Learning Objective

Students will be able to understand the process of the water cycle and create an animated gif using Brush Ninja to demonstrate their understanding.

Materials

• Computers or tablets with internet access
• Brush Ninja website
• Paper and pencils for brainstorming

Procedure

1. Begin by introducing the concept of the water cycle to students, explaining that it is the continuous journey that water takes from the earth’s surface up into the atmosphere and back down again.
2. Discuss each stage in detail: evaporation, condensation, precipitation, and collection.
3. Brainstorm as a class different ways to represent each stage through animation. For example: Evaporation: sun shining on a puddle or river causing it to disappear into the air. Condensation: clouds forming in the sky. Precipitation: rain falling from the clouds onto land or bodies of water. Collection: water flowing into rivers, lakes, and oceans.
4. Have students work independently or in pairs to create their own animated gif using Brush Ninja that shows all four stages of the water cycle. Remind them to include labels or captions for each stage.
5. Once finished, have students share their gifs with classmates and discuss what they learned about the water cycle.

Assessment

Assess student understanding based on their ability to accurately depict all four stages of the water cycle in their animated gifs.

Extension

For an extension activity, have students research how humans impact the water cycle (such as through pollution or deforestation) and create a second animated gif showing these impacts. Alternatively, they could explore other scientific concepts (such as photosynthesis or animal migration) and use Brush Ninja to create an animated explanation of those processes.

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