sections (The
Expert, page 27; In the Field, page 28; Technology, page 29) in the same way. Then go
over each question as a class. Call on two or three students to share their answers to each
question.
ANSWER KEY
1. With such an abundance of water on Earth, why is fresh water such a valuable
resource? [Fresh water is a valuable resource because only 3 percent of Earth’s water
is fresh; the rest is salt water. Also, most of Earth’s fresh water is not easily accessible
to people.]
2. Where can you find fresh water on Earth? [You can find fresh water frozen in glaciers
and ice caps; you can find liquid water in lakes, ponds, rivers, swamps, and other
bodies of water; you can also find liquid water in the ground; clouds and air contain
water in the form of water vapor.]
3. What does Hugo Loáiciga focus on in his work? [Hugo Loáiciga focuses on managing water resources in Central
California so that the area does not run out of fresh water.]
4. How does Hugo Loáiciga explain the light volume coming out of the spring that the students encounter? [He
explains that seasonal variations in the water cycle have led to a decrease in rain, which causes a decrease in the
amount of water that comes from the spring.]
5. The author of the book compares Earth’s water to a 100-milliliter beaker filled with water and explains that, of
this water, only 3 milliliters would be fresh. Describe two other ways to compare or relate this data to a realworld application. [Sample answer: If you had 100 marbles that represent all of Earth’s water with blue marbles
representing salt water and red marbles representing fresh water, 97 of the marbles would be blue and only 3
would be red. If 100 students gathered together to represent all of Earth’s water with some students holding signs
that say “salt water” and some holding signs that say “fresh water,” only 3 students would be holding the “fresh
water” signs. All the other students would be holding the “salt water” signs.]
© 2015 Sally Ride Science
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THE WATER CYCLE: MATH CONNECTION
Half a Penny
Answer the Math Connection questions (page 29)
Give students the Math Connection handout and have them use it to answer the Math
Connection questions on page 29 of The Water Cycle. Remind students to show their work.
Math Connection: Half a Penny
In Santa Barbara, households pay about 0.5 cents a gallon for tap water. The area has
few sources of fresh water, so even the smallest springs are considered important—and
valuable. One of the springs that Hugo Loáiciga and his students monitor has an average
flow rate of 189 liters (50 gallons) per minute.
Show your work as you answer the questions.
ANSWER KEY
1. How many gallons of water does that spring produce in a year? [To find the amount of
water the spring produces in a year, multiply to determine how much it produces per
hour, per day, and per year:
50 x 60 (minutes per hour) = 3,000 gallons per hour
3,000 x 24 (hours per day) = 72,000 gallons per day
72,000 x 365 (days per year) = 26,280,000 gallons per year]
2. How much is that water worth, at household prices? [To determine the value of the water produced by the spring
in a year, multiply the yearly amount by the cost of a gallon of water:
26,280,000 x 0.5 cents = 13,140,000 cents, or $131,400.00]
3. How many average homes would that supply? See page 26. [To determine how many homes the water from
the spring can supply in a year, divide the yearly amount by the number of gallons of water a typical home
uses per day:
26,280,000 ÷ 396 = 66,363.6 homes for one day]
© 2015 Sally Ride Science
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THE WATER CYCLE: HEY, I KNOW THAT!
Study Guide
Complete the Hey, I Know That! study guide (page 30)
Give students the Hey, I Know That! handout to answer the questions on page 30 of The
Water Cycle. Have pairs of students discuss their answers and note any misunderstandings
they may have. Whip around the room, asking one student to read aloud a question and
one or two students to share their answers to each question.
ANSWER KEY
1. What’s the main way that water gets into the air? (pages 12 and 15) [About 90 percent
of the water in the air gets there through evaporation. That’s the process of liquid
becoming a gas. As water molecules are heated, they gain energy. Eventually, they
move so fast that some near the surface escape from surrounding water molecules
and float off into the air as water vapor. The other 10 percent of water in the air gets
there through transpiration. Water molecules escape into the air from tiny holes on
the surfaces of plant leaves. Because of hydrogen bonds, the escaping molecules pull
chains of water molecules behind them, and the process of transpiration continues.]
2. Water has some unusual properties. Pick one and explain what it is and how it affects
the water cycle. (pages 6 and 7) [Water is the only common substance that naturally
occurs in all three phases—solid, liquid, and gas. This adds to its mobility and allows water to move through
the water cycle as vapor, ice, or liquid. Water is the only common substance that expands when it is frozen. This
makes ice float on top of liquid water and preserves life under the ice in winter. Hydrogen bonds between water
molecules make water “sticky” so that water can move up through tall trees or seep through soil.]
