Science Education Resource Center at Carleton College
Serc: Mn Step: Terrarium Investigating the Water Cycle in a 1 or 2 Liter Bottle
For this activity, students construct a terrarium in a bottle, and observe it over time to see when it 'rains,' which will indicate the completion of a water cycle.
American Geosciences Institute
American Geosciences Institute: Earth Science Week: Water: A Never Ending Story
Students carry out a number of activities that demonstrate the concepts of evaporation, condensation, precipitation, and soil moisture and runoff. Then students construct a terrarium as a way to observe the water cycle. Immediately...
American Geosciences Institute
American Geosciences Institute: Earth Science Week: Earth's Hydrologic Cycle
In this experiment, students create a model of the water cycle and learn about its crucial role in moving water around the Earth.
ClassFlow
Class Flow: Water Cycle
[Free Registration/Login Required] This is an activity flipchart that asks students to label the various phases of the water cycle.
University Corporation for Atmospheric Research
Ucar: Just a Phase: Water as a Solid, Liquid, and Gas
This site helps students construct a model of the arrangement of water molecules when present as solid, liquid or gas. Includes background information, lesson plans, links to standards and assessment ideas.
Next.cc
Next: Water
Multiple activities help students gain a better understanding of the importance of water conservation. Click on the links provides for further exploration.
Texas Instruments
Texas Instruments: Water Cycle
This StudyCards stack enables students to review the vocabulary associated with weather.
TeachEngineering
Teach Engineering: Moving Without Wheels
In a class demonstration, students observe a simple water cycle model to better understand its role in pollutant transport. This activity shows one way in which pollution is affected by the water cycle; it simulates a point source of...
Other
Water on the Web
Water on the Web (WOW) is an advanced site allowing students to actively participate in data analysis from real research sites. Lesson plans on a range of topics are provided. There is also a tutorial for using Excel to graph WOW data.
TeachEngineering
Teach Engineering: Witnessing Evaporation
The engineers at Splash Engineering (the students) have been commissioned by Thirsty County to conduct a study of evaporation and transpiration in their region. During one week, students observe and measure (by weight) the ongoing...
Other
The Learning Partnership: Journey to El Yunque
In this set of learning modules, students examine the impact of hurricane weather on the El Yunque rainforest in Puerto Rico. They learn about hurricanes, producers, consumers, and the food chain, and how disruptions in organisms'...
Other
Earth Science: Earth's Surface and Heat [Pdf]
This textbook chapter looks at the role of temperature in sustaining life on Earth and on weather and climate. It discusses the Earth's movements and the seasons, the circulation of the oceans, wind and weather, and the water cycle....
Science Education Resource Center at Carleton College
Serc: Investigating Weather: A House of Seasons
Using pictures from magazines, young scholars will find sources of precipitation and water in this classroom activity. Students will then create a college of these pictures and group them based on the season.
TeachEngineering
Teach Engineering: Floodplain Modeling
Students explore the impact of changing river volumes and different floodplain terrain in experimental trials with table top-sized riverbed models. The models are made using modeling clay in aluminum baking pans placed on a slight...
Concord Consortium
Concord Consortium: Stem Resources: Beginning Clouds Unit
Explore how clouds are formed with the computer-based model in these interactive activities. Also learn about clouds part in the water cycle. Activity includes pre- and post-tests which can be saved and graded by the teacher.
TeachEngineering
Teach Engineering: Urban Stormwater Management
Through the two lessons in this unit, students are introduced to green infrastructure and low-impact development technologies. Student teams take on the role of stormwater engineers through five associated activities.
BioEd Online
Bio Ed Online: River Ecology
In this lesson plan students are required to simulate activities that can affect a water source, such a river as it flows from one place to another within a community.
Utah Education Network
Uen: Trb 4:1 Investigation 3 Condensation Chambers
Activities will help with understanding the concept of water condensation.
Curated OER
[Water Cycle Graphic]
This page from the University of Washington has an excellent diagram of the water cycle. There are 8 water cycle hands on activities on the bottom of the page. Also there is a link to a teacher reference page.
US Geological Survey
Lake Pontchartrain Basin Foundation: Liquid Assets: Our Water Resources
Lessons designed to show students how water quality, water pollution, and personal lifestyle are related. Lessons help students understand the importance of our water resources and water quality. Students will explore the nonpoint and...
TeachEngineering
Teach Engineering: On the Move
Looking at models and maps, students explore different pathways and consequences of pollutant transport via the weather and water cycles. In an associated literacy activity, students develop skills of observation, recording and reporting...
Science Education Resource Center at Carleton College
Serc: Minnesota Watersheds
In this lesson, students will understand that water flows down a slope and determines how watersheds flow. They will also learn that water flows in three basic directions and that each watershed is divided by the area's higher elevations...
TeachEngineering
Teach Engineering: Making "Magic" Sidewalks of Pervious Pavement
Students use everyday building materials- sand, pea gravel, cement and water- to create and test pervious pavement. Groups are challenged to create their own pervious pavement mixes, experimenting with material ratios to evaluate how...
TeachEngineering
Teach Engineering: Fish Friendly Engineering
Students further their understanding of the salmon life cycle and the human structures and actions that aid in the migration of fish around hydroelectric dams by playing an animated PowerPoint game involving a fish that must climb a fish...