A water cycle of many paths

摘要

There is much more to learning the water cycle than memorizing the definitions of evaporation, condensation, and precipitation. The following activity allows students to explore the complexity of the water cycle, create their own model of it, and connect it to the processes that drive it. This activity works best after students have reviewed the basic water cycle and how states of matter change. They should understand how the Sun provides energy to change states of matter and how gravity pulls objects, including water, toward the center of the Earth.