The Hydrologic Cycle: Acting Out Evaporation

The Hydrologic Cycle: Acting Out Evaporation

This lively outdoor activity (for younger students) was adapted from Christian Kids Explore Earth & Space by Stephanie Redmond, Unit 3: “The Hydrosphere.”

·         Materials: A sliding board
·         Introduce the following terms:

• Salt water: water found in oceans, seas, and some lakes that contain high levels of salt and other minerals left behind by the evaporation process.
• Evaporate: to change from a liquid to a vapor
• Condense: to change back to liquid form
• Precipitation: water that falls to Earth in the form of rain, snow, sleet, hail, or freezing rain
• Hail: small balls of ice that come down like rain

·         Instructions: Tell the kids that the ground is the ocean, the top of the slide is the sky, and they are the water. Then:Ask them to run around a bit, saying things like "I'm ocean water. I'm salt water."

1. Now they begin climbing the slide slowly, saying, "I'm evaporating from the ocean. I left the salt and minerals in the ocean. I'm freshwater now."
2. At the top of the slide, they yell, "Condensing into clouds!"
3. As they slide down, they call out, "Precipitation in the form of rain (snow or hail)!"
4. When they hit the ground, remind them they are back in the ocean and are now ocean water again.
5. Repeat process several times (depending on their age) until they understand the process and the terms.