Investigating Condensation and the Water Cycle

Step-by-step Lesson and Free Printables 

Most kids are familiar with the terms precipitation, condensation, and evaporation, but very few of them really understand what those words mean. Just ask your students to name three examples of condensation in everyday life and watch their eyes glaze over. Huh??

Most kids understand that precipitation is a fancy word for different forms of water falling from the sky, like rain, snow, and sleet. Most kids also understand that evaporation is what happens when water "disappears" on a warm day, such as a puddle drying up. They know that evaporation means liquid water has become water vapor.

Condensation is a little harder to grasp. If you've taught your students that clouds form as a result of condensation, they may think that condensation only happens in the sky. Do they know that condensation happens all around us, every day? If they understand that water droplets on a cold glass are the result of condensation, where do they think the water comes from? Inside the glass?

Condensation Investigation

Here's a simple investigation that will help your students understand what condensation is, where it comes from, and where it happens in everyday life. The activity works well as an introduction to the water cycle or as a part of a lesson on states of matter. Because this is an exploratory activity, it's best not to provide too much background information before you begin.

Five Ways to Fit Science In

Guest post by Tammy
from The Owl Teacher Blog

Every year when I sit down to plan out my class schedule around all my specials, it seems I just don't have a lot of time left to fit in science, and don't even get me started on social studies. My district requires so much time to be spent on language arts and math. It's understandable that these are important subject areas, but I always feel I'm short changing my students. By time I get done, I'm often left with 30 minutes (give or take) for science. That often leaves me wondering, just how am I going to give my students good quality instruction in science while meeting the required curriculum?

Most districts (though not all) have a required amount of minutes they would like to see teachers spend in certain subject areas. Since this is typically something we have no control over, I wanted to share with you some strategies that I have used over the years to help fit more science in when I'm limited with class time.

Earth Rounds: What Fraction of the Earth Can Support Life?

Sometimes kids think Earth has unlimited resources and they don't realize that only a small part of our planet is habitable. Edible Earth Rounds is a tasty activity you can use to demonstrate this concept, and it's a great way to sneak in a fraction lesson, too! Each student will use half an English muffin or sandwich round to create a model of the earth. They'll use jelly to represent the part of our Earth covered with water, peanut butter or almond butter for the land, and other food items to represent the uninhabitable and habitable parts of the land. Check out the photos below for a quick overview of what's involved.

When you introduce the activity, you might want to spend a few minutes discussing the terms "habitable," "inhabitable," and "uninhabitable." Did you know that "habitable" and "inhabitable" are actually synonyms? Usually the prefix "in" means "not," but apparently "inhabitable" is the exception to that rule. Therefore, the only form that means "not able to be inhabited" is "uninhabitable." Are you confused yet? :-)

Family Science Night: Hands-on, Minds-on Fun!

Guest post by Carol Wooten

As one walks the hallway on the evening of Family Science Night, the echoes of excited young scientists fill the school building. From extracting strawberry DNA to investigating a car that runs on alternative fuel to constructing a Rube Goldberg machine from everyday materials, the students are actively engaged in learning that will impact them for a lifetime.

According to the well-known quotation from Benjamin Franklin, “Tell me and I forget. Teach me and I remember. Involve me and I learn.” This ideology was taken into account with the design of Family Science Night. Our focus was to involve all participants through stimulating hands-on investigations. As with science investigations during class, the emphasis was not on simply telling or teaching, but making science come to life for families.

As a member of the planning committee for Family Science night and eventual chairperson for over a decade, I had the opportunity to directly observe the evolution of the evening and its amazing positive impact on both parents and students. Ten years ago, Family Science Night included five presentations from parents who were scientists and several university professors. The next year, students also became involved and conducted hands-on presentations for various sessions such as basic physics, landforms, and ecosystems. We included make-and-take stations where students (and parents) were able to construct and work on various challenges such as using science concepts to design and build the tallest straw tower.

