📖 Page 1: Read and Investigate

I can explain how the Sun drives the water cycle and how water moves through the cycle.

Success criteria: I can identify evaporation, condensation, precipitation, collection, and runoff. I can use evidence to explain what happens to water.

How Water Moves

Earth’s water is limited, but it continually moves through the water cycle. The Sun provides the energy that starts much of this movement. When the Sun warms water in oceans, lakes, rivers, or puddles, some liquid water changes into an invisible gas called water vapor. This process is called evaporation. Water does not disappear; it changes form and moves into the air.

As water vapor rises, it can reach cooler air. Cooling causes the vapor to change into tiny liquid water droplets or ice crystals. This process is called condensation. The droplets gather to form clouds. When the droplets or ice crystals become heavy enough, they fall to Earth as precipitation. Rain, snow, sleet, and hail are all types of precipitation.

After precipitation falls, water may gather in oceans, lakes, rivers, puddles, or other places. This gathering is called collection. Some water flows over the land into lower areas, streams, rivers, and oceans. This movement is called runoff. Then the Sun warms collected water again, and the cycle continues. Water can move through the cycle many times.

🧭 Blank Water-Cycle Diagram

Draw and label the cycle. Use arrows to show the direction water moves. Include the Sun, water vapor, clouds, land, and a collection area.

Word bank: ☀ Sun   ↑ evaporation   ☁ condensation   ↓ precipitation   collection   → runoff   water vapor

🧪 Page 2: Water-Cycle-in-a-Bag Investigation

Observe the sealed bag every five minutes. Do not open the bag. Look for evidence of evaporation, condensation, precipitation, and collection.

Sentence frame: I predict that __________________ because __________________.

Start: ________________________________________________

5 minutes: _____________________________________________

10 minutes: ____________________________________________

15 minutes: ____________________________________________

20 minutes: ____________________________________________

Sentence frames: First, __________________. Next, __________________. Then, __________________. Finally, __________________.

Vocabulary: evaporation, condensation, precipitation, collection, runoff, water vapor, Sun

Support: Use the sentence frames, word bank, picture cues, and partner talk before writing.

Extension: Explain one way the bag model is different from the natural water cycle.

✅ Exit Ticket

Answer independently using complete sentences and science vocabulary.

Condensation is ________________________________________________.

The Sun helps the water cycle by __________________________________.

I observed __________________. This shows __________________ because __________________.