Water Cycle Adventure

Cheryl Carlson

Tier 1

Lesson Plan

Water Cycle Adventure

Students will explore and identify the stages of the water cycle—evaporation, condensation, and precipitation—through hands-on experiments and visual activities, enabling them to describe each process and complete related illustrations.

Understanding the water cycle builds foundational Earth science knowledge, fosters environmental awareness, and supports later lessons on weather and conservation by connecting concrete experiences with scientific vocabulary.

Audience

Kindergarten to 2nd Grade Students

Time

60 minutes

Approach

Hands-on experiments paired with interactive visuals.

Materials

Real Glass Jars, Water, Water Cycle Adventure Slide Deck, Water Cycle Experiment Worksheet, Clear Plastic Lids or Plastic Wrap, Ice Cubes, Blue Food Coloring, Paper Towels, and Markers or Crayons

Prep

Prepare Materials and Review Slides

15 minutes

Gather all jars, plastic wrap, ice cubes, and coloring supplies.
Print one copy of the Water Cycle Experiment Worksheet per student.
Ensure the classroom projector is set up for the Water Cycle Adventure Slide Deck.
Familiarize yourself with each slide and the experiment steps before class.

Step 1

Introduction and Warm-Up

10 minutes

Display the first slides of the Water Cycle Adventure Slide Deck.
Ask students: “Where does rain come from?” and record responses on chart paper.
Introduce key terms (evaporation, condensation, precipitation) with simple definitions and visuals.

Step 2

Evaporation and Condensation Experiment

20 minutes

Have each student fill a jar halfway with water and add one drop of blue food coloring.
Cover jars with plastic wrap and secure with a rubber band.
Place two ice cubes on top of the wrap and ask students to predict what will happen.
After 5–10 minutes, guide students to observe water droplets forming under the wrap—discuss evaporation (water turning to vapor) and condensation (vapor turning back to liquid).

Step 3

Guided Practice and Worksheet

15 minutes

Distribute the Water Cycle Experiment Worksheet.
Instruct students to draw and label each stage of the water cycle based on their observations and slide images.
Circulate the room, providing support and asking questions like: “What caused the water to evaporate?”.

Step 4

Closure and Assessment

15 minutes

Reconvene as a class and review each water cycle stage using slide images.
Invite volunteers to match terms (evaporation, condensation, precipitation) to pictures on the board.
Ask each student to share one new thing they learned.
Collect worksheets to assess understanding and provide feedback.

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