By: Darline Douangvilay4th grade

My trip through the

Water Cycle

Standards

• SPI 0407.8.1 Identify the basic features of the water

cycle and describe their importance to life on earth.

Objectives

• I can explain the water cycle.

• I can identify the parts of a water cycle.

Hi, my name is Sonny Day. I am a meteorologist and my jobis to study weather and inform you guys all about it! Come and join me on the journey through the water cycle by clicking on the buttons to the left. You can click the NEXT button or click on the menu button below to take you exactly where you want to go! Then, you will understand why it’s important that we conserve the water that we have on Earth.

FUN FACT

WATER CYCLE EVAPORATION CONDENSATION PRECIPITATION GROUND WATER &

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Did you know…The earth is made up of 70% of water and that is the only amount of water that we have?

We have had the same amount of water since the Earth was formed.

So, the water you drink today couldbe the same water the Mayans drank.

For more fun facts about water, go to http://www.sciencekids.co.nz/sciencefacts/water.html.

Click next to see how it works!

FUN FACT

WATER CYCLE EVAPORATION CONDENSATION PRECIPITATION GROUND WATER &

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• A water cycle is the process in which water circulates between the ocean, atmosphere, and back down to land. Follow me and I’ll take you on a journey through the water cycle.

FUN FACT

WATER CYCLE EVAPORATION CONDENSATION PRECIPITATION GROUND WATER &

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Our first stop is in the ocean, since that is where most of the water is located on the Earth. The heat from the sun warms up the water droplets and causes it to turn into water vapor. This process is called evaporation. This can also happen to the water on the land.

FUN FACT

WATER CYCLE EVAPORATION CONDENSATION PRECIPITATION GROUND WATER &

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Our next stop is in a cloud! Brrr… it got cold all of a sudden! When the water vapor goes really high into the air, it changes back into a liquid because the temperature is a lot cooler in the atmosphere. Once all of the little tiny droplets come together, it forms what is known as clouds. This process is called condensation. This also happens on the outside of a cold glass of lemonade on a hot summer day.

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FUN FACT

WATER CYCLE EVAPORATION CONDENSATION PRECIPITATION GROUND WATER &

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You know what happens when we see dark clouds? Uh Oh! I might be in trouble…When the liquid accumulates, it forms a big drop of water and can fall back to Earth in several forms of precipitation. This can be either rain, snow, sleet, or hail depending on the temperature of the atmosphere when it is falling. To see real life forms of precipitation click on https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9knozomoMUU.

SNOW SLEET HAIL RAIN

FUN FACT

WATER CYCLE EVAPORATION CONDENSATION PRECIPITATION GROUND WATER &

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We are at our final stop! Once the water is back on the Earth’s surface, it will either accumulate back in the ocean or as surface run off and groundwater. Can you find me? I’ll give you a clue… I’m under the Earth’s surface!

ocean

Runoff

Groundwater: water held underground in the soil or in pores and crevices in rock

Runoff: Water flows over the land

FUN FACT

WATER CYCLE EVAPORATION CONDENSATION PRECIPITATION GROUND WATER &

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Wow! That was an awesome trip! We learned that the water on Earth cycles through to the atmosphere and

then back to the ground over and over again. So it’s important that we conserve the amount of water we waste because it’s all we have! Thanks for taking this trip with me! Now back to you Ms. Douangvilay!

FUN FACT

WATER CYCLE EVAPORATION CONDENSATION PRECIPITATION GROUND WATER &

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For a video on the water cycle click on:

http://studyjams.scholastic.com/studyjams/jams/science/ecosystems/water-

cycle.htm

VOCABULARY• The Water Cycle: the cycle of processes by which water circulates

between the earth's oceans, atmosphere, and land, involving precipitation as rain and snow, drainage in streams and rivers, and return to the atmosphere by evaporation

• Evaporation: a type of vaporization of a liquid that occurs from the surface of a liquid into a gas phase

• Condensation: the conversion of a vapor or gas to a liquid• Precipitation: rain, snow, sleet, or hail that falls to the ground• Groundwater: water held underground in the soil or in pores and

crevices in rock• Surface Runoff: the water flow that occurs when the soil is

infiltrated to full capacity and excess water from rain, meltwater, or other sources flows over the land

FUN FACT

WATER CYCLE EVAPORATION CONDENSATION PRECIPITATION GROUND WATER &

RUN OFF NEXT

Click on the links below to test your knowledge about the water cycle.• http://www.get2knowh2o.org/student/cycle-

test.html • http://earthguide.ucsd.edu/earthguide/diagrams/

watercycle/watercycleq.html

Click on the links below to play a fun water cycle game or activity.• http://apps.southeastwater.com.au/games/

education_kidsroom_wcactivity.asp • http://www.turtlediary.com/grade-1-games/scienc

e-games/the-water-cycle.html