• Copy a class set of the Family Page. (See Ready to Print.)
• Copy one page per team of the Water Cycle Model: Building Directions.
• Gather the following materials for each team:
  • three two-liter bottles with caps. Note: Using a large (1/4 inch or more) drill bit, drill a hole in one of these caps for each team prior to class.
  • two strips of cloth: 3 cm x 30 cm each
  • drywall screw or similar screw with a sharp point
  • scissors
  • permanent marker
  • metric ruler
• Review Related Resources and select resources.

• Introduce this activity to your students. This activity challenges you to:
  • build a water cycle model
  • learn the various processes of the water cycle
  • hypothesize the impact of humans on the water cycle
• Tell students what behaviors you expect of them before, during, and after the lesson.
  • scientific thinking
  • respectful listening
  • speaking in appropriate voices
  • participating
• Explain how this activity is grouped:
  • introduction
  • water cycle building/filling
  • observation/investigation
  • class discussion

Go!!!

• Group students into teams of four. Have them number from 1-4 in each team.
• Distribute one copy of Water Cycle Model: Building Directions to each team and allow time for reading and discussion.
• Construct water cycle models using the Building Directions and the table below. Note: It is more time-efficient to assign multiple student jobs at once.
• Distribute the Family Page at the end of class.

Building Step	Who	Management Suggestion	Image
Before you begin: Drill a large hole (1/4 inch or more) in one of the caps for each team prior to class.	Teacher or adult	Hold the cap with a pliers for safety and use a piece of scrap wood to prevent drilling into the work table.
1. Remove labels from bottles.	Student #1	Run a scissors under the label.
2. Cut Bottle A just below the curved top.	Student #2	Use a drywall screw or old-style compass to make a starter hole for the scissors.
3. Cut Bottle B just above the curved bottom.	Student #3	Use a drywall screw or old-style compass to make a starter hole for the scissors.
4. Insert a 30 cm looped strip of cotton cloth (rag, sock, old shirt, etc.) through the hole in the predrilled cap. About 10 cm should hang down from the cap. Place the cap on Bottle B.	Student #4	The cap should be predrilled by an adult using a large (1/4 inch or more) drill bit. Use the drywall screw or a pencil to thread the cloth through the hole.
5. Tie a 30 cm looped strip of cotton cloth around the neck of Bottle C. Trim with scissors so one end hangs down about 5 cm.	Student #1	A cap with no hole should be on Bottle C. The remaining cap will be used when the model is filled.
6. Assemble.	Student #2
Label each section of the water cycle model with a permanent marker. Use a team shape (star, square, etc.) rather than each person's name.	Student #3	Put all water cycle models in a common location in the room until the next part of the activity.

Week 1, Day 2: How Can You Make a Model of the Water Cycle?--Filling (45 min.)

Lower preparation--Create ONE water cycle model as a demonstration. Higher preparation--recruit a parent volunteer to help during the activity.

• Copy one page per team of the Water Cycle Model: Filling Directions.
• Gather the following materials for whole class use:
  • a bucket of soil
    Note: Soil from an outdoor flower bed works well.
  • two or more hand shovels
  • water
  • two or more measuring cups (0-500 ml)
  • grass seed (approximately one cup per class)
  • two-liter bottle racks (optional, but recommended)

• Regroup students into teams of four.
• Distribute the Filling Directions and allow time for reading and discussion.

Go!!!

• Fill water cycle models using the Filling Directions and the table below. Note: It is more time-efficient to assign multiple student jobs at once.

Filling Step	Who	Management Suggestion	Image
1. Wet both strips of cloth. This will allow water to travel along the cloth through capillary action.	Student #1	Send students to a nearby sink or water fountain.
2. Add about 250 ml of water to Bottle A. This will be your source of water for the cycle.	Student #2	Send students to a nearby sink or water fountain. They may only go to the "water station" if they have a measuring cup.
3. Fill Bottle B with enough premoistened soil to cover the loop of the string (about 250 cc or a little more than 1 cup).	Student #3	Make sure soil is moist. Use outdoor soil from a flower bed or bare patch of lawn rather than buying potting soil. Make sure the cloth wick is touching the water in Bottle A once the two bottles are put back together. If not, add more water to Bottle A.
4. Sprinkle a bottle cap full of grass seed into the soil in Bottle B.	Student #4	While distributing the grass seed, verify that each team has completed the prior steps correctly.
5. Press the remaining bottle cap into the soil to act as a collection point (pond, lake, etc.) for water.	Student #1	Place the collection cap to one side in the soil area.
6. Trim the wick hanging from Bottle C like a necktie so that it hangs over the "pond."	Student #2	Check each model to see that the wick is hanging directly over the collection cap.
7. Fill Bottle C with 200 ml of water and cap it tightly.	Student #3	DO NOT exceed 200 ml of water in each bottle. Since this is the top bottle, extra weight will make it top heavy and prone to falling over during student observation. Talk to your cafeteria supervisor ahead of time regarding use of cafeteria freezer space. Freeze the bottles upside down prior to the Water Cycle Processes portion of this investigation.
8. Assemble the model and place where it can receive light for growth.	Student #4	Some stores will allow you to borrow or buy two-liter bottle holding racks. These will help to prevent unwanted spills.

