KUTZTOWN UNIVERSITY

ELEMENTARY EDUCATION DEPARTMENT

LESSON PLAN FORMAT

Teacher Candidate:

Alix Landes and Katie Loughran

Cooperating Teacher:
Group Size:

22

Date: 2/16/2015

Coop. Initials
Allotted Time 50 min

Subject or Topic: Science: The Water Cycle

Grade Level 1st

Section

STANDARD:
4.2. K.A: Identify components of a water cycle
4.2.1. A: Explain the path water takes as it moves through the water cycle.

I. Performance Objectives (Learning Outcomes):

First grade students will be able to identify and explain each component of the
water cycle by creating their own water cycle diagram.
II. Instructional Materials
A. Crayons, colored pencils, markers
B. Scissors
C. Construction paper
D. Cotton balls
E. Glue
F. Worksheets (exit slip)
G. Song: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=okZBiy_IdBA
H. Zip-block bags
I. Water
J. Jars for the water
K. Masking tape
L. Sharpies
M. Food coloring
III. Subject Matter/Content (prerequisite skills, key vocabulary, big idea, outline of
additional content)
A. Prerequisite skills
B. Key Vocabulary
1. Water cycle: The movement of water on, above, and below the
surface of the Earth

2. Evaporation: This is the process where water from rivers, lakes, and
oceans change from a liquid to a gas called water vapor.
3. Condensation: This is the process where a gas changes into a liquid
form. Water vapor becomes water droplets again.
4. Precipitation: Water that falls from the sky to the Earth
5. Accumulation: Water returns back into the ground, rivers, and
streams
C. Big Idea
1. What are all the parts of the water cycle and what happens during
each component
D. Additional content
1. The sun is the major source of energy for the water cycle
2. Most of earth is covered with water. Water does not just stay in the
bodies of water. It moves throughout land and air.
3. Water vapor cannot be seen but it is all around us
4. Ground water: water that seeps into the ground. It is a very important
resource
5. Runoff: Water flows down to reach rivers, lakes, and oceans
IV. Implementation
A. Introduction
1. The teacher will begin by playing a video about the water cycle
without showing the class so they only can hear it.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=okZBiy_IdBA
2. After played once, ask the students:
a. What words or phrases stuck out to them?
b. What do you think we are going to learn today?
3. After they had that brief discussion, the teacher will replay the
video for the students to hear the parts of the water cycle again and
allow the students to sing along if they choose to.
B. Development
1. The teacher will begin the lesson by reading the story, The Magic
School Bus Wet All Over: A Book about the Water Cycle. The
teacher will make sure the pay attention for these words
condensation, evaporation, and precipitation since the major parts
of the water cycle. The teacher will write those words on the board
for the students to help them remember.
a. As the teacher reads, she will stop to point out the different
parts of the cycle and highlight the meaning of those words.
Also, the teacher reads she will have a water cycle diagram
and point to that to help the questions gain a better
understanding.

b. After the story is read, the teacher will ask the class if they
remember any components of the water cycle. The teacher
will then go over each part of the water cycle.
2. Then the teacher will present an interactive SMARTboard lesson to
reinforce and elaborate on what they just heard in the Magic School
Bus book. The teacher will get the students involved in the lesson to
make it more interactive. The teacher will save the last two slides
for the end of the lesson to review the concepts.
http://exchange.smarttech.com/details.html?id=a1fb30a4-5f994892-afda-1dd6d143e9a0
3. Then the students will each create their own water cycle diagram
with help from the teacher.
a. The teacher will provide arrow, rain drop, and cloud cut
outs. (see attached)
b. The students will then color the raindrops in and glue cotton
balls in the cloud. They are to make the water cycle diagram
and label the parts and give a brief explanation.
c. They will be able to ask their peers for help and if they need
to the teacher will provide the diagram as a reference.
d. Then after everyone has completed their water cycle, the
teacher will go over the diagram so the students can make
sure they were correct.
4. Then, the teacher will give the students a chance to experiment on
their own and fully understand every process of the water cycle.
a. First the teacher will put all the materials on the students
desks, enough for each student to use.
b. Then the teacher will tell the students should draw the water
cycle diagram on the outside of the bag. The teacher would
have the water cycle vocabulary words available to help
them if needed. They will write their name on the bag.
c. Before they begin, the students will predict what they think
will happen to the water in the bag when the sun hits it and
why on the inquiry sheet.
d. Then the students will add a few drops of food coloring to
the container of water.
e. Then the students will each pour some of the water into the
bag being extra careful not to get water on the side of the
bag. The teacher might need to help with this if needed. And
then the students will give it to the teacher to make sure the
bag is securely closed and tape it to the window.
f. The students will draw a picture of the water in the bag right
after it is taped before anything happens or changes. Then as
they observe there will be essential questions to help them
when observing.

