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Activity I-3: | Water Cycle Relay Race |
This youth activity is one in a series of four activities that can be used to introduce water resouce concepts. It is a good introductory activity and can be adapted for grades K-8. | |
Purpose: | |
To reinforce the concepts of the water (hydrologic) cycle. | |
Background: | |
(Taken from STOP, LOOK, and LEARN About Our Natural World, Volume 2 by the Nebraska Natural Resource Commission, Lincoln, Nebraska. November 1988.) | |
Water doesn't disappear with our use of it in irrigation,
manufacturing or consumption. The water we have now is the water we had
at the beginning of time. Water forms, dissipates, and forms again in a
cycle called the hydrologic or water cycle.
The water cycle is a gigantic circulation system operating over the earth's land and oceans in the atmosphere surrounding the earth. Being a cycle, there is no beginning or ending but for illustration, let's begin with the waters of the oceans, which cover about three-fourths of the earth. Water from the surface of the ocean evaporates into the atmosphere. That moisture in turn is lifted, eventually is condensed, and falls back to the earth's surface as precipitation. Precipitation that falls as rain, hail, dew, snow, or sleet is important to people and agriculture. After wetting the foliage and ground, some of the precipitation runs off into streams and other waterways. This is the water that often causes erosion and is the main contributor to floods. Not all of the precipitation runs off.V Some soaks into the ground (infiltration) and is available for evaporation. Some of it reaches the deeper zones and slowly percolates through to springs and seeps to maintain and replenish them during dry periods. The streams eventually lead back to the oceans, where the water is again evaporated into the atmosphere. |
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Procedure: | |
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This activity was adapted by Dr. Kitt Farrell-Poe from Project Seasons by Deborah Parrella published by Shelburne Farms, Sheburne, VT. 1995. |
Issued in furtherance of Cooperative Extension work, Acts of May 8 and June 30, 1914, in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Agriculture, James A. Christenson, Director, Cooperative Extension, College of Agriculture, The University of Arizona. The University of Arizona College of Agriculture is an Equal Opportunity employer, authorized to provide research, educational information, and other services only to individuals and institutions that function without regard to sex, race, religion, color, national origin, age, Viet Nam Era Veteran's status, or disability.
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Below the surface of the Earth In between particles of dirt That's where this water is found Saturating everything deep underground. Groundwater |
Through the soil without a sound Water seeping down, down, down Slowly moving underground. Percolation |
Up as vapor to the skies. Evaporation |
Water vapor visible in skies of blue. Cloud |
As crystal, drips, or even balls. Precipitation |
Into a liquid to be seen again. Condensation |
Water vapor escapes Into the air without a trace. Evaportranspiration |
I start as a trickle and then I grow Picking up speed as down I go Over the surface of the land to the sea Obeying the laws of gravity. River |
Changing form but not the amount. Water Cycle |