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 cycle by various guided inquiry experiments. Students compare evaporation of trees in the shade and in the sun. Students are asked to diagram their results for the experiment in their lab notebooks. Students are also asked to develop a testable question related to and formulate a method to evaluate their results. During another investigation, with a spin of the spinner, students simulate the movement of water within the water cycle and track their results.