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LESSON PLAN: The Water Cycle - Earth’s Interacting Systems

Grade: 5th Grade
Subject: Science
Standard: NGSS 5-ESS2-1 (Develop a model using an example to describe ways the geosphere, biosphere, hydrosphere, and/or atmosphere interact)
Duration: 60 minutes

LEARNING OBJECTIVES:
By the end of this lesson, students will be able to:

1. Describe the three main processes of the water cycle: evaporation, condensation, and precipitation
2. Explain how the hydrosphere (water) and atmosphere (air) interact to create the water cycle
3. Develop a simple model demonstrating how water moves between Earth’s systems
4. Identify real-world examples of the water cycle in action

MATERIALS NEEDED:

• Large clear jar or beaker (1 per group of 3-4 students)
• Ice cubes (enough for each group to have 3-4)
• Hot water (from electric kettle or hot pot - teacher manages)
• Plastic wrap or plastic plate to cover jars
• Small weights or rubber bands to secure plastic wrap
• Paper towels for cleanup
• Chart paper or whiteboard for class diagram
• Blue, yellow, and white markers
• “Water Cycle Model” observation worksheet (to create)
• Exit ticket slips (to create)
• Optional: spray bottle with water, dark construction paper

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LESSON SEQUENCE

HOOK/ANTICIPATORY SET (5 minutes)

Begin with an engaging question: “Where does water go when it disappears?”

Show students a spray bottle and dark construction paper. Spray a mist of water on the paper. Watch together as it evaporates.

“The water didn’t actually disappear - it went somewhere! It’s still in our classroom, but you can’t see it anymore. Today we’re investigating the water cycle - the amazing journey water takes as it moves between different parts of our Earth.”

Display a cup of ice water with condensation forming on the outside. “And look at this - where did these water droplets come from? They weren’t here a minute ago!”

Write on board: “How does water move between Earth’s atmosphere (air) and hydrosphere (water)?”

DIRECT INSTRUCTION (18 minutes)

Part 1: Introduce Earth’s Systems (4 minutes)

“Scientists divide Earth into four major systems that interact with each other. Today we’re focusing on two:”

Draw simple diagram on board:

• HYDROSPHERE: All the water on Earth - oceans, rivers, lakes, ice, groundwater (draw in blue)
• ATMOSPHERE: The layer of air surrounding Earth (draw as clouds/sky)

“The water cycle is a perfect example of how these two systems interact continuously. Water is constantly moving back and forth between the hydrosphere and atmosphere.”

Part 2: Evaporation (5 minutes)

“Let’s start with EVAPORATION - when liquid water turns into invisible water vapor (gas) and rises into the atmosphere.”

Demonstrate with wet paper towel:

• “I’m wetting this paper towel. Watch what happens if I leave it out.” (Show previously wetted towel that’s partially dry)
• “The water didn’t disappear - it evaporated into water vapor in the air.”

Key concepts to emphasize:

• Heat energy (from the sun) causes evaporation
• Water vapor is invisible - when you see steam, that’s actually tiny water droplets, not pure vapor
• Evaporation happens from oceans, lakes, rivers, puddles, even from plants and soil
• This moves water FROM the hydrosphere TO the atmosphere

Draw first arrow on diagram: Hydrosphere -> Atmosphere (label “EVAPORATION”)

Part 3: Condensation (5 minutes)

“Next is CONDENSATION - when water vapor in the air turns back into liquid water droplets.”

Demonstrate with cold glass of ice water:

• “Look at the outside of this cold glass. Where did these water droplets come from?”
• “They came from water vapor in the air! When warm air touches the cold glass, the water vapor cools down and condenses into liquid droplets you can see.”

Key concepts:

• Condensation happens when water vapor cools down
• In the atmosphere, water vapor condenses around tiny particles (dust, salt) to form clouds
• Clouds are made of millions of tiny water droplets
• This moves water FROM gas (in atmosphere) TO liquid (forming clouds in atmosphere)

Draw cloud formation on diagram and label “CONDENSATION”

Part 4: Precipitation (4 minutes)

“Finally, PRECIPITATION - when water falls from clouds back to Earth as rain, snow, sleet, or hail.”

