
The Water Cycle
Levels 3 and 4

NZC Achievement Objectives

Te Mātauranga o Aotearoa
Earth Science: Develop understanding of the water cycle and its effects on climate, landforms and life.
Papatūānuku: Ka mārama haere ki ngā āhuatanga nui o te mata o Papatūānuku, arā, te wai, te toka, te one, me ngā āhuatanga e taea ai te ora i reira.

Learning Intentions

Integration Ideas
Learning Intentions are from the Ministry of Education
Integration ideas are from the Ministry of Education
Level 3
Students can examine the water cycle and relate it to the Earth’s water reserves.
Investigate the features of the Earth’s major water reserves and link these features to the water cycle.
Mathematics and Statistics (Geometry and Measurement): Measure the amount of rainfall in a given area over a defined period of time.

Related Topics
Resources

Talking to Dr Cate Macinnis-Ng from Te Punaha Matatini, Dr Michelle Dickinson will cover the basics of plant biology in vascular plants, carry out a hands-on experiment and talk about how plants cope with drought.
Level
3-4
Type
Video
Botany: BREAKING IT DOWN Episode 7
Nanogirl
Talking to Dr Cate Macinnis-Ng from Te Punaha Matatini, Dr Michelle Dickinson will cover the basics of plant biology in vascular plants, carry out a hands-on experiment and talk about how plants cope with drought.

What a mess! Someone’s left out frozen milk, smeared melted chocolate around, spilt white crystals everywhere and what’s that smell? Investigate the elements of the mess scene and find out exactly what’s happening!
Level
3
Type
Unit
Change detectives
Primary Connections
What a mess! Someone’s left out frozen milk, smeared melted chocolate around, spilt white crystals everywhere and what’s that smell? Investigate the elements of the mess scene and find out exactly what’s happening!

This article describes the physical processes that drive weather: the water cycle and changes in air pressure and temperature. The text then explains how these processes work together to cause a variety of weather conditions.
Level
3
Type
Book
Connected 2012 Level 3: ‘What Makes the Weather’
Ministry of Education NZ
This article describes the physical processes that drive weather: the water cycle and changes in air pressure and temperature. The text then explains how these processes work together to cause a variety of weather conditions.

Scientists know that global warming is leading to rising sea levels, but the rate of change and its likely impact are less clear. Scientists investigate what is happening and use the evidence to suggest how we might adapt to the changes.
Level
3
Type
Book
Connected 2014 Level 3: ‘Rising Seas’
Ministry of Education NZ
Scientists know that global warming is leading to rising sea levels, but the rate of change and its likely impact are less clear. Scientists investigate what is happening and use the evidence to suggest how we might adapt to the changes.

Nancy Bertler is a scientist who studies the ice. She’s been examining Antarctic ice cores to discover what Earth’s climate was like in the past – and how it might change in the future.
Level
3
Type
Book
Connected 2017 Level 3: ‘Captured in Ice’
Ministry of Education NZ
Nancy Bertler is a scientist who studies the ice. She’s been examining Antarctic ice cores to discover what Earth’s climate was like in the past – and how it might change in the future.

Nanogirl wants to get the Superpowers of the Earth! Join her as she experiments and investigates how we can use the hidden power that's all around us, above us and buried right under our feet to give ourselves superpowers.
Level
1-4
Type
Video
Earth Superpower Series
Nanogirl
Nanogirl wants to get the Superpowers of the Earth! Join her as she experiments and investigates how we can use the hidden power that's all around us, above us and buried right under our feet to give ourselves superpowers.

Erosion is going on all day, all the time. It’s happening right now!
Link to video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HkralMlDmSA
Level
1-4
Type
Video
Erosion
Bill Nye The Science Guy
Erosion is going on all day, all the time. It’s happening right now!
Link to video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HkralMlDmSA

The surface of the Earth is always changing. Mountains get made. But given enough time, entire mountains get washed away by what we call “erosion”.
Level
1-4
Type
Experiment
Erosion Explosion
Bill Nye The Science Guy
The surface of the Earth is always changing. Mountains get made. But given enough time, entire mountains get washed away by what we call “erosion”.

Make a rain gauge and record how much rain is falling from the skies during the next rain fall. Was it a light shower or a heavy storm? Record and compare your results.
Level
1-4
Type
Activity
Make a Rain Gauge
Science Kids
Make a rain gauge and record how much rain is falling from the skies during the next rain fall. Was it a light shower or a heavy storm? Record and compare your results.

Ride the rapids with Bill Nye in the “Rivers and Streams” episode.
Link to video: https://www.schooltube.com/media/Bill+Nye+Rivers+and+Streams/1_tx8sf4c9
Level
1-4
Type
Video
Rivers and Streams
Bill Nye The Science Guy
Ride the rapids with Bill Nye in the “Rivers and Streams” episode.
Link to video: https://www.schooltube.com/media/Bill+Nye+Rivers+and+Streams/1_tx8sf4c9

Where does the water go when it rains? This is a very good question and hopefully rainwater is the only thing that arrives at that final destination!
Level
1-2
Type
Video
Stormwater: Where does the water go when it rains?
Suzy's World
Where does the water go when it rains? This is a very good question and hopefully rainwater is the only thing that arrives at that final destination!

