Now that students are familiar with the three states of matter, we were able to see how water takes each of those forms within the water cycle. First graders learned that a drop of water never goes away, it just changes states continuously through the process called The Water Cycle. This week, they learned the names for each of the four main steps of the water cycle – precipitation, accumulation, evaporation, condensation. Each step has an essential job in the process of recycling water so we can continue using it. Even though those big words are tricky to pronounce, we practiced a few times each and the students did a great job!
After we read a nonfiction text about water, students helped to make a diagram of the water cycle on the dry erase board and label the steps. We have learned about diagrams and labels earlier in first grade, so this was a great way to practice nonfiction text features. Finally, we watched a dance and song video about the water cycle from GoNoodle. Movement and music are a fun and helpful way to solidify information in our brains.
Soon, we will begin exploring the water cycle more deeply, focusing on how each step works, experiencing them in real life, and diving into different types of precipitation.
