Name: Megan Hanlon and Amanda Stephens
LESSON PLAN
Name: Megan Hanlon and Amanda Stephens
Subject: The Water Cycle
Grade Level: 4th
Lesson Plan Title: The Water Cycle
Content Standard: 8.0 the Atmosphere
Materials & Resources:
Per Student:
Water cycle circle diagram front and back
Crayons
Metal bracket
Popsicle stick
Scissors
Tape
Pencil/pen
Water Cycle Song
Date: 3/2/12
Length of Lesson: 60 minutes
Per group:
Plastic fish bowl
Small cup
Stone
Plastic wrap
Rubber band
Water
Black permanent marker
PLANNING
Unit Goal(s):
GLE 0407.8.1 Recognize the major components of the water cycle.
Learning Objectives:
The Learner Will:
 Observe the Water Cycle video.
 Learn The Water Cycle Song.
 FACTs: Popsicle Stick Questioning & Juicy Questions.
 Learn the steps of the Water Cycle via a PowerPoint presentation.
 Poster board Water Cycle Steps activity.
 Complete Water Cycle circle diagrams individually.
 Make a model of the Water Cycle in pairs.
 Read Save Water by Kay Barnham
Checks for Understanding:
0407.8.1 Prepare a model that illustrates the basic features of the water cycle.
SPI:
SPI 0407.8.1 Identify the basic features of the water cycle and describe their importance to life on earth
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Name: Megan Hanlon and Amanda Stephens
Enduring Understandings:
CONCEPT(S):
 Evaporation: When a liquid changes into a vapor or gas.
 Condensation: The process of a gas turning into a liquid.
 Precipitation: The falling of water from the sky in the form of rain, sleet, hail, or snow.
 Transpiration: The process by which plants give off moisture into the atmosphere.
ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS:
Knowledge: What are evaporation, condensation, precipitation and transpiration?
Comprehension: Explain the steps of the Water Cycle: How does evaporation eventually lead to
precipitation?
Application: Create a model of the Water Cycle.
Analysis: Compare and contrast the Water Cycle as it relates to seasons, temperature changes, and
location in the world.
Synthesis: In building the Water Cycle models, what various changes would occur if certain conditions
were altered? Ex: water level, heat, size, etc.
Evaluating: Name some of the ways you see the Water Cycle happening in everyday life. What direct
effects does it have on our planet?
Creating: Assemble the Water Cycle circle diagram individually. Create a model of the Water Cycle in
pairs.
Interdisciplinary Connections:
Math:
The Water Cycle model requires measuring out a particular amount of water. Use this activity to
introduce/discuss the measurement of that water.
0406.4.7 Measure liquids using both standard units and metric units.
SPI 0406.4.8 Convert measurements within a single system that are common in daily life (e.g., hours and
minutes, inches and feet, centimeters and meters, quarts and gallons, liters and milliliters).
Social Studies:
Not all parts of the world have the same weather. Not everyone has enough water to go around. Discuss
ways in which the Water Cycle may be affected throughout the world. Read: Save Water by Kay
Barnham.
4.1.02 Discuss cultures and human patterns of places and regions of the world.
a. Explore similarities and differences in how groups, societies, and cultures address similar human needs
and concerns.
b. Compare how people from different cultures think about and handle their physical environments and
social conditions.
Language Arts:
Have students draw from preselected countries and research the Water Cycle and weather patterns in that
country. What is the weather like there? How do the people of the country manage their water supply?
Write down their findings and present their information to the class.
GLE 0401.3.1 Write for a variety of purposes and to a variety of audiences.
SPI 0401.3.1 Identify the purpose for writing (i.e., to entertain, to inform, to share experiences).
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Name: Megan Hanlon and Amanda Stephens
INSTRUCTION
INTRODUCTION or Anticipatory Set
Time: 10 minutes
Engage:
 Prior to watching the video and learning the song, ask students what they already know about the
Water Cycle.
Part I: Watch The Water Cycle video on YouTube by junglistmover found at:
www.squidoo.com/raining?utm_source=google&utm_medium=imgres&utm_campaign=framebuster
Part II: Learn the song Water Cycle found at :
www.squidoo.com/raining?utm_source=google&utm_medium=imgres&utm_campaign=framebuster
Part III: After students have watched the video and learn the song, use the popsicle questions + juicy
questions FACTs to question students about what they learned from the video and song.
BODY (Activities & Practice)
Activities
Time: 35 minutes
Explore I: (10 minutes)
 Divide students into 4 groups and assign them one of the parts of the Water Cycle (evaporation,
condensation, precipitation, and transpiration). Ask them to grab a prop in the room and prepare a
mini-skit for their part of the Water Cycle explaining how it works.
Explain I: (10 minutes)
 Have students share their mini-skits and explain why they acted their part the way they did for the
rest of the class.
 Next, have table groups draw a step of the Water Cycle and place it in its proper position on the
tri-fold poster board, giving a definition and explanation of that particular step. Use PowerPoint
on Water Cycle found at www.elainefitzgerald.com/water_cycle.ppt to teach the steps of the
Water Cycle during poster board activity.
 Then, students will create a paper diagram of the Water Cycle using the provided sheers. Have
students color and assemble them and discuss the steps with one another.
Extend: (15 minutes)
 Tell the students they are going to make an actual model of the Water Cycle with a partner.
Explain to students that the actual model will be observed over a period of time (about a week)
and will be based on particular variables such as heat in the classroom from the sun.
 Students will pair up to gather: plastic fishbowl, cup, stone, water, plastic wrap and rubber band to
create their Water Cycle model.
