Water Cycle Lesson Plan

KUTZTOWN UNIVERSITY
ELEMENTARY EDUCATION DEPARTMENT

LESSON PLAN FORMAT
Teacher Candidate: Holly LaCapra, Breanna Watkins, Katie Jaxheimer

Date:
November 9- 10, 2015
Cooperating Teacher:
Group Size:
25
Subject or Topic:
Coop. Initials
Allotted Time 60 minutes
Grade Level 1st grade
Water Cycle
Section
STANDARD:
4.2.1 .A Explain the path water takes as it moves through the water cycle.
C C 1.5.1 B Confirm understanding of a text read aloud or information presented
orally or through other media by asking and answering questions about key details
and requesting clarification if something is not understood.
1.
2.
3.
Performance Objectives (Learning Outcomes):

The students will orally describe what occurs during the water cycle, through
observing the model and explaining why.
Instructional Materials
Markers(Sharpies)
Plastic baggies
Blue food coloring
Masking tape
Window
Weather journals
Computer
Projector
Cooler with water bottles inside
Burner
pitcher of water
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gY9HG8zUgOE
Subject Matter/Content (prerequisite skills, key vocabulary, big idea, outline of

additional content)
A. Prerequisite skills
1. Basic knowledge about water
2. Understanding of the term: weather
3. The connections between liquids, solids, and gases
4. Basic note taking skills
B. Key Vocabulary
1. Water cycle- the movement of water throughout the earth, involving
precipitation, condensation, and evaporation.
2. Precipitation- the liquid formed in clouds and then falls from the sky.
3. Condensation- change of a gas to a liquid.
4. Evaporation- change of a liquid to a gas.
5. Atmosphere- the gases that surround us.
6. Water Vapor- The gas phase of water.
C. Big Idea:
1. The water cycle and how water moves throughout the earth.
D. Content
1. The water cycle includes liquid water going through the process of
condensation and then evaporation into the atmosphere, and then out again
through precipitation.
4.
Implementation
A. Introduction
1. Teacher will ask students what it felt and looked like outside when they
stepped out that morning. Educator will say, Think back specifically to this
morning, what clothing did you put on before you walked out the door, and
also what did the sky look like?
2. Students will draw what they visualized that morning.
3. Teacher will then state the weather is formed by the water cycle, which is
what we will be discovering today.
B. Development
1. Students will be shown a video on YouTube on the water cycle and its
process.
2. Teacher will ask students to recall steps and/or facts on the water cycle and
record on the board.
a. Teacher will wait and continue to prompt until all steps are reviewed
and written on board.
3. Educator will explain that the water cycle is a continuous process including
all of the steps you have listed.
4. The teacher will model, with a burner the concept of evaporation through
asking the students to observe what happens when a glass of water is heated
up.
a. Students will observe steam rising from the glass.

b. The teacher will explain that this process is called evaporation. The
teacher will explain the water in the cup represents different forms of
water on earth such as rivers, oceans, lakes, and streams. The teacher will
also explain that the burner acts as the sun heating up the different forms
of water creating the sense of steam rising.
5. The teacher will model condensation by taking a water bottle from a cooler
and allowing students to visualize and feel the outside of the bottle.
a. The students will do a think-pair-share with a peer, discussing what is
happening to the outside of the water bottle.
b. The teacher will then ask the class for their observations and explain
that the air is warmer than the water bottle, which causes the outside of the
bottle to sweat. The teacher will say this is condensation.
c. The teacher will explain that this happens outside when the water vapor
in the air gets cold it changes to a liquid which then forms clouds.
6. The teacher will demonstrate precipitation by soaking a sponge in water and
showing what happens when it is taken out of the water.
a. The students will observe and predict what this represents in the water
cycle.
b. The students should say things like rain, snow, sleet, precipitation, etc.
c. The teacher will explain when clouds reach their full capacity of water
liquid falls from the sky, just like the water fell from the sponge. Liquid
can fall from the sky in the form of rain, sleet, snow, and hail.
7. The teacher will have the students guide him/her in drawing a model of the
water cycle on the board with the elements that they have learned. The
students will copy this model onto the sheet provided.
8. The teacher will explain to the students that they are going to make their
own creative model of the water cycle.
a. The teacher will make sure students include precipitation, evaporation,
and condensation. They will also include arrows to show the continuous
movement of the water cycle.
9. Teacher will pass out baggies for each group and markers. Teacher will
explain to the students they will draw on their baggies the model of the cycle.
This will include the sun, clouds, and water.
a. Teacher will come around to each group and provide water and blue dye
for each baggie. The students will then be given tape to put the model on
the window. The teacher will monitor the behavior throughout this
process.
b. The following day beginning class students will observe the change in
the baggies. They will record what they see in their notebooks.
c. The teacher will model to students how to make it rain, by taping the
outside of the bag on the window.
10. Teacher will ask the following questions regarding the model.
a. Why were there water droplets on our bags?
1. Students will make inferences and orally respond by saying due

to the direct sunlight the droplets formed from evaporation and
condensation just like in the cycle.
b. Why were the water droplets clear?
1. Students will make inferences and orally respond by saying only
the water is evaporating and the food dye is not.
c. What other parts of the water cycle do you see?
1. Students will make inferences and orally respond by saying we
saw precipitation when we taped on the outside of our baggies to
make it rain.
C. Closure
1. The students will think pair share on the key elements learned in class on
the water cycle.
2. Students will then share out loud their ideas and then write them down on
post-its and place them on the window with their models.
3. Teacher will say, Today we learned about each step in the water cycle,
tomorrow we will be discussing the topic of clouds.
D. Accommodations/Differentiation
1. Students that have difficulty writing may receive help from a scribe to
record written notes of the water cycle in their science notebook.
E. Assessment/Evaluation Plan
Formative
1. The students will be evaluated based on the model created on the water
cycle. They will also be observed as they orally explain the process and
its implications. Their post-its will also be evaluated on this information
taught.
Summative
1. Unit test at the end of the unit.
Performance
1. The students will show their understanding of the water cycle by
presenting the information from their posters to their classmates.
5.
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)
How was your time management of the lesson?
How can the lesson be improved?
How did you keep the students engaged in the lesson?
6.
Resources (in APA format)

Kidszone.ws. (n.d.). Retrieved October 7, 2015.
Water Cycle - Animation lesson for Kids -www.makemegenius.com. (n.d.). Retrieved
October 21, 2015.
Students Name
Did they explain the steps

correctly?
Did they give reasoning for

these steps?

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KUTZTOWN UNIVERSITY

ELEMENTARY EDUCATION DEPARTMENT

Teacher Candidate: Holly LaCapra, Breanna Watkins, Katie Jaxheimer

Grade Level 1st grade

Performance Objectives (Learning Outcomes):

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

a. Students will observe steam rising from the glass.

1. Students will make inferences and orally respond by saying due

B. Personal Reflection (Questions written before lesson is taught. Reflective

Resources (in APA format)

Did they explain the steps

Did they give reasoning for

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