In this episode Dr Michelle Dickinson will cover the basics of the water cycle, carry out a hands-on experiment to make rain and talk about freshwater algae with Dr Susie Wood from the Cawthron Institute.
Level
3-4
Type
Video
The Water Cycle: BREAKING IT DOWN Episode 9
Nanogirl
In this episode Dr Michelle Dickinson will cover the basics of the water cycle, carry out a hands-on experiment to make rain and talk about freshwater algae with Dr Susie Wood from the Cawthron Institute.

Waitaha Wai is a water education programme designed to educate young people and their communities about the importance of water and waterways in their environment and how to maintain them for future generations.
Level
3-4
Type
Unit
Waitaha Wai - Canterbury Waterways
Environment Canterbury
Waitaha Wai is a water education programme designed to educate young people and their communities about the importance of water and waterways in their environment and how to maintain them for future generations.

Bill Nye the Science Guy is no drip – he’s just talking about the water cycle.
Link to video: https://www.schooltube.com/media/Bill+Nye+Water+Cycle/1_x140f0rz
Level
1-4
Type
Video
Water Cycle
Bill Nye The Science Guy
Bill Nye the Science Guy is no drip – he’s just talking about the water cycle.
Link to video: https://www.schooltube.com/media/Bill+Nye+Water+Cycle/1_x140f0rz

The amount of water being extracted (taken from its source) in New Zealand, for things like irrigation (watering paddocks) and water bottling, is already large, but there are plans coming out all the time to take even more – millions, even billions, of litres more a year.
Level
1-4
Type
Experiment
Water Cycle Experiment
Kiwi Conservation Club - Hakuturi Toa
The amount of water being extracted (taken from its source) in New Zealand, for things like irrigation (watering paddocks) and water bottling, is already large, but there are plans coming out all the time to take even more – millions, even billions, of litres more a year.

Water and Weather develops these ideas in the context of Earth's water cycle, offering children an opportunity to examine and develop their concepts about both water and weather.
Level
3-4
Type
Activity Book
Water and Weather: The Water Cycle and the Atmosphere
Ministry of Education NZ
Water and Weather develops these ideas in the context of Earth's water cycle, offering children an opportunity to examine and develop their concepts about both water and weather.

Waterways offer us good examples of how the surface of planet Earth has been, and is being, shaped and changed. New Zealand, with its rugged landscape and rainy climate, shows plenty of evidence of the part water plays in the processes that shape our environment.
Level
2-3
Type
Activity Book
Waterways: How Rivers and Streams Work
Ministry of Education NZ
Waterways offer us good examples of how the surface of planet Earth has been, and is being, shaped and changed. New Zealand, with its rugged landscape and rainy climate, shows plenty of evidence of the part water plays in the processes that shape our environment.

"Weathering" and "erosion" are terms that describe the basic processes of everyday wear and tear on the rocks, soils, and vegetation of our landscape. Studying them offers us readily accessible evidence of how the surface of planet Earth has been, and is being, shaped and changed.
Level
3-4
Type
Activity Book
Weathering and Erosion: The Shaping of Our Landscape
Ministry of Education NZ
"Weathering" and "erosion" are terms that describe the basic processes of everyday wear and tear on the rocks, soils, and vegetation of our landscape. Studying them offers us readily accessible evidence of how the surface of planet Earth has been, and is being, shaped and changed.

Wet Feet is about involving schools and communities in the care and restoration of freshwater systems.
Level
3-4
Type
Unit
Wet Feet – investigating freshwater
Department of Conservation Te Papa Atawhai
Wet Feet is about involving schools and communities in the care and restoration of freshwater systems.

Water's ready availability, within or outside the classroom, can provide opportunities for investigation into its forms – liquid, solid, and gas – and the ways in which it changes form, particularly the processes of evaporation and condensation.
Level
1-2
Type
Activity Book
Where's the Water?: Water's Forms and Changes in Form
Ministry of Education NZ
Water's ready availability, within or outside the classroom, can provide opportunities for investigation into its forms – liquid, solid, and gas – and the ways in which it changes form, particularly the processes of evaporation and condensation.

Windmills and waterwheels have been chosen as the focus of this book because children can construct them as models to more easily investigate how they work and what makes them work most efficiently.
Level
3-4
Type
Activity Book
Windmills and Waterwheels: Harnessing the Energy
Ministry of Education NZ
Windmills and waterwheels have been chosen as the focus of this book because children can construct them as models to more easily investigate how they work and what makes them work most efficiently.