Water Cycle: Activities, Resources, and a Freebie!

Hi there!  In the midst of all the holiday excitement we managed to wrap up our science study on the Water Cycle today.  Here are a few activities and resources that I hope you can use:

We made diagrams of the Water Cycle using 

construction paper, cotton balls, and glitter. 

 

 

I just realized that both of these kiddos misspelled the word "precipitation!"  

Oh well....you get the idea.  :)

We also recorded "The Water Cycle Song" into our science journals.

(Sung to the tune of She’ll Be Coming Around the Mountain)

Water travels in a cycle, yes it does 

(use pointer finger to make a big circle)
Water travels in a cycle, yes it does 

(repeat finger circle)
It goes up as evaporation 

(moves hands up to the sky)
Forms clouds as condensation 

(make a cloud overhead with arms)
Then comes down as precipitation, yes it does! 

(Sprinkle with fingers while bringing arms down in front of you)

Be careful....this song gets stuck in your head!

To help us remember the process, we made water cycle bracelets.

I've seen this bracelet idea on several different places across the web.  There are a few different variations but for my room we used:
- 2 yellow beads to represent the sun and it's heat
- 2 green beads to represent the land (plants and trees that use water)
- 2 clear beads to represent water vapor or evaporation
- 2 white beads to represent the clouds or condensation
- 2 blue beads to represent the rain or precipitation

As you can see from the bracelet, the cycle repeats itself.  This was a great visual for when we were retelling the process to our neighbors in our "think, pair, share" exercise.


Lastly, I utilized those higher-order thinking skills when I asked my students to explain the water cycle in their own words.  You can download the handout for free by clicking on the picture below or by clicking here.

Here are some other resources you might find helpful:

Interactive Water Cycle
Enchanted Learning's Readers Theater (Water Cycle)

Thanks for stopping by!  I'd love to have you as a "follower" for my blog!  Please click on the link on the right toolbar menu to follow me.  You can enter your e-mail address as well to receive my posts by e-mail!