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Water and the water cycle

What is water and what is the water cycle?

Water is vital for all living things. Animals drink water, while plants take water up through their roots.

Water never leaves the Earth, it simply moves around the ‘water cycle’. The water cycle follows the journey of water from oceans to clouds to rain to streams to rivers and back into the ocean. The water cycle involves the scientific processes of evaporation and condensation and is also known as the hydrologic cycle ('hydro’ means water in Greek).

Top 10 facts

• The water cycle is essential to life on our planet: without it there would be no plants or animals. Desert habitats , with little rain, are much more barren than other areas of the world.
• Humans are made up of about 75% water.
• The water cycle is powered by the Sun: heat makes water evaporate, before it cools and condenses and falls back to the ground.
• Water can exist in three forms: liquid (water), solid (ice) or gas (water vapour).
• Around two thirds of the world's water is in polar ice caps and glaciers.
• About 70% of he Earth is covered in water. An incredible 97% of Earth's water is in the oceans (this is salty water) and 2% is in the ice caps, leaving only 1% available for us to drink.
• There are underground reservoirs called aquifers. Some water in the ground may stay there for thousands of years.
• You might be drinking water that dinosaurs  drank! Because water is recycled and doesn’t leave the Earth or is formed all the water currently on our planet is the same water that has been there for millions of years.
• The Nile is 4132 mile long, making it the longest river in the world.
• Water can be used to create electricity through a hydro-electric power station.

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• Water leaving your body as urine or sweat is evaporated and recycled through the water cycle. The water in your wee and sweat is returned to the water cycle, while other parts (urea and salt for example) are left behind as they do not evaporate with the water.
• Beneath the ground is a water table. This is the level where the ground is saturated with water; the water table can rise or fall depending on the amount of rain that falls.
• When the ground becomes saturated with water it can cause flooding. The water that falls as rain no longer has anywhere to go as the ground is full of water so it stays on top. Many rivers and streams swell with water when this happens and can break their banks and flood as well.
• Frozen water can move and carve out valleys in the form of glaciers. Some of the ice in glaciers has been there for thousands of years and will only re-enter the water cycle is the ice melts.
• Hydroelectric power stations use the force of falling water to generate electricity. They are formed of a reservoir that is high up in a mountainous area, with the generators down below. Water is released and the kinetic energy in it is transformed into electrical energy.
• The longest someone can survive without water is about three days. We need water for lots of jobs in our bodies, such as digesting food. Water is also found in our immune systems and makes up a large part of our blood. Without water our bodies would stop working.
• Drinking water needs to be clean to prevent people from getting diseases. In the UK we have water treatment plants that remove all of the pollutants in water before it can become drinking water. The water has chemicals added to it and is filtered. Formal water treatments to create drinking water have only really been around for the past 100 years or so.

Look through the gallery below and see if you can spot the following:

• Water cycle diagram
• Transpiration
• Types of precipitation
• Water evaporating and leaving salt
• A droplet falling into water
• Ice in the Antarctic
• A glacier in a valley
• Hot springs
• Snow flakes
• Ladybower Reservoir in the Upper Derwent Valley in the Peak District National Park

Water is vital for life and humans need to drink it regularly to make sure we have enough in our bodies. When we don’t have enough water in our bodies it is called dehydration.

There are many places that water can be found. We call these ‘bodies of water’. Bodies of water include: oceans, seas, streams, rivers , lakes, ponds, wetlands, marshes, bays, harbours, coves, deltas, and even puddles! There are generally considered to be five main oceans: Pacific, Atlantic, Indian, Southern and Arctic.

Water is never created or destroyed; it simply journeys through the water cycle being recycled each time. The water that we use today has been around for millions of years and the movement of water around our planet is vital to support life on Earth.

The water cycle takes water on a journey and is made up of six possible processes: condensation, infiltration, runoff, evaporation, precipitation, transpiration.

The heat from the sun causes water to turn into a gas known as water vapour. This process is called evaporation. When the sun turns water from plants and trees into water vapour the process is called transpiration.

When water cools down it forms a cloud. This process is called condensation. When a cloud becomes too heavy the water falls to the ground as precipitation. Precipitation can either take the form of rain, sleet, hail or snow.

When precipitation lands on the ground it seeps into the ground or runs off into drains and water ways. It ends up in streams and rivers and eventually returns to the oceans.

Not all water falls into streams, oceans and rivers. A lot of water is locked up in the polar ice caps.

There is evidence that the polar ice caps are gradually melting due to global warming. This will eventually cause the sea level to rise.

