(This will be a 1-2 day lesson)

Lesson3: The water cycle

Grade: 1st/2nd
State Seed Science Standards:
Earth has an ancient history of slow and gradual surface changes, punctuated with quick but
powerful geologic events like volcanic eruptions, flooding, and earthquakes. Water and wind
play a significant role in changing Earth’s surface. The effects of wind and water can cause both
slow and quick changes to the surface of the Earth. Scientists and engineers design solutions to
slow or prevent wind or water from changing the land.

Standard 2.1.1

Develop and use models illustrating the patterns of landforms and water on Earth. Examples of
models could include valleys, canyons, or floodplains and could depict water in the solid or
liquid state. (ESS2.B)

Learning objectives/goals: I will be able to explain the water cycle, including the terms
evaporation, precipitation, collection, and condensation.

Essential Question: What is the water cycle?

Assessment: Formative assessments will be conducted during all phases of this

Unit plan and lesson. During the engage phase, I will listen to the students’ responses as we discuss
the book The Weather Girls by, Aki. During the explore phase, I will be observing their interactions
with the materials and with each other. I will also circulate the room and ask open-ended
questions related to their investigation. During the explain phase, I will question the students
as a whole group to gauge their understanding of the weather. Their responses will allow me to determine if
the learning goal for this lesson was achieved.

A summative assessment will be conducted when I review the quiz that they will complete at the end
of the unit. This information will help me to determine if the students have a firm understanding of the seasons
And the water cycle. I will also review this by asking them to write about the weather they observed
throughout the week. Their written responses will help me to assess their understanding of this concept.

Resources:
https://betterlesson.com/lesson/634593/what-s-up-with-the-water-cycle
Materials:
- Construction paper
- pencils/crayons
- Sharpie
- Plastic bag
- water
Technology:
- Microphone
- Smartboard
- Water Cycle - Mobie

Vocabulary:
- Weather
- Precipitation
- Water cycle
- Hail
- Rain
- Snow
- Sleet
- Hydrosphere
- Runoff
- Infiltration
- groundwater

Curriculum areas being addressed: Science and fine arts

Fine Arts Core:

Students will generate artistic work by conceptualizing, organizing, and completing their artistic ideas.
They will refine original work through persistence, reflection, and evaluation

Differentiation:
Gifted/Talented or Fast Finishers – write extension questions on the board that can be answered. What is your
Favorite type of weather? What is an extreme form of weather?
ELLs – Objectives are written on the board ahead of time (We will be able to understand the phases
of the water cycle)
Use gestures while speaking.
Speak slowly and include drawings, images, and videos
Wear a microphone while teaching so all students can hear me clearly
SPED – Desks clear of distractions. Inform students of time remaining for activities.
Demonstration of each activity.
Classroom Management:
- Demonstrations of each activity allow students to be clear about the tasks they are to
complete.
- The teacher circulates the room while students work together.
- Monitored transitions to help maintain order.
- Material distribution conducted right before the investigations begin. All materials are
collected before students discuss their observations.

Phase 1:(10minutes)
Question for the Day: What is the water cycle?

Students read the question out loud. I check for understanding for the word, 'cycle' before
students turn to their neighbors to discuss. I remind students to use the sentence frames to help
them summarize what their partner said.

I listen to students' conversations to get an idea of what they may know already about the water
cycle.

After conversations die down, I call on students to share what their partners said. I write
responses on the board for us to refer to as we go through today's lesson.
 Phase 2: (15 min) Show the water cycle video and stop to check for understanding.
Write the important vocabulary of the board with definitions. After the video, I project the
interactive USGS Poster"You will make your own diagram of the water cycle. Similar to this
one." I point to the projected image of the water cycle. "Let's review the different parts that you
will show on your own water cycle poster."

I call on volunteers to explain the different aspects of the water cycle poster. As they point to the
area on the image that they are referring to, I write the vocabulary on the board that I want the
students to label and write a caption for on their poster:

sun

precipitation

evaporation

Condensation

Groundwater

"You will make a diagram of the water cycle. Why is it called a cycle? Right, water continuously
moves from liquid to gas to solid. If you look closely at the poster, what helps us know that
water is moving in a cycle? Yes, there are arrows. So your picture will show how water moves
through these 3 states of matter and you can draw arrows to show how the water cycle works."

At this point, you may want to connect to the student's prior knowledge of boiling water, to
connect to vapor so that students begin to see that water is changing its state as the temperature
changes.

"We know that a diagram has ... right, labels. You will label these parts of the water cycle." I
point to the words I have written on the board. "Along with the labels, you will explain what the
word means or for the sun the role it plays in the water cycle."

"You will make your diagram on this paper," I hold up a 9 x 18 piece of white construction paper,
and "write the label and definition or caption on this paper." I show students the label and
definition paper they will use.

I show the kiddos how they can click on the keyword on the USGS water cycle poster to read the
definition. We read a definition together.

"When you write your definition for the water cycle word, it is important that you write it with
words that make sense to you, that you use words that you would say."
"For example, (I read the evaporation box) hmmm what are the keywords I would want in my
definition? How about water turns from a liquid to a gas, called water vapor. What makes the
liquid water turn into a gas?"

I model how a reader will go back and read the definition again. "Oh, it says the sun heats the
water. I want to use the word sun in my definition too. Hmm, I could write, The sun heats water
and this causes the water to turn into a gas, called water vapor."

I ask students what I did:

1. read the definition slowly

2. thought about the keywords or phrases that I would want to have in my definition

3. ask a question to check that I had all the information I needed

4. read the definition again to find any other information I needed

5. wrote my definition

I write these steps on the board.

"Collaborate and discuss your definition ideas with your table partner. When I look at your
poster, I want to read your definition sentence, not the same one on the USGS website."

"When you return to your desk, you will write your definitions on your label page. Then you can
pick up the paper to make your water cycle poster. After your poster is finished you will cut out
the labels and definitions and glue them to the poster to show that part of the water cycle."

As students work on their label page and poster, I walk around to check in with individuals.
Looking that they can identify the keywords in the definition and they can show me on the poster
where that word belongs.

Phase 3: (5 minutes): I want to connect a student's concept of the water cycle to something
tangible. So I chose to set up a demonstration of the water cycle.

I signal for student's attention and ask them to turn their poster over and close their iPads, to
minimize distractions.
I explain to the students that I am going to set up a model of the water cycle on Earth. I hold up a
plastic bag, "This is like the atmosphere." I pour 2-3 tablespoons of water in the bag. "The water
in the bag is like ..." I wait for students to respond with a surface water name.

"Take a moment to sketch our water cycle model on the back of your poster. Label the water at
the bottom of the bag. While you make that quick sketch I will close the bag."

I give students 3 -5 minutes to draw the bag. "If I place the bag in the sun, what will happen to
the water? Use one of the words from your poster."

I tape the bag to the window, but leave the images and labels off until the students and I talk
about it at our next science meeting. (see the example below)

"Later today, or later this week, I want you to write an observation of what you see in the bag by
your 'water cycle in a bag' diagram. We will share our observations the next time we meet for
science."

"Turn to your table partner and tell him or her what you think you might see. Then place your
posters in the magic trick.

At the end play the Water cycle song and have students get up and dance. Water Cycle Song