For Teachers & Kids

The Water Cycle Activities

Background:
Do you remember how the water cycle works? The sun's energy causes water to evaporate from the earth's surface. This process forms water vapor in the atmosphere. As water vapor rises, it cools and becomes a liquid again. This is called condensation. The condensed liquid returns to the earth as precipitation. If you've ever watched those huge cumulonimbus clouds gather over Lake Pontchartrain on a summer day, you probably weren't surprised by the afternoon showers that followed!

Rain showers like that are common in a large watershed like the Lake Pontchartrain Basin.

What Happens To All That Precipitation?

Some of it is used by plants and animals in the Basin. The process of water intake and then breathing out or releasing moisture-laden air is called transpiration...

Some soaks into the ground and becomes part of the water table or an aquifer in the process known as infiltration...

Some enters lakes, streams, and rivers as runoff...

Evaporation from surface water occurs again, and the cycle is complete.

In summary, the Water Cycle recycles the earth's water supply over and over!

Activity
To demonstrate the water cycle, each person in your group or class can play the role of a water molecule passing through the cycle. Try this activity:

Water Use

Background:
Water is all around us. It gushes from our faucets and showers and drinking fountains. We use it so frequently and casually that we take it for granted.

Do you know the source of tap water for Wythe County? It comes from the aquifers located below the Earth's surface. Here in the United States, each person uses about 100 gallons of water every day. What impact does that have on water quality?

Take this quick quiz and see!

Do you allow water to run when brushing teeth or washing dishes?
Or
Do you run the water only when rinsing?

Do you wash your cars or pets on a concrete surface?
Or
Do you wash them over a grassy area?

Do you let the water hose run unnecessarily when working outdoors?
Or
Do you control the flow with a water nozzle?

Do you waste water by flushing tissues or hair down the toilet?
Or
Do you save water and dispose of those things in a trash can?

Now your turn! Using the following chart, try to estimate your family's water use for a day.

Activity

Daily Water Use Chart

HOW DO YOU THINK YOU AND YOUR FAMILY MEASURE UP?

LET'S CHECK!

To calculate the amount of water your family use daily, weekly, monthly, and annually, complete one of the following activities:

The simplest way to measure water use is to read your family's water meter at the start and end of a 24-hour period. Subtract the first reading you take from the reading made 24 hours later. That's how much water your family uses in one day. Multiply the number of gallons used in one day times seven to find out how much water your family will use in a week. How would you predict your family's water use for a month? A year?

If reading the water meter is not possible, measure your family's water use by the following method. The chart provided above will be useful.

Keep track of each glass of water used, whether the person drank it or discarded it. Count 6-8 ounces of water per glass.

Record the amount of water used to make coffee, tea, juice, or drink mixes. Each quart uses 32 ounces of water

Record the amount of water used for cooking, if any. When possible, measure it before use.

Keep track of the number of times household toilets are flushed. Each flush uses 3-5 gallons of water.

Keep track of water use during baths and showers. Each shower requires about 5 gallons of water per minute. A tub bath uses about 35 gallons of water.

Record the amount of water used for washing dishes. Washing dishes by hand requires about 10 gallons of water, while a dishwasher uses about 15 gallons.

Record the amount of water used for laundry. Washing clothes on the low cycle uses about 19 gallons of water; the high cycle, 45 gallons.

Keep track of any other water uses, such as washing cars or pets or watering the lawn.

Now total all the figures and determine your family's water use for a day, a week, a month, and a year. Amazing, isn't it?

How do the choices we make, good and bad, affect our water quality?

How can you improve the choices you make concerning your use of our precious water resources?

Put your heads together as a class and brainstorm:

List ways that water is wasted.

List ways to conserve water.

Source: Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality, adapted for Wythe County.