Lesson Plan: Water Cycle

Standards: 3- ESS2.C: The Roles of Water in Earths Surface Processes

Big Ideas:
Studentswillbeabletodefinethefollowingwords:watercycle,evaporation,
condensation,precipitation,collection.
Studentswillbeabletolabelthewatercyclecorrectly.
Studentswillalsobeabletoexplainhowrainoccursandwherethewaterfrom
theskyiscomingfrom.
Students possible common sense understandings or
misconceptions:
Rain falls from the sky
Misconception of what clouds are made up of
Water is not necessary for plants
75% of Earth is made up of water
Instructional Objectives:
BTEOTL SWBAT(A) describe( B/B-2)
how water on Earth cycles in different
forms (C) by using key vocabulary
words to explain the process of the
water cycle. (D)

Formal and Informal

Assessments:

1. Students will be asked to label

the water cycle appropriately
and thoroughly explain each of
the steps.

2. Students active participation

during experiment will be
assessed.
Engagement: (Anticipatory Set):
Students will be introduced to the Water Cycle Song
o https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TWb4KlM2vts
Picture of Earth
o What is Earth primarily made up of?
WATER!
Students will be reminded of the different states of matter:

o Liquid, solid and gas

*Pair-share: With your partner, share what the three different states of
matter.
As a class we will complete a KWL chart:
o What we already know about the water cycle:
o What we want to learn about the water cycle:
o What we learned about the water cycle:
Exploration:
-Students will record their observations and their answers on a
worksheet.
Evaporation Activity
o Groups of students will boil some water using glass beaker
and a hot plate.
o Observation: Students will observe what happens to water.
*CFU: What does the water look/sound like? What
makes water boil?
Condensation Activity:
o Groups of students will hold a metal pan with ice above the
boiling water.
*CFU: Why does water collect on the bottom of the
plate? Why does the steam turn back into a liquid on
the metal plate?
Precipitation Activity:
o Group of students will observe the water start to fall off the
pan and back down into the beaker.
*CFU: What makes the water fall from the sky?
Explanation and Discussion:

Guided questions:
o Students will share their group answers to the CFU questions to
the class that will lead to the class discussion and the
explanation.
Explanation
o The water cycle includes evaporation, condensation, and
precipitation, all of which transform from one form to the other.
1. When the water boils, it transforms into steam and that steam
is considered a gaseous form of water; Gas is less heavy
than liquid so this makes the water rise. This process is called
evaporation.
2. Ice is the solid form of water and it makes the pan cool down.
When the steam hits the pan, it cools down and loses heat so

it makes it turn into its liquid state again this is called

condensation.
3. The process when the water starts to fall off the pan and back
down into the beaker is called precipitation, also known as
rain!
4. When all the water gathers together into ponds, lakes, rivers
collection.
5. This entire process is known as the water cycle.
Guided discussion prompt
Students will be engaged in a class discussion revolving around the
following questions:
o What things in nature are made up of water?
o Where do clouds come from?
o Where does rain come from?
o Specific movements in the water cycle
o What makes water boil?
o What does the steam turn back into water?
Extension

Students will be prompted to think of examples and reasoning to

further explain each of the steps of the water cycle.
o Examples of condensation, evaporation, and precipitation.
Exit-ticket:
o Students will write a reflection in regards to why the water cycle
is important.
Evaluation

Checking for understanding is done throughout the lesson through the

use of oral participation and using the written activities students
complete.

Resources and Materials

Water
Hot plates
Metal pan
Glass beakers
Ice cube
Water cycle diagram worksheets
KWL Chart
Water Cycle Observation Sheet & Questionnaire
Water Cycle Song YouTube video

Safety Precautions
Explain the experiments should be conducted using the appropriate
materials including gloves and goggles to handle hot things.
If at any time there is horseplay, students will immediately end
experimentation phase.

WATERCYCLE
What we KNOW

What we WANT to
know

What I LEARNED

Label the picture using following words: Evaporation, Condensation,

Precipitation

NAME:
DATE:
ACTIVITY
Evaporation
Experiment

Condensation
Experiment

WRITE
OBSERVATIONS

DRAW
OBSERVATIONS

Precipitation
Experiment

Name:
Date:

1. In your own words, explain the process of evaporation:

________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
___
2. In your own words, explain the process of condensation:
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
___
3. In your own words, explain the process of precipitation:
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
___
4. List things in nature that are made up of water:
________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
___

EXIT-TICKET:
Briefly explain why the water cycle is important.
______________________________________________________________________________
___________________________