Learners follow a drop of water around the water cycle with an animated diagram. Wondy the Globe hosts, and the lesson ends with a quick quiz so learners can check what they remember. Try pausing at each quiz question and letting your learner answer out loud.
What's in this lesson
- Evaporation
- Condensation
- Precipitation
- Collection
- A water cycle quiz
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About this science lesson
The water on Earth moves in a never-ending loop called the water cycle. This free grades 3–5 science video follows one drop of water as the Sun heats it, it rises, forms clouds, falls as rain or snow and collects again.
Key ideas
- Evaporation: the Sun heats water and it rises as water vapor
- Condensation: the vapor cools and forms clouds
- Precipitation: water falls as rain, snow, sleet or hail
- Collection: water gathers in oceans, lakes, rivers and underground
Questions parents and teachers ask
What are the 4 stages of the water cycle?
Evaporation, condensation, precipitation and collection.
What powers the water cycle?
The Sun. Its heat turns liquid water into water vapor, and gravity brings the water back down as precipitation.
How can kids see the water cycle at home?
Cover a bowl of warm water with plastic wrap and put ice on top. Watch droplets form under the ice and fall back down like rain.
