2. The Water Cycle By Sarah Bourdon

3. Your Tour Guide Hi! I’m Drip the water droplet and I’m here to guide you through a watered down version of the water cycle! Get it?! Watered down! Anyway, click on the orange arrow and we can begin our journey!

4. Drip, what is the water cycle? The water cycle describes the ongoing movement of water molecules like me! I am constantly changing states from a liquid, to a gas, and to a solid only to start the process all over again! It can get very tiresome! The picture to your right is a diagram of what I go through everyday! To learn more about this process click on the orange arrow!

5. Evaporation: The driving force of the cycle I wanted to tell you about first step in the water cycle, but then I realized that there isn’t really a specific beginning or end to the cycle! However, because 90% of the moisture in the air can be attributed to lakes, seas, and oceans we will start there with the process of evaporation! Evaporation is a very important step in the water cycle. This is how water is changed from a liquid into a gas. Once water from the lakes, seas, and oceans has evaporated, it can enter the water cycle and start the process of condensation.

6. Condensation: Where clouds originate The next major phase that occurs in the water cycle is the exact opposite of evaporation. After the water has evaporated and turned into a gas in the air, it is then turned back into a liquid and forms clouds in the process. This process is known as condensation. Once the gas has turned back into a liquid, it will combine with particles in the air, such as dust and smoke, to form clouds. These clouds will begin to accumulate allowing the process of percipitation to occur.

7. Precipitation: A means to an end Once a cloud has formed, the last step in the water cycle has potential to occur, but as I said before there really isn’t a beginning or end to the cycle. So what this means, essentially, is that the liquid will return to the ground again allowing the process to start over. This last process is known as preciptation. This is when the liquid is released from the atmosphere and is returned to the ground. This is an important step in the cycle, but it does not always occur because the liquid molecules must be stronger than the upward air currents in order to fall.

8. Now let’s find out what you know! Okay, I’ve given you enough information! Now I want to see what you’ve learned! Which step in the water cycle involves changing a liquid into a gas? a. CondensationCondensation b. EvaporationEvaporation c. PrecipitationPrecipitation

9. Incorrect! Please try again!

10. Correct! Well, it has been fun telling you about what I go through everyday, but I should get going before I evaporate! I knew you could do it!

11. Works Cited U.S. Department of the interior (2005). Water Sciences for Schools: The Water Cycle. Retrieved September 11, 2005 from USGS. http://ga.water.usgs.gov/edu/watercycle.html.http://ga.water.usgs.gov/edu/watercycle.html

12. All about me! My name is Sarah Bourdon and I am a senior at Western Michigan University. I am currently studying speech pathology and elementary education.