The Water Cycle

The Water Cycle part 1. Students will be able to do the following: - Define the water cycle as the continual movement of water between earth and the air. - Explain that the water cycle consists of three processes: evaporation, condensation, and precipitation. - Identify transpiration as the process by which plants give off large amounts of water. - Explain that water exists in three different forms - solid, liquid, and gas - and the process by which water changes from one form to another is referred to as a phase change. - Define evaporation as the process by which liquid water becomes a gas, or water vapor. - Explain that clouds are formed when warm, moisture-rich air cools, condensing into millions of tiny droplets. - Understand that precipitation occurs when water droplets, ice, or snow become too numerous and heavy, causing them to fall from clouds to the earth. - Define condensation as the process by which water vapor changes from a gas to a liquid. - Understand the role that humans, plants, and animals play in the water cycle. - Explain that while some regions of the world receive more precipitation than others, the total amount of evaporation and precipitation is balanced worldwide. - Given a diagram of the water cycle, label the processes of evaporation, condensation, and precipitation. - Provide examples of the water cycle at work around their home, school, and community.`