Topic/ Activity Theme: Water Cycle
Name of the Lesson: Water Cycle Boogie
Grade Level/ Correlating SOL Addressed: 3rd
Art or Arts Involved: Singing, Jewelry Making
What are some of the big ideas that students will walk away with after participating in this
activity?
After this “boogie” students should have a thorough understanding of the water cycle.
Students will be familiar with words such as evaporation, condensation, precipitation, runoff, and
transpiration. The order of the cycle will be clear to students, and should they ever forget, they’ll
have a bracelet of their own to remind them.
What art- specific techniques would you emphasize/ expect to see in this lesson to raise the
rigor of the activity?
During this activity I expect to see each student engaged and singing along. As we
construct our bracelets, it is important that students get the colored order of beads correct.
Students can be taught how to create a loop on one end of the bracelet to ensure they either put
the bracelet on or take it off as they please.
List ALL materials necessary to carry out this activity.
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Printed lyrics to the Water Cycle Boogie (with enough copies for every student)
String or hemp
Scissors
Colored beads (yellow, clear, light blue, dark blue, brown and green)
Briefly list the teaching steps in order of actual instruction in a classroom.
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Introduce the subject by asking if anyone has heard of the water cycle and what they may
already know
Tell students that today we’re going to learn about the water cycle in a very fun way
Explain that we will be making bracelets with different colored beads based on the song
Make sure everyone knows the tune of Skip to My Lou, maybe even sing the first few
lines to ensure all the students are familiar with it
Hand out lyrics and sing the song once through to children with enthusiasm
Ask class to sing along, sing song a few more times
Explain expectations of students for bracelet making, then pass out beads
Direct students as they make their bracelets, talking farther in depth about why we’re
using each color and what the color represents
What classroom management techniques are necessary throughout the lesson to make it a
success?
Emphasize to children that although song time may be silly, we treat our friends with
respect, meaning no teasing or laughing at each other. Since we all should be singing we should
all look silly together! Remind children of how we safely use scissors (for cutting the string).
Emphasize the importance of treating our beads “well,” meaning we don’t put them in our
mouths, throw them, etc. Ask everyone to make sure they’re using their listening ears, and
attentive during the segment of the lesson in which we put our beads in order.
How would you assess student learning to ensure mastery of the correlating SOL?
Have a worksheet printed with fill in the blank sentences related to the water cycle. After
the activity, students should be able to correctly answer the blanks relating to water cycle
terminology and the order. This worksheet is to be completed individually and checked that
evening by the teacher. If there are students who still struggle with the content, pick a different
activity to use when touching on the water cycle again.
Lyrics:
Sun is shining, from its birth
Dries the Water, dries the earth
A yellow bead shows its worth
Water Cycle Boogie
Evaporation, water’s gone
To a vapor, won’t take long
Choose a clear bead, Can’t go wrong
Water Cycle Boogie
Clouds are forming, drop by drop
Vapor moving, will not stop
White bead shows us what’s on top
Water Cycle Boogie
Condensation, water’s here
No more vapor, give a cheer
A light blue bead, like a tear
Water Cycle Boogie
Precipitation, rain and snow
Shows us water on the go
A dark blue bead, don’t you know
Water Cycle Boogie
See the water, moving fast
Runoff on the ground at last
Brown bead also joins the cast
Water Cycle Boogie
Transpiration from a tree
Water vapor, you can see
Green bead shows it all to me
Water Cycle Boogie