The Water Cycle
How water travels from the ocean to the sky and back again — just like a real science class.
Water is always moving. This is called the water cycle.
The sun heats water in oceans and lakes. The water turns into vapor and rises into the sky. This is called evaporation.
In the sky, the vapor cools down and turns into tiny drops of water. The drops make clouds. This is called condensation.
When the clouds get heavy, the water falls back to the ground as rain or snow. This is called precipitation.
The rain fills rivers and oceans again. Then the water cycle starts over.
Check your understanding
1. What happens during evaporation?
2. What are clouds made of?
3. What is it called when rain falls from clouds?
Talk about it
- What happens to a puddle on a sunny day? Where does the water go?
- Do you like rainy days or sunny days? Why?
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