Within the past five years, the popularity of Family Science Night has grown to over thirty presentations and make-and-take stations. Hence, the attendance has increased from under one hundred participants to over 500. The development of Family Science Night has flourished each year. As schools begin holding these exciting evenings of science, those organizing the event should remember to start small and then grow during consecutive years. Having parents and community involved in any aspect with the evening is vital to a successful event.

The key element of Family Science Night is that the evening is hands-on and minds-on. When university professors and scientists in the community agree to present at Family Science Night, this agreement includes a hands-on and often inquiry-based session where participants are able to explore the concept rather than receive a lecture.

In addition to outstanding speakers who incorporate hands-on learning for participants to explore a wealth of science concepts, schools may also integrate a science project into the Family Science Night. The cafeteria could be utilized to display these family science projects. Due to the end of year testing in science for fifth graders, the fifth grade students’ projects envelop one of the main concepts that will be assessed.

Family Science Nights may also progress into various formats.  For instance, students may share what they have learned from science class in stations using hands-on and inquiry based models, volunteers implement a variety of make-and-take stations, local scientists incorporate presentations that encompass hands-on and minds-on learning, or a combination of all of the above idea formats.

How to Plan and Host a Family Science Night

If schools are initiating a thrilling Family Science Night for the first time or for the hundredth time, the guidelines below will help to create an outstanding event that not only promotes science, but also involves the family and community in an astounding learning experience.

The list below is a starting point for a Family Science Night. Since each school is unique, organizers should feel free to modify the list and event planning to meet the needs of the school. A more detailed general planning list is found at http://carolwooten.weebly.com/science-night.html; however, remember that the list is not cookie-cutter. It can be adapted to meet the needs of various schools.

1. Develop a school team of interested members and delegate a chairperson. The committee can include staff members and parents—anyone who is motivated in enhancing children’s love of science. Establish meeting dates and begin to assign roles.
2. Decide on the size of the event. Will you have five presentations or are you expanding to over thirty? Your size may also depend on your budget. Our budget was $400 for 30 stations, which mainly provides materials for the make-and-take stations. However, the event has been run with less than a $100 budget—you simply have to minimize the materials for make-and-takes or depend on a variety of donations to facilitate these stations.
3. Develop a theme for the event. For example, “Connecting with Super Scientists” was last year’s theme that emphasized the integration of technology. 
4. Brainstorm a list of possible presenters and session topics. Conduct research of excellent presenters by first determining parents skilled in the area and then contacting other universities and/or companies to present. What types of content for presentations would yield high interest?
5. Determine the number of make-and take stations and the content for each station. Examples of make-and-take stations include straw towers, bird feeders, UV bead bracelets, Rube Goldberg machines that are designed using scrap materials, Oreo moon phases, and silly putty.
6. Create a “to do” list in preparation for this sensational evening.
7. Distribute speaker invitation letters.
8. Organize the presenters/speakers based on their attendance replies. Which presenters noted they were able to attend? Which presenters were unable to attend but showed an interest for next year’s event?
9. Assign classrooms to the presenters and stations.
10. Create a program for the event. A sample program can be found on the aforementioned website.
11. Purchase and organize make-and-take materials. Organizing and labeling each station’s materials in a separate box is very beneficial. Include precise directions for the station in the box.
12. Ask for additional help and decide what roles need to be completed the day of the event. An efficient method of structuring and assigning your helpers is to use a program such as Sign Up Genius.
13. Confirm speakers/presenters again (a week prior to the event). It is also beneficial to confirm what types of technology the speaker needs for the presentation.
14. Prepare packets/envelopes for the presenters. It could include a map of the school, a student-created thank you note, and/or a voucher for free food (if food is being served at the event). The thank you notes are always greatly appreciated.
15. On the day of the event, greet speakers and monitor to make sure all technology needs are met. 
16. Following Family Science Night, evaluate the evening. What went well? What areas would you improve? Then, celebrate and set the date for the next year’s event.

