TEKS
Teacher Background for The Water Cycle
Grade 5
TEKS 5.8B (New) Explain how the Sun and the ocean interact in the water cycle.
TEKS 5.8B
How the TEKS Changed
1998 TEKS
2010–2011 TEKS
4.11C Identify the Sun as the major source of energy for the Earth and
understand its role in the growth of plants, in the creation of winds,
and in the water cycle.
5.8B
Explain how the Sun and the ocean interact in the water cycle.
Unpacking the TEKS
Water continually moves and changes form on Earth. This pattern of change and motion is called the water cycle. The energy that powers the water cycle
comes from the sun. Most of Earth’s surface is covered by ocean, so the ocean and the sun interact in many places in the water cycle.
Use TEKS Lesson 5.8B to help students learn about the sun’s interactions with the ocean.
Related Content
The TEKS for this lesson fall under knowledge and skills statement 5.8: Earth and space. The student knows that there are recognizable patterns in the natural
world and among the Sun, Earth, and Moon system. Students will learn about the difference between weather and climate, Earth’s rotation, and the
characteristics of the sun, Earth, and moon. The content of this lesson also aligns with TEKS in other grades, including:
TEKS 3.8B Describe and illustrate the Sun as a star composed of gases that provides light and heat energy for the water cycle.
TEKS 4.8B Describe and illustrate the continuous movement of water above and on the surface of Earth through the water cycle and explain the role of the
Sun as a major source of energy in this process.
TEKS 8.10A Recognize that the Sun provides the energy that drives convection within the atmosphere and oceans, producing winds and ocean currents.
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Content Refresher
Prior Knowledge
El Niño One of the largest El Niños on
record occurred during the years 1997 and
1998. Although the massive warm-water
current was already shrinking by January of
1998, it was still 1.5 times the size of the
continental United States. Because it was so
large, the 1997–1998 El Niño brought some
of the most unusual weather ever recorded
in the United States. Many regions had
unusually wet or dry conditions. Storms
battered the coast of California. Regions
outside of the United States also were
affected. Torrential downpours occurred in
parts of eastern and central Africa that are
usually arid, and drought conditions existed
in northeastern Brazil, Indonesia, and
Australia, where it is usually wet.
Content and Vocabulary
Activating Prior Knowledge
Students should be familiar with the Celsius temperature scale,
and with the concept of heat transfer by convection. Students
should also have a basic understanding of winds, and of changes
of state (evaporation and condensation).
temperature: how hot or cold something is; a measure of the
average energy of motion of the particles of a substance
convection: the transfer of thermal energy by the motion of a
fluid
Have students describe in their notebooks
a visit to the ocean that they have made, or
one that they have heard about. How
warm or cold was the water? Did they
notice any connection between the water
temperature and the weather?
Covering the TEKS and Their Breakouts:
Students will master TEKS 5.8B when they read and answer:
Lesson Question 2 where they will (5.8Bi) explain how the Sun and the ocean interact in the water cycle.
Lab Where Did the Water Go? Think It Over Question 4 where they will (5.8Bi) explain how the Sun and the ocean interact in the water cycle.
Lesson Review Question 3 where they will (5.8Bi) explain how the Sun and the ocean interact in the water cycle.
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