New
New
Year 9

The hydrological cycle

I can describe the hydrological cycle, including the major stores of water and the movement between them.

New
New
Year 9

The hydrological cycle

I can describe the hydrological cycle, including the major stores of water and the movement between them.

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Lesson details

Key learning points

  1. The hydrological cycle identifies the flows and stores of water globally.
  2. The major stores of water are the ocean, ice caps, groundwater, surface water and the atmosphere.
  3. The global hydrological cycle is a system.
  4. The movement of water between the water stores are called transfers.
  5. Climate change has an impact on the size of stores.

Keywords

  • Hydrological cycle - the continuous movement of water between the ocean, land, rivers and atmosphere

  • Transfers - the way water moves between the different stores within a cycle

  • Stores - where water is stored within the hydrological cycle

  • Atmosphere - the layer of gases that surround the Earth

Common misconception

Around one quarter of water is found on land.

Only 0.9% of water is stored on land.


To help you plan your year 9 geography lesson on: The hydrological cycle, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...

Get students to look at their water bottles and they can think of different places that water may have been for millions of years.
Teacher tip

Equipment

Licence

This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2025), licensed on Open Government Licence version 3.0 except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).

Lesson video

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Prior knowledge starter quiz

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6 Questions

Q1.
What is a river?
A road for cars
Correct answer: A flowing body of water that moves towards a lake, sea, or ocean
A type of mountain
Q2.
Where do rivers start?
Correct answer: In the mountains or hills
In the ocean
In the desert
Q3.
What do rivers carry?
Correct answer: Water, rocks, and soil
Cars and people
Air and clouds
Q4.
What is erosion?
The process of rocks being added to the river
Correct answer: The wearing away of rocks and land by water, wind, or ice
When a river dries up
Q5.
What is the longest river in the world?
Amazon River
Correct answer: Nile River
Mississippi River
Yangtze River
Q6.
What is the water cycle?
The movement of water in pipes
The process of water being stored in reservoirs
Correct answer: The movement of water through evaporation, condensation, and precipitation
The way water flows only through rivers

Assessment exit quiz

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4 Questions

Q1.
What is the hydrological cycle?
A man-made water system
Correct answer: The continuous movement of water on, above, and below the Earth's surface
A cycle that only happens in rivers
The movement of water in pipes
Q2.
What is evaporation?
When water falls as rain
When water freezes into ice
Correct answer: When water turns into water vapour due to heat
When water soaks into the ground
Q3.
How much of the Earth's water is stored on land?
Correct answer: 0.9%
25%
50%
Q4.
__________ are the way water moves between the different stores within a cycle.
Cycles
Correct answer: Transfers
Condensation