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The Water Cycle: Now You See It, Now You Don't
https://aquarius.oceansciences.org/activities/water_cycle.pdf

Aquarius Education and Public Outreach, National Aeronautics and Space Administration

This lesson is an instructor demonstration that focuses specifically on two aspects of the water cycle: evaporation and condensation. This is a well described instructor led demonstration for introducing and exploring the water cycle.

This activity takes approximately 1 hour 35 minutes, but can be broken into separate lessons. Additional materials are required.

Learn more about Teaching Climate Literacy and Energy Awareness»


Grade Level

Online Readiness

Topics

Climate Literacy

This Resource builds on the following concepts of Climate Literacy.

Click a topic below for supporting information, teaching ideas, and sample activities.

Notes From Our Reviewers The CLEAN collection is hand-picked and rigorously reviewed for scientific accuracy and classroom effectiveness. Read what our review team had to say about this resource below or learn more about how CLEAN reviews teaching materials
Teaching Tips | Science | Pedagogy | Technical Details

Teaching Tips

  • Data sheet to be completed by students was not attached.
  • This seems like an easy to use guide for performing the demonstration and assessing the student's knowledge afterwards.
  • This lesson is part of NASA's Aquarius curriculum, which is no longer being updated.

About the Content

  • This resource is an activity/demonstration of the water cycle.
  • There is a review on precipitation, evaporation, condensation, transpiration, and infiltration that is provided before the demonstration.
  • The demonstration creates a closed hydrological system in an aquarium and offers discussion points for the students to solidify their knowledge of the water cycle.
  • There are several points of misconceptions/preconceptions that are listed and can be addressed during the demonstration, for example, "When water evaporates it just disappears and ceases to exist."
  • Passed initial science review - expert science review pending.

About the Pedagogy

  • The resource's main activity is a demonstration of the water cycle inside of an aquarium.
  • There is introductory material provided as well as a wrap-up/assessment with discussion points about what the students have learned.
  • KWL strategy (what do I know, what do I want to know, what I learned) establishes a base of understanding, questioning, and a clear statement of the learning for all students.
  • Assessment ideas are provided, including as part of the larger "Aquarius Concept Map – Water & its patterns on Earth's surface."
  • The activity can be done as a demonstration or as a group project, depending on the available materials.

Technical Details/Ease of Use

  • USGS, UCAR, and Aquarius links are broken. Despite this, the main sources are still valid and with a google search a correct link can be found.
  • There is some concern about adding a little smoke to the aquarium to help them see the circulation-since not all schools allow matches-however a few matches or incense sticks lit by the teacher, then blown out and quickly dropped into the box will work.
  • Prep time could be significant for teachers.

Related URLs These related sites were noted by our reviewers but have not been reviewed by CLEAN

Entered the Collection: August 2020 Last Reviewed: June 2020

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