The document outlines a lesson plan on the water cycle for 4th grade students. It includes 12 questions to guide students through understanding the main components of the water cycle, including evaporation, condensation, precipitation, and collection. Students are directed to various websites to learn about each part and take a short quiz to test their understanding. The goal is for students to grasp the full water cycle and how water is recycled through nature.

1. Rebecca Powell
Grade: 4
Topic: The Water Cycle
Objective: Students will be able to identify the significance of water, as well as the
different parts of the water cycle.
1. Visit this website and read through the home page. On the page it says to pour a glass
of water. How old do you think the water is? How often do you use
water?http://www.kidzone.ws/water/
2. The Water Cycle keeps going and going. Name the four main parts of the water cycle
using the same website in question 1.
a)
b)
c)
d)
Now that we know the four main parts, let's learn more about them.
Follow the links to each of the parts and explain in your own words what
they are or how they are formed.
3. Evaporation
http://www.kidsgeo.com/geography-for-kids/0102-evaporation.php
4. Condensation
http://www.windows2universe.org/earth/Water/condensation.html

2. 5. Precipitation (Video on Rain and Snow)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E0HuqSI1xwA
6. Collection
http://www.seametrics.com/water-cycle-guide (Scroll down to Collection)
Great! Now that we know the main parts, let's look at the pictures below.
7. Match the picture with the correct part of the Water Cycle.
A
B
C
D
A)
B)
C)
D)

3. Way to go! You now know the stages of the Water Cycle. Condensation
and evaporation get tricky. How do we know the difference between them?
Let's visit the website below to find out.
8. Read the first paragraph on this website. What is the difference between evaporation
and condensation?
http://ga.water.usgs.gov/edu/watercycleprecipitation.html
9. Now visit the website below and click on the Interactive Water Cycle link. Explore the
game and then write down one thing you learned about clouds or rain.
http://water.epa.gov/learn/kids/drinkingwater/gamesandactivies.cfm
Throughout the year, we have a lot of precipitation in Utah. We get
rainstorms, hail, and snow. The precipitation helps supply our
groundwater and keep our ground green.
10. Go to http://www.weather.com/weather/today/Salt+Lake+City+UT+USUT0225 .
What is today’s chance of rain? Look outside and tell if the Weather Channel is right.
Today’s chance of rain:
What is your favorite form of precipitation?

4. 11. On this website, we will review the entire Water Cycle. First, play the video. After the
video, continue to the quiz. Write down your score of the quiz, and then repeat until you
get 5/5 correct.
http://teacher.scholastic.com/activities/studyjams/water_cycle/
Score:
Congratulations! You are now an expert on the Water Cycle
12. Just for fun! On this website, you will see the following image. Read more about the
water cycle and see if you can tell where each part of the water cycle go on the picture.
Start at the bottom and move in a counter-clockwise motion.
http://www.co.kane.il.us/kcstorm/education/kids/waterCycle.asp
Order:

5. Answer Key
1. We use water every day! Any glass of water can be as old as the Earth itself.
2. The main parts of the water cycle are:
a. Evaporation
b. Condensation
c. Precipitation
d. Collection
3. Evaporation: Water molecules escaping the Earth and moving up into the atmosphere
through steam.
4. Condensation: Water vapor releases into the air and gets cold. It then changes back
into a liquid and can form clouds.
5. Precipitation: Water in the air combines with dust and becomes so heavy that it falls
back to earth.
6. Collection: Precipitation that falls back down to the earth is collected by groundwater,
oceans, plants, etc.
7. Match the pictures
a. Evaporation
b. Precipitation
c. Collection
d. Condensation
8. Evaporation is when water escapes back into the atmosphere through vapor or heat,
condensation is when water vapor is changed back into a liquid when cold.
9. What did you learn? Answer may vary
10. Answer may vary
11. Score? Answer may vary
12. Order: evaporation, condensation, precipitation, collection