2nd Grade
Earth Science: Lesson 1 – The Water Cycle
INTENDED CURRICULUM
BIG IDEA: (display in class during the lesson)
There are four main concepts that work together to create the water cycle.
Idaho Standard(s) addressed:
Standard 1: Nature of Science
Goal 1.1 – Understand Systems, Order, and Organization
Goal 1.2 – Understand Concepts and Processes of Evidence, Models, and Explanations
Goal 1.3 – Understand Constancy, Change, and Measurement
Goal 1.5 – Understand Concepts of Form and Function
Goal 1.6 – Understand Scientific Inquiry and Develop Critical Thinking Skills
Goal 1.7 – Understand That Interpersonal Relationships Are Important in Scientific Endeavors
Standard 4: Earth and Space Systems
Goal 4.1 – Understand Scientific Theories of Origin and Subsequent Changes in the Universe and Earth Systems
Goal 4.2 – Understand Geo-chemical Cycles and Energy in the Earth System
Standard 5: Personal and Social Perspectives; Technology
Goal 5.1 – Understand Common Environmental Quality Issues, Both Natural and Human Induced
Goal 5.2 – Understand the Relationship between Science and Technology
LESSON CONTENT GOALS
1. Evaporation is the process of water changing from a
liquid into water vapor
2. Condensation is the process of water vapor changing
into a liquid
3. Precipitation is the process of liquid falling from the
sky
4. Collection is the process of liquid collecting
GUIDING QUESTIONS
1. What is evaporation?
2. What is condensation?
3. What is precipitation?
IMPLEMENTED CURRICULUM
Teacher’s Notes:
This lesson takes at least 6-7 teaching days.
Advance Preparation (for each student):
4. What is collection?
Water cycle diagram, colored pencils, heat source (burner), pot of water,
water sprayer, cookie sheet, glass jars
Word Wall
Evaporation
Condensation
Precipitation
Collection
Remember: Have students put
the page number of the diagram
along with the word wall words
in their glossary/index.
Brief Review of the lesson:

Read engaging scenario and review clues.

Write a Focus Question

Write a Prediction

Write Claims and Evidence

Write a Reflection
DAY ONE
ENGAGING SCENARIO ONE: Teacher says:
“Mrs. Nuxoll helps out a lot on the playground. She noticed last week that there
was a water puddle by the basketball court, it disappeared and now it’s back
again.
She needs our help because she is trying to figure out what happened, but the
only answer she has gotten is that it was because of the water cycle. Mrs. Nuxol l
has given us some supplies, and printed materials as she would like us to explain
the water cycle to her so that she can understand what is happening on the
playground.
She needs this information in about t hree weeks. ”
What is the problem we need to solve?
What do we need to investigate?
FOCUS QUESTION (discuss in groups, display, record in notebooks)
Teacher’s Notes:
Teacher says,
“What does Mrs Nuxoll want us to do?”
She wants us to explain the water cycle so that she can understand what is happening on the
playground.
“What did she give us to help?”
Water cycle diagram, colored pencils, heat source (burner), pot of water, water sprayer, cookie
sheet, glass jars
What else does she want us to do?
She wants the information in about three weeks.
“Discuss with your group what you know about the water cycle. This is the problem we are
going to investigate and solve. Keep in mind the clues we mentioned and be prepared to share
your ideas. Model a sentence starter by writing the following on the board: How can we… ?
A suggested class focus question:
Today’s Date
Focus Question
How can we identify the four concepts that make up the water cycle
so that we can explain them to Mrs. Nuxoll?
PREDICTION (discuss in groups, display, record in notebooks)
Teacher’s Notes:
Lead the students to generate predictions for their focus question. Teacher says, “Now that you have a
make models of the phases of the moon with
prediction.
Remember
your prediction
has toMr.
includeBlaz
a “because”
statement.
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help you write them.”
can use them to teach his grandchildren?
Focus Question, discuss with your group what you might think is the answer to your question. Write a
A suggested class prediction:
Today’s Date
Prediction
We think that we can identify four concepts of the water cycle because we
can observe different things that happen in the water cycle, create and label
our own water cycle diagram.
Allow students time to discuss. Walk around the groups to listen to their ideas and assist them in how to
record it in their notebooks. As students finish recording their predictions have them share their ideas
with the class. Help students see the relationship between the focus question and the prediction. Guide
and assist those groups that are still having difficulty writing a prediction. Close by stating that the next
time we meet the students will begin to use some the materials given to us by Mrs. Nuxoll to begin to
find a way to solve the problem.
DAY TWO - FIVE
Today we are going to be starting by observing different activities with water by using the materials sent to
us by Mrs. Nuxoll.
Begin with evaporation – Have students place their hands over the boiling water and describe what they
observe by drawing a diagram in their notebooks. Also fill a glass jar halfway full of water, mark the water
line, and leave alone for a week. SEE SAMPLE NOTEBOOK PAGE.
Next go over condensation – Have students observe what happens to a glass jar after pouring some of the
hot water into it and screw on a lid. Have students draw a diagram of the condensation. SEE SAMPLE
NOTEBOOK PAGE.
Precipitation is next – Spray a cookie sheet with water from a spray bottle. Keep spraying the cookie sheet
until water droplets start to call off. Explain to students that before precipitation, water is collected in
clouds, just like the water droplets collect on the cookie sheet. The water drops collect until they become
too heavy and drop off the cookie sheet. Have students connect the cookie sheet and water activity with
what happens in a cloud by drawing a diagram of a cookie sheet cloud. SEE SAMPLE NOTEBOOK PAGE.
Finally, go over collection. Go back to the glass jar that was filled halfway full of water at the beginning of
the week and ask students what they observe. Ask students to make a connection with the water in the jar
and the water in the puddle that Mrs. Nuxoll talked about on the playground. Have the students list in their
notebooks other water collection examples (may include: puddle, pool, river, ocean, jar, etc….).SEE
SAMPLE NOTEBOOK PAGE.
Now that the students have seen all four concepts of the water cycle, introduce the water cycle diagram and
have them put in their notebooks. They will color and label the diagram using the word wall and their
previous diagrams as resources of information as they work in their groups.
Remind the student that we need to be able to explain the water cycle to Mrs. Nuxoll. After all the groups
have successfully completed their diagrams, teach them a rhyme with actions to help them with their
explanation of the water cycle to Mrs. Nuxoll.
Rhyming Activity
E-VAP-OR-A-TION
CON-DEN-SA-TION
PRE-CIP-I-TA-TION
COLL-ECTION
Students raise arms to the sky
Students make an outline of a cloud with their arms
Students “rain” their fingers to their waist
Students cup hands together
DAY SIX
MAKING MEANING CONFERENCE (Teacher directed)
1) Share and display class findings
This section is the conferencing stage, it is meant as a discussion of their observations and teaching them
how to making claims. It is preferable that students not take notes during this activity but contribute with
their ideas. However, don’t discourage students who wish to write down information during the
discussion. The Making Meaning conference is an oral rehearsal for writing Claims and Evidence.
2) Look for patterns from class findings
Guide students to analyze their findings by asking the following questions. Use the think pair share
strategy after each question to begin analyzing data charts.

