Grade 3

The water cycle

Four words, one loop. Part of looking closely.

The water cycle

Four words, one loop · Alberta Grade 3 · maddyhelps.com

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Label the stages on the diagram, then answer the questions. The same water goes round — not a drop is made or destroyed anywhere in it.

Evaporation

Liquid water becomes vapour and rises.

Condensation

Vapour cools and becomes droplets — a cloud.

Precipitation

Droplets join, get heavy and fall.

Collection

Water gathers in rivers, lakes and the ground, and starts again.

The same water, going round. Not one drop is made or destroyed anywhere in the cycle — which is why the water in a glass has been round it an unimaginable number of times already.

Draw the cycle and label the four stages

Where does the energy come from?

What happens to a puddle on a hot day, and where does it go?

For the grown-up

The water cycle

The Sun drives the whole cycle. A puddle evaporates — the liquid becomes vapour and rises into the air, where it will cool and condense into cloud.

Why this matters is on the looking closely page. More sheets