3. What parts of the water cycle may store water for centuries? (pages 11 and 14) [Water that becomes part of a
glacier may be stored for centuries before it melts and rejoins the water cycle. Water may spend thousands of
years snaking along the ocean floor as part of an ocean current. Also, some groundwater may remain underground
for thousands of years.]
4. Make a drawing of a tree showing how it contributes to the water cycle. (page 15) [The drawing should show the
tree’s roots pulling water up from the soil, water moving up through the tree, and transpiration—water molecules
escaping into the air through tiny holes in the tree’s leaves.]
5. Imagine a drop of water falling as rain and another as snow. Which will move through the water cycle faster?
Why? (page 14) [Rain will move through the water cycle faster because it doesn’t need to melt first to continue its
journey. A drop of water that falls as snow might be stored for days, months, or even centuries (in glaciers) before
it rejoins the water cycle.]
Caption: Scenic Mount Rainier is the tallest peak in the Cascade
Range. Why are the Cascades so wet on the west side and so
dry on the east side? (pages 23 and 24) [When clouds hit tall
mountains, they rise and cool. Since cool air cannot hold as
much moisture as warmer air, the water condenses and falls as
precipitation. In this way, mountains can block moisture and create
a drier rain shadow on the side farthest from the prevailing winds
that carry moisture. Since most clouds in the Pacific Northwest
move from west to east, the area east of the tall Cascades gets far
less precipitation than the west side.]
© 2015 Sally Ride Science
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Key Concepts in Science
THE WATER CYCLE
STUDENT
HANDOUTS
© 2015 Sally Ride Science
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THE WATER CYCLE • Chapter 1
Water Planet: Notes for Chapter 1
As you read Chapter 1, write down the most important information you come across. Resist the urge to write down
everything that you read. Instead, focus on the big ideas, or gist, of what you are reading.
WHERE’S THE WATER?
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WEIRD, WONDERFUL MOLECULE
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MIXING IT UP
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WATER-GO-ROUND
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© 2015 Sally Ride Science
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THE WATER CYCLE • Chapter 1
PICTURE THIS
Review your notes for Chapter 1. Create an illustrated summary of the key ideas in the chapter. Each important idea
should be represented by a drawing, diagram, or other visual and should include a caption explaining the importance of
the image.
PUT IT ALL TOGETHER
Use your notes and illustrated summary to help you identify and list the most important ideas—the key concepts—in
Chapter 1.
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© 2015 Sally Ride Science
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THE WATER CYCLE • Chapter 2
From Solid to Liquid: Notes for Chapter 2
As you read Chapter 2, write down the most important information you come across. Resist the urge to write down
everything that you read. Instead, focus on the big ideas, or gist, of what you are reading.
ENDLESS JOURNEY
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CIRCLE RIGHT!
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INTO THE SKY
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GAS TODAY, LIQUID TOMORROW
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PRECIPITATION—RETURN TO EARTH
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TRANSPIRATION—PUMP IT UP
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NEXT STOP—YOU
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BACKTRACK BOOGIE
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FAST-FORWARD
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© 2015 Sally Ride Science
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THE WATER CYCLE • Chapter 2
PICTURE THIS
Summarize Chapter 2 by making a simplified diagram based on the diagrams on pages 18 and 19. Use arrows and
labels to show how water moves through the water cycle by evaporation, condensation, precipitation, absorption, and
transpiration.
PUT IT ALL TOGETHER
Use your notes and diagram to help you identify and list the most important ideas—the key concepts—in Chapter 2.
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© 2015 Sally Ride Science
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THE WATER CYCLE • Thinking Like a Scientist
Thinking Like a Scientist: The Shrinking Aral Sea
Read Thinking Like a Scientist on pages 20 and 21 of The Water Cycle. Then use the information on those pages, the
satellite image of the Aral Sea, and the data table to answer these questions.
1. Based on the satellite photo, how did the Aral Sea change from 1960 to 2010?
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2. During this time, what do you think happened to the Aral Sea ecosystem?
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3. How might restoring the Aral Sea affect the water cycle in this region?
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© 2015 Sally Ride Science
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THE WATER CYCLE • Thinking Like a Scientist
4. Study the data table. In 1960, the Aral Sea covered 67,499 square kilometers. By 2011, the area had shrunk to
12,130 square kilometers. What percentage of the sea’s 1960 area was left in 2011?
