Material cycles: the water cycle
Lesson details
Learning outcome
I can describe the processes in the water cycle.
Key learning points
- The water cycle shows how water is recycled on planet Earth.
- Water is continuously being evaporated and precipitated.
- Plants lose water through transpiration.
- Water availability impacts upon a species' ability to survive in a habitat.
Keywords
Evaporation - Evaporation is the process of changing a substance from a liquid to a gas.
Condensation - Condensation is the change of state from a gas to a liquid.
Transpiration - Transpiration is the loss of water vapour through the leaves of plants (through stomata).
Precipitation - Precipitation is water that falls from clouds in the form of rain, sleet, snow or hail.
Common misconception
The water cycle only includes the processes of evaporation from the Earth's surface to the atmosphere and condensation returning water to the Earth.
There is exemplification of how the water cycle involves percolation of water into the ground and how plants use this water. Some of this is released by transpiration.
Teacher tip
Pupils can be shown a diagram of the water cycle and asked where the water that they drink comes from. This can generate a discussion about how we get the water that we use in our daily lives.
Equipment
None
Licence
except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).Lesson video
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Prior knowledge starter quiz
6 Questions
Q1.Which of the following organisms are decomposers?
Q2.Carbon dioxide is an important part of which of the following cycles?
Q3.How is carbon returned to the atmosphere in the carbon cycle?
Q4.Plants take in carbon dioxide from the air. They use this for .
Q5.Why are decomposers important in a stable ecosystem?
Q6.Which of the following statements about the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere is correct?
Assessment exit quiz
6 Questions
Q1.The heat from the sun causes water to turn into water vapour (a gas). This process is called ...
Q2.The process of water vapour cooling and turning back to a liquid is called ...
Q3.When water droplets combine in clouds they get heavier. When they are too heavy they fall to Earth. Water falling to Earth is called ...
Q4.Transpiration takes place when water vapour leaves a plant through the ...
Q5.Starting from water being turned into water vapour by the heat of the sun, put the processes in the order that they occur in the water cycle.
Q6.Which of the following is not a reason why water is important for life?
To help you plan your 10 biology lesson on: Material cycles: the water cycle, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...
To help you plan your 10 biology lesson on: Material cycles: the water cycle, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs.
The starter quiz will activate and check your pupils' prior knowledge, with versions available both with and without answers in PDF format.
We use learning cycles to break down learning into key concepts or ideas linked to the learning outcome. Each learning cycle features explanations with checks for understanding and practice tasks with feedback. All of this is found in our slide decks, ready for you to download and edit. The practice tasks are also available as printable worksheets and some lessons have additional materials with extra material you might need for teaching the lesson.
The assessment exit quiz will test your pupils' understanding of the key learning points.
Our video is a tool for planning, showing how other teachers might teach the lesson, offering helpful tips, modelled explanations and inspiration for your own delivery in the classroom. Plus, you can set it as homework or revision for pupils and keep their learning on track by sharing an online pupil version of this lesson.
Explore more key stage 4 biology lessons from the Living organisms and their environments unit, dive into the full secondary biology curriculum, or learn more about lesson planning.