Through multi-trial experiments, students are able to see and measure something that is otherwise invisible to them seeing plants breathe. Student groups are given two small plants of native species and materials to enclose them after watering with colored water. After being enclosed for 5, 10 and 15 minutes, teams collect and measure the condensed water from the plants' "breathing," and then calculate the rates at which the plants breathe. A plant's breath is known as transpiration, which is the flow of water from the ground where it is taken up by roots (plant uptake) and then lost through the leaves. Students plot volume/time data for three different native plant species, determine and compare their transpiration rates to see which had the highest reaction rate and consider how a plant's unique characteristics (leaf surface area, transpiration rate) might figure into engineers' designs for neighborhood stormwater management plans.

Students use everyday building materials sand, pea gravel, cement and water to create and test pervious pavement. They learn what materials make up a traditional, impervious concrete mix and how pervious pavement mixes differ. Groups are challenged to create their own pervious pavement mixes, experimenting with material ratios to evaluate how infiltration rates change with different mix combinations.

In this class demonstration, students observe a simple water cycle model to better understand its role in pollutant transport. This activity shows one way in which pollution is affected by the water cycle; it simulates a point source of pollution in a lake and the resulting environmental consequences.

This is the second lesson in the unit Weather Trackers (http://www.beaconlearningcenter.com/unitplan/11468.htm). Students have the opportunity to work in groups to draw the rain cycle and make their own "movie" using a large cardboard milk carton and heavy white paper. Students are assessed on their ability to identify the pattern of the rain cycle and to sequence the events in order. Emphasis is placed on the Sun being the source of heat that drives the cycle.

This article explains how the ice and snow of the polar regions fit in the global water cycle and includes links to professional development resources.

In this activity, students create a reservoir model using hoses, a bucket, a flat pan, and water, to understand the inputs and outputs of a local watershed or reservoir. The resource is supported by teacher background information, assessment suggestions, and a scoring rubric. This is Activity 2 of the learning module, Global Balance, part of the lesson series, The Potential Consequences of Climate Variability and Change.

In this activity, students investigate the interacting parts of the Earth system by observing changes in evaporation rate in four small aquariums with different initial conditions. The demonstration requires 4 small aquariums, soil, plants, water, graduated cylinder, scale, plastic wrap, and colored pencils. A student data sheet is included. The resource is supported by teacher background information, assessment suggestions, and a scoring rubric. This is Activity 3 in the learning module, Global Balance, part of the lesson series, The Potential Consequences of Climate Variability and Change.

Through this lesson, students will understand the relationship among the Sun, heat energy, evaporation, and condensation.

This series of ten lessons has been developed to teach students about local and global water issues. They are based on NASA’s Global Precipitation Measurement (GPM) Mission. The activities are done largely outdoors and include scientific data collection and analysis and integrate technology. Many of the lessons involve data collected based on protocols from the GLOBE Program. Each lesson is designed to take one hour; the lessons build on each other, but can also be used independently. Each lesson topic includes a lesson plan, PowerPoint presentation, student capture sheet and capture sheet answer guide.

Groundwater is one of the largest sources of drinking water, so environmental engineers need to understand groundwater flow in order to tap into this important resource. Environmental engineers also study groundwater to predict where pollution from the surface may end up. In this lesson, students will learn how water flows through the ground, what an aquifer is and what soil properties are used to predict groundwater flow.

This list of children's books recommends nonfiction titles that supplement basic information found in lessons and activities of this themed issue of the online magazine Beyond Weather and the Water Cycle. The books are grouped by topic -- water, weather and climate, and atmosphere. Each book is described by its content, reading level, and possible uses in the classroom. Covers are pictured. The online magazine is produced for elementary school teachers and is structured around the essential principles of climate sciences and climate literacy.

In this problem-based learning (PBL) activity, students take on the role of a student research scientist and explore the role of solar energy in determining climate. Students conduct experiments to determine the role of albedo in surface warming by investigating the temperature of a variety of surfaces in the environment. The activity should be conducted on a sunny day. Materials required for the investigation include thermometers and paper cups. The lesson is supported by teacher notes, answer key, glossary and an appendix with information about using PBL in the classroom. This is the first of three activities in Investigating the Climate System: Energy, a Balancing Act.

Four unit plans provide opportunities for in-depth explorations of important foundational climate concepts -- weather, water as a solid, liquid and gas, and the water cycle -- that are appropriate for K-2 and 3-5 learners. These unit plans incorporate many of the lessons highlighted in other articles in this issue of the online magazine Beyond Weather and the Water Cycle. The magazine is structured around the essential principles of the climate sciences.

Engineers design and implement many creative techniques for managing stormwater at its sources in order to improve and restore the hydrology and water quality of developed sites to pre-development conditions. Through the two lessons in this unit, students are introduced to green infrastructure (GI) and low-impact development (LID) technologies, including green roofs and vegetative walls, bioretention or rain gardens, bioswales, planter boxes, permeable pavement, urban tree canopies, rainwater harvesting, downspout disconnection, green streets and alleys, and green parking. Student teams take on the role of stormwater engineers through five associated activities. They first model the water cycle, and then measure transpiration rates and compare native plant species. They investigate the differences in infiltration rates and storage capacities between several types of planting media before designing their own media mixes to meet design criteria. Then they design and test their own pervious pavement mix combinations. In the culminating activity, teams bring together all the concepts as well as many of the materials from the previous activities in order to create and install personal rain gardens. The unit prepares the students and teachers to take on the design and installation of bigger rain garden projects to manage stormwater at their school campuses, homes and communities.

This resource provides a lesson plan over 2-3 class periods for your students to learn the vocabulary of The Water Cycle and be able to teach it back through song or comics. They will learn the vocabulary words and the order in which the water cycle forms and works. 

This lesson was developed to give participants an understanding of Earth's water cycle. In this one-hour long activity, students participate in a webquest to learn about the water cycle, and then build a mini-model of the water cycle to observe how water moves through Earth's four systems. The activity uses the 5E instructional model and is part of the "Survivor Earth" series of one-hour lessons.

This water cycle lesson includes a 3-day module on the water cycle with formative assessments (warm-ups & exit tickets), flashcards, and a project. The project helps students recognize local water cycle stages that happen in/around their home, community, or state. The project also challenges students to collaboratively create their own water cycle diagram. The Google Slides format allows educators to copy and modify the materials to fit their needs and can be accessed here: http://bit.ly/localwatercycle.

This article highlights hands-on and inquiry-based science lessons that teach about the water cycle and provides lessons that integrate literacy skills with the science investigations.