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5. Make a line graph of the Aral Sea’s volume from 1960 to 2011, with “Year” on the X-axis and “Volume (km3)” on the
Y-axis. What percentage of the Aral Sea’s 1960 volume remained in 1989? In 2011?
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© 2015 Sally Ride Science
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THE WATER CYCLE • Science Writing
Science Writing: Save the Aral Sea
Imagine you are a scientist whose job it is to come up with a plan to
restore the Aral Sea. Your plan should include:
> an explanation of why it is important to restore the Aral Sea.
> details about how people can help to bring the sea back to the
size it was in 1960.
> pros and cons that could result from the restoration of the sea.
Write a summary of your plan to restore the Aral Sea.
Title: _____________________________________________________________________________________
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© 2015 Sally Ride Science
THE WATER CYCLE • Chapter 3
Follow That Water Molecule: Notes for Chapter 3
As you read Chapter 3, write down the most important information you come across. Resist the urge to write down
everything that you read. Instead, focus on the big ideas, or gist, of what you are reading.
A PACIFIC NORTHWEST ADVENTURE
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HIT THE SLOPES!
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WINTER BREAK
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ON THE MOVE AGAIN
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SUMMER MORNING
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© 2015 Sally Ride Science
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THE WATER CYCLE • Chapter 3
PICTURE THIS
Review your notes for Chapter 3. Summarize your notes by making a sequence chart of the water molecule’s journey
from Hawaii to the desert of the Pacific Northwest. Draw a labeled box for each stage of the journey with an arrow
pointing to the next box.
PUT IT ALL TOGETHER
Use your notes and sequence chart to help you identify and list the most important ideas—the key concepts—in Chapter 3.
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© 2015 Sally Ride Science
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THE WATER CYCLE • Create a Comic Strip
Create a Comic Strip: A Water Molecule’s Adventure
Draw a comic strip about a water molecule’s movement
through the water cycle. You can use part or all of the water
molecule’s journey from Chapter 3 of The Water Cycle or come
up with an original adventure. Your comic strip should trace the
molecule’s movement through several steps of the water cycle.
Use captions or speech or thought balloons to explain what is
happening in each panel.
Title: ___________________________________________________________
© 2015 Sally Ride Science
THE WATER CYCLE • How Do We Know?
How Do We Know?
An Out-of-Sight Water Source
Review the questions below for each section of How Do We Know? Then read each
section in the book and answer the questions.
THE ISSUE
1. With such an abundance of water on Earth, why is fresh water such a valuable resource?
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2. Where can you find fresh water on Earth?
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THE EXPERT
3. What does Hugo Loáiciga focus on in his work?
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IN THE FIELD
4. How does Hugo Loáiciga explain the light volume coming out of the spring that the students encounter?
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TECHNOLOGY
5. The author of the book compares Earth’s water to a 100-milliliter beaker filled with water and explains that, of
this water, only 3 milliliters would be fresh. Describe two other ways to compare or relate this data to a real-world
application.
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© 2015 Sally Ride Science
THE WATER CYCLE • Math Connection
Math Connection: Half a Penny
In Santa Barbara, households pay about 0.5 cents a gallon for tap water. The
area has few sources of fresh water, so even the smallest springs are considered
important—and valuable. One of the springs that Hugo Loáiciga and his students
monitor has an average flow rate of 189 liters (50 gallons) per minute.
Show your work as you answer the questions.
1. How many gallons of water does that spring produce in a year?
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2. How much is that water worth, at household prices?
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3. How many average homes would that supply? See page 26.
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© 2015 Sally Ride Science
THE WATER CYCLE • Hey, I Know That!
Hey, I Know That! Study Guide
Use this sheet to answer the Hey, I Know That! questions on page 30 of The Water Cycle.
1. What’s the main way that water gets into the air? (pages 12 and 15)
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2. Water has some unusual properties. Pick one and explain what it is and how it affects the water cycle. (pages 6 and 7)
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3. What parts of the water cycle may store water for centuries? (pages 11 and 14)
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4. Make a drawing of a tree showing how it
contributes to the water cycle. (page 15)
© 2015 Sally Ride Science
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THE WATER CYCLE • Hey, I Know That!
5. Imagine a drop of water falling as rain and another as snow. Which will move through the water cycle faster? Why?
(page 14)
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Caption: Scenic Mount Rainier is the tallest peak in the Cascade
Range. Why are the Cascades so wet on the west side and so dry
on the east side? (pages 23 and 24)
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© 2015 Sally Ride Science
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