TITLE OF UNIT: The Water Cycle GRADE LEVEL: Beginning of 1st
Grade
TIME FRAME: 6, 30 Minute LessonsCURRICULUM AREA: Science
DEVELOPED BY: Sondra Tabor
DESIRED RESULTS:
ESSENTIAL QUESTION:
 What is the water cycle?
 How does the water cycle work?
 What are the different stages of the water cycle?
 What happens at each stage of the water cycle?
CONTENT STANDARD:
 Students in Wisconsin will understand that there are unifying
themes: system, order, organization, and interactions; evidence,
models, and explanations; constancy, change, and measurement;
evolution, equilibrium and energy; form and function among
scientific disciplines. These themes relate and interconnect the
Wisconsin science standards to one another. Each theme is
further defined in the glossary following the science standards.

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Students in Wisconsin will investigate questions using scientific
methods and tools, revise their personal understandings to
accommodate knowledge, and communicate these understandings
to others.
Students in Wisconsin will demonstrate an understanding of the
structure and systems of the earth and other bodies in the
universe and their interactions.
PERFORMANCE STANDARD:
A.4.3 When investigating a science-related problem, decide what data
can be collected to determine the most useful explanations.
A.4.5 When studying a science-related problem, decide what changes
over
time are occurring or have occurred.
C.4.1 Use the vocabulary of the unifying themes to ask questions about
objects, organisms, and events being studied.
C.4.2 Use the science content being learned to ask questions, plan
investigations, make observations, make predictions, and offer
explanations.
C.4.5 Use data they have collected to develop explanations and answer
questions generated by investigations.
E.4.5 Describe the weather commonly found in Wisconsin in terms of
clouds, temperature, humidity, and forms of precipitation, and the
changes that occur over time, including seasonal changes.
BENCHMARKS:
Students will be able to:
 Tell about the changes, which occur over time.
 Record these changes as they observe them.
 Record time and date of the observation.
 Draw conclusions from their investigations.
 Draw pictures or write about their observations from their data.
 Describe the following weather conditions: clouds, temperatures,
forms of precipitation, and seasonal changes.
 Record weather data over a period of time through drawing and/or
writing.
SKILLS:
 Observation Skills
 Communication Knowledge
 Understand and Correctly Utilize Lesson Specific Vocabulary
 Demonstrate Understanding
 Ability to Question
VOCABULARY:
 Water Cycle
 Evaporation
 Condensation
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
Precipitation
Accumulation
FORMATIVE AND SUMMATIVE ASSESSMENTS:
 KWL Chart
 Informal Observations
 Water Cycle Wheel
 Water Cycle Diagram
 Cloud Formation and Identification Activity
LEARNING ACTIVITIES:
LESSON 1: KWL Chart
 Did anyone ever see a KWL Chart in Kindergarten? For those who
haven’t ever experienced a KWL Chart, an explanation of what a
KWL Cart is, and why it is a helpful tool to use when we are
learning about something new will be described.
 As a whole group the class is going to fill in together the box
containing “What We Know” already about the water cycle. The
students will then be asked to think about questions that they
have about the water cycle. These questions will be filled in the
middle box on our KWL Chart under “What We Want to Know”.
Water Cycle
What We Know
What We Want to
Know
What We Learned
LESSON 2: Building Background and Vocabulary Knowledge-The Magic
School Bus Wet All Over: A Book About The Water Cycle by Joanne Cole
 Before reading the teacher will explain that we are going to be
filling in more information about water cycles on our KWL Chart.
Students are told that they need to be active listeners by thinking
about what can be added to our KWL Chart. They will also be
asked to remembering questions that they have while we read that
we could find out more about.
 The teacher will then read the Magic School Bus book by Joanne
Cole about water cycles to the whole classroom stopping to
discuss key unit concepts. Unit specific vocabulary will also be
defined and discussed during reading.
 Where any of the questions that the students were curious about
answered? Following reading, the new information that was learned