Passport System Encourages Participation

During our first several years implementing a Family Science Night, we realized that attendees were definitely drawn to the make-and-take stations such as the pine cone bird feeders or straw towers. But how could we ensure that all presenters were visited equitably? This question led to the design of a passport system. With this system, attendees received a passport handout with their program upon arrival at the Family Science Night. After attending each session, they would earn a sticker from the presenter or volunteer to place on this form. Click the page of passport sticker image on the right to download our passport packet.

Once all stickers were earned, the participants returned the form to the main table to receive a prize. These prizes have included anything from science related washable tattoos to neon “Family Science Night” pencils. Participants also completed the form with their name and contact information to place into the bin for a grand prize drawing—a $25 gift card that is given away at the conclusion of Family Science Night.

Furthermore, Family Science Night provides an excellent opportunity to create leadership roles for students, especially fourth and fifth graders. Student ambassadors work to assist with sign design, greeting presenters, distributing programs, and creating thank you notes for all presenters. Schools may have students apply for this position, or the role can be teacher selected.  Students take pride in their roles and work diligently to ensure they fulfill their assigned ambassador duties.

With each year, we embark on Family Science Night as a new and exciting experience. As a science committee, we learn from each event and strive to make the next year’s Family Science Night even more electrifying.


Carol Wooten is a fifth grade math and science teacher at Hunter GT/AIG Magnet Elementary in Raleigh, NC where she is entering her seventeenth year of teaching. Wooten is a former Kenan Fellow whose project was entitled “Science Inquiry and Assessment.” She is a past recipient of the Presidential Award for Excellence in Science Teaching. Wooten serves on the NCAEE board as the Teacher Director at Large. Carol is also a member of the NC Association of Elementary Educators Board of Directors.

Investigating How to Make Icy Roads Safer

If you've ever driven on icy roads, you'll know just how treacherous they can be. How do road crews make the roads safer for travel? You may have seen them spraying a solution on the roads prior to a big storm, but what exactly is in that mixture and how does it help? With the extremely cold weather conditions across the country recently, this would be a timely topic for your students to explore.

I grew up in New Hampshire, and I can remember wondering why crews spread salt and sand on the roads. If you live in a cold climate where roads are often covered with ice in the winter, your students may have wondered the same thing. As it turns out, the salt lowered the freezing point of water which kept it from freezing at 32 degrees Fahrenheit, and the sand made the roads less slippery providing traction for the vehicles.

The Icy Road Investigation is a terrific way to have your students explore these concepts. This hands-on science experiment involves placing ice cubes in zippered plastic bags with sand and salt so students can observe the effects of those two substances on the melting ice. The activity uses simple materials that you can easily find around the home, and it's great for cooperative learning teams or students working with a partner. This lesson includes includes teacher directions and a 3-page lab report for students to complete as they conduct the investigation.

The Icy Road Investigation can be purchased alone, but it's also one of the seasonal lessons in my January Activities pack. In addition to this science activity, the 28-page January packet has over a dozen printables for January or winter including literacy, math, and social studies activities. Most of the lessons and printables are designed for cooperative learning teams or students working in pairs, but many of them can be used for independent work, too.

Preview Icy Road Investigation on TpT

Preview January Activities Pack on TpT

Icy Road Investigation Follow-up Activities   

Researching and Investigating Other Ways to Make Icy Roads Safer
Recently scientists have been exploring other options that are not only environmentally safe - they actually save money. A few days ago I read an article with information about various solutions that seem to work even better than salt water. Would you be believe some states are using substances like cheese brine and a solution made from beets?

I wonder what other solutions might work to make roads safer in winter? A fun follow up to the Icy Roads Investigation above would be to have students repeat the Icy Road Investigation using a different solution to see how the new substance affects the results.

Know-Wonder-Learned Chart Freebie

You could also use a KWL chart to guide students through the process of researching how to make icy roads safer. Give each student a copy of the free printable shown here, and display a copy for the class. Together, write what you know from your investigation in the Know column. Then ask students to complete the Wonder column by brainstorming questions they have about how roads can be made safer. Provide time for them to research the topic, take notes, and complete the Learned column. Wrap up the lesson by having students share what they learned with the class.

Even if you don't live where winter weather is a problem, your students have seen enough movies to know that snow and ice on the roads create dangerous driving conditions. Exploring how roads can be made safer is a timely science topic, and your student are sure to enjoy this hands-on activity and research project.

Gearing Up for Next Generation Science

Guest blog post by Wendy Goldfein and Cheryl Nelson

As part of the Next Generation Science Standards, elementary teachers will teach engineering.

Really??? I’m not an engineer!

The problem solving skills, communication, perseverance and teamwork that students will learn while participating in these lessons have been identified as necessary skills for the 21st century worker.

I'll just let someone else handle it. Our Advanced Academic teacher does some of those lessons with our advanced students.

By applying the math and science skills they are learning in the classroom to solve real life engineering problems, all students will see why it is necessary to learn these subjects.

Are you kidding me? I have trouble getting my students to read on grade level and perform basic computation. My plate is full!! Just when am I supposed to fit this into my day?

Sound familiar? Many elementary teachers across the country, faced with new mandates to include engineering in their curriculum, are experiencing the same anxiety. However, it is entirely possible to integrate engineering into your classroom, even if you have an inclusive classroom with special populations. Engineering does not have to be an “add-on” to what you are already teaching. Rather, it requires you to look at what you are already teaching through a STEM lens and find the opportunity for an engineering experience.

How to Integrate Engineering Lessons into the Curriculum
Integration into science lessons are the obvious first choices, but you will be amazed at the number of engineering concepts that can easily be integrated into history, literature, and math.

In literature, students could be challenged to:

• Design a house that can’t be knocked down by a tornado for the Wizard of OZ.
• Create a zip line for Peter Pan.
• Plan a prototype for a new castle for Cinderella.

All can be accomplished using every day materials such as cardboard, hair dryers, fishing line, and recycled paper towels rolls in an elementary classroom.

In math, assign students to:

• Produce an index card roller coaster that requires right angles.
• Build a spaghetti tower that must reach a certain height.
• Develop a catapult made out of paint stirrers that launches “angry peeps” to a specified distance.

Engineering provides an opportunity for students to apply their mathematical concepts in an engaging project for even the most reluctant student.

And in social studies:

• Construct a suitcase for colonists to Jamestown out of recycled cardboard that will meet certain dimensions and hold a specific weight.
• Build a shelter outside for a small animal using only those materials that you find on the playground such as grass, rocks, and twigs in order to replicate an early settler’s choices.

Engineering adds a new dynamic to a history lesson and enables students to comprehend the challenges faced by people from another time period.

Ok, I follow the logic and that sounds great. But I still don’t have time to redo all of my lesson plans to include engineering. 

Engineering Resources for Elementary Teachers
Luckily, you don’t have to recreate the wheel and invent your own design briefs and materials. There are plenty of resources available to bring engineering into all of your subjects and new ones are being added daily.

• Engineering is Elementary by the Museum of Science in Boston offers a comprehensive program with teacher guides and kits of materials. 
• Design Squad at PBS has a wide variety of STEM lessons for grades 4-8
• eGFI – For Teachers maintains a comprehensive list of lessons for grades k-12
• CEE – Children’s Engineering Educators LLC has free design briefs and activities

Engineering in the elementary classroom is here to stay as a crucial part of the STEM equation. Obviously not every child exposed to engineering will become an engineer. However, the skills of collaboration, communication, and problem solving obtained from these real life lessons will eventually allow students to take their place in the 21st century workplace. Fueled by a business world concerned that they won’t be able to meet the future demand for such workers, this initiative has the support of the White House, state legislatures, and local school boards. It has become a national priority thought necessary to keep the United States competitive in the global market. Elementary teachers will play a crucial role in planting the seeds of enthusiasm for engineering concepts with children.

