Water cycle (junior)

Where can I find facts and information about the water cycle?

Junior Primary

(Years 1-4)

Colour illustration showing water flowing down a mountain into the sea, with a rain cloud above.

Image: Hydrosphere Water Iceberg by lcallard210 on pixabay.

Entry last updated: 26/05/22

Introduction

Almost three-quarters of the Earth's surface is water. Earth's water is always moving around the planet. As the sun heats the water in rivers and oceans, the water evaporates and forms clouds. When the clouds become cool they release snow or rain which falls onto the earth and goes back into rivers and oceans. This is known as the water cycle.

General websites

Here are some websites that have fantastic information about the water cycle.

Britannica School

Britannica School is one of the EPIC databases. EPIC is a collection of reliable resources covering lots of different topics. It’s put together especially for New Zealand school students and helps to answer questions like this.

  • Use the search bar and enter "water cycle".

  • Select the article water cyclewhich shows a diagram of the water cycle .

Tips: To get to the EPIC resources you will need a password from your school librarian first. Or you can chat with one of our AnyQuestions librarians between 1 and 6pm Monday to Friday and they will help you online. Some EPIC databases may also be available through your public library.

Climate Kids

This is another great website for all types of climate questions.

Tips: We like sites that are from government or other reputable organisations, because we can trust the information. You can sometimes tell these sites by their web address – they might have .gov or .edu in their address – or by looking at their About us or Contact pages.

The Kid Should See This

There are lots of great videos on this website about the water cycle.

  • To search, select the little image of a magnifying glass on the far right of the list of topics.

  • Enter 'water cycle' into the search bar.

  • Watch a video like Water Cycle by The Bazillions.

Tips: Websites that have .com or .co in the address can have good information, but you need to assess how reliable it is. Check the About us link on the website, if you can find one. That can tell you what the company’s mission and values are.

Books

There are some great books on the water cycle. Check out your local public or school library to see what they have.

Some recommended titles are:

SCIS no: 1918912

Topics covered

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