KUTZTOWN UNIVERSITY

ELEMENTARY EDUCATION DEPARTMENT

PROFESSIONAL SEMESTER PROGRAM
LESSON PLAN FORMAT

Teacher Candidate:
Cooperating Teacher:
Group Size:

17

Subject or Topic:

Katie Shpakovsky
Cristy Clemson

Date:

2/18/14

Coop. Initials

Allotted Time 30 mins

Grade Level 4

Weather (Lesson 1)

Section

065

STANDARD:
S4.A.2.1.3: Observe a natural phenomenon (e.g., weather changes, length of
daylight/night, movement of shadows, animal migrations, growth of plants), record
observations, and then make a prediction based on those observations.
S4.D.2.1.2: Identify weather patterns from data charts or graphs of the data (e.g.,
temperature, wind direction, wind speed, cloud types, precipitation).
I. Performance Objectives (Learning Outcomes):
A. Students will understand that air has mass
II.

Instructional Materials
A. 1 package of at least 12 balloons
B. 12 rulers
C. yarn/ string
D. safety goggles
E. scissors
F. 12 safety pins

III.

Subject Matter/Content (prerequisite skills, key vocabulary, big idea)

A. Prerequisite skills
1. Students should know how to observe an action
2. Students should know how to record observations
B. Key vocabulary
1. atmosphere
2. air pressure
3. troposphere

4. stratosphere
5. weather
6. mass
C. Big idea
1. We need the Earths atmosphere in order to survive
IV.

Implementation
A. Introduction
1. Students will be placed into groups of 4 and 1 groups of 5
a. Each group will be given 2 balloons, 1 ruler, 1 pin, 1
pair of scissors, one long piece of string, and safety
goggles
b. Each student will receive a sheet of paper in which they
will record their results
i. Before beginning the experiment, students must
write their predictions on their data sheet
1. Students will then be instructed to cut
their string into 3 equal pieces
2. Students will then one piece of string to
the middle of the ruler
3. Students will then blow up each balloon
and tie them shut.
4. Then tie each piece of string to the
balloon and attach to the ruler on either
side.
5. Students will put on safety goggles and
pop one of the balloons using the point
of the safety pin
a. Students must then observe and
record their results
B. Development
1. Students will then share what happened after they popped one
balloon
a. Students will also share why they think this happened
i. Teacher will then explain what happened and
why
2. Students will then be redirected to the Smart board with their
science text book
a. The teacher will direct the students attention to the
Smart board
i. The teacher will play a 5 minute video on
Earths atmosphere
3. Students will follow along in their books on page D6

a. Teacher will ask students what they think of when they

think of the Earths atmosphere
i. The teacher will explain to the students that the
atmosphere can be thought of as a very thin
blanket of air that surrounds the Earth
4. The teacher will then show the students on the Smart board the
layers of the atmosphere
a. Students will then return to their seats
C. Closure
1. Students will fill out an exit slip in their Science Notebook
a. The exit slip will be a KWL chart to start of this science
unit on weather
D. Accommodations/Differentiation
E. Assessment/Evaluation Plan
1. Formative
2. Summative
a.Exit slip - KWL chart

V.

Reflective Response
A. Report of Students Performance in Terms of Stated Objectives (after lesson is
taught)
N/A
Remediation Plan
N/A

B. Personal Reflection
N/A
VI.

Resources
A. Smart Exchange: Weather: the Air Around Us
B. Google Images
1. http://www.carboeurope.org/education/images/fig_atmosphere.
jpg

C. Youtube video
1. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3CerJbZ-dm0