Build a Water Cycle with AI!

Positives

• This hands-on activity helps students visualize the water cycle.
• The video of the experiment includes other demonstrations to help students further understand the water cycle.

Additional Prerequisites

• This resource is available in five additional languages.
• This resource was created for the Hudson River Park SUBMERGE Marine Science Festival, but the activity applies to students globally. 
• The materials needed are a large transparent bowl, a small transparent bowl, plastic wrap, a handful of dirt and grass, a coin or pebble, and water.
• Teachers must do the activity on a sunny day.
• The link to the SUBMERGE Marine Science Festival brings you to the Hudson River Park webpage for the festival that was in September 2023. The next SUBMERGE Marine Science Festival is scheduled for May 17th and 18th, 2024. Check the calendar for information about future events.
• The link to the Facebook Live event brings you to the Facebook page for the Hudson River Park, but the Live Event has already happened. You can watch the video using this link.
• Because the video is of a live event, there is some glitching and buffering throughout.

Differentiation

• This activity can be used in science classes when learning about the water cycle and connections between the hydrosphere, atmosphere, and geosphere. 
• Students can draw a picture of their model in journals and practice diagraming models.
• If teachers have enough materials, students can work in small groups to set up the model and make observations.
• Alternatively, teachers can demonstrate the activity with only one model that the entire class observes.
• Teachers should prepare some questions to ask students about the model. Some examples include:
  • Where do you see water in the system? How did it get there?
  • Is condensation happening? How do you know?
  • Is evaporation happening? How do you know? 
  • Is precipitation happening? How do you know?