Name: _____________________________________ Period: _______ Date: ___________ # ______
The Water Cycle
Claim Evidence Reasoning
Directions: You have been investigating the question of “How does water cycle through Earth’s
systems?” Apply what you have learned and how your thinking has changed throughout the scope to
complete the Claim-Evidence-Reasoning assessment.
Scenario
Scientists have collected a significant amount of data about the water cycle and the six main
processes of the water cycle: evaporation, condensation, precipitation, transpiration, infiltration, and
runoff. Some of the collected data can be observed in the scientific definitions and the diagram of the
water cycle below.
Term
Scientific Definition
Application in Water Cycle
evaporation
when a liquid changes to
its gaseous state
Water has enough energy to leave its liquid
state and become water vapor.
condensation
when a gas changes to its
liquid state
Water vapor molecules cool down high in the
atmosphere and form droplets, then drops of
water.
precipitation
any form of condensed
water falling back to
Earth’s surface
With certain temperature and atmospheric
pressure conditions, droplets of water in
clouds join together to form larger, heavier
drops. Rain, snow, sleet, or hail falls to
Earth’s surface.
transpiration
process of evaporation of
water from the leaves of
plants
Plants absorb water from the soil. As they
open tiny pores in their leaves to take in
carbon dioxide for photosynthesis, some
water escapes (along with oxygen) and
evaporates, becoming water vapor in the
atmosphere.
infiltration
process of rainwater
soaking into the ground
Rainwater soaks into the ground, through soil
and porous underground rock, becoming
groundwater.
water that flows over land
until it joins with rivers,
lakes, and oceans
Much of the precipitation that returns to
Earth’s surface is unable to be absorbed, and
it flows downhill over Earth’s surface and
collects minerals and soil until it joins with
rivers, lakes, and oceans.
runoff
Over⇒
Prompt: Write a scientific explanation for how the processes of the water cycle (evaporation,
condensation, precipitation, transpiration, infiltration, and runoff) depend upon the Sun’s energy to
cycle water on Earth.
Claim:
Evidence:
Reasoning: