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The Water Cycle

CONCEPTUAL
Science›Weather & Climate|Ages 7—9|ID: mt_fhqVdj4BYr

Understand the water cycle: the Sun heats water in oceans and lakes causing it to evaporate into water vapour, the vapour rises and cools to form clouds (condensation), and water falls back to Earth as rain, snow, or hail (precipitation) — then the cycle repeats

Mastery Evidence

  • Name the three main stages: evaporation, condensation, precipitation
  • Explain the Sun's role in driving the water cycle
  • Describe the water cycle as a continuous loop with no beginning or end

Assessment Prompt

“Can [child] trace the journey of a raindrop — from the ocean being heated by the Sun, rising as invisible vapour, forming a cloud, and falling back down as rain — and explain it keeps going round and round?”

Prerequisites5

Show full prerequisite tree
  • Cloud Types hard

    Water cycle requires understanding cloud formation (condensation)

    • Rain & Puddles hard

      Cloud types build on knowing rain comes from clouds

      • Types of Weather soft

        Rain concept benefits from knowing rain as a weather type

  • Where water is found on Earth soft

    Water cycle benefits from knowing where water is found on Earth

    • Shapes of land and water hard

      Must know land and water features before learning where water is found on Earth

      • Seasonal changes soft

        Seasonal observation supports understanding land and water features

    • Heating & Cooling Changes soft

      Understanding state changes supports knowing water as solid (ice) and liquid

      • States of Matter Vocabulary hard

        Describing and measuring changes of state requires solid/liquid/gas vocabulary and the term 'change of state'

      • Drawing Particle Diagrams hard

        Observing and describing change of state requires reading particle diagrams showing how arrangement changes on heating or cooling

  • Heating & Cooling Changes soft

    Water cycle benefits from curriculum states of matter (heating/cooling changes state)

    • States of Matter Vocabulary hard

      Describing and measuring changes of state requires solid/liquid/gas vocabulary and the term 'change of state'

    • Drawing Particle Diagrams hard

      Observing and describing change of state requires reading particle diagrams showing how arrangement changes on heating or cooling

  • Temperature & Thermometers soft

    Water cycle evaporation relates to temperature (heat drives evaporation)

  • Rain & Puddles hard

    Full water cycle builds on basic rain/puddle/evaporation concept

    • Types of Weather soft

      Rain concept benefits from knowing rain as a weather type

Unlocks6