Words to know:

Water vapour – water in a gas form Ice – water in a solid form Ice cap – a large area (less than 50, 000km²) that is covered in ice. Condensation – the process of cooling water that turns it from a gas (water vapour) back into a liquid Infiltration – when water moves down through the ground Runoff – when water travels over the top of the ground and back into a stream, river or sea Evaporation – the process of heating water that turns it from a liquid into a gas (water vapour) Precipitation – water falling to the ground from a cloud. It can be in the form of rain, sleet, hail or snow. Transpiration – the process of water evaporating out of the leaf of a plant or tree. Ocean – a very large area of sea. There are usually considered to be five main oceans (Pacific, Atlantic, Indian, Southern and Artic. River – A flow of water that leads to the sea. A river is a larger flow of water than a stream. Stream - A flow of water that usually leads into a river. A stream is a smaller flow of water than a river. Aquifer – an underground reservoir of water Reservoir – an area where water is stored Cloud – condensed water (water vapour) that is visible in the atmosphere Hydropower – the method of changing the kinetic energy from falling water into electrical energy.

Related Videos

Just for fun...

• Play the Natural Water Cycle game
• Download a water cycle colouring-in sheet
• Join Molly on the Journey of Water : try a water cyle interactive activity in the Severn Trent Education Zone (there are water activity sheets to complete, too)
• Make your own 3D model of the water cycle
• The Brainpop Water Cycle interactive game
• Nine online water cycle games to play
• Try your hand at running a city's water cycle and see how long it takes you to get the water from the reservoir to the ocean in an online game

Best books about the water cycle for kids

Find out more

• What is the water cycle ? Watch a BBC Bitesize animation, an introductory guide for KS1  and  KS2 students
• A complete introduction to the water cycle
• Find out more about all aspects of water , from glaciers to saline water and hydroelectricity
• Read the Met Office's kids' information about the water cycle
• Discover how electricity is formed at hydroelectric power stations
• Print out a child-friendly water cycle diagram  from the U.S. Geological Survey and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations
• Steve Backshall follows the journey of water around the water cycle, from a rainy hilltop in Derbyshire to the North Sea
• The water cycle : the way Earth has been recycling water for over 4 billion years!
• NASA Kids water cycle information
• Download TheSchoolRun's water cycle worksheets: The water cycle , Make your own water cycle and Complete the water cycle
• A water cycle diagram available in beginner, intermediate or advanced levels of detail
• Download a water cycle factsheet

See for yourself

• Make a mini water cycle  in a bowl: step-by-step instructions
• See the water cycle in motion , step by step
• Watch a BBC clip on how water is treated in the UK before it is returned to the water cycle

Give your child a headstart

• FREE articles & expert information
• FREE resources & activities
• FREE homework help

What Is the Water Cycle?

Water can be found all over Earth in the ocean, on land and in the atmosphere. The water cycle is the path that all water follows as it moves around our planet.

Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech Data source: NASA's Earth Observatory

On Earth, you can find water in all three states of matter: solid , liquid and gas . Liquid water is found in Earth’s oceans, rivers, lakes, streams—and even in the soil and underground. Solid ice is found in glaciers , snow, and at the North and South Poles . Water vapor—a gas—is found in Earth’s atmosphere.

How does water travel from a glacier to the ocean to a cloud? That’s where the water cycle comes in.

The Water Cycle

Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech

The Sun’s heat causes glaciers and snow to melt into liquid water. This water goes into oceans, lakes and streams. Water from melting snow and ice also goes into the soil. There, it supplies water for plants and the groundwater that we drink.

Snow falling on a glacier during winter months usually replaces any water that melts away in the summer. However, due to Earth’s overall warming , most glaciers today are losing more ice than they regain, causing them to shrink over time.

How does water get into the atmosphere? There are two main ways this happens:

• Heat from the Sun causes water to evaporate from oceans, lakes and streams. Evaporation occurs when liquid water on Earth’s surface turns into water vapor in our atmosphere.
• Water from plants and trees also enters the atmosphere. This is called transpiration .

Warm water vapor rises up through Earth’s atmosphere. As the water vapor rises higher and higher, the cool air of the atmosphere causes the water vapor to turn back into liquid water, creating clouds. This process is called condensation .

When a cloud becomes full of liquid water, it falls from the sky as rain or snow—also known as precipitation . Rain and snow then fill lakes and streams, and the process starts all over again.

Clouds, like these over the savannah in Nairobi, Kenya, form when water vapor in the atmosphere condenses back into liquid water. Credit: Department of State

Why Do We Care About the Water Cycle?

