The Water Cycle Trek

Middle School: Life Sciences 2 hours

Purpose Overview:
The purpose of this tour is to educate middle school students on the cycling of water
through Earths systems, and the concept of watersheds as it relates to the Oregon coast.
Through the physical exploration of Cape Perpetuas watershed, students will learn about and
witness firsthand the processes of the water cycle and the natural forces driving it.
Students will also learn about the marine reserve at Cape Perpetua, and how it acts to
protect these processes and the species involved. Through a discussion of adjacent habitats and
nutrient pathways, students will be able to infer and express the importance of the marine reserve
on regulating water discharge quality for this area.

Standard(s) Addressed:
MS-ESS2-4. Develop a model to describe the cycling of water through Earths
systems driven by energy from the sun and the force of gravity.
[Clarification Statement: Emphasis is on the ways water changes its state as it moves through the multiple pathways of
the hydrologic cycle. Examples of models can be conceptual or physical.] [Assessment Boundary: A quantitative
understanding of the latent heats of vaporization and fusion is not assessed.]

Program Overview:
This tour may be prefaced with either an in-classroom or Visitors Center presentation
meant to prepare students with general knowledge of the area and concepts being taught.
The tour itself will begin at the Cape Perpetua Visitors Center, where students will gather
on the back observation deck. Here students will learn about the first step of the water cycle, the
process of evaporation of ocean water and its subsequent accumulation into clouds. Afterwards
students will be broken into smaller groups, where appropriate, and lead by guides along the
Giant Spruce trail. Once students arrive at the giant spruce, guides will discuss the role gravity
plays in returning water from clouds back to the earth. Guides will also discuss the role gravity
plays in waters return to the ocean over/through land via ground water and the nearby stream.
Students will also learn about watershed dynamics and how land form directs the return of water
to the ocean. Once completed, guides will direct students back to the visitor center where
students may use the facilities before departing to the final station.
When ready, guides will direct their groups along the trail leading under highway 101 to
the Cpt. Cook tide pools. Here students will witness ground water seepage, and discuss how
pollution may enter the water cycle and endanger marine environments. Students will also learn

how the nearby marine reserve acts to protect against development and water discharge that
increases water contamination and pollution.
Afterwards, students will return to the visitor center where they will gather in small
groups to discuss concepts learned and answer written questions presented to them as a means
for evaluation.

Objectives:
Describe the water cycle as it relates to the Cape Perpetua area
Explain the dynamics of watersheds as they relate to Oregons coastline
Discuss pathways of pollution into the water cycle and their effects
Explain the role of the Cape Perpetua marine reserve

Equipment List:
Depending on what time of year the tour is conducted, different weather gear may apply.
Students are instructed to wear close toed shoes and pants regardless of weather, and carry a
water bottle with them at all times. Suggested items include:
Hat
Sweater or hoodie
Raincoat
Laminated topo maps for Cape Perpetua (x3)

Things to Keep in Mind:

Remember to keep this as fun as possible, while making sure to hit all the necessary
topics and concepts. Since you will be dealing with a younger and more rambunctious audience,
keeping their attention will be key. Use gestures and simple words to describe the idea you are
trying to impart. Dont be afraid to go off script, just make sure you have a reason to do so, and
a way to get back on point.
When carrying out this trek, always be aware of distance and time. The Giant Spruce
trail is our longest trip, and students often need time to rest once arriving at the tree and/or back
at visitor center. Gauge students ability to learn based on their attention, and be sure to raly the
group together before attempting to start the next education piece.
Once you have all the students back at the visitor center, make sure you go over the
prompts that highlight our objectives for this tour. Try and get multiple students to respond, and
encourage thoughts outside the box. Be sure to use the terms learned, and dont forget to recap
on the marine reserve ideas.

Tour Schedule
Station 1:
The first station for this trek is the observation deck behind the visitor center. Here
guides will introduce the water cycle concept and explain the initial phase of evaporation and
condensation.

Transitional Prompt:

Alright everybody, take a look out over that huge ocean!

Prompts for Guide (Water Cycle):

Who can tell me what those clouds are made of?

o Water molecules all stuck together
Where does the water in clouds come from?
o Evaporation off the ocean and other large bodies of water
What makes the water evaporate
o Energy from the sun

Activity:
Gather students together before departing. Ask students to think about what happens to
all that water in the clouds after it is evaporated, and why the oceans simply dont dry up. Dont
ask them to answer, just to consider some possibilities while moving on to the next station.

Station 2:
The second station of this tour will be at the end of the Giant Spruce trail where guides
will explain the next phases of the water cycle; precipitation, infiltration and stream flow.
Guides will also introduce the idea of watersheds and explain their role in the water cycle.

Transitional Prompt:

So, who has an answer for where the water goes after it evaporates off the ocean?
o It travels across the land until it falls as rain or snow

Prompts for Guide (Water Cycle):

What natural force causes the rain to fall?

o Gravity
Where does the water go after it falls to Earth?
o It sinks into the soil or flows across the surface making streams and rivers
Does water stay in the soil, or does it move through it?
o Water is stored in the soil in aquafers, but also moves through them due to gravity
What kind of things benefit from water in the soil?
o All living things on the planet do

Activity:
Gather students together and distribute the laminated topo maps. Explain to the students
that they are in a watershed, and what that means; i.e. watershed definition. Describe how
watersheds effect the processes of the water cycle, and relate that to this specific area. Using the
definition, have students attempt to delineate the Cape Perpetua mini-watershed on their maps.
Make sure each student is able to accomplish this before moving on to the next station.

Station 3:
The third station of this trek is down at the Cpt Cook tide pool area. Here guides will
direct students to the cliff sides where water seepage occurs, bringing the water cycle full circle
conceptually. Guides will also engage students in discussion of pollution, and how it might enter
into the marine environment through the water cycle.

Transitional Prompt:

Alright everyone, heres the final leg of race water takes to get back to the ocean.

Prompts for Guide (Review):

Does anyone know what we call this type of water flow?

o Groundwater seepage and discharge
What force is it again that drives this process?
o Gravity

Activity:
If time permits, students may explore the tide pools for a short period of time before
finishing up this station.
Before departing, gather the students together and ask them to think of ways pollution
might enter into the water cycle. Discuss how development and subsequent water discharge in
this area is regulated by the marine reserve here at Cape Perpetua. Explain how this acts to
protect the adjacent marine environment through the protection of the water cycle in this
watershed.

Station 4:
The last station of this tour will be back at the visitor center where students will go
through a quick, question based debriefing, before taking an evaluation of the concepts they
explored that day. Afterwards, students may depart or continue on with another tour.

Transitional Prompt:

Alright! It looks like we all had some fun today, but, who can tell me?

Prompts for Guide (Review):

Where the water in clouds comes from and how it got there
What happens to the water in clouds?
Where does water go once it returns to Earth?
What defines a watershed, and how does that effect the flow of water?
How does the water cycle here effect the nearby marine reserve and protected areas?

Activity:
After going over some of the prompts, gather students on the back porch and distribute
the evaluation sheets; this may need to be carried out inside if during poor weather. Help direct
their answers by providing leading questions rather than direct facts or info. Encourage students
to think for themselves, and provide examples of situations or systems that directly relate to the
question they are stuck on. Students are not allowed to work in groups.

Evaluation
1. On the map below, circle the different watersheds in this area. How many different
watersheds are present on this map? _______

2. On the back of your worksheet, draw a diagram for the water cycle you
learned about today. Be sure to show the direction of water movement
using arrows, and the list of terms below:

Precipitation
Evaporation
Condensation
Ground Water
Streamflow
Seepage/Discharge