Welcome to our fun learning adventure! Today, we’re going to explore something super cool called the water cycle. Did you know that more than 70% of our planet is covered with water? Water is super important because it helps all living things survive. You can find water in oceans, lakes, rivers, glaciers, and even underground!
The water on Earth is always on the move, changing where it is and what form it’s in. This journey of water is called the water cycle, or the hydrologic cycle. “Hydro” means water, and this cycle helps water travel to where it’s needed.
The water cycle has three main parts: evaporation, condensation, and precipitation. Let’s learn about each one!
Evaporation is when water changes from a liquid to a gas. Imagine tiny water droplets turning into invisible water vapor. This happens when the sun heats up water in places like rivers and lakes.
Condensation is when water vapor turns back into liquid water. This happens high up in the sky where it’s cooler. The water vapor cools down and forms clouds made of tiny water droplets.
Precipitation is when water falls from the sky. It can be rain, snow, or ice. When the water droplets in clouds get too heavy, they fall to the ground, and that’s precipitation!
The water cycle starts with water on the ground in places like rivers, lakes, and puddles. The sun heats these water bodies, causing evaporation. The water vapor rises into the sky, cools down, and forms clouds through condensation. When the clouds are full, the water falls back to the ground as precipitation. This water collects in oceans, rivers, and lakes, and the cycle starts all over again!
Did you know that plants also help with the water cycle? They release water into the air through a process called transpiration. This water joins the water vapor in the sky and helps form clouds.
The water cycle is super important because it keeps water moving around our planet. The amount of water on Earth doesn’t change; it just keeps going around and around. This means the water we have today has been here since the beginning of time! That’s why it’s important to keep our water clean and safe.
Now you know all about the water cycle and its three main parts: evaporation, condensation, and precipitation. Water is collected in places like lakes and rivers, and these processes help keep life going on Earth.
I hope you had fun learning about the water cycle today! Thanks for joining me on this learning journey. Until next time, keep exploring and discovering new things!
Water Cycle in a Bag: Create your own mini water cycle! You’ll need a clear plastic bag, some water, and a marker. Pour a small amount of water into the bag, seal it, and tape it to a sunny window. Use the marker to draw the sun and clouds on the bag. Over the next few days, observe what happens inside the bag. Can you see evaporation, condensation, and precipitation happening? Discuss with a friend or family member what you observe.
Cloud Watching: Spend some time outside looking at the clouds. Notice their shapes and sizes. Are they fluffy like cotton candy or thin and wispy? Imagine how these clouds might be part of the water cycle. Try to guess if they are getting ready to release precipitation. Draw a picture of your favorite cloud and write a short story about its journey through the water cycle.
Water Cycle Dance: Create a dance or a series of movements to represent the water cycle. Think about how water moves during evaporation, condensation, and precipitation. Use your body to show how water rises, forms clouds, and falls back to the ground. Perform your dance for your family or friends and explain each part of the water cycle as you move.
Welcome to EA Homeschool Academy! Today, we are going to learn about the water cycle. More than 70% of our planet is covered with water, which is essential for sustaining life here on Earth. Water can be found in areas such as oceans, lakes, rivers, glaciers, and even underground.
The water on Earth is constantly moving, and as it moves, it changes states or phases and locations—from the ground to the sky and back again. This movement of water is called the water cycle, or the hydrologic cycle, with “hydro” meaning water. The water cycle helps transport water to where it needs to be.
The water cycle has three major processes: evaporation, condensation, and precipitation.
1. **Evaporation** is the process of water changing from a liquid to a gas. Water droplets are transformed into water vapor during this process.
2. **Condensation** occurs when a gas changes back to a liquid. Water vapor is converted into water droplets during condensation.
3. **Precipitation** is the process by which solid or liquid water falls to the Earth.
The water cycle starts on the ground in collected areas like rivers, lakes, streams, or even puddles. The sun heats these bodies of water, causing water droplets to evaporate and change from a liquid state to a gas. This change is called evaporation. The water vapor then rises into the sky, where colder temperatures cause it to cool down and change back into a liquid, forming clouds. The collection of water droplets in clouds is known as condensation.
Individual water droplets move around the cloud, grouping with other droplets to form bigger droplets. Eventually, these droplets become heavy enough to fall from the sky as rain, snow, or ice. The release of water droplets from the clouds to the ground is called precipitation. The water will then run off and collect in oceans, rivers, lakes, or streams, where the sun will heat them up, continuing the cycle.
Here is a fun fact: plants lose water to the atmosphere through a process called transpiration, which adds to the water in the air and will eventually collect in the clouds. The water on Earth is always being recycled as it moves through the water cycle.
It is important to note that the amount of water moving through the cycle—whether on the surface, in the ground, or in the atmosphere—does not increase or decrease; the amount is finite. The water on Earth has been around since the beginning of time, and we should work together to keep our water sources and our overall environment clean.
Now you know the three major processes in the water cycle: evaporation, condensation, and precipitation. We also know that water collects in various areas across the planet, like in lakes, rivers, and streams. All of these processes are very important and necessary for sustaining life here on Earth.
I hope you learned something about the water cycle today! Thanks for taking this learning journey with me. Until next time, as always, thank you for watching! Tell us what you want to see next by emailing EA Homeschool Academy at yahoo.com. Please like and share our videos, and subscribe to our channel!
