OpenSciEd
Open Sci Ed: 6.3 Weather, Climate & Water Cycling
This Weather, Climate & Water Cycling unit has students investigating small-scale storms, mesoscale weather systems and climate-level patterns of precipitation.
Science Education Resource Center at Carleton College
Serc: Investigating the Water Cycle: Using Plants to Study Evaporation
In this science activity, students investigate the water cycle by testing the water evaporated from leaves (transpiration). They investigate concepts of evaporation and the movement of water through the different states of the water...
Science Education Resource Center at Carleton College
Serc: Investigating the Water Cycle: Evaporation
In this water cycle activity, students investigate the evaporation process by participating in an outdoor evaporation experiment held on the school grounds. Students will determine where evaporation takes place the fastest and how nature...
Science Education Resource Center at Carleton College
Serc: Mn Step: Water Cycle: Investigating Condensation
Students will listen to a story about the water cycle, observe how water droplets form on a glass of icy water, then draw and label a picture showing condensation.
Science Education Resource Center at Carleton College
Serc: Investigating the Water Cycle "Snow Fun"
In this teacher directed inquiry indoor lab students collect snow in a cup. They will estimate how much water will be in the cup after the snow melts. Students will then make predictions about what will happen to the cup of water. After...
National Association of Geoscience Teachers
Nagt: Demonstrating Climate Change and the Water Cycle
Demonstration of the greenhouse effect and its role in climate change, discussion of the phases of water and the water cycle, and a hands-on experiment to investigate the role of temperature in phase changes of water.
Science Education Resource Center at Carleton College
Serc: Investigating the Precipitation Streamflow Relationship
The intricate relationship between precipitation and streamflow is illustrative of the complexity and changing nature of the water cycle. These key aspects can be investigated to help understand the water cycle. The duration and...
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.
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.
Science Education Resource Center at Carleton College
Serc: Lab 6: Air, Water, Land, & Life: A Global Perspective
An investigation that is part of a series of lab lessons that expose students to Earth Systems through research, data, and visualizations. In this lab, students will follow the pathway of water on a big scale and a small scale down to...
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.
SRI International
Performance Assessment Links in Science: Up, Up and Away (Lesson)
Students will observe water evaporation in this performance task, and investigate the water cycle. The task is designed for Grade Two.
Other
Cwec: Solid, Liquid, Gas! (Mini Unit) [Pdf]
The water cycle is investigated in this mini-unit, and water in its three states.
Other
Cwec: The Rain Recipe (Mini Unit) [Pdf]
Students investigate the water cycle in this mini-unit. Requires Adobe Reader. [PDF]
American Geosciences Institute
American Geosciences Institute: Climate and Weather
Eight hands-on lessons module in which students explore climate and weather. Inquiry-based investigations include observing weather, weather reporting, weather maps, weather satellites, causes of weather, and climate change.
American Geosciences Institute
American Geosciences Institute: Earth Science Week: Sea and Ice Salinity
Learners investigate the effects of salinity on the formation of sea ice, and whether salt water freezes more quickly or more slowly than fresh water.
US Geological Survey
U.s. Geological Survey: Search
The U.S. Geological Survey offers information for teachers and students interested on Earth Science research. Contains references to general information as well as current research and events.
Science Education Resource Center at Carleton College
Serc: Evaporation: Determine the Variables That Affect the Rate of Evaporation
In this instructional activity, students will be able to explain and demonstrate the process of evaporation while discovering the variables that affect the rate of evaporation.
TeachEngineering
Teach Engineering: Air Pollution
Students are introduced to the concept of air quality by investigating the composition, properties, atmospheric layers and everyday importance of air. They explore the sources and effects of visible and invisible air pollution. By...
TeachEngineering
Teach Engineering: Solar System!
An introduction to our solar system: the planets, our Sun and our Moon. Students begin by learning the history and engineering of space travel. They make simple rockets to acquire a basic understanding Newton's third law of motion. They...
TeachEngineering
Teach Engineering: Environment
Through 10 lessons and more than 20 hands-on activities, students are introduced to the concept of an environment and the many interactions within it. As they learn about natural and human-made environments, as well as renewable and...