![]() ![]() Note: The Climate Change and Sea Level Rise lesson provides a related lesson that is NGSS-aligned for grades 5-8. Question: How are types of precipitation other than rain measured? Using a hose or homemade "rain maker" watering cans, students can experiment with how a rain gauge works and why rain gauges of varying sizes should record the same amount of rainfall. In this lesson, students explore the function and design of a rain gauge and then make their own. Using a rain gauge is one way to monitor rainfall. In the Make a Rain Gauge to Study Precipitation lesson, students learn about precipitation and the importance of measuring precipitation for understanding both local and global weather patterns. The melting of frozen water (ice) also puts water back in motion in the water cycle. ![]() It can be observed in weather events like snow, hail, and rain. Precipitation is a critical step in the water cycle as it involves liquid or frozen water falling to the Earth. Both represent processes in which the state of water changes to a liquid form. Precipitation and melting help move water along in the water cycle. How might harvesting water from fog help? Questions: Why is fog more frequent in some areas than others? Ensuring access to a water supply is a global concern. In the How to Harvest Water from Fog activity, students explore the makeup of fog using a method for harvesting water from the air. Like clouds that form higher in the atmosphere, fog contains moisture that has evaporated into the air and condensed. Questions: What role does heat play in cloud formation? Why is water vapor necessary for cloud formation? How are evaporation and condensation related?įog is a kind of cloud that touches the ground. In a cloud, water droplets attach to dust molecules-it takes billions of these to create a visible cloud. The water vapor then condenses into a liquid form. As warm air carrying moisture in the form of water vapor rises, it expands and cools. As the temperature in the jar is changed, students will observe how water changes state. In the Cumulus Maximus: Test WEATHER you can make your own cloud! activity, students explore cloud formation and the processes of vaporization and condensation by making a cloud in a jar. Condensation is the process by which water changes from a gas to a liquid. Evaporation is the process by which water changes from a liquid to a gas (water vapor). Questions: Why does the water cycle require the Sun? Why is the water cycle important for life on Earth?Įvaporation and condensation are important processes related to how water shifts between states of matter in the water cycle. Explanatory information covers infiltration, transpiration, sublimation, and surface runoff. ![]() The model also enables discussion about how the water cycle includes water that soaks into land, runs off mountains, and gets absorbed by plants. In the Make a Miniature Water Cycle Model activity, students make a model of the water cycle in a plastic bag and use it to explore how water moves in and out of the atmosphere in a cycle of precipitation, evaporation, and condensation. Lesson Plans and Activities to Teach About the Water Cycle The System Activities are simplified explorations that can be used in the classroom or in informal learning environments. Lesson Plans offer NGSS alignment, contain background materials to boost teacher confidence, even in areas that may be new to them, and include supplemental resources like worksheets, videos, discussion questions, and assessment materials. Note: Science Buddies Lesson Plans contain materials to support educators leading hands-on STEM learning with students. The resources below have been grouped as follows: ![]() The free STEM lessons and activities below help students model and explore the water cycle, the various processes, the role landforms and water bodies play, and questions related to sustainability and the importance of water conservation. Amazingly, the water on Earth today is estimated to be more than a billion years old! (For more information to support introducing the water cycle, see the Teaching About the Water Cycle and the Future notes at the bottom of this resource.) As water moves between land, the oceans, and the atmosphere, the distribution of water (where it is located or in what state) is always changing, but the total amount of water on Earth stays approximately the same. In this process, water shifts between solid, liquid, and gaseous forms, occupying all three states of matter at varying times. Thanks to the natural hydrologic cycle (water cycle), water on Earth is continuously recycled. With more than 70% of Earth's surface covered in water, water is one of the planet's most abundant natural resources. ![]()
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