Water Cycle

By: Angela Vazzana & Amanda Dobner

IL Learning Standard
12.E.2a (Late Elementary) Identify and explain natural cycles of the earths land, water and atmospheric systems (e.g. rock cycle, water cycle, weather patterns)

Objectives
Name

three ways water gets back into oceans and lakes 4 main parts of the water cycle

Label

Explain

the difference between surface runoff and percolation

 Match

water cycle vocabulary with the definitions the importance of the water cycle

Explain

Vocabulary

Condensation-Water vapor in the air gets cold and changes back into liquid, forming clouds. Precipitation-occurs when so much water has condensed that the air cannot hold it anymore so the clouds get heavy and water falls back to the earth in the form of rain, hail, sleet or snow. Evaporation- is when the sun heats up water in rivers or lakes or the ocean and turns it into vapor or steam. The water vapor or steam leaves the river, lake or ocean and goes into the air.

Transpiration-is the process by which plants lose water out of their leaves. Transpiration gives evaporation a bit of a hand in getting the water vapor back up into the air.
Atmosphere-blanket of air surrounding the earth. Surface runoff- water that flows down hill into streams, rivers, ponds and lakes.

Percolation-Vertical and lateral movements of water through spaces between soil and rock layers.
Collection-when water become part of the ground water that plants and animals use to drink or it may run over the soil and collect in the oceans, lakes or rivers where the cycle starts

Accommodations

Extended time on tests and quizzes Having directions re-explained by classmate

Guided notes
Tasks to be completed written on the board Enlarged print

Squishy ball to play with while teacher gives directions Verbal reminders of what the student should be doing Task check off list (taped on desk)
Preferential seating Using a variety of teaching styles to reach different modalities of learning

Modifications

Marginal gloss for some of the vocabulary (e.g. precipitation=rain, snow) Alternative worksheets/assignments Simplified vocabulary used on tests Learning basic information on the water cycle (difference between an ocean and a lake) Only need to know two parts of the water cycle (evaporation and percipatation)

Teacher Resources

www.proteacher.com (includes lesson plan ideas utilized by other teachers) www.songsforteaching.com www.teachers.net Greenway, Theresa.(2000) The Water Cycle Raintree (reading level age 9-12)

Teacher Resources

Trueit, Trudi. (2002). The Water Cycle Franklin Watts Frost, Helen. (2000). The Water Cycle Capstone Press Relf, P. & Bracken, C. (1996) The Magic School Bus Wet All Over: A Book About the Water Cycle New York, NY: Scholastic Inc.

Tips for Parents

Make

flash cards for vocabulary and quiz

kids
Ask

kids on a rainy day where the rain comes from and where it will go to reinforce their learning

 Look

up information on the internet with

kids
Play

online games related to the water cycle http://kids.earth.nasa.gov/droplet.html

Research Findings

The Environmental Protection Agency. (2000). Great Minds! Great Lakes!. Chicago, IL: Great Lakes National Program Office. This research gives fun facts about how much water a person uses every day and how they use that water (on average a person uses 168 gallons of water a day). This research article also provides teachers with different activities in reference to different elements of the water cycle and how to incorporate them into other subjects to reinforce learning.

The Environmental Protection Agency. (2000). Great Minds! Great Lakes!. Chicago, IL: Great Lakes National Program Office. The Environmental Protection Agency. (2002). Magnificent Ground Water Connection. Retrieved October 22, 2004 from World Wide Web:
www.epa.gov/region01/students/teacher/groundw.html

This research article provides statistics on the amount of salt water and fresh water the earth has and the things that we use it for. It also provides a variety of activities for children from different age groups in relation to the water cycle.

Special agencies/organizations
U.S. Geological Surveys (USGS) http://www.usgs.gov/ http://ga.water.usgs.gov/edu/index.html (specialized for schools)

Water Environment Education http://www.wef.org/

Enviromental Protection Agency http://www.epa.gov

Assistive Technology
Spell

checker Using a computer for written assignments Vibrating watch (remind student of what he/she should be doing) Larger grip for pen/pencil Squishy ball

Website Review

http://www.kidzone.ws/water/ This website is a very good website for kids to use as a resource. It explained the different parts of the water cycle very well and had pictures to go along with its explanations. It would not be a good idea for a teacher to use this website for substantial materials for a lesson since it only provides coloring sheets.

http://mbgnet.mobot.org/fresh/cycle/index.htm This website had a lot of explanations for on the water cycle but did not provide pictures to go along with them. The pictures that the website does provide of the water cycle would be very confusing for kids because the has arrows going all over. Kids would probably become bored with this website due to the lack of color and pictures.

http://www.enchantedlearning.com/subjects/oce an/Watercycle.shtml This website is very kid friendly in that it is brief and to the point, has understandable pictures of the water cycle, and fun facts to interest kids in other things related to the water cycle. For teachers this website provides some worksheets on the water cycle that they could incorporate into their lesson.

The End