Our Earth has a limited amount of water. That water keeps going around and around in a circle, known as the water cycle.

Take a look at the parts of the water cycle:

1. Evaporation

2. Condensation

3. Precipitation

4. Collection

Take the online comprehension quiz after reviewing the map of the water cycle and completing the review section of the map.

http://education.jlab.org/reading/water_cycle.html

After reviewing the water cycle map, sing the water cycle song and watch the video.

http://www.teachertube.com/viewVideo.php?video_id=7708

http://teacher.scholastic.com/activities/studyjams/water_cycle/

When water falls back to Earth as precipitation, it may collect in the oceans, lakes or rivers or it may end up on land. When it ends up on land, it will either soak into the Earth and so plants and animals can use the water to drink or it may run over the soil and collect in the rivers, lakes, or oceans, where the cycle will start all over again.

Precipitation occurs when a lot of water has condensed and the air cannot hold it anymore. The clouds get heavy and water falls back to the earth in the form of rain, hail, sleet or snow, which are all forms of precipitation.

Condensation happens when water vapor in the air gets cold and changes back into liquid, which forms clouds.

Evaporation occurs when the sun heats up water in rivers, lakes or the ocean and turns into water vapor or steam. The water vapor or steam leaves the river, lake or ocean and goes into the air.