Hydrology: Concepts + Keywords
Concepts Related to Hydrology
If your class is interested in studying hydrology and you choose to facilitate a hydrology investigation, consider using any 3 or 4 concepts listed below. Choosing a limited number of concepts based on children's interests helps to narrow down the research required by teachers. It also helps teachers shape the investigation by diving deeper into the chosen content instead of feeling pressure to cover all concepts related to the topic. Choosing what's most relevant to the children in your class helps everyone get the most out of the investigation.
|
Water Cycle
Ecosystems/Movement of Water Weather/Erosion Pressure + Velocity |
Filtration/Sediments
Water Pollution Water Conservation/Sustainability Hydropower |
Key Words
- Evaporation: water changes into air
- Condensation: wet air turns into water droplets or rain
- Precipitation: rain falling from the clouds and reaching the ground
- Water Cycle: the process of water moving around between air and land
- Observe: to watch carefully
- Collection: an area where water pools
- Water vapor: water in a gas form
- Ice: water in a solid form
- Condensation: the process of cooling water that turns it from a gas (water vapor) back into a liquid
- Infiltration: when water moves down through the ground
- Runoff: when water travels over the top of the ground and back into a stream, river or sea
- Transpiration: the process of water evaporating out of the leaf of a plant or tree.
- Ocean: a very large area of sea. There are usually considered to be five main oceans (Pacific, Atlantic, Indian, Southern and Artic.
- River: a flow of water that leads to the sea. A river is a larger flow of water than a stream.
- Stream: a flow of water that usually leads into a river. A stream is a smaller flow of water than a river.
- Aquifer: an underground reservoir of water
- Reservoir: an area where water is stored
- Cloud: condensed water (water vapor) that is visible in the atmosphere
- Hydropower: the method of changing the kinetic energy from falling water into electrical energy
- Slope: when one part is higher than another part
- Erosion: when something makes part of the land go away
- Organism: is a living thing that can function on its own.
- Wetland: places where there is shallow water or soaking wet soil at least part of the year (marsh/swamp) ... it is a home to many plants, animals, and insects
- Float: stays at the top of the water; does not sink to the bottom
- Roots: the part of a plant that takes in water
- Ecosystem: a community or group of living organisms that live in and interact with each other in a specific environment
- Habitat: a home for plants and animals
- Pollution: is anything that makes the healthy dirty; soil pollution example, trash or chemicals on the ground; air pollution example, smoke in the air; water pollution example, oil or trash in the water
- Filter: an item or items that helps clean the water
- Sustainability: the ability of a system to last or endure; meeting current human needs without endangering our descendants