Water on Earth: Liquid and Solid

Water is everywhere on Earth: in the ocean, in lakes and rivers, and even on the tops of mountains. Sometimes it flows, sometimes it is hard as a rock. Let’s find where water is on Earth, and tell when it is liquid and when it is solid.

This lesson takes about 10 minutes. You can take a break after each part.

Before you start

Water on Earth: Liquid and Solid

Learning objectives

  • I can say where water is found on Earth: ocean, lakes, rivers, ponds, glaciers.
  • I can tell if water is liquid or solid in a place.
  • I can find information about water in books, photos and maps.

Where is the water?

Water all over the Earth

Most of the water on Earth is in the ocean. The ocean is huge, and its water is salty: people cannot drink it.

Water is also in lakes, rivers and ponds. Most of them have fresh water, which is not salty.

A huge tank full of sea water with fish, a dolphin and a turtle stands next to a small glass that holds ice, water and soil.
Most of Earth’s water is salty, in the ocean. Only a little is fresh water, and much of it is frozen.

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Liquid water, solid water

Liquid or solid?

Water can be liquid: it flows, like rain, rivers and the ocean. Water can also be solid: it is hard and keeps its shape, like ice and snow.

Where it is very cold, water stays solid. A glacier is a huge river of ice, high in the mountains or near the poles.

Six pictures: an ice cube on a plate, an ice tray in a freezer, a puddle drying in the sun, a glass of lemonade with ice, a boy watching cold mist, and frost on a leaf.
Water can be a liquid or a solid: ice in the freezer, frost on a leaf, a melting cube.

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Finding out about water

Books, photos and maps

Scientists find information in books, photos, maps and videos. They help us learn about places that are far away.

On a globe, the ocean is blue. Near the North Pole and the South Pole, it is white: there, a lot of water is solid ice.

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Review game

Final assessment

To master the lesson, you need at least 60% correct answers.

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Summary

  • Most of the water on Earth is in the ocean, and it is salty.
  • Lakes, rivers and ponds usually have fresh water.
  • Water can be liquid (rain, rivers, the ocean) or solid (ice, snow, glaciers).
  • Books, photos and maps tell us where water is; on a globe, the ocean is blue and the ice near the poles is white.

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