Year 3 - Geography
Water flow around buildings
The water cycle: why is it important?
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This pupil-friendly study guide includes a unit summary, clear notes, common mistakes, and quick questions with answers.
Unit Summary
This unit introduces the water cycle and explores how water moves through natural and built environments. Pupils investigate how water is used, supplied and owned, and consider how access to water differs in the UK and around the world.
Lesson Summary
You will learn to describe how buildings collect rainwater and you can explain how water enters and leaves buildings and is used in many different ways.
Key Notes
- Rainwater is collected by sloping roofs and gutters, and flows into drainpipes, waterbutts and drains.
- Water enters buildings at the stopcock and travels through pipes to be used for drinking, heating, toilets, etc.
- Wastewater from sinks, baths, washing machines and toilets goes into the drain and then to the main sewer.
Vocabulary To Learn
- precipitation: Precipitation is water that falls from the sky as rain, snow, hail or sleet.
- purified: If something has been purified it has had any bad substances removed to make it pure again.
- interconnected: When two or more things are connected to each other they are interconnected.
Common Mistakes To Avoid
- That water enters a building in multiple places, or that whenever there is a tap water enters at that point.
3 Quick Questions (With Answers)
1. Explain this geography topic using two clear key points.
Rainwater is collected by sloping roofs and gutters, and flows into drainpipes, waterbutts and drains. Water enters buildings at the stopcock and travels through pipes to be used for drinking, heating, toilets, etc.
2. Define this geography term and use it in an example. 'precipitation'
Precipitation is water that falls from the sky as rain, snow, hail or sleet.
3. Correct this common geography misunderstanding.
Mistake: That water enters a building in multiple places, or that whenever there is a tap water enters at that point. Correction: All buildings have at least one stopcock. This is the only point of entry for water into a building. In the event of a flood or burst pipe, the stopcock can be turned off to stop any more water entering the building.
More Lessons In This Unit
Browse all guides in the Year 3 Geography guide library.