As part of the “Going Further” phase of our Patterns Inquiry, students in 1/2 were asked what they still wondered about and wanted to learn more about. Many shared an interest in weather patterns, which led to a rich discussion about the water cycle.

Guided by our learning question, “How do cycles help us understand and predict patterns in nature and time?”, they explored how the water cycle is a cyclical pattern that helps us predict weather. Students watched a video demonstration showing the steps of evaporation, condensation, precipitation, and collection. Inspired by this, they decided they wanted to try the experiment themselves.

With adult support, they used hot water in a glass jar (evaporation), cling wrap and a rubber band (to trap water vapour for condensation), and watched droplets form and fall back down (precipitation and collection). This hands-on activity helped them see how water keeps moving in a cycle, changing form but repeating over and over—a perfect example of a natural pattern that we can observe, explain, and predict.