Week 1, Day 3, 4, or 5: What Can the Internet Teach You about the Water Cycle? (45 min.)

No modifications.

• See Related Resources for Internet links that can be used by pairs of students in a computer lab or as a whole class on a classroom computer to introduce/reinforce water cycle concepts.

Week 2, Day 1: What Are the Processes of the Water Cycle? (45 min.)
Note: Begin this portion of the investigation once grass seed has sprouted (4 to 7 days).

• Talk to your cafeteria supervisor ahead of time regarding use of cafeteria freezer space. Freeze Bottle C (the top bottle) for each team upside down prior to this portion of the investigation. (future photo)
  Note: If you are using a freezer that will not fit an upright two-liter bottle, fill the leftover bottle top from Bottle A, place it in the leftover bottle bottom from Bottle B, and freeze. This method increases your chance of water spills, but decreases the amount of freezer space needed. (future photo)
• Copy one page per team of The Water Cycle: Processes.
• Gather the following materials for each team:
  • scissors
  • tape or glue stick

• Group students into their original teams.
• Caution students to remain seated and rotate responsibility for steadying the Water Cycle Model once it is assembled. This will minimize the risk of a model toppling over.
• Student #3: Gather frozen bottles from the cafeteria freezer.
• Student #4: Get water cycle Bottles A and B.
• Assemble Water Cycle Models.

• Distribute the Water Cycle Processes page and discuss. Note: Remind students that heat from the sun is what powers these processes.
• Direct students to label their water cycle model using the directions provided on The Water Cycle: Processes page.
• Check labels for accurate placement and spelling.
• Place the water cycle model where the grass can receive light for growth.
• Check for water collection the next day.

How Does Water Cycle on the Earth? (60-90 minutes)

See Ready to Print for the primary version of this game. Have a parent volunteer create the spinners ahead of time, but have the students create the water location posters. Special thanks to Mary Snellgrove, a second grade teacher at Lockland Elementary, for her help in creating these materials.

• Print one of each Spinner Template. (See Ready to Print.)
• Copy a class set of the How Does Water Cycle on the Earth? Data Sheet and Game Instructions.
  EnviroNote: Make two-sided copies to save paper.
• Make overhead transparencies of Physical Change vs Chemical Change. and the Data Sheet.
• Gather the following materials:
  • nine sheets of tagboard or large white construction paper (12x18 or larger)
  • crayons or coloring pencils
  • nine pieces of cardboard, each approximately 9 inches square. Note: A large pizza box will supply eight squares.
  • nine large paper clips
  • glue or tape

• Brainstorm and discuss various locations where the world's water can be found. These locations include:
  • animals
  • clouds
  • glaciers
  • groundwater
  • lakes
  • oceans
  • rivers
  • plants
  • soil
• Group students into nine teams.
• Assign one of these water locations to each team.
• Distribute one sheet of tagboard or construction paper to each team. Allow 10-15 minutes for students to create and color an image to represent their water location. (future photo)
• Display each water location image around the room. (future photo)
• Distribute the following materials to each team:
  • one cardboard square
  • one Spinner Template that matches the team's water location. (See Ready to Print.)
  • one large paper clip
  • glue or tape
• Construct spinners using the directions below.
  • Cut Spinner Template along the dotted line.
  • Glue or tape template to cardboard square.
  • Poke a hole through the center of the spinner. Remove rough edges on both sides of the spinner.
  • Bend large paper clip into a flattened S shape as shown.
  • Insert paper clip in spinner.

