McNeese State University

Department of Education Professions

Lesson Plan Template (Instructions)

Name Lauren Bertrand Email Laurenbertrand3@gmail.com Phone 337-277-0970

Primary Subject Area Science Grade Level 3rd grade

The Water Cycle Approximate

Title of Lesson 90 minutes
duration

Overview of Lesson

Determine how the activities connect to the larger goals for the course.
What is the overall goal for this lesson? At the end of this lesson, students should understand the terms related to the water cycle and be able to relate
the water cycle to their own experiences.

Essential Question(s)

1. What does the word cycle in the term water cycle actually mean?
2. How much water is actually available for humans to use?
3. What does it mean to conserve water?

Prior Knowledge Expected of Students

List the CCSS that you are building upon. 3-ESS2-1, 3-ESS2-2
Which prior foundational concepts can be linked to the new concept? Prior knowledge includes vocabulary such as condensation, evaporation, etc.
What knowledge do students already have that will help them meet the goals for performing the lesson? Prior knowledge includes vocabulary such as
condensation, evaporation, etc.

Common Core Learning Standards

3-ESS2-1: Make a claim about the merit of a design solution that reduces the impact of a weather-related hazard.
3-ESS2-2:Obtain and combine information to describe climates in different regions around the world.
 Educational Technology Standards

Additional Standards

Science Standards: Standard 1 - Science as Inquiry: The student will experience science as full inquiry. In the elementary grades, students begin to
develop the physical and intellectual abilities of scientific inquiry. Benchmark 1: The student will develop the skills necessary to do full inquiry. Full
inquiry involves asking a simple question, completing an investigation, answering the question, and sharing the results with others. Standard 4 -
Earth and Space Science: The student will observe objects, materials, and changes in their environment, note their properties, distinguish one from
another, and develop their own explanations making sense of their observations. Benchmark 1: The student will develop an understanding of the
properties of earth materials. Indicator 3: the student describes properties of water and process of the water cycle.

Music Standards: Standard 1: Singing, alone and with others, a varied repertoire of music. Benchmark 1: The student sings independently, on pitch,
and in rhythm, with appropriate timbre, diction, and posture, and maintains a steady tempo [beat].

Interdisciplinary Connections

You can incorporate this lesson to a Social Studies lesson by introducing to the students to a historical event such as the Dust Bowl that involves rain
or lack of rain.

Student Outcomes

Through the use of creativity, music, and an experiment, students will grasp an understanding of the basic stages of the water cycle: evaporation,
condensation, precipitation, and accumulation. Students will also gain an understanding of the different states of water and the effects of heating and
cooling water. At the end of this lesson, students should understand the terms related to the water cycle and be able to relate the water cycle to their
own experiences.

Lesson Procedures

Pre-Planned Seed
Time Step-by-Step Lesson Procedures with Embedded Coding
Questions

Introduction: Students are introduced to the concept of the water cycle by creating a water cycle diagram 1. Where does water go when
and learning about evaporation, condensation, precipitation, and accumulation the level of a pond drops in
5 minutes . Students are given a pre-cut raindrop, cloud, wave, or steam squiggle. the hottest part of the
5 minutes summer?
Give students time to decorate and write their name on the cut-out.
5 minutes
2. How important is the Suns
Call students up to the pre-prepared bulletin by cut-out group.
10 minutes role in the water cycle?
20 minutes Help students place their cut-out on the bulletin board to create a water cycle diagram.
3. What are three things that
Teach students about the water cycle and explain evaporation, condensation, precipitation, and can happen to rain water as it
accumulation. falls to the ground?

Main Activity: Students explore the process of the water cycle by doing an experiment that will allow
them to grasp the concept of evaporation and precipitation
20 minutes
. Prepare the stations by bringing a beaker filled full with water to a boil and placing the mirrors in
ice water.
5 minutes
Split students into partners and group these partners into small groups
. Assign small groups to a table with an adult and the prepared experiment materials.
2 minutes

2 minutes Allow students to observe steam rising from the boiling water.
One partner group at a time, have the students take a mirror out of the ice water and hold it above the
steam. WARNING: be sure that the
2 minutes

2 minutes
students hands are a safe distance from the steam.
Have students observe as the steam accumulates into drops of water on the mirror.
Ask students questions about the experiment and explain how heating and cooling water causes
evaporation and precipitation.

2 minutes Closure Activity:

5 minutes Project the lyrics to The Water Cycle by John Riggio for the students to see.
Review the meaning of evaporation, condensation, precipitation, and accumulation.
Teach the students the song and incorporate hand motions.
Sing the song with students and do the hand motions.
10 minutes
 Teacher Materials Student Materials Technology Resources References

Markers All materials supplied by teacher Projector with audio https://www.benedictine.edu/

Cut-outs of raindrops, Assets/uploads/Benedictine-
waves, clouds, and steam Site/import/www.benedictine.
Bulletin board with a sun, edu/sites/default/files/lesson_
lake, water cycle arrows, plans_art__music.pdf
and water cycle terms and
definitions
Burner http://www.louisianabelieves.
Glass beakers filled full com/resources/library/teacher-
with water support-toolbox-library/third-
Ice water grade-teachers
Mirrors
The Water Cycle by John
Riggio
Projector slide with song
lyrics
Relevance/Rationale

This lesson is important because children need to know the concepts of what happens from the time water forms in clouds until evaporation. It helps
to form our bodies of water, which are essential for survival. It can be built on and extended into future projects regarding the cycle of water and how
it helps to form our ecosystem.

Exploration, Extensions, and Supplemental

Exploration: In order to add on to this lesson, students will illustrate the water cycle using their own memory.
Extension: For students who need extra support, they can be given flashcards with vocabulary words.
Supplemental: Early finishers can summorize the water cycle in a 50 word paragraph

Assessment Criteria for Success

How will you check for student understanding? A quiz that uses critical thinking or open ended questions that can really judge whether or not the
student fully understood the lesson.
How will you and your students know if they have successfully met the outcomes? If the students can successfully explain the process of the water
cycle and understand its importance in our world, I will know that they have met the outcomes.
What specific criteria will be met in a successful product/process? The water will bead up on the mirror through evaporation
What does success on this lessons outcomes look like? The water will bead up on the mirror through evaporation

Accommodations and Access for All

none

Post-Lesson Reflection

http://www.louisianabelieves.com/resources/library/teacher-support-toolbox-library/third-grade-teachers

https://www.benedictine.edu/Assets/uploads/Benedictine-Site/import/www.benedictine.edu/sites/default/files/lesson_plans_art__music.pdf