Water and Global Responsibility STEM Unit
LP3_Water Cycle
Lesson Plan 3: Water Cycle
Overview
In this lesson students build a model to explore the different parts of the water cycle.
Background Knowledge: Students should understand the different states of water:
solid, liquid and gas, prior to doing this lesson.
Time Required: Approx. 2 hours
Grade Level: Grades 5 and 6
Subject Area: Language Arts and Art
Key Words: Water Cycle, Solid, Liquid, Gas, Evaporation, Condensation, Precipitation,
Run-off, Ground Water, Surface Water, Evapotranspiration
Alberta Curriculum Links: See curriculum link table
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Water and Global Responsibility STEM Unit
LP3_Water Cycle
Lesson Plan 3: Water Cycle
2 hours
Learning Expectations
1. Describe the different parts of the water cycle.
2. Discuss the three states of water: solid, liquid and gas.
Materials
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Option 1: Water Cycle Model Container
1 ½ gallon mason jar or plastic container
Food colouring
Masking tape
Rock
Water
Instructions for building model
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Option 2: Water Cycle Model Bag
Zip lock bag
Food colouring
Water
Masking tape
Thermometer
Instructions for building water cycle model
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Option 3: Tea Kettle
Water
Kettle
Surface that can be held above steam without heating up
For options 1 and 2, one set of materials is required per group
Preparation
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Decide which model option you want students to build
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Set up stations with materials around the room. There should be one station
for every 3 to 4 students.
Introduction
10 minutes
1. Write the word "cycle" on the board. Discuss these questions:
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What images are suggested by the word "cycle"?
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What shapes best represent cycles?
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Have you ever heard of the water cycle? What do you know about it?
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Water and Global Responsibility STEM Unit
LP3_Water Cycle
Option 1 & 2: Build a Water Cycle
45 minutes
1. Explain to students that they are going to build a model of a water cycle.
2. Divide students into groups of 3 or 4 ask them to return to their base groups.
3. Provide each group with the materials required to build the water cycle model
and a set of instructions.
4. Ask students to read through the instructions as a group and ask you if they
have any questions.
5. Note: You may want to have an example of a model at the front of the class.
6. Provide each group with time to prepare their model.
Option 1 & 2: Observe the model
30 minutes
1. Leave the model under a lamp or in the sun for at least a few hours.
2. Ask students to return to their models and observe what they see.
3. Ask them to discuss the “think about” questions on their instruction sheet, and
note down their answers.
4. Once they have returned to the whole group, ask students to explain what
they observed in the model. Write down their observations on the board i.e.
water droplets are forming on the side of the jar, water is running down the
rock (land) etc.
5. Ask students if they can explain why these things are occurring.
6. Ask students if they can provide names for the different phenomena they saw
in the model. i.e. evaporation, condensation, precipitation, run off. Try to
include observations and terms for each step of the water cycle.
7. Ask a representative from each group to write down the names of the
different parts of the water cycle on small pieces of paper.
8. Ask groups to return to their model and label the different parts of the water
cycle that they see occurring within it.
Option 3: Tea Kettle Model
1. Place a boiling tea kettle at the front of the room.
2. Ask students what is coming out of the kettle and why (water vapour because
the liquid water is heating up and turning to gas).
3. Ask students if they know what this process is called (evaporation), and write
the name of the process on the board.
4. Place a cold surface above the vapour. Ask the student to describe what is
occurring (the vapour is turning to liquid and dripping off the surface)
5. Ask students to name the processes that are occurring (condensation and
precipitation) and write the terms on the board.
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Water and Global Responsibility STEM Unit
LP3_Water Cycle
6. Draw a diagram of the water cycle showing where these process occur, then
ask student what other process are missing (transpiration, and run-off), and
add them to the cycle.
Review
20 minutes
1. Read and colour the water cycle from this page www.bogglesworldesl.com or
ask students to draw a copy of the water cycle in their notebooks and label
each of the parts.
Extension
 Think about different climates in the world, like Haiti, Calgary or Kenya. How
would those different temperatures affect the water cycle?
 Think about a recent event like a flood, why is this happening?
References:
Lesson is adapted from Ocean Alive Model of a Water Cycle Lesson:
www.sciencenetlinks.com/Esheet.php?DocID=174
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Water and Global Responsibility STEM Unit
LP3_Water Cycle
Option 1: Building a Water Cycle Model with a Container
Materials
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1 ½ gallon mason jar or clear plastic container with a clear lid
Food colouring
Masking tape
Rock
Water
Procedure
1. Pour water into the bottom of the container, filling it slightly.
2. Add a few drops of food colouring
3. Put a rock in the middle of the container. Some of the rock should stick
up out of the water. This rock represents land.
Rock
4. Put a lid on the jar – it’s best to use a clear lid.
5. Place the model in a sunny window sill or under a
lamp and observe.
Water level
Think about:
 Where did the tiny droplets of water on the side of the container come from?
 Can you tell if there is any less water in the bottom of the container? How would
you find out?
 Hold a piece of colored ice against the condensed water vapor in the container.
What happens?
 What would occur if you were to move the container out of the sun? Why?
 What other factors can influence this?
Adapted from: http://www.mos.org/oceans/planet/cycle.html
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Water and Global Responsibility STEM Unit
LP3_Water Cycle
Option 2: Building a Water Cycle Model with a Bag
Materials
 large, zip-lock plastic baggies
 water
 food coloring
 masking tape
 thermometer (one that has a large range, like an outdoor thermometer)
Procedure
1. Put about a cup of water into a large zip lock bag
2. Add a drop or two of food coloring.
3. Carefully seal the ziplock and tape it onto a sunny window.
4. Hold the bulb of the thermometer against the bag for three minutes
and then record the temperature.
5. Let the bag hang in the sun for a couple of hours then observe the
bag again. Look for any changes in the bag. Hold the bulb of the
thermometer against the bag again for three minutes. Has there
been a change in temperature?
Source:
www.mos.org/oceans/
planet/watercycle.html
Think about:
 Where did the tiny droplets of water on the side of the bag come from?
 Can you tell if there is any less water in the bottom of the bag? How would you
find out?
 Hold a piece of colored ice against the condensed water vapor in the bag. What
happens?
 What would occur if you were to move the bag out of the sun? Why?
Adapted from Oceans Alive: www.mos.org/oceans/planet/watercycle.html
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