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Water's Incredible Journey

Lesson Plan

Water Cycle Wonders

Students will be able to identify and describe the main stages of the water cycle (evaporation, condensation, precipitation, collection) and explain their importance.

Understanding the water cycle helps students appreciate where their water comes from, how it moves through our environment, and why conserving water is so important for all living things.

Audience

3rd Grade Students

Time

50 minutes

Approach

Through engaging visuals, hands-on activity, and a flow chart, students will learn the water cycle.

Materials

Whiteboard or projector, Markers or pens, Water's Great Adventure, Jars with lids, Hot water (teacher supervised), Ice cubes, Shaving cream, Food coloring, Cloud in a Jar Experiment, and Water Cycle Flow Chart

Prep

Teacher Preparation

15 minutes

Step 1

Introduction: What is Water?

5 minutes

  • Begin by asking students: "Where does water go after it rains?" or "What happens to puddles when the sun comes out?"
    - Introduce the concept of the water cycle as the continuous journey of water on Earth. Use Slide 1 and Slide 2.

Step 2

Exploring the Water Cycle (Slides and Discussion)

15 minutes

  • Present the Water's Great Adventure slide deck, explaining each stage of the water cycle: evaporation, condensation, precipitation, and collection.
    - Encourage students to share what they already know and ask questions.
    - Facilitate a brief discussion using Slide 3 to Slide 7.

Step 3

Cloud in a Jar Experiment

15 minutes

  • Introduce the Cloud in a Jar Experiment.
    - Explain the safety precautions for handling hot water.
    - Guide students through the steps of creating a cloud in a jar, explaining how it demonstrates condensation and precipitation.
    - Discuss observations and connect them to the water cycle using Cloud in a Jar Experiment instructions.

Step 4

Water Cycle Flow Chart

10 minutes

  • Distribute the Water Cycle Flow Chart worksheet.
    - Instruct students to label the stages of the water cycle and draw a simple illustration for each stage.
    - Circulate and provide support as needed.

Step 5

Conclusion and Reflection

5 minutes

  • Review the main stages of the water cycle as a class.
    - Ask students to share one new thing they learned or one way they can conserve water.
    - Collect the Water Cycle Flow Chart worksheets.
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Slide Deck

Welcome to Water's Great Adventure!

Where does water go after it rains?

Greet students and start with an engaging question to activate prior knowledge about water. Encourage a few responses.

The Never-Ending Journey of Water

Water is always on the move!

It goes up, it goes down, it moves all around!
It never disappears, it just changes form.

Introduce the idea of a 'cycle' and explain that water is always moving, never truly disappearing. Emphasize that the water we use today is the same water dinosaurs drank!

Stage 1: Evaporation

Water turns into a gas called vapor and rises up to the sky!

Explain evaporation simply: sun heats water, water turns into invisible vapor, rises into the air. Give examples like puddles drying up or steam from a hot drink.

Stage 2: Condensation

Water vapor cools down and turns back into tiny liquid droplets, forming clouds!

Describe condensation: water vapor cools, forms tiny droplets, makes clouds. Connect it to seeing your breath on a cold day or water on the outside of a cold glass.

Stage 3: Precipitation

When clouds get too heavy, water falls back to Earth as rain, snow, sleet, or hail!

Explain precipitation: clouds get full, water falls back as rain, snow, hail, or sleet. Ask students about different types of precipitation they've seen.

Stage 4: Collection

Water that falls gathers in oceans, lakes, rivers, and even underground, ready to start its journey again!

Discuss collection: water gathers in oceans, lakes, rivers, or seeps into the ground. Emphasize that this water will then evaporate again to restart the cycle.

The Water Cycle in Action!

Evaporation -> Condensation -> Precipitation -> Collection

Why is the water cycle important for us?

Summarize the cycle and reinforce the continuous nature. Prompt students to think about why this cycle is important for life on Earth.

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Activity

Cloud in a Jar Experiment

Objective

To visually demonstrate the process of condensation and cloud formation, connecting it to the water cycle.

Materials Needed

  • Clear jar with a lid
  • Hot water (teacher supervised)
  • Ice cubes
  • Aerosol hairspray or shaving cream (teacher provided)

Instructions

Step 1: Prepare Your Jar

  • Pour about an inch of hot water into the clear jar. Be careful! Hot water should only be handled by the teacher or with close supervision.
  • Swirl the hot water around to warm up the sides of the jar. This creates water vapor inside.

Step 2: Create the Condensation Nuclei

  • Quickly remove the lid and spray a small burst of aerosol hairspray (or shaving cream) into the jar. This provides tiny particles for the water vapor to condense around.

Step 3: Add Your Cold Top

  • Immediately place the lid back on the jar.
  • Place several ice cubes on top of the lid. The cold from the ice will cool the air inside the top of the jar.

Step 4: Watch the Cloud Form!

  • Observe what happens inside the jar. You should start to see a misty cloud form inside as the warm, moist air meets the cold air from the ice.

Step 5: Make it Rain!

  • Carefully remove the lid and watch the cloud escape. This represents precipitation.

Discussion Questions

  • What did the hot water represent in the water cycle?
  • What happened when the warm, moist air met the cold air?
  • What did the cloud escaping the jar represent?
  • How does this experiment help us understand how clouds and rain form in the real world?
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Worksheet

Water Cycle Flow Chart

Name: ____________________________

Date: ____________________________

Instructions:

  • Label each stage of the water cycle in the boxes provided.
  • Draw a simple picture to represent what happens during that stage.
  • Use arrows to show the direction of water movement.

Stage 1:












Illustration:















Stage 2:












Illustration:















Stage 3:












Illustration:















Stage 4:












Illustration:















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