Earth Science: The Water Cycle
How water moves through Earth and the sky
Earth Science: The Water Cycle
How water moves through Earth and the sky
Earth Science - Grade 2-3
- 1
What is the water cycle?
Think about water moving from the ground to the sky and back again.
The water cycle is the movement of water between Earth, the air, and clouds over and over again. - 2
Fill in the blank: When the Sun warms water in a puddle and it changes into water vapor, this is called _____.
This is called evaporation. Evaporation happens when liquid water changes into water vapor. - 3
A cloud forms when tiny drops of water come together in the sky. What part of the water cycle is this?
Clouds are made of tiny drops of water or ice.
This part of the water cycle is condensation. Condensation happens when water vapor cools and turns into tiny water drops. - 4
Name three kinds of precipitation.
Three kinds of precipitation are rain, snow, and hail. Sleet is another kind of precipitation. - 5
What happens to rainwater after it falls to the ground?
Think about where water goes after a rainstorm.
Rainwater may soak into the soil, flow into rivers or lakes, or collect in puddles and other places. - 6
Look at a water cycle diagram. Put these steps in order: precipitation, evaporation, condensation.
The steps are evaporation, condensation, and precipitation. Water warms and rises, forms clouds, and then falls back to Earth. - 7
Why is the Sun important in the water cycle?
Warmth helps liquid water change into water vapor.
The Sun is important because it gives heat that helps water evaporate from oceans, lakes, rivers, and puddles. - 8
A student says, "Clouds are only made of air." Explain why this is not correct.
This is not correct because clouds are made of tiny water droplets or tiny ice crystals floating in the air. - 9
Draw or describe what evaporation looks like at a lake on a warm day.
Water vapor is usually invisible, so arrows can show it moving upward.
Evaporation at a lake looks like water changing into invisible water vapor and rising into the air because of heat from the Sun. - 10
What is collection in the water cycle?
Collection is when water gathers in places such as oceans, lakes, rivers, ponds, or puddles after it falls to Earth. - 11
Circle the word that means water falling from clouds: evaporation, precipitation, condensation.
This is the step you can often see during a storm.
The correct word is precipitation. Precipitation means water falling from clouds as rain, snow, sleet, or hail. - 12
How can water from a river become part of a cloud?
Water from a river can evaporate into water vapor, rise into the air, cool, and condense into tiny droplets that form a cloud. - 13
After a rainstorm, a puddle is on the sidewalk. Two days later, the puddle is gone. What most likely happened?
The water did not disappear forever. It changed form and moved into the air.
The puddle most likely evaporated. Heat from the Sun helped the liquid water change into water vapor in the air. - 14
Is water in the water cycle always a liquid? Explain your answer.
No, water in the water cycle is not always a liquid. It can be a liquid, a gas called water vapor, or a solid such as ice or snow. - 15
Write a short story about one drop of water traveling through the water cycle. Use at least three water cycle words.
You can begin with a drop in an ocean, puddle, river, or lake.
A good story should describe a water drop moving through steps such as evaporation, condensation, precipitation, and collection. For example, the drop evaporates from the ocean, condenses in a cloud, falls as rain, and collects in a lake.