Exploring the Water Cycle

Description:

Science Experiment – Water Cycle in a Bag

Materials Required

  1. Zip-lock bag
  2. Permanent marker
  3. 1/4 cup measuring
  4. Blue food colouring
  5. Sticky tape
  6. Window with full sunlight

Preparation

Gather materials

Method (or Ideas)

  1. Use a black marker and draw a sun, cloud and water.
  2. Fill a measuring cup with 1/4 cup water.
  3. Add 4 drops of blue food colouring to the water.
  4. Run your fingers along the seal to ensure it is closed tight.
  5. Use the tape and hang the bag on the window.
  6. Observe the changes to the bag over a number of days.

Facilitation Tips – What To Say

  • Over the time the bag is in the sun the water will warm in the sunlight and evaporate into vapour.
  • As the vapour is cooled, it will begin changing back into liquid (condense) just like a cloud.
  • When enough water is condensed, the air can’t hold it anymore, and the water falls down in the form of precipitation.
  • In the real water cycle, rain, sleet or snow might land in a body of water like a river or ocean. But it also might fall on dirt where it soaks into the soil and either becomes ground water that animals and plants drink or it runs over the soil and falls into rivers, oceans or lakes.

Extend the Experience

WHO Guidelines for Physical Activity & Sedentary Behaviour

This experience could include going out in the rain and comparing this to what is observed in the experiment, or having multiple bags in different spaces (inside, outside etc.). This will promote physical activity.

Early Years Learning Framework

Outcomes

  1. Children develop a range of skills and processes such as problem solving, inquiry, experimentation, hypothesising, researching and investigating

Principle

Principle 1: Secure, respectful and reciprocal relationships. Through a widening network of secure relationships, children develop confidence and feel respected and valued.

Practice

Practice: Intentional teaching. Intentional teaching is deliberate, purposeful and thoughtful. They use strategies such as modelling and demonstrating, open questioning, speculating, explaining, engaging in shared thinking and problem solving to extend children’s thinking and learning.

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