The water cycle, powered by the Sun and pulled by gravity
Grade 6 Science Worksheet

Circle the best answer.
the water level inside is the same as before. On a hot day, drops form on the outside of Bo's glass of ice water. Where did that water come from?
- Water evaporating from inside the glass
- Water leaking through the glass
- Melted ice seeping out through the side of the glass
- Water vapor in the air, cooled by the cold glass
Wet towels hung outside in the morning are dry by evening. Where did the water go, by Esme's thinking?
Drawing of towels on a clothesline in the morning (dripping) and in the evening (dry). Drawing of towels on a clothesline in the morning (dripping) and in the evening (dry). morning dripping evening dry - Down into the ground as runoff
- It was destroyed by the Sun
- Into the air as water vapor
- It condensed into the towel threads
On a freezing morning, Jun breathes out and sees a small white cloud. What is the white cloud?
Drawing of a child-shaped outline breathing out a small white puff in cold air, with frost on the ground. Drawing of a child-shaped outline breathing out a small white puff in cold air, with frost on the ground. - Smoke made by the cold air
- Tiny drops from breath vapor that cooled
- Breath that evaporated in the cold
- Invisible water vapor
Rain falls on a grassy field with loose, dry soil. Where does much of the water go next, in Kira's model?
Cross-section: grass and loose soil on top, groundwater below, rain falling on the field. Cross-section: grass and loose soil on top, groundwater below, rain falling on the field. Cross-section rain falling grass loose soil groundwater - It disappears into the grass
- Back up to the clouds right away
- It soaks into the ground toward the groundwater
- It has to flow along the surface straight to the ocean
“low corner” Rain falls on a big paved parking lot. Where does most of that water go, as Luz predicts?
Drawing of a paved parking lot in the rain, with a storm drain at its low corner. Drawing of a paved parking lot in the rain, with a storm drain at its low corner. paved parking lot rain storm drain - It has to evaporate before it can move
- It soaks down through the pavement into the groundwater
- It condenses into a cloud right away
- It runs off the surface into drains and streams
A snowflake lands on a glacier high in the mountains. What might happen to its water, by Milo's reading?
Drawing of a glacier high on a mountain, with snow falling on it. Drawing of a glacier high on a mountain, with snow falling on it. snow glacier - It must melt and flow down to the ocean that same week
- It condenses back into a cloud
- It vanishes once it lands
- It could stay frozen in the ice for many years
Ice caps and glaciers about 69%; groundwater about 30%; lakes, rivers and other surface water about 1%. Pia reads that most of Earth's fresh water is not in rivers or lakes. Where is most of it, by the USGS figures?
- Frozen in ice caps and glaciers
- In clouds and fog
- Underground, at about 90%
- In rivers and lakes
Read this first
Table, Two puddles (example data, read about), with columns Puddle, Temperature and Time to dry
Puddle in shade, 18 °C (64 °F), dry after 6 hours; puddle in sun, 30 °C (86 °F), dry after 2 hours.
Tala reads about two equal puddles. The one in the shade, at 18 °C, dried in 6 hours. The one in the sun, at 30 °C, dried in 2 hours. What does this show?
- The shady puddle condensed instead
- Warmer water evaporates faster
- Gravity pulled the sunny puddle into the ground
- The sunny puddle's water was destroyed faster
Warm, moist air rises up a mountainside and cools as it climbs. What does Zee expect to form near the top?
Side view of a mountain with an arrow of moist air rising up one slope; temperatures marked cooler toward the top. Side view of a mountain with an arrow of moist air rising up one slope; temperatures marked cooler toward the top. moist air cooler - A cloud of invisible vapor
- Clear air, since cooling makes vapor evaporate
- Clouds, as the vapor condenses into drops
- Nothing; the Sun pulls the air back down
On a cool, clear morning, the grass in Ari's yard is covered with dew. Where did the dew come from?
Close-up drawing of grass blades covered in small drops, with a thermometer reading 8 °C (46 °F). Close-up drawing of grass blades covered in small drops, with a thermometer reading 8 °C (46 °F). 8 degC (46 degF) - The grass evaporated water onto itself
- Water vapor in the air condensed on the cold grass
- Water leaked up and out of the tips of the grass blades
- Rain fell quietly during the night