Yasmeen Hamdan

Tierra del Sol

Subject/Grade level: Science/ 4th grade

Unit topic (if applicable): Water Cycle

Lesson title or topic: Water Cycle

Estimated length of lesson: 45 minutes

TEKS Standards:

Science: 4.8(B) Describe and illustrate the continuous movement of water above and on the surface of
the Earth through the water cycle and explain the role of the sun as a major source of energy in this
process.

Language Arts: 4.1 (A) The student is expected to: listen actively, ask relevant questions to clarify
information, and make pertinent comments.

4.7(B) The student is expected to: write responses that demonstrate understanding of texts.

4.7(D) The student is expected to: retell, paraphrase, or summarize texts in ways that maintain meaning
and logical order.

Learning Objective(s): Students will be able to define the key terms of the water cycle orally and be able
to illustrate the water process.

Academic Language:

 Water Cycle- The process by which water moves from place to place above, on and below the
Earth’s surface.
 Evaporation- The process by which water is converted from liquid state to the gaseous state.
 Condensation- When water in the air condenses from a gas back into a liquid form.
 Precipitation- Liquid or solid that falls from the clouds
 Storage/Collection- When water falls into bodies of water. Water that lands on land can be
soaked up by the land becomes ground water.

Grouping: There will be whole group, small group, and individual grouping. For small group pairing the
students are already placed into small groups and will talk with the students at their own table.

Materials:

 Paper
 Pencil
 Colors
 Science Book
 Laptop
 Water cycle visual
 Dictionary
Yasmeen Hamdan
Tierra del Sol

Resources:

 Science 4th grade Textbook- Gives a detailed description of the water cycle and introduces key
terms. (4.8.B)
 https://study.com/academy/lesson/the-water-cycle-precipitation-condensation-and-
evaporation.html Explains in a detailed way the process of the water cycle and the importance
of the sun (4.8.B)

Connections to Other Subjects: The lesson will incorporate Language Arts. The students will be creating
a foldable and will define keywords. The students will also need to answer a writing prompt at the end
of the lesson that assess their knowledge of the content that was covered.

Gradual Release of Responsibility:

“I do”- I will introduce the topic and explain the process of the water cycle with the whole class. I will
give visual examples of what the water cycle looks like.

“We do”- The students will be asked critical thinking questions and will discuss the answer with their
small groups.

“You do”- The students will work individually to create a foldable. They will include an illustration of the
water cycle, the definition of key terms, examples of each phase, and will need to complete a writing
prompt.

Instructional Procedures (including differentiation and targeted support) o

 Introduction: I will introduce the topic by asking the students if they know the steps of the
water cycle. We will then briefly go over the different states of matter (liquid, gas, solid) so they
can have a clear understanding going into the lesson what each phase of the water cycle means.
 Teacher Modeling: I will guide the students through the steps of the water cycle by asking
questions such as which step happens first or what is the most important tool needed in order
for the water cycle to work (other than water).
 Body of the Lesson: Begin by going over key terms and having students give suggestions on
what they believe each term means (Evaporation, Condensation, Storage/Collection, and
Precipitation). The students will then be asked in what order they believe the cycle follows. They
will be able to discuss the answer with their groups and will then discuss it with the whole
group. The students will need to be able to explain why they chose the order that they did. As a
class we will then go over a diagram depicting the water cycle and label it with the correct order
of the water cycle. The students will then be asked questions such as; “what is needed in order
for the water cycle to take place?” (Sun/heat). “What is the 1st/2nd/3rd/4th step of the water
cycle?”
 Guided Practice: The students are seated in groupings that work with all their learning needs. I
will provide further explanation if during the lesson the students show that they are not
grasping the concept. I will know this if there is a large number of students asking for
clarification. I will check for understanding by asking critical thinking questions and having the
students respond orally.
 Before I let the students complete their work individually I will show them as a whole group
what I expect in their foldable about the water cycle. I will ask a student to restate the
Yasmeen Hamdan
Tierra del Sol

instructions before I let them do their work to check for understanding. If the students were to
finish their work early then they would be asked to read the section in their textbook about the
water cycle. In the passage they will need to highlight important concepts and summarize the
text.
 Conclusion (closure): I will close my part of the lesson by having them create their foldable. That
is where I will take a step back and allow the students to work individually. As a class I would
asking questions pertaining to the lesson and based on the information I receive from their
answers I will be able to assess the classes understanding of the water cycle.

Assessment:

 How will you assess how well the students are meeting the objectives during the lesson? I will
walk around the class and ask individual students questions about their work and ask them to
explain their reasoning.
 How will you assess how well the students have achieved the learning objectives? At the end
of the lesson I will be giving the students a summative assessment in the form of a writing
prompt. The prompt will be “What would happen in the water cycle if the Earth did not have the
Suns heat?” By asking the students this question I will be able to see which students fully
grasped the importance of the sun in the water cycle and I will be able to see if they understand
the cause and effect the phases of the cycle has on the earth.
 How will you provide feedback to support student learning? Whether a student is correct or
incorrect I would ask them to explain their train of thought and why they answered the way
they did. If the student is correct then I will let them know that they are on the right track and
that they did well. If the student happened to be incorrect I would ask leading questions that
would help them see where they might have missed something and at the same time offer
encouragement that they are doing a good job.
Yasmeen Hamdan
Tierra del Sol