Lesson Plan 2: Water Cycle
Grade: 4
Time: 45 minutes
Standard:
5.4.4.G.1 - Explain how clouds form.
5.4.4.G.2 - Observe daily cloud patterns, types of precipitation, and temperature, and categorize
the clouds by the conditions that form precipitation.
5.4.4.G.3 - Trace a path a drop of water might follow through the water cycle.
5.4.4.G.4 - Model how the properties of water can change as water moves through the water
cycle.
5.2.4.B.1 - Predict and explain what happens when a common substance, such as shortening or
candle wax, is heated to melting and then cooled to a solid.
Objective: Students will perform the three processes of the water cycle, by presenting a diagram,
with 100% accuracy.
Materials:
 Water Cycle Diagram worksheet
 Interactive Water Cycle Diagram
o http://earthguide.ucsd.edu/earthguide/diagrams/watercycle/
o Evaporation magnet
o Condensation magnet
o Precipitation magnet
 Scholastic Water Cycle Video
o http://teacher.scholastic.com/activities/studyjams/water_cycle/
 Performance Diagram Materials:
o 15 arrows
o 5 clouds
o 5 vapors
o 5 raindrops
 Water Cycle Song Lyrics
Lesson Sequence:
1. Lesson Introduction (Motivation):
a. “Boys and girls, can anyone recall the three states of matter that we learned about
from the last class, and an example to go with each? Great, I’m glad you all
remembered!
2. State Objective and Purpose:
o “Well today boys and girls we are going to learn about the water cycle and how
the states of matter are incorporated into its cycle.”
3. Development:
a. “Friends, does anyone know what the water cycle is? Great. Well the water cycle
is a path that water takes from the Earth to the clouds and back again. They call it
a water cycle because the water continues to move around through three different
processes. The three main processes of the water cycle are evaporation,
condensation, and precipitation.”
b. “When water gets warmed by the sun, the water changes from an liquid into a gas
called water vapor through the process of evaporation. A great way to remember
evaporation is by looking at the word vapor inside of the word evaporation. “
i. Have a student come up to the board and evaporation on the interactive
diagram using the magnetic strips.
c. “After the water vapors rise into the air, they cool down and form droplets of
water which turn into clouds called condensation.”
i. Have a student come up to the board and label condensation on the
interactive diagram using the magnetic strips.
d. “When the clouds get full of water they become dense to the point where it can no
longer hold the water and it begins to rain. Rain is a form of precipitation. What
other forms of precipitation aside from rain? Great! Snow, sleet and hail are also
forms of precipitation.”
i. As a class have the students point out where precipitation is on the
interactive diagram and the teacher will label it.
e. “Now that we know about the three main processes of the water cycle, we are
going to watch a short video on how the processes form the water cycle. ”
i. Play the video (3 minutes long)
f. “Did you enjoy the video? Great, I did to! In what ways is the water cycle similar
to the three states of matter? Awesome. When liquid turns into gas it is a process
called evaporation; whereas, when a gas turns into a liquid it is called
condensation. So what is it called when a liquid turns into a solid? Great,
freezing. And how about when a solid turns into a liquid? Great, freezing.”
g. “Now we are going to take a few minutes to label a diagram that I have created
for you. If you are finished early you may color the diagram.”
i. Hand out Water Cycle Diagram
h. “When you are finished labeling the diagram, leave your sheet on my desk and I
will return it to you at the end of the day. When I return them back to you please
keep these sheets, so we can use them for a study guide for our test.”
i. “Now that we are professional water cycle scientists, we can demonstrate how the
water cycle works. I am going to place each of you into a group of five, and as a
group you are going to perform a demonstration of the water cycle using the props
that I will give you.”
i. Groups will be flexible and will be apparently random, meaning that the
students will think that the groups are random, but there is a given
purpose. Students will be given a card labeled with a number, either
1,2,3,4, or 5.
j. Each group will be given three arrows to represent the cycle, one cloud, one
raindrop, and three vapors. It is your job as a group to place the props in order and
be able to explain each. Each member of the group must be doing something in
the performance whether its holding the props or explaining the diagram. I will
give each group 15 minutes to gather information. When you are finished you will
each perform the cycle as a group in front of the class.”
i. Form students into five groups of five.
ii. Hand out props and materials.
iii. Timer for 20 minutes.
k. “As each groups presents I want each of you to pay close attention. At the end of
each performance, I want a few volunteers to give a positive comment to the
performing group.”
i. Students Perform Water Cycle
l. “I am so proud of all of you. Each of you did a great job on your performances.
Before we move to our next subject, we are going to sing a water vapor song as a
class. The beat of the song is She’ll Be Coming Around The Mountain.”
i. Hand out lyrics.
m. “I think we should volunteer to tryout for American Idol as a class. For homework
I want all of you to create a song or poem, like I did using the water cycle. You
may choose to focus on one process, all process, or the movement of the water
cycle. If you choose to do a song, make sure you include a beat in which your
song will go with and a title; that goes for poems to.
4. Assessment
o Short Term:
 Students will be assessed on their participation during the introduction of
the lesson. I will determine success if the students are able to work
cooperatively together with their groups and form accurate diagrams. The
diagram and lyrics worksheet will also be assessed.
o Long Term:
 At the end of the week the students will be given a five question quiz that
will test their understanding of how the water cycle works. Within the quiz
will also be a diagram of the water cycle, in which they will label.
5. HW Application
o The students will create a song or poem about the water cycle. They may choose
to focus on one of the process, all of the processes, or the movement of the water
cycle. Requirements for each follows:
 Poem – Title, the poem itself, and a picture (internet or hand-drawn)
 Song – Title, beat, and lyrics
6. Adaptations:
o Presenting a video and an interactive diagram allows students with visual needs to
better understand the material.
o Students with auditory needs will be able to hear the video and listen to the lyrics
of the song to better remember the processes of the water cycle.
o Allowing the students to move around in groups and perform allows students with
kinesthetic needs to better understand.
o Students with attention needs will also benefit from moving around during the
performance. Students with attention needs will be instructed to hold the props
during the performances, so that a visual will keep them focused.
o For students who need additional information, a word bank will be provided on
the diagram worksheet.
o Groups will be apparently random, so that students with lower needs can work
with students with higher skills.
Water Cycle Song
Tune: She’ll Be Coming Around The Mountain
Water travels in a cycle, yes it does.
Water travels in a cycle, yes it does.
It goes up as evaporation.
Forms clouds as condensation.
Then falls down as precipitation, yes it does!