This activity provides students with a visual model of how the sun can change water from a liquid to a gas and back to a liquid. Students are directed to fill a clear cup with water. The cup is covered with a plastic lid or plastic wrap. Place the cup in the sunlight so that the heat from the sun can reach the water. Students can observe how the water evaporates and then turns back to a liquid appearing on the lid.
After learning the related vocabulary and phases, students can complete a labeling activity. This can be done either online using a website depicting the water cycle and a whiteboard, or on a handout with a diagram of the cycle. Students are presented with a picture of the water cycle and a list of words and phrases describing the phases. Students are directed to place the related words and phrases on the diagram to identify the phases. Points can be awarded for correct answers.
After watching a video or learning about the water cycle, students can reinforce their understanding of the concept by constructing a wheel. This reinforces the idea of how a cycle is a repeating pattern of activities. Students are presented with a large circle and directed to draw and label the phases of the water cycle; precipitation, transpiration, evaporation and condensation with arrows connecting them. The cycle can be rotated to describe how the cycle moves from phase to phase.
To extend the concept of the water cycle, students can construct a fictional story starring themselves as a single drop of water. Students are directed to write about taking a journey through the water cycle as a water drop. They can describe the phases using the correct vocabulary and create pictures to illustrate their adventure. This activity can be used as a cross-curriculum activity linking science to language arts and art.