Key Vocabulary Terms

water cycle - movement of water between the atmosphere and the earth's surface.
groundwater - water that sinks into the ground.
runoff - water that runs over the earth's surface and flows into streams.

Key Concepts

Ocean water moves to the atmosphere by evaporation, and water vapor in the atmosphere condenses and falls to the earth's surface as precipitation.
Ground water is precipitation that sinks into the ground. Surface water is precipitation that does not sink into the ground.
Runoff is surface water that runs over the land and flows into streams instead of sinking into the ground or evaporating.
Sometimes the ground is saturated and can hold no more water; water on a slope may run off before it can sink in; the ground may not have plant roots that soak up and hold the water.
Salt water is too salty to drink or to use in farming or industry. Fresh water does not contain salt and is used for drinking, watering plants, and operating machinery.

Did you learn these Objectives?

Can you describe the movement of water through the water cycle?
Are you able to identify how water runs off land?
Are you able to compare fresh water and salt water?

Lesson 2 "Sources of Fresh Water"

Key Vocabulary Terms

porous - containing many spaces through which air and water can move.
water table - top of the groundwater layer.
spring - place where groundwater flows naturally out of the ground.
geyser - place where hot groundwater and steam blast into the air.
sinkhole - fun el-shaped depression that results when the roof of a cave collapses.
tributary - river that joins another river of equal or greater size.
drainage basin - land area that is drained by a river and its tributaries.
divide - ridge that separates drainage basins.
reservoir - artificial lake created by placing a dam across a river.

Key Concepts

A water table is the top of a groundwater layer.
A sinkhole forms when the roof of a cave collapses.
The runoff flows ads a stream into a tributary. this tributary joins with other tributaries, which eventually flow into a main river. this river carries the water to the ocean.
Lakes lose water through evaporation, out flowing streams, or moving groundwater. They gain water from precipitation, runoff, springs, and rivers.
Reservoirs are useful because they store water for later use, help control flooding, and produce electricity.

Did you learn these Objectives?

Are you able to explain how groundwater moves and forms the water table?
Can you describe springs, geysers, and caves?
Can describe how runoff creates rivers, drainage basins, and lakes?
Are you able to identify three purposes of reservoirs?

Investigation 11-1 "Exploring Evaporation" (Optional, must complete 16 total investigations)

Key Concepts

You will discover factors that cause evaporation and learn how heat affects evaporation.

Lesson 3"Oceans"

Key Vocabulary Terms

salinity - saltiness of water.
thermocline - ocean layer between about 300 and 1,000 meters below the surface, where the temperature drops sharply.
wave - up-and-down motion of water caused by energy moving through the water.
current - large stream of water flowing in oceans, in rivers, and in some large lakes.
continental shelf - part of a continent that extends from a shoreline out into an ocean.
continental slope - steep slope between the continental shelf and the deep ocean floor.
mid-can ridge mountain chain on the ocean floor.
seamount - underwater mountain that is usually a volcano.
trench - deep valley on the ocean floor.
plankton - tiny organisms that live at or near the ocean surface.
nekton - free-swimming ocean animals.
benthos - organisms that live on the ocean floor.

Key Concepts

Salt in the oceans comes from rocks on the ocean floor and rivers.
The temperature on the surface stays fairly constant but drops sharply in the thermocline. Below the thermocline it decreases slowly. The bottoms of oceans are near freezing.
Most ocean waves and currents are caused by wind.
Currents carry warm water from the equator toward the poles and bring cold water back toward tech equator. This warms or cools the coasts of continents.
There are several features on the ocean floor such as: continental shelves, continental slopes, mid-ocean ridges, trenches, seamounts, plains, islands, and volcanoes.

Did you learn these Objectives?

Are you able to identify two properties of ocean water?
Are you able to explain what causes ocean waves and currents?
Can you describe several features of the ocean floor?
Can you identify three major groups of ocean life?

Investigation 11-2"Measuring the Effect of Salt Water on Floating" (Optional, must complete 16 total investigations)

Key Concepts

You will observe the effect of salt water on floating and answer the question, will an object float higher in salt water or fresh water?

Chapter Summary and Review

See page 276-277.

Chapter 11 Review answers are

1. tributary

2. drainage basin

3. water table

4. geyser

5. trench

6. mid-ocean ridge

7 salinity

8. continental shelf

9. A

10. D

11. D

12. B

13. B

14. C

15. C

16. A

17. B

18. A continental shelf, B continental slope, C plain, D mid-ocean ridge E seamount or island, F trench

19. The increased water use, along with the lack of rain, has lowered the water table below the depth of the well.

20. In the water cycle, water evaporates, condenses, and returns to the earth as precipitation. When salt water evaporates, the salt is left behind and the water vapor condenses as fresh water.