Introduce your students to the water cycle with these two labs. The first one is inquiry-based science—students build a mini water cycle and observe it throughout the unit. In the second one they use a kinesthetic model where they simulate being a water molecule moving through the water cycle. They read short scenarios of what happens to them in each location and keep a record of their journey using colored beads.
Processes like condensation, evaporation, and transpiration come alive as students work through these two science labs. Concepts like states of matter are reinforced as kids model water turning into solid, liquid, and gas as it works its way through the water cycle.
What's Included:
✅ Task Card instructions
✅ Student Sheet for capturing observations
✅ Answer Key to Student Sheet
✅ Student Reading with Questions
✅ Answer key to Student Reading questions.
✅ Teacher Notes with prep and set up suggestions along with explanations.
This Water Cycle Resource Is Great For:
❑ Whole class activity
❑ Group work
❑ Science Center, Science Stations
Questions Answered:
☀ How does water move through the water cycle?
☀ What is condensation and where does it occur?
☀ What is transpiration and where does it occur?
Topics & Concepts Addressed:
✦ Water will evaporate and condense
✦ Water vapor is invisible
✦ Water sticks to itself (cohesion).
TEKS
"SCI.4.8.B Earth and space. The student knows that there are recognizable patterns in the natural world and among the Sun, Earth, and Moon system. The student is expected to: describe and illustrate the continuous movement of water above and on the surface of Earth through the water cycle...
Materials Needed
zip top baggies; cups and measuring spoons (if using); Tape (duct works well); blue food coloring; pony beads (10 colors); pipe cleaners.
Preparation Needed
Print and laminate cards and signs; count out beads (5 per student per color)
✣ ✣ ✣ ✣ ✣ ✣
Connected Resources
Related labs in this unit
Answer Key
Extensive teacher notes address the many questions that come up. You shouldn’t have to do outside research on this topic unless you want to.
Target Audience
Elementary Grades 4–5, Ages 9–11
Terms of Use Copyright © Carolyn Balch. All rights reserved by the author. This product is to be used by the original downloader only. Copying for more than one teacher, classroom, department, school, or school system is prohibited. This product may not be distributed or displayed digitally for public view. Failure to comply is a copyright infringement and a violation of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA). Clipart and elements found in this PDF are copyrighted and cannot be extracted and used outside of this file without permission or license. Intended for classroom and personal use ONLY.
