The water cycle is the continuous movement of water on, above, and below the surface of the Earth. It has four main stages: evaporation, condensation, precipitation, and collection. These stages happen over and over again in a never-ending loop.
Evaporation happens when the sun heats up water in oceans, lakes, and rivers. The water turns into an invisible gas called water vapor and rises into the air. Plants also release water vapor through their leaves in a process called transpiration. As the water vapor rises higher, the air gets cooler. When the water vapor cools down, it turns back into tiny liquid water droplets. This is called condensation. These tiny droplets come together to form clouds.
When the water droplets in clouds become too heavy, they fall back to Earth as precipitation. Precipitation can be rain, snow, sleet, or hail, depending on how cold the air is. Once precipitation reaches the ground, it begins the collection stage. Water collects in oceans, lakes, rivers, and underground. Some water soaks into the soil to become groundwater. Then the sun heats the collected water, and the whole cycle starts all over again.
1. What are the four main stages of the water cycle?
2. What is evaporation and what causes it?
3. How does condensation form clouds?
4. Describe what happens during the collection stage and how the cycle continues.
Write a definition or draw a picture for each word.
Ask an adult to help. You will need a clear plastic zip-top bag, blue food coloring, water, a marker, and tape. Draw the sun on one side of the bag. Fill the bag one-quarter full with water and a few drops of blue food coloring. Squeeze the air out, seal it tightly, and tape it to a sunny window. Observe the bag each day for three days and record what you see.
| Day | What Do You See on the Bag? | Water Cycle Stage Happening |
|---|---|---|
| Day 1 | ||
| Day 2 | ||
| Day 3 |
Draw a complete water cycle diagram. Include the sun, ocean, clouds, rain, a mountain, a river, and a plant. Label all four stages: evaporation, condensation, precipitation, and collection. Use arrows to show the direction of water movement.
Match each description to the correct water cycle stage.
| Description | Water Cycle Stage |
|---|---|
| The sun heats water and it turns into invisible gas. | |
| Water vapor cools and forms tiny droplets in clouds. | |
| Rain, snow, sleet, or hail falls from clouds. | |
| Water gathers in oceans, lakes, and underground. | |
| Plants release water vapor through their leaves. |
Work with family members to act out the water cycle. Each person can be a drop of water. Show what happens at each stage. Then draw your performance below, showing at least four positions from your acting.
Number the stages below in the order they happen in the water cycle, starting with 1 for evaporation.
| Stage Description | Order (1-4) |
|---|---|
| Water collects in oceans, lakes, and underground. | |
| The sun heats water and it evaporates into water vapor. | |
| Rain falls from clouds back to Earth. | |
| Water vapor cools and condenses into clouds. |
1. The water cycle has four main stages.
2. Evaporation happens when water freezes into ice.
3. Water vapor is an invisible gas.
4. Condensation is when water vapor turns into liquid droplets.
5. Precipitation only includes rain.
6. Transpiration is when plants release water vapor.
7. The water cycle stops at night when the sun goes down.
8. Collection is when water gathers in bodies of water and underground.
Word Bank: evaporationcondensationprecipitationcollectionwater vaportranspirationsunclouds
1. When the ________________ heats water, it turns into gas called ________________.
2. Water vapor rising into the air is called ________________.
3. When water vapor cools and forms ________________, that is ________________.
4. Rain, snow, sleet, and hail are all types of ________________.
5. When water gathers in oceans and lakes, it is called ________________.
6. ________________ is when plants release water through their leaves.
If the water cycle stopped working, what would happen to plants, animals, and people on Earth? Explain your answer.