We care about the water cycle because water is necessary for all living things. NASA satellites orbiting Earth right now are helping us to understand what is happening with water on our planet.

Water in the Soil

Humans need water to drink, and to water the plants that grow our food. NASA has a satellite called SMAP —short for Soil Moisture Active Passive —that measures how much water is in the top 2 inches (5 cm) of Earth’s soil . This can help us understand the relationship between water in the soil and severe weather conditions, such as droughts.

Water in the Atmosphere

NASA’s CloudSat mission studies water in our atmosphere in the form of clouds. CloudSat gathers information about clouds and how they play a role in Earth’s climate. Also, the international satellite called the Global Precipitation Measurement Mission (GPM) observes when, where and how much it rains and snows on Earth.

Water in the Oceans

As Earth’s climate becomes warmer, land ice at the North and South Poles starts melting. The water then flows into the ocean, causing sea level to rise. NASA’s Jason-3 mission—short for Joint Altimetry Satellite Oceanography Network-3 —orbits Earth collecting information about sea level and ocean temperature. This helps track how the ocean responds to Earth’s changing climate.

NASA is also tracking how Earth’s water moves all around our planet. This is the work of the GRACE-FO —or Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment-Follow On —mission. It tracks the movement of water from one month to the next, and can even measure changes in deep groundwater hundreds of feet below Earth’s surface.

NASA’s Aqua satellite also collects a large amount of information about Earth’s water cycle, including water in the oceans, clouds, sea ice, land ice and snow cover.

Related NASA Missions

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water cycle

Introduction.

Evaporation and Condensation

Liquid water is present in seas, oceans, rivers, and lakes. When it is heated, liquid water forms a gas, or vapor. The process by which liquid water becomes a vapor is called evaporation. When water in a puddle is warmed by the sun it evaporates into invisible vapor. It does not disappear; it still exists, just in a different state.

When water vapor in the atmosphere cools, or the air can no longer hold the amount of water vapor it contains, the water returns to a liquid state, such as rain. The process by which water vapor becomes a liquid is called condensation. Condensation is the opposite, or reverse, of evaporation.

How the Water Cycle Works

When liquid water from oceans and seas evaporates, it forms clouds in the sky. The wind pushes these clouds over land, where the water vapor condenses and becomes rain or snow. Some of the rainwater joins rivers and flows down to the ocean or sea, completing the cycle.

Some of the world’s water is held as a solid, called ice, and this is also part of the water cycle. When the ice on cold mountaintops melts, liquid water flows into rivers and returns to the sea.

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The water cycle

Where does all the water go.

The four steps in the water cycle are precipitation (rain, snow), collection of fluids into bodies of water, evaporation of water into the sky and condensation of water vapour into clouds. Then it rains again!

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The water cycle is the movement of water throughout the earth due to the processes of evaportation, condensation, precipitation, and runoff. The worksheets below help reinforce this vocabulary.

Worksheet 1: Water Cycle Diagram (Without Explanation)

A diagram that demonstrates the processes of the water cycle such as precipitation and condensation.

Worksheet 2: Water Cycle Diagram (With Explanation)

A diagram that demonstrates the processes of the water cycle such as precipitation and evaportation.

Worksheet 3: Water Cycle Crossword

A crossword with clues covering the basic concepts of the water cycle.

Worksheet 4: Water Cycle Word Search

A word search that covers the key concepts of the water cycle.

Worksheet 5: Water Cycle Cloze Activity

An intermediate cloze activity to review vocabulary and concepts of the water cycle.

Related Unit: Bodies of Water

A collection of worksheets on the theme of bodies of water such as oceans and lakes.

Related Unit: Rivers

A collection of worksheets on the theme of rivers.

7 Amazing Ideas for Teaching the Water Cycle

The water cycle is the process by which water evaporates from the Earth’s surface, rises into the atmosphere, and falls back down to the surface as precipitation.

In this post, we explore 7 fun and engaging ideas for teaching kids about the water cycle. From hands-on investigations and activities to stations and task cards, these ideas will help kids learn about the water cycle in a meaningful and interactive way.

1. Observe a Water Cycle Baggie

This idea is an oldie, but a goodie. 

It’s important for students to understand how the Sun and ocean interact in the water cycle. Water at the surface of the ocean evaporates and rises due to energy from the Sun. It becomes water vapor.

As the water vapor cools during condensation into liquid water, it gathers together in clouds. Then the liquid water falls as precipitation .

1. Draw the water cycle carefully on a baggie using a Sharpie. Don’t push too hard or your bag might rip!

Include the sun, a cloud, and the ocean. Also write the processes.