Wendy Goldfein and Cheryl Nelson teach 4th grade and have spent the past three years developing an engineering program at their school. They have presented their model for children’s engineering at the Atlantic City NSTA STEM Conference, the San Antonio NSTA Science Conference, and many other state and national conferences. They recently launched Get Caught Engineering, a website and blog that provides ideas, lessons, and resources for elementary teachers. Click to read their article, "Family Style Engineering," which appeared in Science and Children magazine. You can reach Wendy and Cheryl at getcaughtengineering@gmail.com or via their Get Caught Engineering Facebook page. Be sure to leave them a comment here to tell them what you think about their engineering ideas!

Weathering, Erosion, or Deposition? Sorting Out the Processes

Science is one of my favorite subjects, and I've always been interested in geology and landforms. I remember hiking through the White Mountains of New Hampshire as a child, listening to my father explain the geology of the area. He showed me evidence of glaciers that once covered the area, interesting caves and rock formations, and fossils of sea animals that somehow ended up high in the mountains! I still enjoy hiking and other outdoor activities, and I often wonder how certain features of the earth were formed.

I guess those early experiences are why I enjoy teaching students about landforms of the Earth. Hands-on activities and opportunities to explore nature are especially important in this area of study. One of my favorite projects is to have students work in teams to create islands from salt dough, and each island has to include specific landforms. When students share about their islands with the class, they have to explain how those landforms might have been formed. We read books about weathering, erosion, and deposition, and even take walks outside to observe evidence of these three processes in nature. I show photos of pictures I have taken myself and other pictures I've found on the internet to explain how weathering, erosion, and deposition shaped Earth's surface.

Sorting Out the Processes (and a Freebie!)
Yet even with all of those activities, my students still had trouble remembering the difference between weathering, erosion, and deposition. These concepts are very confusing. To help them practice, I created a sorting activity with examples that students could read and classify into one of the three categories.

They worked in teams because having time to discuss and debate the placement of the cards was really helpful as they grappled with the concepts. When they discussed a card, they had to talk over the action taking place and decide if it was most likely weathering, erosion, or deposition. They took turns so all students had the opportunity to participate equally.

If you'd like to use this sorting activity with your students, you can download it for free from my TeachersPayTeachers store.

Illustrated Task Cards and Self-Grading Google Quizzes
If you believe that a picture is worth 1000 words, you'll love my resource for teaching this topic. Weathering, Erosion, and Deposition Task Cards and Google Quizzes includes 24 printable task cards in both black & white and color, as well as 24 task card images that can be used with the free Plickers program or with Google Classroom. You can even use the images to create digital decks of task cards for cooperative learning activities like Showdown! Weathering, Erosion, and Deposition also includes two self-grading Google quizzes that can be assigned with Google Classroom or administered as online formative assessments. 

The illustrations on these Weathering, Erosion, and Deposition task cards are what make them really unique. Most of drawings were created by my daughter Wendy Candler of Digital Classroom Clipart on TpT, and I love the simplicity of her artwork. Somehow Wendy was able to capture the essence of how weathering, erosion, or deposition contributed to each situation being depicted without adding unnecessary details.

I hope these activities and resources help your students develop a deeper understanding of the difference between weathering, erosion, and deposition.

Green Court Claims Freebie

Common Core Aligned for Reading Informational Text and all Speaking & Listening Standards

About a month ago, I shared a special activity I developed for Earth Day called Green Court Claims. You can read my blog post, "Green Companies? Let the Jury Decide!" for a full explanation of the activity. For now, I'll just share that students investigate companies' claims that their products are "green" or earth-friendly. Students research the facts behind the claim, discuss the arguments on both sides, and present those claims to their classmates. Their classmates become the jury and decide whether those claims are valid in order to reach a verdict. You'll find everything you need in this free lesson packet on my Science page on Teaching Resources. You'll find the Common Core Alignment details at the back of the packet.

