Water Cycle [2nd grade]

This unit will help students to discover how the water cycle works and the implications it has on our planet and in our lives. They will conduct a series of experiments and activities to investigate the physical explanations behind each of the processes that make up the water cycle including evaporation, condensation, precipitation, and collection. They will use their knowledge of the scientific method to plan, predict, conduct, and analyze these investigations to examine how water changes physical state to be recycled on Earth. Additionally, they will relate their knowledge of the properties of physical matter to identify how water is changed and moved by this cycle in nature. Students will also apply their prior knowledge of cycles to describe how the processes are related and the impact that people and the environment have on the cycle. Students will begin to understand the limited supply of fresh water on our planet and think about ways to maintain and preserve this water for human use. Ultimately, students will culminate the unit with one of three projects that will challenge them to think critically about a given real-world or simulated topic and comprehensively demonstrate their understanding of the information learned throughout the unit