2. When you’re done writing, add some water to the bag, seal it shut, and tape it to the window.

3. Observe your water cycle baggie for a few days. You’ll see the evaporation and condensation right before your very eyes!

4. Be sure to have students record their observations and draw their water cycle baggies in their science notebooks!

2. Flip with a Water Cycle Flipbook

Need a NO PREP science review activity? Make a flip book to review the water cycle!

This flip book is easy to assemble and fun to create with students as they wrap up their learning.

Accompany this activity with a video from our friend at  Mad Garden Science  on YouTube.

See it on TPT: Water Cycle Flipbook

3. Weather and Water Stations

Study the water cycle alongside weather and climate with 9 easy prep station activities. This is a particularly great option if you’re short on time during your weather and water unit!

See it on TpT!  Weather and Water Stations

5. Dive Deep with the Clouds Phenomena-based Science Unit

Teach your students the details of cloud formation and how clouds can help us predict the weather with this full unit! 

You’ll  use a cloud window to observe the weather each day, make predictions about the weather based on cloud types, support a claim with evidence and reasoning, and even make a cloud in a jar!

See it on TpT!  Clouds and Weather Unit

6. Roll the Dice with a Water Cycle Cube Simulation

This activity is a simulation game in which students move through the water cycle as a drop of water.  The activity I used is no longer available but you can find something similar  here .

6. Assess with Water Cycle Task Cards

When it’s time to check for understanding, you’ll want to have some task cards on hand. I use two different sets– one for vocabulary and one with more rigorous questions for test prep.

See them on TpT! 

Water Cycle Vocabulary Task Cards

Water Cycle Test Prep Task Cards

7. Enrich with a Water Cycle Digital Choice Menu

Use as enrichment! This digital choice board is perfect for advanced students who crave new learning and want to dive a little deeper into the topic of study.

The work is done for you to just assign and go! 

See it on TPT:   Water Cycle Digital Choice Menu

Top Teaching Tools

Try out these top teaching tools to help your students learn all about the water cycle!

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5 thoughts on “7 amazing ideas for teaching the water cycle”.

Thanks for sharing these great ideas! I always like to follow up my version of the water cycle simulation by having my students (2nd grade) create a comic strip that follows their “journey” as they share these stories they see the patterns. I love teaching the water cycle, so many great experiences!

Love the comic strip!

Thanks for sharing the Ocean Notebook freebie!

Love the Water Cycle simulation cubes idea, but where do you find the cubes?

• Pingback: Water/Water cycle | Pearltrees

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Hi, I'm Ari!

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• Biology Article

Diagram Of Water Cycle

Table of Contents

What is the Water Cycle?

Stages of water cycle.

Water is a precious natural resource of our planet earth. It cannot be created or destroyed. The water on the earth today is the same water that existed thousands of years ago and will continue to exist years in the future.

The water cycle is an important Biogeochemical Cycle involved in the flow or circulation of water through different levels of the ecosystem. The water cycle is defined as a natural process of constantly recycling the water in the atmosphere. It is also known as the hydrological cycle or the hydrologic cycle.

During the process of the water cycle between the earth and the atmosphere, water changes into three states of matter – solid, liquid and gas.

The diagram of the water cycle is useful for both Class 9 and 10. It is one of the few important topics which are repetitively asked in the board examinations. Below is a well labelled and easy diagram of water cycle for your better understanding.

The complete water cycle is carried into four stages which are as follows: Evaporation, Condensation, Precipitation and Collection.

Evaporation

This is the initial stage of the water cycle.

The process by which water from its liquid state changes to vapour, a gaseous state, is termed as evaporation. During the water cycle, water in the water bodies get heated up and evaporates in the form of vapour, mixes with the air and disappears.

Condensation

When the evaporated water vapour loses its thermal energy, it becomes liquid through the process of condensation. Formation of clouds are examples of condensation.

Precipitation

Rain, snow, sleet, or hail are all examples of Precipitation. After the condensation, atmospheric water vapour forms sufficiently large water droplets and falls back to the earth with the help of gravity.

Deposition or Collection

This is the final stage of the water cycle. Deposition occurs when evaporated water vapour falls back to earth as precipitation. This water may fall back into the different water bodies, including oceans, rivers, ponds, lakes and even end up on the land, which in turn becomes a part of the groundwater.

Overall, the water cycle process describes how water is balanced in the atmosphere. It also plays an important role in ensuring the availability of water for all living organisms and also it has a great impact on our environment .

For more information about Water Cycle, its steps, facts and other related topics, visit us at BYJU’S Biology.

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