Indiana Wesleyan University

Elementary Education Lesson plan

Mathematics- 2007 ACEI Standards

Student: Briana McLeland School: Westview Elementary

IWU Supervisor: Anita Manwell Co-op Teacher: Julia Poe
Teaching date: Grade Level: 1st grade

Investigating Clouds

Lesson Rationale
In this lesson, students are investigating the different types of clouds and how they
affect sunlight. This lesson is important because students should know why and how clouds
affect sunlight, the different types, and what makes the clouds different. Students will learn the
order of the clouds from lowest to highest in sky and be able to identify their names.
Readiness
I. Goals/Objectives/Standard(s)
A. Goals-
i. Students will be able to know the different types of clouds and how they
affect sunlight.
B. Objectives-
i. By the end of the lesson, students will be able to identify the different
types of clouds by creating a flipbook that represents the clouds.
ii. Following the lesson, students will be able to explain why sunlight affects
the clouds by including information in their flipbook.
C. Standard(s)-
1.ESS.1 Use observations of the sun, moon, and stars to describe patterns
that can be predicted.

II. Management plan

A. Time: 60 Minutes
B. Where: Students will start out on the carpet for an anticipatory set and lesson.
Students will then be outside for awhile to observe clouds. When back inside,
students will be at their desks.
C. Materials
i. Notebook
ii. Pencil
iii. Crayons/colored markers
iv. Cotton balls
v. Premade Flipbooks
vi. Glue
vii. Packet about clouds
 III. Anticipatory set
“When I was a little girl, one of my favorite things to do was to lay in the grass
and look up into the sky. I would pretend that the clouds were elephants or
monkey. Sometimes I even thought I saw a flower or a person in the clouds. I
would always look up at the sky, even if I was swinging or walking. I just loved
seeing the clouds and all of their different shapes.” I will share this story and then
ask the students questions. “Have any of you ever thought clouds were in the
shape of something? Call on a few students to share before moving into the
lesson.

IV. Purpose
“Today we are learning about the different types of clouds and how the clouds affect
sunlight. This is important for us to learn because we need to know why clouds
sometimes look different and why they sometimes block our light.”

