Round and Round It Goes; Water, Where It Stops Nobody Knows

The hydrologic cycle is the process, powered by the sun, which identifies the constant, endless movement of water from the atmosphere to the earth to the ground water, to the rivers to the oceans and back into the atmosphere. This experimental lab lesson will show the process of the hydrologic cycle as it relates to the earth's atmosphere by showing three different scenarios,the first scenario (the control), container A, shows the hydrologic cycle with no contaminates. The second scenario, container B, shows the hydrologic cycle with the earth's soil contaminated. The third scenario, container C, demonstrates the hydologic cycle with the air polluted. These three situations will give the student an idea of how the atmosphere and the growth of plant life are affected by different contaminants in the earth.This lesson will, in fact, investigate the hydrologic cycle experimentally.

A lesson plan for grades 9–12 Science

By Mark Clinkscales and Carrie Palmer

Learn more

• The Hydrologic Cycle This website provides a visual and textual description of the hydrologic cycle.

Related pages

• StreamWatch: This lesson is intended as a long term project to determine the overall health of a stream or wetland. Students identify seasonal changes that occur within the ecosystem, ideally with a minimum of bimonthly or monthly monitoring.
• Exploring properties of matter with submersibles: This inquiry-based learning activity allows students to explore the relationships between mass, volume, density, and buoyancy as they manipulate various materials to construct a submersible “vehicle” for deep-sea research.
• Weathering the water cycle: Evaporation: Students will learn that evaporation is one of the three stages of the water cycle. The other three lessons in this series on condensation, precipitation, and the water cycle will allow the students to explore all stages.

Related topics

• Learn more about environmental science, groundwater, hydrologic cycle, labs, science, and water.

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Learning outcomes

Students will:

• demonstrate the interrelationship of the five processes in the hydrologic cycle.
• define and illustrate the five hydrologic processes.
• map and sketch the hydrologic cycle showing each process.
• develop a hydrologic cycle using a simple seedling container of soil,seeds,water and contaminates to show interactions and influences on the lithosphere, atmosphere, and environmental quality.

Teacher planning

Time required for lesson

90 minutes

Materials/resources

Materials needed are:

• Several seedling trays with clear plastic tops.
• Potting soil
• Grass seed (Perennial Rye)
• Light Sources that use a 100 watt bulb
• Several 50 mL beakers
• Hot water
• 250 mL of 0.1M copper sulfate solution
• Hair spray
• Permanent markers
• Aprons and goggles
• Hot plate

Technology resources

• Classroom computers are a must for this lesson.
• The overhead projector is used for the start of the lesson.
• Prepared transparencies of the hydrologic cycle are presented.
• A digital camera and disks are used to make pictures of the three seedling trays. These will be projected via the LCD projector.

Pre-activities

• Water is one of the most important substances on earth. It is necessary for sustaining the many reactions that keep us alive, but it also affects our lives in many indirect ways. Water helps moderate the earth’s temperature and thereby, causing the usable water on earth to become all the more important. Why is the pure water needed for human consumption becoming less and less available?
• Students will plant grass seed for prior germination in order to initiate the water cycle.
• Students will make flash cards to be used in a game called “Water Gin” before the actual lab activity begins. The correct terms are vital to complete understanding of the hydrologic cycle. The card game is completed in the previous class period. Prior knowlege of the terms used is essential to the succes of the class activity.

Activities

Teacher will do the following things:

1. Make sure all pre-activities are complete and understood.
2. Emphasize safety procedures for this lab activity.
3. Show transparencies of the hydrologic cycle to teach the process in its entirety.
4. Check the final setup to confirm that directions are followed.
5. Monitor students for time on task throughout the entire lab activity, assisting them as needed.
6. Ask students to thoroughly clean and put away items that are not used.

Students will do the following things:

1. Put on aprons and goggles.
2. Plant grass seed prior to actual lab activity to ensure germination and that the growth of the grass seed is at least 4cm. in height.
3. Label the seedling trays A, B, and C with a permanent marker.
4. Pour 20 mL of hot water into each of three 50 mL Pyrex beakers.
5. Place a beaker of water in seedling trays “A”, “B”, and “C” respectively.
6. Pour 15 mL of a 0.1 M copper (II) sulfate solution into the soil of tray “B”. Cover tray tightly with clear plastic top.
7. Spray hairspray into the clear top of tray “C”.
8. Place the top on tray tightly.
9. Position a light source to shine directly on each tray. CAUTION: DO NOT place light source more than 50 cm from the plastic top of each tray.
10. Using a digital camera take pictures of each tray every ten minutes for thirty minutes.
11. Observe the trays and record all observations.
12. Compile all data from each group and categorize each tray according to the processes of evaporation, condensation, precipitation and runoff.
13. Make a brace-map of the process.

Assessment

• Each group of four will use the LCD projector and the computer to present the steps in the hydrologic cycle. Pictures will show the five processes.
• Students will submit a written report that will explain an understanding of the hydrosphere and its interactions and influences on the lithosphere, the atmosphere and the environment.
• Each student will submit a written report that will discuss in detail the following concepts:
  • The permanent motion of water as it changes state from liquid to solid and/or gas and back again.
  • Researched data on the percent of rnewable water on earth and its quantity available for human consumption.
  • Comparison of the experimental processes as contaminates are added.
  • Conclusion of the renewability of water as it relates to runoff and what “man” must do to stop contaninating the soil, that holds ground water, the air that contains oxygen, and rivers that supply water for industry and personal use.

The grading scale for this lesson is as follows:

• Brace-Map 5%
• Flash cards 5%
• Written report 40%
• Presentation of processes 25%
• Cooperative Group Work 25%
• on task at all times 15%
• all group members are engaged 10%

Supplemental information

Beans germinate faster when soaked and can be used in place of the grass seed. The pre-lab preparations are done as much ahead of time as possible to save time. A ninety-minute class period is enough time to complete this activity.

See the attachment, “Diagram of hydrologic cycle“.

Comments

Water is essential for our existence. Each of the processes in the hydrologic cycle engages the student in understanding the steps within the cycle. In order for the cycle to occur ideally , it should be free from contaminates.
The grass seed will germinate within 6- 10 days and the prior planting should occur within this time. So, it is recommended that the grass seed are planted at least one week prior to this activity.