Standard 4: Students will understand the dynamics of the hydrosphere.

Objective 1: Characterize the water cycle in terms of its reservoirs, water movement among reservoirs and how water has been recycled throughout time.

1. Identify oceans, lakes, running water, frozen water, groundwater, and atmospheric moisture as the reservoirs of Earth’s water cycle, and graph or chart the relative amounts of water in each.
2. Describe how the processes of evaporation, condensation, precipitation, surface runoff, ground infiltration and transpiration contribute to the cycling of water through Earth’s reservoirs.
3. Model the natural purification of water as it moves through the water cycle and compare natural purification to processes used in local sewage treatment plants.