The Water Cycle
Understand the water cycle: the Sun heats water in oceans and lakes causing it to evaporate into water vapour, the vapour rises and cools to form clouds (condensation), and water falls back to Earth as rain, snow, or hail (precipitation) — then the cycle repeats
Typical age: 7–9 years
“Can your child trace the journey of a raindrop — from the ocean being heated by the Sun, rising as invisible vapour, forming a cloud, and falling back down as rain — and explain it keeps going round and round?”
0 / 3 mastered
Explore graph
Needs first
- Cloud TypesREQUIRED
Water cycle requires understanding cloud formation (condensation)
- Where water is found on Earth
Water cycle benefits from knowing where water is found on Earth
- Heating & Cooling Changes
Water cycle benefits from curriculum states of matter (heating/cooling changes state)
- Temperature & Thermometers
Water cycle evaporation relates to temperature (heat drives evaporation)
- Rain & PuddlesREQUIRED
Full water cycle builds on basic rain/puddle/evaporation concept
Unlocks next
- Extreme Weather Events
Extreme weather involves the water cycle (floods, droughts)
- Earth's Frozen Water
Water cycle understanding enriches the cryosphere-water system topic (Weather 7-9 -> Polar 9-11)
- Evaporation & the Water Cycle
Water cycle connects to curriculum evaporation/condensation topic
- The Water Cycle
The exploratory weather/climate water cycle topic provides an accessible entry point before the formal KS3 treatment
- Sun-Driven Weather SystemsREQUIRED
Sun as weather engine requires understanding the water cycle it drives
- Rainforest Water Cycle
Understanding the general water cycle helps understand the rainforest-specific water cycle (Weather 7-9 -> Rainforests 7-9)