What did our observations tell us about evaporation?

What did our observations tell us about collection?

What did our observations tell us about precipitation?

What did our observations tell us about condensation?
Make a T-chart like the sample below. Write a claim on the board. Have students answer orally by providing evidence on what they tested. As they share
information, assist students in making associations with the claims and evidence they observed.
TEACHER’S CLAIMS
I claim that …
I know that…
1. Collection of water happens in many
different ways.
EVIDENCE (STUDENTS ORALLY PROVIDE)
I claim this because…
I know this because…..
1. I collected water in a bucket and my partner
collected water in a pool.
Teacher decides to list as many claims and evidence needed for students to understand the process.
Once finished teacher says: “Now that you know how to make claims and provide evidence, write a claim and evidence statement in your group.”
CLAIMS AND EVIDENCE (discuss in groups, display, record in notebooks)
The investigations completed, today we are going to work on claims and evidence. Have students discuss
in their investigation groups a claim that they could make about the water cycle and back up with evidence.
Below is a sample:
A suggested claims and evidence:
Today’s Date
Claims and Evidence
We claim that water collected in a glass jar evaporates
because after a week the air was the only place the water could go.
REFLECTION (record in notebooks)
Students will write a question stating what else they would like to know about the water cycle.
Suggested class reflection questions
Today’s Date
Reflection
What really surprised me was…
What would happen if we…?
What else do I want to know about the water cycle?
Students will be asked to share their statements.
Check and provide feedback
In conclusion, we are going to practice our water cycle rhyme so that we may teach Mrs. Nuxoll about the
water cycle. Go around to students and quickly assess their understanding of the water cycle.
ACHIEVED CURRICULUM
PROFICENCY FEEDBACK: This guide is:
a) to be posted on the board/butcher paper for students to see what is expected in their
notebook or they can have copies to paste in their notebooks.
b) to be an evaluation tool for teachers as students work in their notebooks.
PROFICIENCY FEEDBACK GUIDE
Earth Science Lesson 1
The Water Cycle
Focus Question:
 One question grammatically correct
 Related to the scenario.
Prediction
 Writes a complete sentence which
relates to solving the problem
 Uses “because”
Data
 Diagrams with each concept
 Title and labeled
Claims and Evidence
 One claim related to at least one
concept of the water cycle.
Reflection
 Writes a reflection
“Mrs. Nuxoll helps out a lot on the
playground. She noticed last week that there
was a water puddle by the basketball court,
it disappeared and now it’s back again. She
needs our help because she is trying to figure
out what happened, but the only answer she
has gotten is that it was because of the water
cycle. Mrs. Nuxoll has given us some
supplies, and printed materials as she would
like us to explain the water cycle to her so
that she can understand what is happening
on the playground.
She needs this information in about three
weeks. ”