Water Cycle: Stories {Water Waste and Pollution

Assignment •  You are creating a book for a 2nd grade class at Cherry Drive Elementary. They are studying the Water cycle and how to conserve water. You will: •  discuss the water cycle. •  identify key components of the water cycle. •  state why water conservation is important in relation to the water cycle. •  demonstrate an understanding that water conservation is an act of stewardship for the Earth.

Assignment

Your story must include:

•  A main character (ex. A drop of rain) •  “Bad guy” (ex. Pollution) •  Themes include: adventures; getting lost and finding your way home; going to bed; fighting; being brave; sharing; telling the truth; thinking of others before yourself; explaining how you feel; learning to spell; learning to add; telling parents if someone hurts you or makes you feel bad; how to resolve arguments; disappointment; or dealing with the loss of a parent, brother, or sister. •  Words at a 2nd grade level •  Illustrations •  All vocabulary words defined at a 2nd grade level •  Hardcover •  Make sure your writing has flair. Use humor when possible. For young children, focus on the silly things that will have both the child and the adult reader laughing together; use made-up words and simple rhyming schemes.

Vocabulary 1. 

The Water Cycle: The change and movement of the Earths water from liquid to vapor to solid. The water cycle is solar powered.

2. 

Oceans: store most of the Earths water. Over 70% of the Earths surface is ocean; it contains 96.5% of the worlds water supply

3. 

Evaporation: occurs when the sun heats water up and it becomes vapor in the air.

4. 

Condensation is the opposite of evaporation; it occurs when air cools and the vapor collects into liquid form.

5. 

Precipitation: is condensation falling onto land in the form of rain, sleet, hail, snow, and mist. Only 10% of water evaporated falls as precipitation.

6. 

Sublimation: occurs when snow or ice (considered the solid form of water) changes directly into vapor (dry ice).

7. 

Desublimation: is the opposite of sublimation; it occurs when the vapor turns directly into solid ice or snow.

8. 

Evapotranspiration: occurs when water is discharged as vapor into the atmosphere as a result of evaporation from the soil and transpiration by plants.

9. 

Transpiration is how water is carried through the plants from the roots. The stomata on the underside of leaves allows water to escape into the air. Factors that affect transpiration include temperature, humidity, wind, soil moisture, and type of plant.

10.  Plant Uptake: is how much water the plant absorbs and uses.

Vocabulary

11.  Surface Runoff: is when precipitation travels over the soil surface to the nearest stream channel. When rain hits saturated or impervious ground, it will flow downhill. It is affected by topographic, geographic, and geologic factors. 12.  Snowmelt runoff to streams: is when snow and ice melt into surface water and move across the soil surface into streams. 13.  Stream flow: is the movement of water in a natural channel such as a river. The amount of water flowing in the stream is affected by the watersheds surface runoff, springs, and groundwater discharge. 14.  Infiltration: is the downward movement of water from the land surface into the soil or porous rock. Ground water begins as precipitation. Once water infiltrates the soil it can move vertically and horizontally through the soil 15.  Groundwater Storage: is the water that exists for long periods below the Earths surface. 16.  Groundwater Discharge: is the movement of water out of the ground. 17.  Spring: is an example of a groundwater discharge. It is usually formed when the side of a hill, a valley bottom, or other excavation intersects at or below the local water table, below which the substrate is saturated. It is most prevalent in limestone and dolomite, which fracture easily and can be dissolved by rainfall. 18.  Freshwater Storage: includes wetlands, lakes, ponds, and large rivers that hold freshwater. 19.  Water Storage in the Atmosphere Water is stored as vapor such as clouds and humidity. The atmosphere is full of water. It is the superhighway used to move water around the globe. 20.  Leaching--the process by which soluble materials in the soil, such as salts, nutrients, pesticide chemicals or contaminants, are washed into a lower layer of soil or are dissolved and carried away by water.