Gaming the Water Cycle: a student-led activity to explore climate change.

The water cycle plays an important part in climate change. This activity games the construction of the water cycle by students taking the role of a water molecule as it moves between reservoirs. The processes involved will be described and explained, however, students will have to work collaboratively in order to complete the water cycle in its entirety.

The factors that power the movement (gravity and state changes) will be determined and linked to changes in the amount of water found in each reservoir. Although gravity can’t be changed, the heat budget can, and this will affect the change in state of water, leading to unbalancing the water cycle.

Thought experiments and discussion on possible effects of climate change, especially through global warming, will allow students to understand its effects on the water cycle and the subsequent effects on the climate, in particular:

• Positive feedback of decreasing albedo and increased water vapour in the atmosphere.
• Increase in liquid water resulting in sea level rise and flood risk.

After using the Water Cycle Game, students will have a better understanding of the complexities in the water cycle, its effect on the climate, and have an appreciation of how climate change can have a local and global effect in a highly likely future.