Water Cycle & Weather Unit

Unit Overview:

This unit focuses on the water cycle and weather. This unit of study not only increases student's awareness of the world, but also helps them in other subject areas as well.  Students will learn science concepts, writing, reading, and math through this exploration unit.  This unit will increase the student’s knowledge base while boosting other educational skills and bringing in a fun element of learning.

Unit Lessons:

Some of these lessons take some advanced prep and can be combined.

Lesson 1: Water Cycle Introduction
- Check prior knowledge and discuss where water comes from. 
- Use kidzone.com to introduce water cycle.
- Introduce the water cycle experiment (water cycle experiments link)

Lesson 2: Stages of the Water Cycle
- Delve into the stages of the water cycle (use Tristan’s Water Cycle for a teaching aid www.epa.gov)
- Have your child color the water cycle coloring page.

Lesson 3: Evaporation
- Discuss what evaporation means. Review the stages of the water cycle to discuss evaporation.
- Evaporation experiment (water cycle experiments link)
- Read the "Water Cycle Stages" book and complete the evaporation Kidzone page.

Lesson 4: Condensation
- Discuss condensation. Go to the experiment from Lesson 1 and observe condensation taking place.
- Complete the Water Cycle observation form together as a class.
- Complete the condensation Kidzone page.

Lesson 5: Precipitation
- Discuss different forms of precipitation and make a list of all the types you can think of.
- Use the site kidsgeo.com to teach about types of precipitation. 
- Read the online story Drippy The Raindrop: (drippytheraindrop.com)
- Complete the precipitation Kidzone page.

Lesson 6: Water storage/collection
- Discuss water storage/water recycling. 
- Complete the Collection page from the "Water Cycle Stages" book.
- Create a water cycle wheel (www.epa.com)
- Complete the collection Kidzone page.

Lesson 7: How clouds are formed
- Take your child outside to observe the clouds.
- Play the little cloud song and use the kidsgeo.com.
- Use kidsgeo.com and weatherwizkids.com to discuss of clouds and how they are formed. 
- Cloud In A Jar Experiment: Use atozkidsstuff.com to do the cloud in a jar experiment and view other optional activities (water cycle experiments link).

Lesson 8: Review water cycle and cloud art
- Work on Cloud Art (cotton balls on blue paper to demonstrate the different clouds - label). 
- Read and discuss some of the poems from tooter4kids.com.
- Read Droplet the Watercycle.
- Watch some of the water cycle videos at Neok12.com.

Lesson 9: Measuring water & weather
- Discuss how we can measure weather (thermometer, barometer, rain gauge, weather vane...).
- Start a weather chart, calendar, or journal.
- Create a weather/water cycle model or collage.

Lesson 10: Severe weather and weather safety
- Discuss and list types of severe weather. Talk about severe weather in your area and safety.
- Use the website weatherwizkids to lead the discussion and see pictures.

Additional Resources:

Weatherwizkids.com (games and information)
Neok12.com (videos and games)
Epa.gov
The Weather Channel For Kids