Plan for Instruction

V. Adaptations:
A. For students who cannot write, I will have definitions for them to cut out and put
in their flipbooks on the write cloud page. I will help them with this.
VI. Lesson presentation
A. Lesson:
i. “Today we are going to talk about clouds and their different shapes.” I
will have a KWL chart on the board for us to fill out. “Before we start,
what do know about clouds?” Write student response on the chart.
“What do you want to know?” Students will hopefully say the different
shapes and why sometimes there are clouds and sometimes not. “Now
that we have our questions, we are going to take some time to look at
clouds. Everyone grab your notebook and pencil and line up at the door.”
Once we get outside I will give further instruction. “As we look at clouds
today, you are going to draw what the clouds look like to you. I don’t
want you to draw that the clouds look like animals or anything else, but
really look at them. Look to see if they seem fluffy or if they look like you
could see through them. Draw what they look like just floating in the sky.
We are going to sit or lay in the grass and watch the clouds for a little bit.
When I blow the whistle, it will be time to come line back up at the door
to go inside.” I will give the students 15-20 minutes to sit and observe the
clouds before calling them back in.
ii. “As we go back inside, bring your notebook with you and sit on the
carpet.” “Someone share with me what you noticed about the clouds.” I
will call on several students and write what they say on the board. I will
also allow a few of them to draw what they saw. “Those were some great
observations of the clouds today! I noticed many of you said that the
clouds looked fluffy today. Well, that is because those clouds are Cumulus
clouds.” I will write the name on the board for the students to see.
 “Today you saw Cumulus clouds, and there are actually three more types
of clouds that we are going to learn about today.” “Now, everyone go
back to your seats and put away your notebooks. As I pass out some
papers to you, turn to your partner and tell them other things you may
have noticed about the clouds today.” I will pass out papers that have the
names, definitions, and pictures of the four main clouds. I will also have a
copy of the paper downloaded so that I can put the paper up onto the
screen as I talk about it. “You have been given a small packet that full of
fun information about clouds. As we talk about the clouds today, I will
have a copy on the screen. You will need to follow along with me in your
own packet.” I will read through each cloud name and definition for the
students as they follow along with me. “Sometime when we go outside
there are clouds that cover the sun and take away some of the sunlight.
This happens when the clouds are so thick and close together that the sun
has a hard time shining through them. There is still sun, they are just
being covered by some clouds. I will stop after each definition about the
cloud and ask students to answer something they learned about a certain
cloud from what I read. After I have read through the packet with them
and talked about why the clouds cover some of our sunlight we will do an
activity.
iii. “Everyone set your packets down on your desk and join me at the carpet.”
I will have a flipbook of the clouds to show students. Each cloud will be
made out of cotton balls to represent the cloud that is being talked
about. I will go through the flipbook with my students. “I have with me a
flipbook that shows the clouds we’ve been learning about. Can anyone
tell me what I made my clouds out of?” The students will respond saying
they are cotton balls. “Today, you are going to make your own cloud
flipbook.” I will already have the flipbooks made for the students. There
will be five tabs for each cloud, including the title page. “Now quietly go
back to your seats and show me that you are ready to make your
flipbook.” I will make a flipbook along with them and model what to do
on each page. “For our first page, we are going to making Cirrus clouds.
Watch me first to see what you need to do. You will need to pull apart
your cotton ball into long, thin strips.” I will model this for students and
then walk around as they work to help them. “Now, put a little bit of glue
on your paper a little bit apart from each other and press the cotton strips
to the glue.” After everyone is finished, I will write a short definition on
the board for students to write down in their flipbook. I will continue this
strategy until we have done all four types of clouds.
iv. After flipbooks are done I will direct the students’ attention back to the
KWL chart. “Who can tell me what we have learned today about clouds?”
Students will hopefully say that they learned that there are four types of
clouds and that sometimes there are so many clouds that we can’t see
the sun.
 B. Closure:
i. “Today we learned a lot about clouds! I would like you to give me either a
thumbs up, to the side, or down to show me how much you understand
clouds.” I will see where the students feel they are at in their learning.
“Now, I am going to give you a piece of paper with the four types of
clouds on them. As soon as you get your paper, put your name at the top.
The names of the clouds are at the bottom. Underneath each picture you
will label the cloud with its name.” I will use this as an exit ticket and to
assess their understanding.

VII. Check for understanding:

A. Students will self-assess themselves at the end of the lesson with a thumbs up,
to the side, or down.
B. When going over the different types of clouds, I will ask the students what they
learned from the text.
C. I will listen to their observations about clouds when talking to a partner.
D. I will use the exit slips to check for understanding.

Plan for Assessment

 The exit slip will be a form of assessment.
 The flipbook will also be an assessment.
 I will observe students throughout their observation and conversations.

Reflection and post-lesson analysis

1. Did my students achieve the objectives and goals?
2. Where my students engaged?
3. What could I have done better to teach this lesson?
4. Did my students understand the difference between a solid, liquid, and gas?
5. How can I grow this lesson up? How can I grow it down?
These clouds look like a huge thick
blanket covering the sky. They are
a sign of rain if it is warm and
snow if it is cold. If these clouds
are near the ground, they form fog.
These clouds form when the
weather has been cold and warmer,
moist air blows in. stratus

These thin, wispy clouds are high

in the sky. They are thin because
they are made of ice crystals
instead of water droplets. They
form high in the sky.
cirrus
These puffy clouds are usually
scattered throughout the sky. This
type of cloud is formed when warm
air rises carrying water vapor with
it by evaporation. They can be
white or gray. White fluffy clouds
means no rain, but when they form
into dark or gray clouds, it is going
to rain. They are the lowest in the cumulus
sky.

These clouds have rain or snow falling

from them. They are dark and seen
during a thunderstorm along with
thunder and lightning. They can be a
combination of two clouds, like a
Cumulonimbus, which means a puffy
black cloud with rain falling out or it,
or a Stratonimbus, which is a dark
blanket of clouds with rain falling out nimbus
of it. These clouds are higher in the
sky.