precipitation. (Write precipitation on the board.) What are other forms of
precipitation? (ASR: snow, sleet, freezing rain) Now where does that water go?
Well, the water can go a few places. First the water can soak into the ground.
That is how the plants get the water. But some of the water stays on the surface
in the form of puddles. Some of the water may travel into ponds, lakes, or
streams. This water eventually travels to larger bodies of water. So let’s add that
step to our picture. (Draw the ground and water soaking in. Draw a puddle. Draw
the water moving from stream to ocean.) Next, think about that water in the
puddle. Does it stay in the puddle forever? (ASR: no) Well, what happens to it?
(ASR: it goes up into the air.) You are right. We say that the water evaporates.
What causes the water to evaporate? (ASR: I don’t know.) The sun causes it to
evaporate. The sun heats up the water and the liquid water turns to a vapor.
That is called evaporation. (Write evaporation on the board.) So let’s add to our
picture some arrows going up to represent the water evaporating. Now what
happens to all those water vapors? Well, they get together and have a party.
The water vapors don’t like to be alone, so they join together and literally begin
to stick together. This step is called condensation. (Write condensation on the
board.) As the water vapor condenses, clouds are formed. So let’s turn this group
of water vapors into a cloud. (Draw a new cloud of the board.) Now when a
cloud gets too full of water vapors, it bursts and it is . . . rains. Whew! You have
just learned the water cycle and you have just answered the question how does
the water cycle work.
GP: But before we tackle that question alone, let’s see what you remember.
What is a cloud made of? Think back to what I just said –about what happens at
the end of the water cycle. (ASR: water vapor) Excellent. I need some volunteers
to be water vapors. (Choose 6-7 students.) Now if you are in a cloud, you are
having a party and are close together. But all of a sudden the cloud gets too
heavy so what begins to happen? (ASR: It rains.) Yes, and what do we call the
rain. (ASR: Precipitation) You got it. Now before you water vapors rain, let’s
think about what happens after it rains. I said that the water basically goes three
places. Does anyone remember one of those places? (ASR: It soaks into the
ground.) Yes, some of the water goes into the ground. So, you two students soak
into the ground and return to your seats. What else happens to the water? (ASR:
some of it goes to streams, lakes, oceans) You got it! Some of it does travel to
large bodies of water. So you three students travel down a stream and end up
over there in the Atlantic Ocean. Where is the third place? (ASR: puddles)
You’re right! Some of the water rests on top of the ground in puddles. So you
two students be a puddle!. Now that water doesn’t just stay in the puddle or
ocean. Where does it go? (ASR: back to the sky) How does it get there? (ASR: it
evaporates) What causes it to evaporate? (ASR: the sun) So I need someone to
play the sun. Okay, (student name), come shine brightly in the sky. Boy, it is
getting warm in here. So now what is going to happen to the water in the ocean
and puddle? (ASR: it is going to evaporate). Okay another trip upward for you
water vapors. (Ask the students to “evaporate” and move back to the front of
the classroom.) Now more water from other places has evaporated and we are
getting a good party started up there. Who wants to join the party? (Take
volunteers) Boy we have lots of water vapors and they are moving closer and
closer together. What are they doing? (ASR: Condensation) Excellent! The
water vapors are condensing and the cloud is forming and soon it will do what?
(ASR: rain, precipitation)