Vocabulary:
- Atmosphere – air that surrounds the Earth; made of a mixture of gases
- Condensation – the process of changing from a gas to a liquid
- Evaporation – the process of changing from a liquid to a gas
- Precipitation – water that falls to the Earth’s surface as rain, snow, sleet, or hail
- Rain gauge – a tool for collecting and measuring the amount of precipitation that falls
- Water accumulation – increasing water levels in ponds, lakes, streams and rivers, glaciers, snowpack, or water run-off
- Weather symbol – a visual representation of a weather condition
- Wind conditions – how fast and in what direction the air is moving
- Wind vane – a weather instrument used to show the direction of the wind; often ornamental
CHANGES IN WEATHER
- Weather – day-to-day conditions of the atmosphere in an area; weather has short-term variations
- Weather conditions include:
- Temperature
- Wind direction
- Precipitation
- Cloud cover
- Measurement Tools
- Celsius thermometers
- Wind vanes
- The wind vane points in the direction from which the wind is blowing
- Rain gauges
- Weather conditions include:
CONTINUOUS MOVEMENT OF WATER THROUGH THE WATER CYCLE
- Water cycle above the surface of the Earth
- Evaporation of water through the absorption of the Sun’s energy, forming water vapor
- Evaporation – process of changing from a liquid to a gas
- Condensation of water vapor, cloud formation
- Condensation – the process of changing from a gas to a liquid
- Precipitation in the form of rain, snow, sleet, or hail
- Evaporation of water through the absorption of the Sun’s energy, forming water vapor
- Water cycle on the surface of the Earth
- Water accumulation – increasing water levels in ponds, lakes, streams and rivers, glaciers, snowpack, or water run-off
- Surface water, including streams, ponds, lakes, reservoirs, canals, and fresh wetlands
- Solar energy drives the water cycle through evaporation