Key concepts:

• Water droplets in clouds join together and get bigger and heavier
• When they’re too heavy to stay in the air, they fall as precipitation
• This returns water FROM the atmosphere TO the hydrosphere (and geosphere)
• The cycle starts all over again!

Complete diagram with arrow from clouds to ground: “PRECIPITATION”

“This cycle has been happening for billions of years - the water you drink today might have fallen as rain on dinosaurs!”

GUIDED PRACTICE (20 minutes)

Activity: Water Cycle in a Jar (Mini-Ecosystem Demonstration)

Organize students into groups of 3-4. Explain safety rules for hot water.

Setup (Teacher-led, 5 minutes):

1. Teacher or designated student helper adds hot water to each jar (about 2 inches deep)
2. Students observe: “What do you see rising from the hot water?” (Steam/water vapor)
3. Students cover jar opening with plastic wrap, securing with rubber band
4. Students place 2-3 ice cubes on TOP of the plastic wrap
5. “Now we wait and observe!”

Observation Period (10 minutes):
Students watch their jars and record observations on worksheet:

• “What’s happening to the water in the jar?” (Evaporating)
• “What’s happening on the underside of the plastic wrap?” (Water droplets forming - condensation)
• “What do the ice cubes represent?” (Cold atmosphere/upper atmosphere)
• “Watch closely - do you see any water droplets falling back down?” (Precipitation)

Circulate and ask probing questions:

• “Where is the water vapor coming from?” (Hot water = like ocean/lake)
• “Why are droplets forming on the plastic?” (Water vapor hits cold surface and condenses)
• “What do those water droplets represent in nature?” (Clouds)
• “When droplets fall back down, what part of the water cycle is that?” (Precipitation)

Class Discussion (5 minutes):
Bring class together. Create a class data chart:

“What did we observe?”

• Evaporation: Water vapor rising from hot water
• Condensation: Droplets forming on plastic wrap (our “clouds”)
• Precipitation: Droplets falling back into jar

“How does this model show how the hydrosphere and atmosphere interact?”

• Water moves FROM hydrosphere (hot water) TO atmosphere (vapor in jar)
• Water vapor condenses when it hits cold surface
• Water returns TO hydrosphere as “rain” droplets fall

INDEPENDENT PRACTICE (12 minutes)

Activity: Draw and Label Your Own Water Cycle Model

Students work independently to create their own water cycle diagram showing the interaction between atmosphere and hydrosphere.

Directions (write on board):

1. Draw a simple landscape: sky (atmosphere), ocean or lake (hydrosphere), and land
2. Draw the sun in the sky
3. Use arrows and labels to show:
   • EVAPORATION: Arrow going UP from water to sky
   • CONDENSATION: Draw a cloud, write label
   • PRECIPITATION: Arrows going DOWN from cloud to ground/water
4. Write a caption: “The water cycle shows how water moves between the ________ and ________.”
5. CHALLENGE: Add one more example of evaporation (puddle, plant, swimming pool)

Success criteria posted:
[] Diagram includes atmosphere (sky) and hydrosphere (water)
[] All three processes labeled with arrows showing direction
[] At least one example of each process
[] Caption completed correctly

Teacher circulates to check for understanding and provide feedback.

FORMATIVE ASSESSMENT - Exit Ticket (3 minutes)

Hand out exit ticket with three questions:

1. Fill in the blanks: “____________ is when liquid water turns into water vapor and rises into the air.” (Answer: Evaporation)

2. Draw and label a simple diagram showing where condensation happens in the water cycle.

3. Circle the TRUE statement:
   a) Water only moves from the atmosphere to the hydrosphere
   b) Water moves back and forth between Earth’s atmosphere and hydrosphere
   c) Water stays in the ocean and never moves to the atmosphere

4. BONUS: Give one real-world example of the water cycle you’ve seen in your life.

CLOSURE (2 minutes)

Quick review: “Turn to your partner and explain: How does the water cycle show the hydrosphere and atmosphere interacting?”

Call on 2-3 students to share.

Preview next lesson: “Tomorrow we’ll investigate how living things (the biosphere) are also part of the water cycle through transpiration - when plants release water vapor!”

