Water Cycle & Weather

Unit Overview:

This unit focuses on the water cycle and weather as a supplement to the science unit on weather.

This unit of study not only increases student's awareness of the world, but also helps them in other subject areas as well.  Students will learn science concepts, writing, reading, and math through this exploration unit.  This unit will increase the student’s knowledge base while boosting other educational skills and bringing in a fun element of learning.

 

Unit Lessons:

Some of these lessons take some advanced prep and can be combined:

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Lesson 1: Water Cycle Introduction
- Check prior knowledge and discuss where water comes from. 
- Use kidzone.com to introduce water cycle.
- Delve into the stages of the water cycle with this video. 
- Have your child color the water cycle coloring page.

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Lesson 2: Evaporation
- Discuss what evaporation means. Review the stages of the water cycle to discuss evaporation.
- Watch the Evaporation video. The conduct the experiment to see if you get similar results.
- Read the "Water Cycle Stages" book and complete the evaporation Kidzone page.

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Lesson 3: Condensation
- Discuss condensation. Go to the experiment from Lesson 2 and observe condensation taking place.
- Watch the Condensation video.
- Complete the condensation Kidzone page.

 

Lesson 4: Precipitation
- Discuss different forms of precipitation and make a list of all the types

you can think of.
- Use the Kiddle site to review types of precipitation and guide a discussion. 
- Read the online story Drippy The Raindrop: drippytheraindrop.com
- Complete the precipitation Kidzone page

- Complete the collection Kidzone page.

 

Lesson 5: How clouds are formed
- Take your child outside to observe the clouds.
- Play the cloud song.
- Use weatherwizkids.com to discuss of clouds and how they are formed. 
- Cloud In A Jar Experiment:

*You MUST have parental supervision when conducting this experiment!
Materials:

Aluminum foil, salt, large glass jar, wooden matches, hot water, ice cubes

Procedure:
-Review cloud types
-Explain objective that they will see a cloud in a jar.
-Pour 2 cups of hot water into the jar. Swish the water around to warm the glass.
-Loosely seal the jar with the foil, pushing the foil into the jar slightly to make room for the ice cubes on top.
-Place the ice cubes in the indentation in the foil and add a good sized pinch of salt to the top of the ice.
-You will start to see the water vapor rise from the hot water and condense on the foil. You may also start seeing droplets fall from the foil back into the water.
-Discuss how this demonstrates the water cycle.
-Lift the foil and light several matches. Allow them to burn for 3 seconds before dropping them into the water. Replace the foil on the jar.
-Talk about how it works (the water in the jar gathered around the smoke particles just like the water in clouds gather around dust and particles in the air. This is also why it sometimes it smells differently outside after it rains).

- Work on Cloud Art (cotton balls on blue paper to demonstrate the different clouds - label). 
 

Lesson 7: Measuring water & weather
- Discuss how we can measure weather

(thermometer, barometer, anemometer, rain gauge, weather vane...).
- Start a weather chart, calendar, or journal.
- Create a weather/water cycle model or collage.

 

Lesson 8: Severe weather and weather safety
- Discuss and list types of severe weather.

- Talk about severe weather in your area and safety.
- Use the website weatherwizkids to lead the discussion and see pictures.

 

Additional Resources:

Weatherwizkids.com (games and information)
Neok12.com (videos and games)
Epa.gov
The Weather Channel For Kids