The first time I shared Green Court Claims, it was completely untested in the classroom. The only reason I shared it without testing it was because Earth Day was fast approaching and I felt it would be a perfect activity for that special day. So I asked a few bloggers to test out the lesson with their students, and Mandy Neal of Teaching with Simplicity immediately offered to try it with her 4th grade class. I was excited to learn that her class loved it, and that she felt it was a really worthwhile experience for them. You can read about their green claim investigations in her blog post, "You Be the Judge."  After I was assured that everything worked out as planned, I compiled all the directions and student printables in one packet to share with you.

You'll find this activity along with loads of other free materials on my Teaching Resources Science page. Even if you don't teach science, I think this lesson would make a terrific class activity for a study of propaganda, or an excellent jumping-off point for a lesson on writing persuasive essays. If you use the lesson, I'd love for you to return and leave a comment to share how it worked for you. What "green" claims have you read or seen recently that you suspect are not particularly friendly to the environment? When you start looking for them, they are easy to find!






Laura Candler
Teaching Resources

Move to Learn in Science!

Brain research supports the need for students to get plenty of movement throughout the day - but that's something every teacher knows! In Teaching with the Brain in Mind, Eric Jensen states, "Brain-compatible learning means that educators should weave math, movement, geography, social skills, role play, science, and physical education together."

I completely agree, and that's why I enjoyed using simulations and role-playing games in my classroom. One day my students were stuck inside due to the winter weather, and I made up a game where the kids pretended to be molecules and they moved according to the changes in states of matter. We reviewed the three states of matter, and I used water in my examples:

• Solids - Molecules are tightly packed and move slowly, staying in a rigid formation. (Ice would be an example of matter in a solid state.)
• Liquids - As solid matter is heated, the addition of energy causes molecules to move more quickly and spread apart. (Water is a liquid.)
• Gases - With the addition of more heat, the molecules move even faster and pread even farther apart. (Steam is the gaseous form of water.)

Here's a simple visual I found online:

Source: SuperDuperScience Wiki

States of Matter Game

To start the game, I asked everyone to stand up, find a spot on the floor, and then move as I guided them through the states of matter. One of the rules was that they couldn't touch anyone or anything as they moved, so I had them cross their arms across their chests to keep their bodies in a compact form.

1. Solids - They started out bunched together in one part of the room, barely moving as they role-played molecules in the solid state. 
2. Liquids - Then I told them they were getting warmer and they needed to increase their speed and spread out accordingly. 
3. Gases -Finally, they became gas molecules and moved quickly but carefully all over the room. 

Anyone who touched something or someone had to sit out for a minute (mostly to calm down!). Click the image to download the directions.

Water Cycle Adaptation
The States of Matter game is easily adapted to have students role-play the water cycle. Tell them they are now molecules inside a water droplet.Then guide them through the processes of evaporation, condensation, and freezing. When they start evaporating, they become a gas so they need to spread out. As they cool down and condense to form clouds, they become liquid and move closer together. At that point you can have them become a liquid again as rain or tell them they are freezing to form snowflakes or solid particles of ice. Relate their movements to water's different states of matter during the water cycle.

More Water Cycle Resources

If  your students need extra practice with identifying examples of condensation, evaporation, and precipitation, check out my Water Cycle Combo on TpT. This product includes includes 32 task cards, a sorting activity, and a quiz.  Your kids will master these concepts in no time!

Move to Learn Link Up
Because I think movement is so important in learning, I was excited when Rachel Lynette posted her Move to Learn link up. I decided to write this blog post to share one of my favorite ways to get kids moving. Even if you aren't studying states of matter, the game works great as a 5-minute energizer. With younger kids, you can leave out the science terminology and just tell them to speed up and slow down according to your directions. My students always loved this one! Please visit Rachel's original blog post on this topic for more ideas about how to get kids up and moving to learn!

Mitten Science

Mittens keep our hands warm, but are mittens themselves warm? That's the question Selina Smith of the Classroom Magic blog posed to students in her mitten investigation.

