Lesson Study Lesson Plan

Topic Science-Water Cycle

Grade Second
1. Title: Exploration of the Water Cycle
2. Objectives
Subject: Science
Strand: Earth Science
Topic: The Atmosphere
Content Statement: Water is present in the air.
Subject: Language Arts
Strand: Writing
Topic: Research to build and present knowledge
Content Statement: Recall information from experiences or gather
information from provided sources to answer a question.
I can identify water in all stages of the water cycle: precipitation,
accumulation, evaporation, and condensation.
SLO: Students will demonstrate their understanding of the water cycle
through getting at least an 80% on the summative assessment.
3. Qualities of Experience
In what ways does this lesson promote relevance with each child?
In what ways does this lesson allow for group collaboration?
In what ways does this lesson allow students to express knowledge and
ideas?
4. Materials/Resources needed
Wednesday:
-7 Mason Jars
-Food Coloring
-Shaving cream
-Wet paper towel
-Hair dryer
-4 blank pieces of paper
Thursday:
-Precipitation poster and die
-Condensation poster and die
-Evaporation poster and die
-Accumulation poster and die
-30 Charts for students

5. The Lesson
Wednesday (35 minutes):
Before lesson starts, have mason jars filled with water. Food coloring
ready.
T: Today we are going to start learning about the water cycle. Were going to
watch the video we watched yesterday. Play video.
T: Next were going to going to get up from our seats and were going to do
some moving to help us remember the stages of the water cycle. We have
precipitation, accumulation, evaporation, and condensation. As each word is
said, do a movement to remember. Precipitation should have rain fingers
as we squat down to the ground.
Accumulation will be spreading the arms out around them, like a lake.
Evaporation is making waves with their arms as they stand back up.
Condensation is holding their hands overhead like a bubble.
Do this twice, or three times if the students are struggling.
T: Now that we know the words that we use in the water cycle, we should
probably talk about what those words mean, right? After each stage of the
cycle is introduced, hang the posters up in a cycle.
T: The first word that were going to talk about is Condensation. Lets say
that together. Have students say it and write it out for everyone to see on
overhead in the middle of a piece of paper. Condensation is when water
collects together up in the air and makes ice crystals. Can anyone give me
an example of condensation? Allow students to answer and give an example
if they cannot think of one. Write examples around Condensation on the
sheet of paper. (S: Clouds, sweat on a water bottle, dew on the grass)
T: The next stage in the cycle after condensation is precipitation. Can you
say that with me? Have students say it and write it out for everyone to see
on overhead in the middle of a piece of paper. Precipitation is when water
falls from the clouds above. This water can fall as a liquid or as a solid. Can
anyone give me an example of precipitation? Allow students to answer and
give an example if they cannot think of one. Write examples around
Precipitation on the sheet of paper. (S: Rain, sleet, hail, snow)
T: The next stage in the cycle after precipitation is accumulation. Can we
say accumulation together? Have students say it and write it out for
everyone to see on the overhead in the middle of a new piece of paper.
Accumulation is the collection of water. We can see water in accumulation as
a solid or liquid. Can anyone give me an example of accumulation? Allow
students to answer and give an example if they cannot think of one. Write

