The water cycle

Focus

This activity can be used to establish the students understanding of the water cycle.

Science

Earth and Beyond

3.3 Students collect information that describes ways in which living things use the Earth and the sun as resources.

4.1 Students recognise and analyse some interactions (including the weather) between systems of Earth and beyond.

Life and Living

3.3 Students describe some interactions (including feeding relationships) between living things and between living parts of the environment.

Studies of Society and Environment

Systems, Resources and Power

3.1 Students make inferences about interactions between people and natural cycles, including the water cycle.

English

Students could give a written account of the water cycle.

Materials

Teaching considerations

Students understanding of the cycle and of the associated scientific language may vary. The activity allows for such variation.

 

Science processes

  • interpreting information
  • predicting
  • creating diagrams

SOSE Processes

  • understand
  • think
  • communicate

Sequence

Time: 45-60 minutes

Orientating

Present the poster and give students some time to study it quietly.

Ask students to identify the natural features (e.g. creeks, mountains, coastline etc) and compare these to the local environment, for example, "the mountains in the background look like the ones you can climb at (location in local environment.)" or "there is no waterfall or dam near us." List the natural features.

Discuss the features built by people, or areas where the natural resources of the catchment are being used by people. Compare and contrast with your local environment.

Enhancing

Follow the water droplet, the arrows and explanations around the water cycle.

Follow the water cycle through again and list the stages, i.e. evaporation, transpiration etc. Ask students what they think causes the water to turn to a vapour (the sun heats up the water in the waterways). To help the students arrive at the heat from the sun, you could ask them if they think evaporation occurs at night. If students can’t conceptualise water turning into vapour or vapour turning back into water (becoming rain) Activity 2 - A Model Water Cycle will demonstrate this.

Check students understanding of the stages by questioning.

With the students help, model drawing and labelling the water cycle for the class, checking for student understanding of the stages as you go.

Students predict what might occur if one of the variables within the cycle is altered, e.g. less/greater evaporation.

Synthesising

Students draw and label the water cycle. This may be a small group or individual effort. Display group efforts with "The Water Cycle" poster with the purpose of relating to them during the unit. 

Additional learning

Complete Activity 2 - Model Water Cycle and Activity 3 - Acting out the Water Cycle.

Gathering information about student learning

Sources of information could include:

* Requires Adobe Reader

Last updated 29 September 2010

Water cycles and catchments