Krista Miller!

Cohort #11

Field 2: Lesson Plan 1st Grade Cloud Cover

Standards/Benchmarks: E.ES.01.21 Compare daily changes in the weather related to temperature (cold, hot, warm, cool); cloud cover (cloudy, partly cloudy, foggy); precipitation (rain, snow, hail, freezing rain); wind (breezy, windy, calm). S.IP.01.11 Make purposeful observation of the natural world using the appropriate senses. S.IA.01.12 Share ideas about science through purposeful conversation. S.IA.01.14 Develop strategies for information gathering (ask an expert, use a book, make observations, conduct simple investigations, and watch a video).

Objectives: Students will be able to make cloud observations and describe cloud cover (cloudy, partly cloudy, clear and foggy). Students will be able to share ideas about science through purposeful conversation. Students will be able to develop strategies for information gathering (from a book, through observation, by asking others, etc...) Students will be able to connect personal knowledge and experience to ideas in texts.

! Learning Experiences: !

Opening: (1)Review studentss initial thoughts about clouds and cloud cover. Ask students to describe how clouds look and what they think they are made of. List descriptions on the board for future reference. (2)Ask students for suggestions on how to learn more about clouds. Encourage a variety of sources such as books, observing clouds, asking people, etc...) (3)Tell students they will be observing clouds and learning about clouds from a book today. Read Little Cloud aloud. Have a discussion after the story about shapes they have seen in the clouds before. (4)Discuss the terms clear, cloudy and partly cloudy. Use cotton ball examples.

Learning Activities and Assessments: (1)Tell students they will be going outside to make cloud observations to learn more about clouds. Ask them which senses they will use to do this. Explain that there will be a few minutes of quiet outside while they are sketching and then they can share their drawing with a partner. Practice silently observing. Tell them to bring their pencils and Student Journals so they can sketch their observations. (2)As they are lining up, formatively assess students by having them close their eyes and identify the cotton ball example you hold in front of them. Clarify any mistakes. (3)While outside, check student progress and encourage them to elaborate on their descriptions. Tell me more about... (4) Students should complete page 14 (for individual summative assessment) drawing and writing a sentence about what they have observed. (5)Have students share some of their observations. Ask them to describe or define the term cloud (made up of tiny water droplets in the air that usually rise high above the earth). Use class discussion to assess students ability to share ideas about science through purposeful conversation. (6)Ask how cloud cover affects the rest of the weather, such as temperature. Discuss the speed of the wind (calm, breezy, windy).

Krista Miller! Cohort #11

(7)Ask them if they think it was a clear, cloudy or partly cloudy day. (Formative assessment) (8)Briefly discuss fog and then discuss the names of clouds using visual aids. Have the students help you name the clouds correctly (cumulus, cirrus and stratus) using information in The Cloud Song that will be sung together.

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Closure: Have students recap what they have learned about clouds. They can then complete page 15 in their weather journals, with a partner, which will wrap up the lesson. On this page, they should choose one sentence, illustrate it and label the picture cloudy, partly cloudy or clear, demonstrating understanding of the lesson. Reflections: Overall, I feel that the lesson was very successful. The students were very engaged and loved going outside to observe the clouds. They had a firm grasp on the terms cloudy, partly cloudy, foggy and clear by the end of the lesson. They enjoyed the cotton ball activity and naming my cloud friends. There were a few things that I would change. First of all, when we sang the cloud song, I should have read the lyrics with the students first. Many are still emergent readers and had trouble keeping up with the song as they were not familiar with the vocabulary. Secondly, in retrospect I should have returned to the song after naming the clouds and discussed the differences between the three types more in depth to solidify their understanding and familiarity with the different types of clouds.