Using inquiry science, students discovered that  mittens keep our hands warm because they trap our body heat, but mittens alone are not warm at all. Selina pairs this investigation with the book, The Mitten, by Jan Brett. Visit her blog to download the complete directions and handouts for the activity.


More Mitten Investigations
Selina's blog post intrigued me right away. I like her original question because it's easy to understand and can be explored with a simple science experiment. This activity also started me thinking about other mitten experiments that would be very easy for students to explore. A great follow up to her activity would be to have students brainstorm a list of mitten questions to investigate. Here are a few mitten of MY questions:

• Are thin cotton mittens as effect as thick thermal mittens for keeping hands warm?
• Do gloves keep hands as warm as mittens?
• Do hands get warmer the longer they are inside the mittens? 
• How does the outside air temperature affect the temperature of hands inside mittens? (If you are wearing mittens indoors will your hands be the same temperature as they would be if you were wearing them outdoors in cold weather?)

Designing Reliable Experiments

If your students are new to science inquiry, I would suggest choosing one experiment to do as a class. Later your students can choose another question to explore with a partner or a team. Download the Science Experiment Lab Write up from Teaching Resources before you begin.

To get started, give each student a blank copy of the form. Work through the various parts of the write up together, starting with the question and hypothesis.

Discuss how to design an experiment that will be reliable because this may be a new concept for elementary students. They tend to think that if they do an experiment one time, the results are "proof" that their hypothesis is correct. Experiments can be made more reliable by changing only one part of the experiment at a time (the variable), repeating the experiment, and measuring carefully.

After you design the experiment, let each team carry it out and record their results. Walk them through the remaining steps to draw conclusions and complete the science lab write up.

Can you think of other mitten questions to investigate? How would you use this activity in your classroom? Visit the Science page on Teaching Resources for more investigation ideas!

Visit Teaching Resources at http://www.lauracandler.com

Hands-on Water Cycle Fun!

Now that I'm retired, I often miss working with children; children are my inspiration and the classroom is my laboratory! Recently I accepted a position at a local school to work with kids during their year round intersession program, and I had the pleasure of teaching science to 5th graders for 3 days. I had a wonderful time teaching them about the water cycle and weather, especially since I was able to incorporate a hands-on activity and an exciting demonstration into our lessons.

One activity was adapted from a terrific idea shared with me by Pat Calfee, a former elementary teacher who is now an educational consultant. When Pat was teaching 2nd grade, she used plastic rotisserie chicken containers to have her students create mini water cycles.

Because 5th graders need to know the full water cycle including transpiration and run-off,  we modified our mini water cycles slightly. Each team set up their own mini water cycle by adding a rock to represent a mountain, grass for the vegetation, and a small pond made from aluminum foil and filled with water.

On a sunny day, the best way to power up the mini water cycle is to close the container and put it in the sun for several hours. As the water warms up, it evaporates and then condenses on the inside of the plastic lid. The water then "rains" on the environment inside the container and runs off to form little ponds. Unfortunately, the weather called for rain on the day we were doing this (Murphy's law!). So I brought a large lamp from home that gave off a lot of heat, and we put the containers under the lamp. Soon we were observing evaporation, transpiration, condensation, precipitation, and run-off!

Those containers were a super way to give students hands-on experience creating a water cycle. It was wonderful to be able to have something concrete to observe when discussing these concepts.

Another way to observe a water cycle in action is to create a Cloud in a Jar. This is a teacher demo since it involves boiling water and a lit match, but it's a fun way for students to observe how clouds form. You can find the directions for this activity in my Science File Cabinet on Teaching Resources. The directions include a set of follow-up questions to help students grasp the essential concepts.

A great way to help kids identify examples of condensation, evaporation, and precipitation in everyday life is with my Parts of the Water Cycle Task Cards shown below. I've even added images of all 32 task cards that you can upload to Plickers and use for assessment questions!

What are your favorite activities to teach the water cycle? Please share!