today and any answers to our questions by reading this book will be
added under the “What We Learned” section of our KWL Chart.
A list of new and additional questions will be added to our KWL
Chart.
LESSON 3: Building Background and Vocabulary Knowledge-The Water
Cycle by Helen Frost and A Drop of Water: A Book of Science and
Wonder by Walter Wick
 Before reading the teacher will again explain that they are reading
to find new information, and will be adding more information about
water cycles to the KWL Chart. Students will also be reminded
that they need to be active listeners and think about questions
that they have while we read that we could be added to our chart
to find out more about.
 The teacher will then read both books about water cycles to the
whole classroom stopping again to discuss any key unit concepts.
Unit specific vocabulary will be defined and discussed using the
context of the books.
 Following reading all new information and answers to prior
questions that were learned today from reading this book will be
added under the “What We Learned” section of our KWL Chart.
 A new questions following reading these two books will be added
to our KWL Chart to find out about later.
 Science notebooks draw their own version of what the water cycle
looks like.
LESSON 4 Water Cycle Video
 Sign-out the Smart Board. A mini lesson about what a smart board
is and how they are used is the first part of the lesson.
 Following the introduction this video will be pulled up on the Smart
Board for all of the students to see.
http://teacher.scholastic.com/activities/studyjams/water%5Fcycle/
 The KWL Chart will continue to be filled in accordingly.
 Discuss the First Two Slides of the Water Cycle Power Point
http://www.d49.org/schools/fes/FES%20Web%20Page/Classrooms/k
noll/smartboard.htm
 Review of what we have learned up to this point and Smart Board
practice. http://education.smarttech.com/ste/enUS/Ed+Resource/Lesson+activities/Notebook+Activities/Browse+
Notebook/United+States/Elementary/K-3/Science/Weather.htm
LESSON 5 Water Cycle Experiment
 Using an empty paper box, eight sticks, construction paper,
contact paper, plastic wrap, humidifier, water, and a baggie of ice.
Set-up a replica water cycle for students to observe hands on.
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Explain how to create the Water Cycle Wheel. Have students
work independently at their desks on this activity. (Included
Attachment Below)
While students are working call over small groups of students for
them to see and experience the replica of the water cycle.
See if students can describe and label the parts of the water cycle
in relation to the replica model.
Water Cycle Song (sung to the tune of She'll Be Coming Around
the Mountain)
o Water travels in a cycle, yes it does (use pointer finger to
make a big circle)
Water travels in a cycle, yes it does
(repeat finger circle)
It goes up as evaporation
(moves hands up to the sky
Forms clouds as condensation
(make a cloud overhead with
arms)
Then comes down as precipitation, yes it does!
(sprinkle with
fingers while bringing arms down in front of you)
Repeat
http://www.proteacher.org/a/12048_Water_Cycle_Song.html
The KWL Chart will continue to be filled in accordingly.
LESSON 6 Review
 Refer to KWL Chart. Find the answers to any unanswered
questions.
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

Review Website can be done in the computer lab, or on the Smart
Board:
http://earthguide.ucsd.edu/earthguide/diagrams/watercycle/index.h
tml
and/or
http://player.discoveryeducation.com/views/hhView.cfm?guidAsset
Id=087777c8-4ff0-45d2-878f-e7cd90f7ee19
Water Cycle Song
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yw275056JtA&feature=related
Assessment: Have students independently complete the Water
Cycle Diagram (Included Attachment Below)
PLANS FOR DIFFERENTIATION:
 The KWL Chart will help me to differentiate. I will be able to find
out student’s readiness levels while we are progressing throughout
the unit.
 Flexible grouping will be used throughout the entire unit to assist
stretching advanced learners knowledge, and scaffolding low
achieving students to aide them in increasing their knowledge.
Different learning styles played a big role in the creation of all
lessons.
**The Following Two Documents are Included Attachments**
http://www.epa.state.il.us/kids/fun-stuff/water-cycle/index.html
Name: ____________________
Water Cycle Diagram
Label the water cycle diagram with the correct words. When you are finished,
color the diagram.
Water Cycle Words:
accumulation
condensation
evaporation
precipitation
http://smartweed.olemiss.edu/nmgk8/curriculum/elementary/second/the_water_cycle/
the_water_cycle.pdf