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P5 water cycle lesson plan (CfE second level)
A complete 60-minute science lesson on the water cycle for P5 (CfE second level, SCN 2-05a). It has timings, a hands-on demo, a worksheet in three levels and an exit ticket with answers. Print it as it is, or change it to suit your class.
Free to use, print and adapt. Checked 24 October 2026. Not accredited or endorsed by Education Scotland or any other body.
At a glance
| Stage | P5 (works for P4 to P6 with the levels below) |
|---|---|
| CfE level | Second level |
| Experience and Outcome | SCN 2-05a: "I can apply my knowledge of how water changes state to help me understand the processes involved in the water cycle in nature over time." (Sciences Es and Os, Education Scotland) |
| Time | 60 minutes |
| Grouping | Whole class, then pairs, then groups of 3 or 4 |
| Key words | evaporation, water vapour, condensation, precipitation, collection (challenge: run-off, transpiration) |
Learning intention and success criteria
We are learning to explain how water moves round and round between the land, the sea and the sky.
I can:
- name the four main stages: evaporation, condensation, precipitation and collection
- say whether water is heating up or cooling down at each stage
- label a water cycle diagram and explain one stage in my own words
What you need
- A clear bowl, warm tap water, cling film and a few ice cubes (for the demo; no kettles near pupils)
- One sandwich-size zip bag per pair, a little water with a drop of blue food colouring, a permanent marker and tape
- The worksheet below, printed at the level each pupil needs
- Optional: the BBC Bitesize KS2 water cycle video for the starter
The lesson, minute by minute
| Time | What happens |
|---|---|
| 0 to 5 min Hook | Show a photo of a puddle on a sunny morning, then the same spot dry at lunchtime. Ask: "Where did the puddle go?" Think, pair, share. Note pupils' ideas on the board to come back to at the end. |
| 5 to 15 min Teach | Share the learning intention and success criteria. Teach the four stages with an action for each: evaporation (hands rise slowly), condensation (hands clump into a cloud), precipitation (fingers rain down), collection (hands sweep into a pool). Stress the big idea: warming makes water rise as vapour; cooling turns it back into droplets. |
| 15 to 25 min Demo | Predict, observe, explain. Pour warm tap water into the bowl, cover with cling film and put ice on top. Ask pupils to predict what they'll see under the cling film. After a few minutes droplets form and drip back. Ask: "Which stage is the ice making happen?" (condensation) "And the drips?" (precipitation) |
| 25 to 45 min Do | In pairs, pupils draw the sun, a cloud and the sea on a zip bag, add a little coloured water, seal it and tape it to a sunny window to check over the week. Then they complete the worksheet at their level (below). Circulate: check the support group first, then the challenge group. |
| 45 to 55 min Plenary | "I am a raindrop." Groups tell the journey of one raindrop in four sentences, one per stage, using the actions. Go back to the puddle: "Now where did it go?" |
| 55 to 60 min Exit ticket | Three quick questions (below). Sort the tickets into "got it", "nearly" and "not yet" to plan next lesson. |
Worksheet in three levels
Match and label
Word bank: evaporation, condensation, precipitation, collection.
- Cut out the four picture cards and put them in a circle.
- Stick the right word under each picture.
- Finish the sentence: "When the sun heats the sea, the water ___."
Label and explain
- Label the four stages on the diagram.
- Draw arrows to show which way the water moves.
- Write one sentence for each stage. Say if the water is heating up or cooling down.
Explain the why
- Label the four stages, then add run-off and transpiration.
- Explain why the ice on the cling film made droplets.
- The west of Scotland gets more rain than the east. Use the water cycle to suggest one reason.
Exit ticket (with answers)
- What is it called when water turns into vapour and rises? (Evaporation)
- Clouds form when water vapour… heats up or cools down? (Cools down: condensation)
- Name one type of precipitation. (Rain, snow, sleet or hail)
Adapting it for your class
- Reading support: give a picture word mat with the four stages and their actions.
- Early-stage EAL: use the actions and pictures first, then the words. Pair with a supportive partner.
- If you teach from the front or a teaching table: run the demo where everyone can see it and take the worksheet in groups, one group at a time.
- If you like to move round the room: give each group its own bowl and ice, and circulate with three questions ready: "What's heating? What's cooling? Where does it go next?"
Being observed? Where the key moments are
Observers often look for a shared purpose, checks on learning, support and challenge, and a clear end point. In this lesson:
- Learning intention and success criteria: shared at 5 minutes and revisited in the plenary.
- Checking understanding: the demo questions, your circulation questions and the exit ticket.
- Support and challenge: three worksheet levels.
- Pupil talk: think-pair-share and "I am a raindrop".
We can't promise any observation outcome. This just helps you plan a clear, well-structured lesson.
More free resources
- Scottish Water: water cycle education pack (first and second level slides)
- BBC Bitesize: the water cycle (KS2)
- Education Scotland: all Experiences and Outcomes
Want one in your style?
Tell us your class stage, lesson length and how you like to teach (moving round the room, from the front, lots of group work). We'll send this lesson back rewritten for your class, with slides, a teacher script and an observation crib sheet if you're being observed.
Or email [email protected] with "Teachers: P5 water cycle" as the subject. One line is enough. Free while we build it with teachers. No pupil names, please. Everything comes back as a draft for you to check.
Questions
Which CfE Experience and Outcome covers the water cycle?
At second level it is SCN 2-05a: "I can apply my knowledge of how water changes state to help me understand the processes involved in the water cycle in nature over time." At early and first level, SCN 0-05a and SCN 1-05a cover how water changes from one form to another.
Is P5 second level in Curriculum for Excellence?
Second level usually covers P5 to P7 for most learners, but every child moves through the levels at their own pace, so some P5 pupils may still be working at first level. The three-level worksheet is there for that reason.
Can I use this for Year 4 or Year 5 in England?
Yes. In the National Curriculum for England, the water cycle appears in Year 4 science (states of matter). Swap the Es and Os for your school's objective and it works as it is.
Is the demo safe?
It uses warm tap water, not boiling water, and no kettle near pupils. Always follow your school's own risk assessment.
Can you send it in my teaching style?
Yes. Email [email protected] with "Teachers: P5 water cycle" as the subject and tell us your stage, timings and how you like to teach. We'll send a version back, free while we build the service with teachers.