Above is an illistration of the Water Cycle. The steps of the Water Cycle include: collection, evaporation, condensation, and precipitation.

evaporation: the sun heats up water in rivers, lakes and the ocean and turns it into vapor or steam. The steam leaves the earth and goes up into the air.

condensation: When the water vapor or steam from the earth goes up into the air it gets cold and changes back into a liquid, forming clouds. This is condensation.

precipitation: When so much water has condensed that the air cannot hold it any longer the clouds get heavy and water falls back to the earth in the form of rain, hail or snow.

collection: When the water falls back to the earth it may fall back into the oceans, lakes or rivers or it may end up on land. When it ends up on land it will soak into the earth and become part of the ground water. Eventually the ground water will end up in an ocean or lake.

The earth has a limited amount of water. That water goes in a continuous circle called the Water Cycle.

Photo References:

Microsoft Word, Clip Gallery, Weather, image NA00550 (Sun image)
http://arachne.cofc.edu/classes/WebQuest/CernyKL/rain%20cloud.jpg (from an untitled Web page with no author)- (cloud and rain image)

All other images (water, sky, ground, arrows) created by Kate Creveling on PhotoShop, 10/23/05