Water Wonders

Water is essential for all life on Earth. It covers 71% of our planet and makes up 50-70% of the weight of all plants and animals. There is a fixed amount of water on Earth that is constantly being cycled through our environment to living things and back to our environment. This process is known as the water cycle. Use Project Learning Tree’s “Water Wonders” to explore the wonder of our Earth’s water!

Young Child Extension
Take advantage of the spring rain and take children outdoors to splash in water puddles! Discuss how the puddles were formed--the rain fell from the clouds to the Earth and pooled to make puddles. The water from the puddles will make its way into streams and rivers which will eventually flow into the ocean. The water will evaporate back into the clouds and then fall as rain once more. When you get back to the classroom draw pictures of rain, puddles or other water, then read books about water, try “A Drop Around the World” by Barbara Shaw McKinney.

Book List

Grades PreK-2
Branley, F.M. 1997. Down Comes the Rain. HarperCollins Children's Books.
Brimner, L.D. 1999. Raindrops. Scholastic Library Publishing.
Curry, D.L. 1999. The Water Cycle. Capstone Press.
DK Publishing. 2007. Water Everywhere. DK Publishing, Inc.
Fourment, T. 2004. My Water Comes from the Mountains. Roberts Rinehart Publishers.
Fraiser, D. 2004. The Incredible Water Show. Harcourt.
Greenaway, T. 2000. Water Cycle. Raintree Publishers.
Greenfield, E. and J.S. Gilchrist. 1999. Water, Water. HarperCollins Publishers.
Hooper, M. The Drop in My Drink: The Story of Water on Our Planet. Viking Press.
Jango-Cohen, J. 2005. Why Does It Rain? Lerner Publishing Group.
Jarnow, J. and E. Hathon. 2000. Splish! Splash! Penguin Group, Inc. (USA).
Kalman, B. 2006. Water Cycle. Crabtree Publishing Company.
Locker, T. 2002. Water Dance. Harcourt Children's Books.
Mckinney, B.S. 1998. A Drop around the World. Dawn Publications.
Morrison, G. 2006. A Drop of Water. Houghton Mifflin Company.
Pluckrose, H. 2001. Water. Gareth Stevens Audio.
Rauzon, M.J. 1995. Water, Water Everywhere. Sierra Club Books for Children.
Relf, P. 1996. The Magic School Bus Wet All Over: A Book About The Water Cycle. Scholastic Paperbacks.
Rosinsky, N.M. 2002. Water: Up, Down, and All Around. Capstone Press.
Salas, L.P., and S. De Giorgi. 2010. There Goes the Water: A Song About the Water Cycle. Picture Window Books.
Schmid, E. 1994. The Water's Journey. North-South.
Seuling, B. 2000. Drip! Drop!: How Water Gets to Your Tap. Holiday House, Inc.
Swanson, D. 2005. Wonder in Water. Annick Press, Limited.
Tresselt, A.R. 1990. Rain Drop Splash. HarperCollins Publishers.
Waldman, N. 2003. Snowflake: A Water Cycle Story. Millbrook Press.
Wells, R.E. 2006. Did a Dinosaur Drink This Water? Albert Whitman & Company.
Weininger, B. and A. Moller. 2003. Precious Water. North-South Books.

Grades 3-5
Berger, M. 1995. Water, Water Everywhere. Ideals Publications.
Canizares, S. and P. Chanko. 1998. Water. June 1998.
Cobb, V. 1986. Trip of a Drip. Little, Brown & Company.
Ditchfield, C. 2001. Water. Scholastic Library Publishing.
Dorros, A. 2000. Follow the Water from Brook to Ocean. HarperCollins.
Flanagan, A.K. 2000. Water. Capstone Press.
Goodrich, R.S. 2004. Hydro's Adventure Through the Water Cycle. Geoquest Pubns.
Hughes, M. 2004. Water Cycle. Heinemann Library.
Jervis, P. 1997. How Science Works: Water. Barnes & Noble Books.
Kerley, B. 2006. A Cool Drink of Water. National Geographic Society.
Mckinney, B.S. 1998. A Drop around the World. Dawn Publications.
Moor, J.E. 1998. Water. Evan-Moor Educational Publishers.
Olien, R. 2006. Water Cycle. Capstone Press.
Royston, A. 2006. The Life And Times of a Drop of Water: The Water Cycle. Raintree.
Wick, W. 1997. Drop of Water: A Book of Science and Wonder. Scholastic, Inc.

Grades 6-8
Bailey, G. and S. Way. 2009. Water. Gareth Stevens Publishing.
Day, T. 2007. Water. DK Publishing, Inc.
Harman. 2005. The Water Cycle: Evaporation, Condensation & Erosion. Heinemann-Raintree.
Markert, J. 1992. Water. The Creative Company.
Morgan, S. 2009. The Water Cycle. Rosen Publishing Group.
Rice, W.B., and M. Sullivan. 2010. Inside the Water Cycle. Compass Point Books.
Royston, A. 2005. The Life and Times of a Drop of Water: The Water Cycle. Heinemann-Raintree.
Swanson, D. 2005. Wonder in Water. Annick Press, Limited.

Grades 9-12
Harman. 2005. The Water Cycle: Evaporation, Condensation & Erosion. Heinemann-Raintree.
Rice, W.B., and M. Sullivan. 2010. Inside the Water Cycle. Compass Point Books.
Royston, A. 2005. The Life and Times of a Drop of Water: The Water Cycle. Heinemann-Raintree.