g. After a little while, the students will observe what they saw
and describe it on their paper. Then throughout the day they
will observe it and write down what they see.
h. The teacher might ask the students what will happen if they
tap the bag where the water droplets are. The students
should form some predictions before trying.
i. Then they will write down what happened to the water when
the experiment was done and draw a picture to show what
happened.
j. What is really happening in this experiment is only the blue
water (only the water) is evaporating, so the water droplets
are clear.
k. They will then glue/staple this page into their science
notebooks.
l. Then the teacher will have a class discussion about this
experiment about what happened and why based on what
they learned about the water cycle.
5. Then, the teacher will show a brainpop jr. video on the water cycle
to tie everything and see it action and also explains the inquiry they
just did.
C. Closure
1. The teacher will have all the students sitting on the rug and she will
be in the front with a chart paper. They will have a discussion on
everything they learned today and she will write it down on the chart
paper. The teacher will hang up the chart paper where the students
can see it during the other lessons.
2. The teacher will use the same SMARTboard lesson as before to use
as one final review. She will call up random students to answer the
questions and as they answer them she will fill a checklist which will
tell the teacher what they understand and still need more practice
with. (formative assessment)
D. Accommodations/Differentiation
1. To accommodate Jimmy who has ADHD have him sit close to the
SMARTboard so he can focus on the lesson. Also, make sure Jimmy
sits in an area that is not near the door, windows, or anything that
could distract him.
2. All students can get a notes sheet if needed
E. Assessment/Evaluation Plan
1. Formative
a) The teacher will walk around and monitor the students as they
create their own water cycle diagram.

b) The teacher will use a checklist when students are called to the
SMARTboard to answer questions about the water cycle. The
teacher will use the checklist to see if they understood the topic.
2. Summative
a) They will put the inquiry sheet into their science notebooks.
V. Reflective Response
A. Report of Student Performance in Terms of Stated Objectives (Reflection on
student performance written after lesson is taught, includes remediation for
students who fail to meet acceptable level of achievement)
Remediation Plan
B. Personal Reflection (Questions written before lesson is taught. Reflective
answers to question recorded after lesson is taught)
1.) How could this lesson be improved?
2.) Are the students appropriately reflecting in their journals?
3.) After the completion of the lesson are students able to restate and
identify what they just learned?

VI. Resources (in APA format)

http://learningtogive.org/lessons/unit370/lesson2.html (handouts for activity)
http://exchange.smarttech.com/details.html?id=a1fb30a4-5f99-4892-afda-1dd6d143e9a0
(SMARTboard presentation)
https://jr.brainpop.com/science/weather/watercycle/(vocab and video)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=okZBiy_IdBA (song)
http://www.neok12.com/vocabulary/Water-Cycle-01.htm (vocabulary)
Relf, P., & Bracken, C. (1996). The magic school bus wet all over: A book about the
water cycle. New York: Scholastic.
http://www.glasgowsciencecentre.org/online/water-cycle-in-a-bag.html (inquiry)
http://www.weatherwizkids.com/experiments-water-cycle.htm (inquiry)