Water Cycle Lesson Plan

Name: Lindsey Oxford
Grade: Fourth
Subject: Science
Lesson Title: Water Cycle

TEKS:
§112.15. Science. Grade 4. (8) Earth and space. (B) Students describe and illustrate the continuous movement of water above and on the surface of Earth through the water cycle

Materials & Resources:
Water cycle signs posted around the room (lakes, oceans, clouds, plants/vegetation, rivers, soil, animals, glaciers, and ground water), water cycle color chart, premade water cycle dice, yarn cut into 6 inches in length and tied off at one end with a different color bead for each student, different colored beads for each water cycle station, water cycle bead color chart, document camera, RM 4 and 5 water cycle and definitions cut and paste activity, Aim Water Cycle booklet foldables, water cycle smart board lesson, Water Cycle Hoe-Down words, and science journals

Objective:

·      Students will identify the steps in the water cycle: evaporation, condensation, precipitation, and accumulation
·      Students will discover that water remains in some locations longer than others (accumulation)
·      Students will connect why water remains in some locations longer than others
·      Students will illustrate how water travels through the water cycle
·      Students will explain how a water droplet may travel through the water cycle

Anticipatory Set:
Ask students what they can recall from yesterday’s lab activity about the water cycle. They may use their science journals. After a few minutes of discussion, tell the students that we’re going to further understand what happens in the water cycle. Begin with the “Water Cycle Hoe-Down” to the tune “She’ll be comin’ ‘round the mountain”:

Water travels in a cycle, yes it does! (Clap, clap)

Water travels in a cycle, yes it does! (Clap, clap)

It goes up in evaporation, (move hands up)

And forms clouds that’s condensation (form clouds above head)

Then comes down in precipitation (make rain fingers down)

Yes it does!

(Repeat)

Demonstrate the Water Cycle Hoe-Down first for everyone to see (have words posted on the board for students to see). After going through the song once (with repeat), have the students stand and join in! Go through the song at least twice with repeats. Briefly discuss the stages of the water cycle as described in this song.

Model:
Open the smart board water cycle lesson. Pass out Aim Water Cycle student book. Together, we will read our foldable and further discuss terms we learned about yesterday over the water cycle. This will include vocabulary words such as evaporation, condensation, precipitation, and transpiration. While reading, we will refer to our smart board lesson and complete the smart board lesson activity. Then we will talk about accumulation. What does accumulation/accumulate mean? Where does water accumulate in the water cycle? Ask students to brainstorm where water is found (or accumulates) on earth (lakes, ocean, ground, pool/dog bowls, etc.) After brainstorming, point out the signs posted around the room and discuss how water accumulates in all of these areas.

Guided Practice:
Give each student a piece of yarn already tied off at the end with one colored bead. Explain that they are going to be a drop of water traveling through the different areas of the water cycle. Each student will start at a certain die. By looking at the one bead on the students’ given bracelet, they can determine which water cycle station they will start at. Have the students move to these designated locations and wait for further instructions. Each student will roll the die at their station and whatever station the die directs them to, they will go and put that color bead on their bracelet. If the die says to stay, they stay and put another bead of that same color on their bracelet. Once the students reach 15 beads, have them find their seats. Once the students find their seats have them look at their bracelets and compare with their table groups. Ask the students how their bracelets were different or not from their neighbors. Did you stay at one station for a long time or not? Why do you think this is? Explain to the students that water takes a long time to travel through glaciers, oceans, and groundwater because it takes a long time to evaporate due to the weather or climate. Also ask how water gets from areas of the earth for example, how do you get from a cloud to a lake? A glacier to a cloud? A plant to a cloud?

Independent Practice:

Give students RM 4 (water cycle cut/paste terms and definitions) and 5 (water cycle diagram) activity sheets. Students will cut and paste the terms and definitions on to their designated location of the water cycle diagram. Have students add at the bottom the term “accumulation” and list the different areas of earth water can accumulate.

Closure:
Give each student an exit card to complete. There are five different exit cards that read similarly to, “Explain how water moves from a cloud to the ocean”. Have students hand them in upon completion. Lastly, ask the students why the water cycle is important for our planet and for us.