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The Waterviz lessons for middle school students allow learners to engage with real water cycle data through art, music, scientific graphs, and 3D models.

The Water Cycle data is collected in near-real time by scientists at the Hubbard Brook Experimental Forest in New Hampshire.

This six lesson sequence is geared toward middle school learners, with specific consideration for students with visual impairments.

Waterviz Curriculum

Glossary

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GLOSSARY

Condensation	The process by which water vapor in the air is changed into liquid water; responsible for cloud formation
Evaporation	Water changing from liquid to vapor ~90% of atmospheric moisture comes from oceans, seas, lakes, and rivers; ~10% from plant transpiration.
Evapotranspiration	Evaporation from land surfaces plus transpiration from plants.
Freshwater Storage	Surface freshwater in streams, ponds, lakes, reservoirs, and wetlands; typically <1,000 mg/L dissolved solids.
Groundwater Discharge	Groundwater emerging at the surface and flowing into stream beds.
Infiltration	Downward movement of water from the surface into soil or porous rock.
Precipitation	Water released from clouds as rain, freezing rain, sleet, snow, or hail; primary delivery of atmospheric water to Earth.
Saturated Water Content	When soil pore space is completely filled with water; new rain has nowhere to go, increasing flood risk.
Snowmelt Runoff to Streams	Surface runoff from snow and ice into strams and other surface waters; a major component of global water movement.
Soil Water Content	The fraction of a soil’s volume that is water (e.g., 25% means 1 m³ of soil contains 0.25 m³ of water).
Solar Radiation	Global solar radiation (direct + diffuse) in the 400–1100 nm range; measured in W m⁻².
Springs	Where a hillside, valley bottom, or excavation intersects flowing groundwater at/below the water table; ranges from intermittent seeps to large, continuous flows.
Streamflow	The movement and amount of water flowing in a natural channel (e.g., a river
Sublimation	Water changing directly from solid (ice/snow) to vapor, bypassing liquid; common in arid climates.
Surface Runoff	River water originating directly from land-surface runoff (in addition to direct precipitation and groundwater inputs).
Sublimation	Evaporation of water from plant leaves; roughly 10% of atmospheric moisture (with ~90% from water bodies).
Transpiration	Evaporation of water from plant leaves; roughly 10% of atmospheric moisture (with ~90% from water bodies).
Water in the Atmosphere	Water stored as vapor (clouds, humidity); ~0.001% of Earth’s total water volume at any time.
Water Storage in Ice or Snow	Freshwater stored in glaciers, icecaps/fields, and snowfields; can remain for long periods.
Water Storage in Oceans	Saline water in oceans and inland seas; ~96.5% of Earth’s water is stored in oceans, which also supply ~90% of evaporated water to the cycle.
Water Vapor	Vapor Pressure Deficit (VPD) is the difference between moisture in the air and how much it can hold when saturated; when saturated, water condenses into clouds, dew, or films on surfaces.

Resources

Interactive Water Science Website Tools

Model My Watershed

A National Science Foundation, funded project with a Water Balance module,
View/Modify my Watershed tools, and a real-time data map for hydrologic analysis.

A bright illustrated graphic titled ‘Down the Drain You Go!’ showing two options, Go Urban and Go Rural. The image displays a house floor plan with a kitchen, bathroom, and laundry area, each containing sinks, toilets, and tubs marked with orange drain icons. A speech bubble encourages the user to explore the drains, and a large snorkel mask illustration sits at the bottom right.

Michigan Watershed Program

Interactive educational site allowing users to explore water use, pollution impacts,
and their effects on local groundwater and ecosystems.

A topographic map of the Hubbard Brook forest showing elevation lines and small blue stream segments branching across the landscape. Roads labeled Lost River Road and Sawyer Highway appear on the right side.

WEPP Online Watershed Simulation

An online erosion and water flow simulator developed by Purdue University that models
how soil, slope, and rainfall influence watershed behavior.

Water Science Resources

A recent issue of USFS Natural Inquirer (a middle school science education journal) is on freshwater and contains 7 articles focusing on the topic. Some articles include research on drinking water, watersheds, groundwater, freshwater mussels, and chemicals in urban waterways. The journal can be viewed and ordered here.

Data Driven Hydrology Education

Links to posters and abstracts presented at Consortium of Universities for the Advancement of Hydrologic Science, Inc. (CUAHSI) virtual workshop.

Resources from the CUAHSI virtual workshop include:

Teaching Isotope Hydrograph Separation with Real Data. A. Jefferson, Department of Geology, Kent State University and D. Dees, Faculty Professional Development Center and School of Foundations, Leadership and Administration, Kent State University.
Combining Hands-on Field Experience with Data-Driven Hydrology Education Tools. J. Williams, B. Forsythe, M. Carroll, and S. Brantley, Earth & Environmental Systems Institute, Penn State University, and E. Ruocchio and Y. Pickering, Earth Systems Science Faculty Mentors, State College Area High School.
An Excel Based Module to Explore the Major Drivers of Snowmelt During Rain-On-Snow Flooding Events. W. Currier, N. Wayand, & J. Lundquist University of Washington, Mountain Hydrology Research, Civil and Environmental Engineering.
Estimating Trends in Long-Term Evapotranspiration in the Red River of the North Basin, Minnesota and North Dakota. P. Gerla, H. Hamm School of Geology and Geological Engineering, University of North Dakota.

USGS Water Science School

The USGS site is packed full of information for everyone, including educators. It features an interactive Water Cycle Diagram that can be altered for beginner to advanced student levels. There are detailed pages that include expanded definitions and descriptions of different components and phases of the water cycle.

US EPA Kids Pages

Focused on the Water Cycle and Drinking Water. Multiple pages with information, interactive games, an animation (Thirstin’s Water Cycle) and more. Includes a list of additional educational resources.

Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute

A well-illustrated page with clickable definitions for components of the water cycle.

Edumedia Water Cycle

A site specializing in interactive simulations for science teaching. Lots of great resources for purchase.

Earthguide Animated Diagram

This project is part of the Geosciences Research Division of the Scripps Institution of Oceanography.

APEC Systems

Good overall description of the water cycle by a water treatment company. Includes a thorough list of links to other sites for students and teachers.

Utah Division of Water Resources

Educational page for kids and adults. Includes general information, games and teacher resources, much of which is specific to Utah and the region.

Project Wet

An interactive diagram of the water cycle. Users click through the different components of the cycle.

USGS Water Data Discovery

The National Water Information System (NWIS) is the Nation’s principal repository of water resources data. Data includes two categories: Water Now (realtime reporting of different water parameters) and Water Then (reports and summaries of past water use, yield, and more).

Beyond Penguins and Polar Bears

An online magazine for elementary school teachers focused on the Polar Regions of Earth from a science perspective. Includes many articles including water cycle information. Published by Ohio State University.