Ripple Effect: Hawai‘i’s Changing Water Cycle Students analyze rainfall and groundwater data to see how climate change alters Hawai‘i’s water cycle and what it means for communities and ecosystems. Ripple Effect: Hawai‘i’s Changing Water Cycle invites students to explore how climate change is altering rainfall, groundwater, and water availability across Hawai‘i. Using real maps, datasets, and projections, students analyze trends, compare past and future patterns, and predict how shifts in the water cycle could affect ecosystems and communities. They synthesize their findings into short reflections, connecting science to real-world impacts like droughts, floods, and water scarcity. This 60-minute lesson builds data analysis skills while fostering an understanding of how climate change challenges water resources—and why these changes matter for the people and places that depend on them. Topics Climate Change AuthorsSofia Potenciano Teacher ResourcesLesson planLesson slides Student Resources Student worksheet Ka Nohona Ahupua’a—Life in the Ahupua’a Additional ResourcesGroundwater Recharge – `IkeWaiHawaiʻi Drought Monitor Next Generation Science StandardsCrosscutting ConceptsCause and effectSystems and system modelsCore IdeasPS1.A: Structure and Properties of MatterLS2.B: Cycles of Matter and Energy Transfer in EcosystemsPracticesAnalyzing and interpreting dataObtaining, evaluating, and communicating information Ocean Literacy Fundamental Concepts1.G: The ocean is an integral part of the water cycle and is connected to all of the earth’s water reservoirs via evaporation and precipitation processes., 1.H: The ocean is connected to major lakes, watersheds and waterways because all major watersheds on Earth drain to the ocean. Rivers and streams transport nutrients, salts, sediments and pollutants from watersheds to estuaries and to the ocean.3.A: The ocean controls weather and climate by dominating the Earth’s energy, water and carbon systems.