Final thought: “Remember, water on Earth is always moving. The water cycle never stops!”

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DIFFERENTIATION STRATEGIES

For Struggling Learners:

• Provide partially completed water cycle diagram template with word bank (evaporation, condensation, precipitation)
• Partner with stronger student for jar observation activity
• Focus on just two processes first (evaporation and precipitation) before adding condensation
• Use hand motions: hands rising for evaporation, hands coming together for condensation, fingers wiggling down for precipitation
• Sentence frames: “Evaporation happens when _____.” “Condensation is when _____.”

For Advanced Learners:

• Research question: “How much water evaporates from the ocean each day?”
• Add transpiration (plant evaporation) and infiltration (water soaking into ground) to their diagrams
• Challenge: “Can you design a water cycle model using different materials?”
• Extension: Investigate how temperature affects evaporation rate (cold water vs. hot water)
• Real-world application: “How does climate change affect the water cycle?”

For English Language Learners:

• Pre-teach vocabulary with visual cards: evaporation, condensation, precipitation, atmosphere, hydrosphere
• Provide bilingual glossary if available (evaporacion, condensacion, precipitacion)
• Heavy use of diagrams, arrows, and color-coding (blue for water, yellow for sun/heat)
• Sentence frames for observations: “I see _____.” “This represents _____.”
• Allow students to label diagram in home language first, then add English
• Pair with bilingual buddy if possible

For Students with IEPs:

• Provide printed diagram of water cycle for reference during activities
• Scribe-assisted: Student can dictate observations instead of writing
• Alternative to drawing: Provide cut-out images to arrange and glue instead
• Reduce exit ticket to 2 questions instead of 4
• Extended time for independent practice
• Allow oral explanation of water cycle instead of written caption
• For students with visual impairments: Use tactile model with textured materials (rough for land, smooth for water, cotton for clouds)

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ASSESSMENT NOTES

What to look for during the lesson:

• Can students distinguish between the three processes (evaporation vs. condensation vs. precipitation)?
• Do students understand that water changes form but doesn’t disappear?
• Can they identify the atmosphere and hydrosphere as two interacting systems?
• Are they using scientific vocabulary correctly in explanations?

Success indicators:

• Students correctly identify that heat causes evaporation
• Students recognize condensation as the process forming clouds
• Students can explain the cycle nature (water returns and moves continuously)
• Diagrams show directional arrows indicating water movement between systems

Exit ticket analysis:

• 90%+ correct on questions 1-3: Ready to explore additional Earth system interactions (geosphere, biosphere)
• 70-89% correct: Review with water cycle video or simulation before moving on
• Below 70% correct: Reteach using additional concrete demonstrations (outdoor observations, more experiments)

Common misconceptions to address:

• “Water disappears when it evaporates” -> No, it becomes invisible water vapor
• “Steam is water vapor” -> Steam is actually tiny water droplets; pure water vapor is invisible
• “Clouds are made of water vapor” -> Clouds are made of tiny liquid water droplets or ice crystals
• “The water cycle stops” -> It’s continuous and ongoing

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TEACHER PREPARATION CHECKLIST

One day before lesson:
[] Request hot water access (electric kettle or hot pot for classroom)
[] Test water cycle jar demonstration yourself to ensure it works
[] Gather enough clear jars/beakers (1 per group of 3-4)
[] Purchase or make ice cubes (store in freezer)
[] Cut plastic wrap into squares large enough to cover jars
[] Gather rubber bands or small weights to secure plastic wrap

Morning of lesson:
[] Create “Water Cycle Model Observation” worksheet (1 per student)
[] Create exit ticket slips (1 per student) with the 4 assessment questions
[] Set up demonstration area with towels for potential spills
[] Pre-draw large water cycle diagram outline on chart paper (optional)
[] Organize students into groups of 3-4 ahead of time
[] Fill kettle with water and begin heating 5 minutes before lesson
[] Set out ice cube trays near demonstration area
[] Print or write success criteria poster for independent practice

Safety preparation:
[] Review hot water safety rules with students
[] Designate student helpers who can safely assist
[] Prepare extra paper towels for spills
[] Ensure work area is clear of materials that could be damaged by water

Estimated preparation time: 30-40 minutes