Ms.

Reyna

1. The Water Cycle: Drip, Drip, Pitter, Patter! , Kindergarten

2. Lesson Essential Questions: What is the Water Cycle? What is Evaporation?
What is Condensation? What is Precipitation? What is
Accumulation?
3. Standards:

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.SL.K.2 Confirm understanding

of a text read aloud or information presented orally
or through other media by asking and answering
questions about key details and requesting
clarification if something is not understood.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.SL.K.1.a Follow agreed-upon
rules for discussions (e.g., listening to others and
taking turns speaking about the topics and texts under discussion).
5.1. P.C.1 Communicate with other children and adults to share observations,
pursue questions, and make predictions and/or conclusions.
5.1. P.D.1 Represent observations and work through drawing, recording data, and
writing.
5.1. P.B.2 Use basic science terms and topic-related science vocabulary.
5.1.P.B.1 Observe, question, predict, and investigate materials, objects, and
phenomena (e.g., using simple tools to crack a nut and look inside) during indoor
and outdoor classroom activities and during any longer-term investigations.

4. Learning objectives:

5.

6.

7.
8.

SWBAT understand that the Water Cycle is a process in which water

moves all around the Earth.
a. SWBAT identify each part of the water cycle (e.g., evaporation,
condensation, precipitation, accumulation).
Assessment:
a. Oral questioning
b. Individually, students will engage in an activity in which they will visually
identify each part of the water cycle, with prompting/support by the
teacher.
c. Individually, students will draw a picture of each part of the water cycle.
(The teacher will model a drawing on the SMART board).
Materials:
a. Cotton balls
b. Flat pans or containers
c. Water
d. Blue food coloring
Prior Knowledge: Students will have an understanding of different forms of
precipitation such as rain and snow.
Lesson Beginning:
a. The teacher will present a glass of water to the class. The teacher will ask
the students to take a good long look at the water. Can you guess how
old it is? (Students will make predictions).
b. Next, the teacher will explain that the water in the glass may have fallen
from the sky as rain just last week, but the water itself has been around
pretty much as long as the earth has! When the first fish crawled out of

Ms. Reyna
the ocean onto the land, your glass of water was part of that ocean.
When a dinosaur walked through lakes feeding on plants, this glass of
water was part of those lakes. And you thought your parents were OLD!
c. Then, the teacher will explain that today they will learn about the water
cycle. The water cycle is how water moves all around the earth. It never
stops and doesnt really have a beginning or an end. Its like a big circle.
9. Instructional Plan:
a. Steps A-C stated above.
b. The teacher will read the story of Drippy the Raindrop using the SMART
board. Drippy the Raindrop is a story about the water cycle for young
children, and it gently introduces the concepts of condensation,
evaporation, precipitation, and accumulation in a kid-friendly way.
i. During the reading: The teacher will pause to explain Drippys
journey through the water cycle (e.g., evaporation, condensation,
precipitation, and accumulation).
ii. Students will be invited to make connections/predictions.
c. After the reading, the teacher will announce that the students will be
scientist today and will engage in an experiment that will help get a visual
understanding of the water cycle.
d. Before beginning the activity, the teacher will review expectations.
e. Activity:
1) Give each student a cotton ball to hold. Tell them to pretend
that they are holding a cloud.
2) Ask students: how does the cloud feel: heavy or light, soft or
hard?
3) Then, have students gently hold the cotton ball over the
water so that its just a little bit under.
4) Explain how the sun warms up the water and causes it to get
sucked up (evaporation! Drippy turned into vapor) and
its the clouds job to collect the water.
5) Explain that water that has evaporated has traveled up to
the cloud and it is a lot colder up in the sky (condensation),
so the vapor turns into water, and it is filling up the cloud.
a. Ask: Can you see the "cloud" (cotton ball) filling up
with the water?
6) Ask the children to gently pick up the "cloud" (cotton ball)
from the pan.
a. Ask: How does the "cloud" feel now? Light or heavy.
Warm or cold?
b. What is happening with the water? Yes, the water is
dripping from the "cloud". Why? The cloud cannot
hold all that water, is too, too, heavy.
c. What do we call when water falls from the clouds
because they are too heavy with water? Yes, you are
right, rain! It is raining! (precipitation)

Ms. Reyna
7) The teacher will explain that the rain dripping is coming right
back into the pan, and the pan can represent a stream, river,
or ocean (accumulation). (The blue food coloring will help
make this clear).
8) Explain that the water cycle happens all over again!
9) Clean up**
10. Closure - Individually, students will draw a picture of each part of the water
cycle. (The teacher will model a drawing on the SMART board).
11. Classroom Management:
a. Assigned seats on carpet.
b. Popsicle sticks used to randomize student participation.
c. Color chart (traffic light system) - students start the day on
green and are asked to change their color if they demonstrate
disruptive behavior or do not follow directions.
d. Treasure Chest Students that display commendable/excellent
behavior during the day can visit the treasure chest at the end of the
day.
e. Brain Breaks Students take brain breaks as needed.
f. Classroom language:
i. Catch a bubble when students are talking over teacher
and/or students.
ii. Active listening, Spider webs, Legs crossed
apple sauce.
12. Transitions: Clap (5x)
13. Differentiation: The following lesson addresses the three main cognitive
learning styles: visual, audio, and kinesthetic.
a. Visual/Kinesthetic- The cotton ball activity gives learners a visual
understanding of the water cycle. It is also hands-on. Additionally,
students will draw a picture at the end to further reinforce their
understanding.
b. Audio- Students will listen to a read aloud about the story of Drippy the
Raindrop.