Study guide: Water Changes and Movement
Trace water between places and states using supplied pictures.
Ideas to explain in your own words
- Water may be solid ice, liquid water or invisible gaseous water vapor. A visible cloud contains tiny droplets or ice, not merely invisible vapor.
- Water moves between stores. Arrows represent a process or movement, not a fixed order that every water molecule must follow. Groundwater is part of the cycle.
- Precipitation delivers water from the atmosphere. Runoff moves over land. Infiltration enters the ground, and evaporation changes liquid into vapor.
- A model should name its arrows and stores. It can omit details for clarity, but an omitted store still exists. No water disappears merely because it leaves one place.
Useful vocabulary
- melting
- ice becomes liquid water
- atmosphere
- air above Earth containing water
- precipitation
- water falls from clouds
- missing store
- an important water location is omitted
Watch your reasoning
- Check what melting and freezing each mean. They describe different clues.
- Check what atmosphere and surface water each mean. They describe different clues.
- Check what precipitation and runoff each mean. They describe different clues.
A worked review example
Worked reference-card problem: a card states “ice becomes liquid water”; a second states “liquid water becomes ice.” The first fits melting and the second fits freezing. The reason is the described function or change, not the order of the cards or a favorite name. If their descriptions exchange places, their category labels exchange too. Keep the supplied descriptions attached to the correct case. Worked reference-card problem: a card states “air above Earth containing water”; a second states “water in rivers lakes or oceans.” The first fits atmosphere and the second fits surface water. The reason is the described function or change, not the order of the cards or a favorite name. If their descriptions exchange places, their category labels exchange too. Keep the supplied descriptions attached to the correct case. Worked reference-card problem: a card states “water falls from clouds”; a second states “water flows over land.” The first fits precipitation and the second fits runoff. The reason is the described function or change, not the order of the cards or a favorite name. If their descriptions exchange places, their category labels exchange too. Keep the supplied descriptions attached to the correct case. Worked reference-card problem: a card states “an important water location is omitted”; a second states “movement is shown without its label.” The first fits missing store and the second fits missing arrow. The reason is the described function or change, not the order of the cards or a favorite name. If their descriptions exchange places, their category labels exchange too. Keep the supplied descriptions attached to the correct case.
Make a practice plan
- Use an example from Name water-state changes. Say what happens and point to the clue that helps explain it.
- Complete Trace water-cycle places and correct the specific misconception in its feedback.
- Resolve a changed case from Name water movements, then combine the four ideas in the transfer task.