Parts of the Water Cycle PRECIPITATION CONDENSATION

Amazon Water Cycle Role-play

PRECIPITATION TRANSPIRATION

Precipitation is a big word for “water Just as water spreads on a paper towel, that falls from the sky.” Can you think of water is pulled up to the leaves, where it is used in examples? Rain is the only type of water that will photosynthesis to make food using the energy from precipitate down to the Amazon rainforest. sunlight. The leaves also need carbon dioxide From where will rain precipitate? (clouds!) from the air. Plants take in carbon dioxide through But where does the water in the Clouds come small holes on the underside of their leaves. from? (comes into the air from plants, animals, In the rainforest, it also gets mighty warm and bodies of water) sitting in the sun all day. What happens when we sit outside, and our body gets warm? (Our skin CONDENSATION sweats water out of its pores, which evaporates to become water vapor). Likewise, plants lose water through small holes on the underside of their The humid air of the rainforest is leaves. When plants need carbon dioxide from the holding almost as much water as it can take. This air, they accidentally transpire, or lose water from water—not a liquid, but a gas—is called water these holes! The warm air outside captures this vapor. Can you see water vapor? (Not often, but water in the form of vapor. Kapok Tree Leaves you can feel it in the form of humidity, notice may fan their leaves as they capture air and lose steam on the bathroom mirror, spot fog and clouds water simultaneously. outside) California air is “dry” because it is not often full of water vapor, but Amazon air is “wet” like the air in the bathroom after you shower. RUNOFF So, our habitat near the Amazon River is very humid. But when you climb up a mountain, the air Although plants will catch a lot of gets chillier, right? The Air, when moving around, the falling rain, some drops may brings water vapor high up into the sky where it is land direct in the Amazon River, or quite cold. The Clouds will remind us by fall on soil already soaked to the brim. occasionally shivering, and complaining of the The Amazon River collects rain that falls chill. nearby. This action will simulate runoff, the flow You can make liquid water so cold that it turns of rain over land to a river or stream. After to ice (freezing). Likewise, you can make water collecting the drops, the water will flow until it vapor so cold that it turns into liquid water reaches the Atlantic Ocean. This river flow starts (condensation). This is what occurs in the cloud in the high elevations of the Andes Mountains and layer. Water vapor condenses into liquid water. ends at sea-level, so movement of water is always downhill. UPTAKE ACCUMULATION A raindrop’s fate will depend on where & EVAPORATION it lands. Some water might fall near the Roots of the great kapok trees that line the The water that runs down the Amazon River. The roots uptake the drops for use river eventually reaches the Atlantic Ocean. Large by the plant. Roots are responsible for collecting bodies of water accumulate, or store up, water that drops that fall on the soil within their reach, and will be recycled at a slower rate than that given off transporting them up the stem and to the leaves. by transpiration. Ever seen water flow up a paper towel, even when Only water at the surface can be turned into you only dip the corner in a spill? water vapor, so the Atlantic Ocean may only

evaporate sporadically using water drops at the water’s surface.

Teacher and Student Engagement, 2015 1

Amazon Water Cycle Role-play

CLOUD CLOUD

AIR

KAPOK TREE

AIR

ATLANTIC OCEAN

Teacher and Student Engagement, 2015 2

Amazon Water Cycle Role-play

Table of Student Roles NAME of ROLE NO. of SCRIPT STAGE PROPS or (cycle process) ACTORS LINES POSITION MOVEMENTS

CLOUDS It’s cold up here! Walks in a slow High-fives Air when

~2 circle around the condensing; Drops rain (precipitation) Pre-ci-pi-tate trees throughout habitat

AIR I’ll carry up that Free to travel water. anywhere on Adds drops to “cloud bag” ~2 (condensation, stage to collect and high-fives to condense with clouds) Condense! water vapor

ROOTS of the My tree is thirsty! Seated at Leaves Pulls water from the soil and KAPOK TREE ~6 feet, knees up to stretches the drops up to the Aaah, water. Up you resemble roots leaves (uptake) go!

I need water and LEAVES of the carbon dioxide to Standing behind Takes water from the roots KAPOK TREE grow tall! ~6 Roots with arms and transfers drops to Air

outstretched high passing by (transpiration) Transpiiiire (long, quiet, refreshing)

AMAZON Rocks back and forth, waves RIVER Flow, flow, downhill Seated in a row arms to mimic flow; Stretches ~6 between the trees to collect fallen drops, and (runoff) pass down the line.

Movement won’t ATLANTIC stop – I’ll give a bit OCEAN Sitting cross- Stores drops in “ocean bag”; off the top! ~2 legged facing the May occasionally hold a few

(accumulation Amazon River out for Air to collect Evaporate! (sudden, and evaporation) and joyful)

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