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Name: Megan Hanlon and Amanda Stephens
Practice/Assessment
Time: 5 minutes
Evaluate:
F.A.C.T. # 29 Juicy Questions
Requires students to think deeply and extract knowledge that will help them answer a rich, novel
question. A Juicy Question often requires students to work on a series of smaller questions and ideas
before they take a stab at answering it.
F.A.C.T/ # 45 Popsicle Stick Questioning
A technique used to selectively choose students for no-hands questioning.
These two FACTs will be combined together to draw names and ask that particular student a juicy
question.
Example:
What would happen if there were no precipitation?
What is Precipitation?
What is Evaporation?
What is Condensation?
What is Transpiration?
What other liquids could we use in place of water?
What effects do you think it would have on the model?
What would happen if we did not use Plastic wrap in our model?
What part does the plastic wrap play in our model?
Why does our model get foggy when we place it in the sun?
What would happen to our model if we put it under a lamp or other heating source?
CLOSURE Time: 10 minutes
Ask the students to discuss what they think would happen if the liquid in the model was changed from
water to something else: coke, milk, juice, etc. Also, ask students to discuss how they think the Water
Cycle is affected by the different seasons, noting the changes in precipitation during said seasons.
Read Save Water by Kay Barnham.
This book can be used to introduce how this generally science-related topic can be discussed throughout
other content areas.
ASSESSMENT
Evaluation:
Informal:
 Walk around and check to see if the students are understanding what they are doing.
 FACTs
Formal: Students must be able to name the steps of the Water Cycle in their proper order, giving the
definition of each step. Have them write this on a sheet of paper before leaving or changing subjects:
 List the steps of the Water Cycle in the order they occur.
 Discuss what changes you think would occur if there were a drought.
 How does the Water Cycle differ throughout the world?
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Name: Megan Hanlon and Amanda Stephens
Alternative and/or Supplemental Activities/Extensions:
E-Learning:
1. The water cycle quiz:
This is an interactive quiz where students are able to view the steps of the Water Cycle and answer
questions accordingly.
http://earthguide.ucsd.edu/earthguide/diagrams/watercycle/watercycleq.html
2. Water Cycle word search:
This helps the students become more familiar with the vocabulary associated with the steps of the Water
Cycle.
http://bogglesworldesl.com/watercycle_worksheets.htm
3. Water Cycle crossword puzzle:
The crossword puzzle uses clues to describe the process of the Water Cycle and students must determine
which word correctly fits with each clue.
http://bogglesworldesl.com/watercycle_worksheets.htm
Differentiation – Accommodations for Individual Learners:
Bodily-Kinaesthetic: The students participate in completing a poster board activity. They must get out of
their seat to gather materials for this as well as their individual Water Cycle diagrams and the actual
Water Cycle model.
Intrapersonal: Students will make their own Water Cycle circle diagram. They will perform this task
alone.
Interpersonal: The students will work together in table groups and in pairs to complete various activities
(poster board and model).
Logical-Mathematical: The students will sequence the order of the water cycle.
Visual: Students will see the Water Cycle through assembling their own Water Cycle circle diagram.
References:
PowerPoint:
www.elainefitzgerald.com/water_cycle.ppt
Water Cycle Circle Diagram:
http://ed101.bu.edu/StudentDoc/Archives/ED101fa06/tvelez/Water%20Cycle%20Projects%20Page.html
Crossword and Word Search:
http://bogglesworldesl.com/watercycle_worksheets.htm
Water Cycle Quiz:
http://earthguide.ucsd.edu/earthguide/diagrams/watercycle/watercycleq.html
Song and Video:
www.squidoo.com/raining?utm_source=google&utm_medium=imgres&utm_campaign=framebuster
Book:
Burnham, K. (2007). Save water. Crabtree Pub Co.
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Name: Megan Hanlon and Amanda Stephens
Megan Hanlon and Amanda Stephens
Play by Play:
1. Introduce topic
2. Ask students what they know about topic
3. Show video
4. Popsicle/Juicy questions
5. PowerPoint Presentation
6. Poster board game
7. Make small scale model of the water cycle
8. Make circle diagrams
9. Observe changes in models
10. Popsicle/Juicy questions + what did they learn
11. Save water closure
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Name: Megan Hanlon and Amanda Stephens
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Name: Megan Hanlon and Amanda Stephens
Water Cycle
Tune: "It's Raining, It's Pouring"
It's raining, it's pouring,
The oceans are storing
Water from the falling rain
While thunderclouds are roaring.
The rain now is stopping,
The rain's no longer dropping.
Sun comes out and soaks up water
Like a mop that's mopping.
The water's still there now,
But hidden in the air now.
In the clouds it makes a home
Until there's rain to share now.
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Name: Megan Hanlon and Amanda Stephens
Find the word
below in the grid to
the left.
cloud
condensation
energy
evaporation
hail
ice crystal
lake
ocean
precipitation
rain
river
runoff
sea
snow
stream
sun
water cycle
water droplet
water vapor
wind
© 2006 Lanternfish ESL
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Name: Megan Hanlon and Amanda Stephens
1
Find the word below in
the grid to the left.
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
Across
Down
3. Ice crystals that fall from the sky.
1. What provides the energy that
drives the water cycle?
7. These form in the sky when water
vapor condenses into water droplets.
2. The process of water droplets or ice
crystals falling from the sky.
8. A large body of fresh water.
6. Water that has been heated to a gas.
9. Frozen rain.
10. A large body of water that flows
across the land.
12. A large body of salt water.
13. The process of changing from
water vapor to water droplets.
3. A small body of water that flows
across the land.
4. The process of water moving
through the world by precipitation,
evaporation, and condensation.
10. Water that flows in streams and
river into the oceans and lakes.
11. Water droplets that fall from the
sky.
5. The process of water turning into a
vapor.
© 2006 Lanternfish ESL
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