Coloring Page: The Water Cycle
Activity - Classroom
Grades3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8Earth and Space Sciences
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Provided by NASA
What it is
- This water cycle coloring page from NASA features a detailed diagram illustrating various stages of the water cycle, with labels in both English and Spanish.
- Students will familiarize themselves with the water cycle while enjoying a creative experience.
Teaching tips
Positives
- The downloadable PDF file includes a second page with definitions for each labeled term.
- This activity is also available in Spanish.
Prerequisites
- Students should be familiar with the water cycle.
- The teacher must download and print the PDF document and prepare the coloring utensils for the students.
Differentiation & Implementation
- This activity can be used as a hook for a lesson about the water cycle. Teachers can also use it as morning work or bell work to ease transitions.
- Teachers can ask students to name the steps of the water cycle and try to write a paragraph detailing the process in order to wrap up a lesson on the water cycle. Teachers can white out the labels on the coloring page and ask students to label the diagram.
- Teachers can combine this coloring change with a lesson on climate change by having students write the ways climate change may impact steps in the water cycle. For example, under the evaporation step, students can write about how climate change increases the frequency of hot, humid days when sweat cannot evaporate, and under the precipitation step, students can write about extreme weather events.
- Other recommended resources include The Roles of Water in Earth's Surface Processes and the Water Quality Backyard Activity Guide.
From the scientist review
This resource visualizes the water cycle. As water vapor is the most important greenhouse gas in the atmosphere, understanding how water travels through the climate system is vital. This resource is recommended for teaching.
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Hosted on climate.nasa.gov
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