Illustrating the Water Cycle Activities for 4th Grade Science

The Kesler Science Illustrating the Water Cycle 5E Lesson is a comprehensive Earth science unit designed to help 4th-grade students understand the continuous movement of water on and above Earth’s surface and the Sun’s role as a major energy source. This low-prep, editable lesson includes presentations, worksheets, choice projects, and assessments, all designed for differentiated, student-led learning and aligned with the 2021 TEKS 4.10A standard.

Following the 5E Model, the lesson begins with engagement activities, including vocabulary cards in English and Spanish and class discussions. Students explore concepts through a differentiated station lab with hands-on experiments, reading passages, research activities, videos, and creative tasks like organizing, writing, and illustrating. Explanation materials feature editable PowerPoints, interactive notebooks in both print and digital formats, and note-taking templates. 

For elaboration, students complete choice projects to demonstrate their understanding of the water cycle and the Sun’s role. Evaluation includes STAAR 2.0-aligned assessments, review questions, and worksheets for class practice or homework. Flexible for in-class or virtual learning, this lesson supports diverse learners with multimodal resources and Spanish translations.

Engage your 4th-grade students with this interactive station lab aligned with the 2021 TEKS 4.10A standard, focusing on the water cycle and the Sun’s role in driving it. Designed for both in-person and virtual learning, this student-led lesson encourages exploration of how water moves continuously above and on Earth’s surface. The modular format promotes self-directed learning, while teachers guide and support student engagement.

The lab features nine differentiated stations that offer a variety of activities to help students absorb new concepts and demonstrate understanding. Input stations allow students to explore content through videos, readings, research, and hands-on activities. Stations like Explore It! and Watch It! encourage students to engage with information through application and multimedia, while Read It! and Research It! provide opportunities for reading comprehension and analysis, with texts available in both English and Spanish.

Output stations challenge students to showcase their knowledge through creative and critical thinking tasks. Activities like Organize It! and Illustrate It! allow students to manipulate materials and create diagrams of the water cycle, while Write It! and Assess It! encourage written responses and comprehension checks. A bonus Challenge It! station offers extension tasks like games, crosswords, and mini-projects for early finishers. This low-prep, student-centered resource fosters active learning and critical thinking in any classroom environment.

The Water Cycle Student Choice Projects align with the 2021 TEKS Earth and Weather standard 4.10A, offering 4th graders the opportunity to select a project that matches their preferred output style. The project page outlines six student-led options and a “design your own” project, with an editable rubric for teacher, peer, or self-assessment. This resource is also part of the Illustrating the Water Cycle Complete Lesson for TEKS 4.10A.

These flexible, multimodal projects allow students to creatively demonstrate their understanding. Two versions of the project page support differentiation: a modified version offers targeted options for students needing extra support, while advanced learners can be challenged with additional projects using the same rubric. 

Included are nine project options plus a “design your own” choice, a teacher directions page with guidance and suggestions, and editable rubric pages assessing vocabulary, concepts, presentation, clarity, and accuracy.

The projects use standard classroom supplies such as paper, markers, and scissors, with many options available for digital completion.