Water Cycle Science Lesson Plan

My students had very limited opportunities to do science, but in this mini-unit, we were able to explore the water cycle through a demonstration. In our experiment, we set up a mug with water in a bowl covered by plastic wrap. This was all placed under a heat lamp, and left overnight. Students then generated predictions about what they thought would happen. We also engaged in a lively discussion about what a cycle entails when we played a game of catch. In the game, students had to throw the ball to each other in a specific order. Just like in the game, water moves through the same order of steps continuously. After learning about the process of the water cycle and its four stages, students revisited their predictions as we observed what happened in the experiment. Students gained the content-specific vocabulary, including evaporation, condensation, precipitation, and collection, to describe in detail and justify what had happened during the experiment.

Water Cycle Science Lesson Plan

Title/topic: Water Cycle Grade level & Subject: Grade 4 Science Curricular context (unit relevant content precedin! concurrent "it# or $ollo"in!%: Although there isnt a formal science curriculum used by the district, students have science topics incorporated into reading and writing. n guided reading, some groups have been reading about volcanoes. Also several of the students have participated in the optional science fair that too! place last wee!. "he day before, we started tal!ing and reading as a class about the water cycle. We also set up a demonstration that we will be observing during this lesson. Science Standards: 4.#.a Water circulates through the earths crust, oceans and atmosphere. 4.#.a.$ Water is continuously moving between %arths surface and the atmosphere in a process called the water cycle. &eat energy from the sun causes water on %arth to change to a gas and rise into the atmosphere, where it cools, condenses into tiny droplets in clouds, and eventually falls to %arth as precipitation. Content &bjective(s%: $. Students will be able to describe each of the four stages of the water cycle. Lan!ua!e &bjective(s%: $. Students will be able to define the !ey vocabulary terms. '. Students will be able to use the !ey vocabulary terms orally and in writing. 'ey (ocabulary "it# )e$inition(s%: Water cycle ( the continuous, or never ending, movement of water between the %arths surface and the air as water changes from li)uid to gas to li)uid. Evaporation evaporation occurs when a li)uid is changed into a gas. "he opposite of condensation. Condensation ( condensation occurs when a gas is changed into a li)uid. "he opposite of evaporation. Precipitation ( precipitation occurs when small droplets of water in clouds form larger droplets and they fall to the %arth as rain. Collection ( collection occurs when water falls bac! on land, oceans, la!es, or rivers. *aterials:

Water Cycle Anchor Chart with *ey +ocabulary Water Cycle %,periment Wor!sheet Water Cycle -iagram Scissors .or demonstration/ large plastic bowl, ceramic mug, clear plastic wrap, tape, light, and water.

Learnin! +ctivities ,nitiation:

$. Game of catch to model a cycle/ "ell students were going to be playing a little game of catch. When you throw the ball, ma!e eye contact with the person and say their name. "hen you can toss it underhand so the person can catch it. "he tric! to this game is you have to remember e,actly who threw you the ball and who you threw the ball to 0so you have to remember who came before and after you1. We also have to ma!e sure everyone gets a turn. will start the game by tossing the ball to a student. &e2she will toss it to someone else until all students have gone. "he last student will then toss the ball to me again. will tell students that were going to try the game again, but now starting with another person so they have to remember who came before and after them. ll pic! someone to start the game and continue until all students have gone and the ball returns to that first person. '. -ebriefing game/ &ow is this related to what we have been learning in science3 Weve 4ust created a cycle5 &ow is our game li!e the water cycle3 We had a specific order in which students threw the ball and we could have !ept throwing the ball forever in that some order. "he water cycle wor!s in the same way. Water is always being recycled because it !eeps going through the same steps as it travels through the atmosphere so the water we drin! now is the same water that people dran! $66, even $,666 years ago. ts the same water dinosaurs dran!5

Lesson )evelop-ent:

$. We have been reading about the water cycle and where water comes from. will use the 7Water Cycle Anchor Chart8 to e,plain orally and visually the processes of evaporation, condensation, precipitation, and collection. We will tal! about each process and how we see it in our own lives. '. 9a!ing diagram2foldable of the water cycle/ Students will create their own foldable of the water cycle. "hey will each receive a 7Water Cycle -iagram8. will show students how to fold the diagram by folding the paper in half. "hen unfolding it, and folding both edges to the line. "hen we fold the paper in half once more from top to bottom, and unfold. Students will then cut at the crease we 4ust made to create 4 flaps. will then as! students to write their name of the bac! of the diagram. We will open the foldable and then determine what stage of the water cycle goes on each bo,. :n the outside of the 4 flaps we created, students will write the name of each of the stages. We will then review each stage of the water cycle and students will write at least one sentence describing that stage on each of the flaps. f time allows students can color and decorate their diagrams. #. 79ini Water Cycle8 -emonstration will remind students that yesterday we set up an e,periment. will as! students to ta!e out their 7Water Cycle %,periment Wor!sheet8. As bring our bowl to the front of the class, will as! a volunteer to describe our e,periment 0What does it loo! li!e3 &ow was it set up31. "hen will as! for a few students to share some of their predictions about what they thought would happen in our e,periment. will as! students to gather around one team as we observe the e,periment. will guide students to observe the plastic wrap and the ceramic mug. f students are unable to see the water in the ceramic mug, will ta!e off the plastic wrap. After students are done observing and return to their seats, will as! students to turn to 7-ay '8 of the e,periment on the wor!sheet. "hey will then receive some time to record their observations. "hey will then share some of their observations with the class. 4. We will move on to the last )uestion of the 7Water Cycle Wor!sheet8 and will as! students why they thin! this happened. will prompt them to thin! about the water cycle. After students mention the water cycle, we will review the process of the water cycle once more. "hen we will return to discuss the demonstration and determine how it is related to the water cycle. Students will then have some time to fill out the last )uestion of their 7Water Cycle %,periment Wor!sheet8.
Closure:

$.

will remind students that today we tal!ed about the water cycle and the four stages of the water cycle. '. "o end our lesson, will call on four students to describe the four stages of the water cycle.
)i$$erentiation: "he catch game will help !inesthetic learners imagine what a cycle loo!s li!e. "he 7Water Cycle %,periment Wor!sheet8 will help students organi;e their observations,

predictions, and conclusions during the water cycle demonstration. Scaffolding )uestions during water cycle demonstration discussion. "he 7Water Cycle Anchor Chart8 will serve as a visual aid for students to refer to. "he 7Water Cycle -iagram8 will help students reinforce their learning and understanding of the water cycle. will provide individual help to students who may be struggling to complete the 7Water Cycle -iagram8. +ssess-ent/ $. will monitor the room as students complete the water cycle diagrams chec!ing for their accuracy. '. will chec! for the descriptions students use when e,plaining each of the stages in the water cycle diagram. #. "hroughout the lesson, will monitor student discussion for the appropriate use of the !ey vocabulary. 4. will listen for students predictions and observations during the water cycle demonstration discussion. <. will chec! the accuracy of students responses as they e,plain the reason behind what happened in the water cycle demonstration. =. will chec! for understanding when students share during closure.