examples around Accumulation on the sheet of paper. (S: Lake, river, ocean,
group, puddle, glaciers)
T: Now, we are going to look at these three stages of the water cycle. Get
mason jars. These jars are filled with water. This clear water is going to be
the air around us. Next, Im going to put the cloud in the sky about the air,
where the water is condensing. Put shaving cream on top of the water of the
model mason jar. Then, Im going to use this blue to show the rain, or
precipitation, as it gets too heavy to be in the cloud and see what happens.
Im going to pass out the jars with the cloud on top. Do not touch. If you
touch these jars or play with the cloud, you will not be able to come with us
as we take our in-school field trip! Whichever table remains the quietest as I
pass out the jars will be the first table I go to to start our experiment. Pass
out mason jars. Now Im going to walk around and put a little bit of water in
our cloud. Make sure you are watching your jar to see what happens. Be
thinking about the stages of the water cycle. Do experiment and quickly
clean up and move to next stage in the cycle.
T: The next stage in the cycle after accumulation is evaporation, which we
didnt get to see in our experiment. Can you say that with me? Have
students say it and write it out for everyone to see on the overhead in the
middle of a new piece of paper. Evaporation is when the water turns from a
liquid into a gas and goes back into the sky. Can anyone give me an
example of evaporation? Allow students to answer and give an example if
they cannot think of one. Write examples around Evaporation on the sheet
of paper. (S: Steam, when a puddle disappears, boiling of water, water
disappearing from shirt.) To see evaporation, Im going to take this wet
paper towel and blow-dry it. Just like the sun, I am heating up the water in
the table, turning the liquid water into a gas. Show evaporation.
T: Then, evaporation goes to condensation as the water turns from a gas
back into a liquid and then back into a solid. This cycle continues over and
over again. There is no beginning to the water cycle. We can see that water
is in every stage of the water cycle. It can be a gas, such as in evaporation,
a liquid, like in precipitation or accumulation, and a solid, like in
condensation and accumulation. Write water is a: solid/liquid/gas on the
correct posters as this is said. Keep these posters for Thursday.
T: Now, for the last part of this lesson, we are going on an in-school field trip
to see the water cycle RIGHT NOW. Im very excited to do this. However, I
just want to remind you all that we are in the hallway. What level do we
typically have in the hallway? (S: Level 0). Because we are going to be
talking and asking and answer questions, though, we get to be at a Level 1.
But that is only when we get to where we need to go. If you are talking out
of turn, youre not going to be able to join us, and that is going to make me
very upset. Im going to choose the quietest table to line up first, but you

have to stay quiet. Line up students and walk to the stairwell with the open
window to observe the water cycle.
T: Remember, we need to be at a level 1. Take this time to observe what is
happening.
What do we see outside? What is happening? (S: Raining,
precipitating)
What part of the water cycle are the clouds? (S: Condensation)
Have any of you jumping in a puddle after it has rained? Did the
puddle stay there?
Do we see accumulation? (S: Yes, on the group. Puddles, wet grass)
What stage is water a liquid? (S: Precipitation, accumulation)
What stage is water a gas? (S: Evaporation)
What stage is water a solid? (S: Accumulation, condensation, and
precipitation)
Thumbs up or thumbs down, do you know the stages of the water cycle?
Remember that the water cycle has no beginning. The water is recycling
itself as it goes from one stage to another. We can find water in all parts of
the water cycle. Walk class back to classroom.
Thursday (25 minutes):
Before lesson starts, precipitation, condensation, accumulation, and
evaporation dice should be put together. Hang the posters around the room
with their corresponding dice.
T: Watch video again and do dance/movements. We learned a lot about the
water cycle yesterday. Lets practice saying the parts of the water cycle
again. Have students say all of the words.
Tell your elbow partner about condensation . Tell your face partner an
example of precipitation. Tell your crisscross partner about water in
accumulation. Talk with your group about evaporation.
T: Remember that water goes in a constant cycle that has no start or end.
The water is recycled over and over again each time it goes through the
cycle.
T: Today, were going to do a fun activity about the water cycle. We are
going to work as partners to go on a journey as a drop of water. Around the
room, I have set up different stages of the water cycle. Show students
where each station is. At each station, me and my partner are going to roll
one of the dice. There are two dice at each station so two groups can roll at
the same time. Model how to roll the dice and fill out the sheet. When you
and your partner have filled in the sheet, you are going to go back to your
desk and write a story, like the one we read earlier, about your journey as a
drop of water. Make sure you use the words Precipitation, Condensation,
Evaporation, and Accumulation.

Break students into pairs and tell them where their pair is going to start in
the water cycle. Have students begin. This should only take 10-15 minutes.
Teacher should walk around the room helping and monitoring students.
Students will then write a journal entry about the water cycle. Key words to
put on the board: water, precipitation, accumulation, evaporation,
condensation, gas, solid, liquid.