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The Voyage of a Water Molecule
We frequently describe the water cycle as a circle involving evaporation,
condensation, precipitation and back to evaporation. While this is not incorrect it
certainly doesn’t take into account the whole story. There are many forms of
precipitation and much movement of water between precipitation and ultimately
the evaporation back into the sky. This activity, inspired by Project WET’S “The
Incredible Journey”, is meant to highlight all the various travels that a single
water molecule can take.
Materials:
9 picture cards (one for each station-see appendix)
9 cubes (one for each station-see appendix)
Voyage of a Water Molecule worksheet (see appendix)
Pencils, Pens, or Markers
Set Up:
Find an open area in your classroom or elsewhere in your school.
Outdoors can work if it isn’t too windy.
Place the picture cards and cubes around the area.
Have students sit near for a quick introduction. Procedure:
First ask students what they think when they hear the term “water cycle”.
Chances are you will get a variety of answers. Have them think a bit more about
places around the earth where water can be found. Make a list of their
suggestions. Tell them that for this activity you will focus on nine of those places:
clouds, plants, animals, rivers, oceans, lakes, ground water, soil and glaciers.
1. Explain to students that they are going to become water molecules to
model movement through the water cycle.
2. Separate students evenly among all nine stations. Have them make a line.
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3. Explain how the students will model the movement of the water
molecules from one location to another. Water often moves in its liquid
form. When the students are moving as liquid water they will travel in
pairs, representing the many molecules in a drop of water. If they move to
clouds (evaporate) they will move alone as individual water molecules,
representing the rapid movement of water in its vapor form. When one
student rolls the cube and moves from the cloud station (in the form of
precipitation) they will pair up with the next student in line and move to
the proper station.
4. Have the students mark their starting location on the worksheet. The roll
of the cube will determine the voyage of the water molecules. The first
two students in line at each station should roll the cube. If it says stay
have them move to the back of the line at the same station. Mark the
station in the second block on the worksheet. If it has a new location the
students should move as a pair to the new station (unless it is cloud) and
mark it on their worksheet.
5. This can continue as long as you would like. There are enough spots on
the worksheet for thirty turns, but you may want to stop them earlier or
perhaps allow them to continue. A good idea it to set up a buzzer, whistle
or sound at the start so the students know when to stop moving around.
Wrap-Up and Conclusion:
What should the students be learning from this activity? The main idea to get
across is that the water cycle involves more than the circle they often see. Water
is the basis for life on earth and travels through all parts of the globe. Sometimes
water can be trapped in a certain location for hundreds of years, ie: in a glacier.
An interesting extension to this activity is to tabulate and graph the number of
turns the students spent at each station. You could have them do this
individually or as a whole class. Then it would be easier to see where these water
molecules tend to collect across the globe.
Appendix:
Cube cards: page numbers 3-11
Picture cards: page numbers 12-20
Voyage Worksheet: page number 21, 22
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Plant
Clo
ud
s
Clo
ud
s
Clo
ud
s C
lo
ud
s
STAY
STAY
3
Plant Cube Cut out and tape or glue into cube shape
4
Ocean
Clo
ud
s
Clo
ud
s
STAY
STAY
STAY
STAY
4
Ocean Cube Cut out and tape or glue into cube shape
5
Lake
Ground
Water
River
An
ima
l C
lo
ud
s
STAY
STAY
5
Lake Cube Cut out and tape or glue into cube shape
6
STAY
STAY STAY
La
ke
La
ke
River
6
Ground Water Cube Cut out and tape or glue into cube shape
7
Glacier
STAY
STAY
STAY
Clo
ud
s
Ground
Water
River
7
Glacier Cube Cut out and tape or glue into cube shape
8
Soil
Clouds
STAY
Gla
cie
r
La
ke
Ocean
Ocean
8
Clouds Cube Cut out and tape or glue into cube shape
9
animal
STAY
Soil
Soil
Clo
ud
s
Clo
ud
s
Clo
ud
s
9
Animal Cube Cut out and tape or glue into cube shape
10
River
Ground
Water
Clo
ud
s
STAY
Ocean
An
ima
l
La
ke
10
River Cube Cut out and tape or glue into cube shape
11
SOIL
STAY
Pla
nt
Ground
Water
River
Clo
ud
s
Clo
ud
s
11
Soil Cube Cut out and tape or glue into cube shape
12
12
13
13
14
14
15
15
16
16
17
17
18
18
19
19
20
20
21
21
22
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