• Distribute the How Does Water Cycle on the Earth? Game Instructions and Data Sheet. Allow time to read and discuss.
• Model two or three turns to help the students visualize how the game will work. Record data after each spin using the overhead transparency Data Sheet. Note: Stress to students that they should not record information on their Data Sheet until after they spin. This can be especially confusing at the first water location (i.e., a pair of students who start at the Glacier location will want to record Glacier on their Data Sheet BUT THEY SHOULD NOT.)
• Play the How Does Water Cycle on the Earth? game.
• Discuss results. Possible questions:
  • Did you observe any patterns during the game?
  • Why do you think the water cycle spinners are arranged this way?
  • Was it harder or easier to travel to or from certain water locations?
  • Why did you have to split up your molecules (team) each time you traveled to the clouds?
  • Did you end up with the same molecules (team) you started with?
  • Display an overhead transparency of Physical Change vs Chemical Change. Discuss whether water went through a chemical change or physical change during this activity (physical change).

How Can Pollution Get into the Water Cycle? (45-60 min.)

• Gather the following materials:
  • water cycle model(s)
  • blue food coloring in an unmarked dispenser
  • medicine dropper
  • bottle for sprinkling water (rain) into the model
  • a copy of A River Ran Wild by Lynne Cherry
• Copy a class set of The Water Cycle and Fertilizer Data Sheet (See Ready to Print.)
  Note: Special thanks to Tara Lawson, Ripley Schools, for sharing this graphic organizer.

• Group students into their original teams.
• Student #1: Get water cycle Bottles A and B.

• Point out to students that the grass seed has sprouted and is beginning to grow.
• Ask students to raise their hands if they would like a thick, green "lawn" in their model.
• Inform students that you have a chemical that is guaranteed to grow thicker, greener grass for lawns.
• Place 10-15 drops of blue food coloring (the "chemical") onto the "lawn" in each model (for students who choose to have this chemical added.
• Wet each lawn thoroughly using the water bottle. This is to simulate rainfall. Within a minute or so, the food coloring should begin to circulate downward into the groundwater (Bottle A).
• As you are finishing the last model say, "Oh, I forgot to mention this chemical may cause health problems in animals including humans."
• After an uncomfortably long pause, ask students what the water in the Bottle A represents. Possible answers: groundwater, water in aquifers, drinking water, etc.
• Ask students what they think this chemical might be. Discuss responses.
• Tell students that the "chemical" is ,in fact, food coloring, but travels (percolates) through the water cycle in much the same way as any pollutant would.
• Distribute The Water Cycle and Fertilizer Data Sheet for students to complete. Allow time for students to share their responses.
• Introduce the term pollution. (See Background Information.)
• Brainstorm pollutants that could get into groundwater. Possible answers: lawn fertilizers, agricultural fertilizers, sewage, agricultural animal waste, industrial waste.
• Brainstorm ways to reduce chemical pollution in our world. Possible answers:
  • Use organic fertilizers (e.g., humus, manure) instead of chemical fertilizers (e.g., ChemLawn, etc.) on our lawns.
  • Buy "organic" foods that use little or no chemical fertilizers.
  • Install a "low flow" toilet and/or buy a water-efficient clothes washer.
  • Buy products with minimal packaging to reduce industrial pollution.
  • Reduce meat consumption to reduce agricultural animal waste.
• Remind students that they do not need to do all of these things tomorrow. The most helpful way to reduce pollution is to pick one or two areas and build from there.
• Read A River Ran Wild by Lynne Cherry and discuss connections.

PutItAllTogether (45 min.)

See Ready to Print for a Primary Assessment

• Summarize the Main Points
  • The water cycle includes the basic processes of evaporation, condensation, precipitation, and collection. Other processes include transpiration, percolation, etc.
  • Pollution is too much of something in a certain area.
  • Water pollution can be reduced in many ways, including the examples discussed above and in A River Ran Wild.
• Compliment students for appropriate behaviors during the lesson.
• Evaluation
• Formative: anecdotal notes of teams in progress, incidental questioning of students' rationale for what they are doing (during activity), observation of teamwork, status of the class (end of each unfinished activity day)
• Summative: Choose one or more of the following:
  • Proficiency Assessment
  • Higher Level Thinking Assessment
  • Team Evaluation

Want Something More???

• Check out Related Resources.
• Use the Related Resources Internet links for a computer center in the classroom or during computer lab time.
• Investigate leaf transpiration by placing a ZipLoc bag around a leaf on a tree (sealed tight except around the stem) in the morning. Check it later in the day. You should find water in the bag that has transpired through the cells of the leaf.