Dakota State University

College of Education
LESSON PLAN FORMAT

Name: Brenna Johnson

Grade Level: 2nd Grade
School: Madison Elementary School
Date: Wednesday, April 3rd
Time: 1:00-2:00

Reflection from prior lesson: Coming after lesson on Tuesday.

Lesson Goal(s) / Standards:

2-ESS1-1: Use information from several sources to provide evidence that Earth events
can occur quickly or slowly.
2-ESS2-1: Compare multiple solutions designed to slow or prevent wind or water from
changing the shape of the land.

Lesson Objectives:
I can record what I observe about water erosion.
I can identify how water erosion changes the shape of the land
I can use what I know to determine if the change has occurred slowly or quickly.

Materials Needed:
● Tub of sand
● Small cups- 1 per partner group
● Magnifying glasses- 1 per partner group
● Access to water
● Eye dropper
● Plastic Container- 1 per partner group
● Erosion Water and Sand Recording Sheet- 1 per student
● Erosion book by Koontz
● Dum Dum Suckers- 1 per student

Contextual Factors/ Learner Characteristics:

● 23 Students: 13 Girls and 10 Boys
● 1 English Language Learner
● 1 Student on an IEP; Struggling Reader
● 2 Behavior Students
● 3 Students in Title Services for Math
● Students are eager to learn, willing to help, and like sharing their thoughts
 ● Must keep students focused, because they like to talk and get distracted easily

The Lesson
● Introduction (5 Minutes)
○ getting attention: Who remembers what we are doing today to learn
about erosion? An experiment with sand and water!
○ relating to past experience and/or knowledge: Yesterday, we learned
that water might be the reason for the formation of some landforms.
○ creating a need to know: So, today we are going to become scientists
and take notes to see how water changes the land. We are going to be
doing an investigation. The question I would like you to focus on is, “What
does water do to the land (or sand)?” What do you predict might happen?
Think about some of the things we noticed and wondered yesterday from
our chart.
○ sharing objective, in general terms: During the investigation, you will
record what you observed and talk about how water erosion changes the
shape of the land.
● Content Delivery (40 Minutes)
○ Divide students into groups of 2; one group of 3
■ Boy/Girl Partners
○ Both Partners will get the chance to be Material Gatherers; Decide who
will be number 1 and who will be number 2
○ Material Gatherer Number 1 comes to back table to get a cup of sand,
plastic bin, hand lens, and recording sheet
■ Take materials to desk and let them sit
■ I demonstrate how to use sand to make a landform with sand
● “For this exploration, I want you to take your cup and gently
press your thumb into the sand. This will pack the sand into
the cup so it will keep its shape. Then gently dumb your cup
of sand into the box. You might have to tap the bottom a
little, just like when you are making a sand castle at the
beach. You should have a stack of sand, but if your sand
falls down that is okay too. We all know that change
happens to all types of land.”
■ After creating their landform in tub, carefully look at sand
● We are scientists: What could you use to see the sand
closer up? How do you think a scientist would record their
observations?
● Draw a diagram of what is seen; write observations in words-
Take your job as a scientist seriously!
 ■ I will walk around to make sure they are staying on task and
observing correctly; once all observations are made give me a
thumbs up
○ Material Gatherer Number 2 brings their cup to the sink to get water and
grabs an eyedropper
■ “Now I would like one of you to suck up water in the dropper and
drop 40 drops of water on your sand. Hold the water up away from
the sand when you are dropping it. Make sure you are counting
your drops aloud, to be accurate. Observe what is happening and
write it down. Draw a diagram of what you observe.”
■ Repeat the process by dropping another 40 drops on the sand
■ I will walk around to make sure they are following procedures and
to ask them about their observations and what they are noticing
● What are you noticing?
● What is happening when water is added?
● Is this change occurring slowly or quickly?
■ Try not to give them too much information, so they make
discoveries; let them realize the world can be discovered through
their own investigations
○ Experiment Clean-up
■ Throw away cups, place bins on back table, put eye droppers and
magnifying glasses away, make pile of recording sheets
○ Have students come to back carpet
■ Discuss some things the students observed happening in
experiment
■ Pass around bag of lollipops
● “You guys were such great scientists today and made some
great discoveries!”
○ Three guidelines: Take a close look at your sucker
before eating it, hold wrappers until I am finished
reading and we will throw them away, and do not bite
into your suckers!
○ Read Aloud Erosion by Koontz; Discuss books and pictures based on
student’s questions and our discussion
■ Page 4: What caused the changes in the brick building, the parking
lot, and the hillside?
■ Page 4: What is erosion?
■ Page 6: What happens when the water grows deep quickly?
 ■ Page 10: Does the erosion caused by crashing waves and roaring
rivers happen slowly or quickly? Does the water continuously wash
away dirt and sand?
■ Page 12: So is water in liquid form the only way to create erosion?
■ Page 19: Why did the Dust Bowl happen?

● Closure (5 Minutes)
○ Lollipop Discussion
■ Take out your lollipop and look at the erosion you have created
■ Do you notice any changes that happened to your lollipop?
■ Your tongue slowly wears down the surface of lollipop by removing
little tiny pieces
■ Surface of earth is just like surface of your lollipop- uses rain
instead of tongue

● Assessments Used
○ Formative assessment: The water and sand erosion recording sheet will
serve as a checkpoint to see if the students are able to apply what we
were learning through writing. I will be looking to see if the students
recognize how the water is creating erosion in their sand.
○ Observations and Discussions: While the students are working on the
experiment, I will be walking around asking guiding questions to get
students talking about the discoveries they are making. Also, I will take
note of what the students are saying during our discussions to gauge their
understandings of the topic.
● Differentiated Instruction
○ I will spend more time with students that get off task easily to ensure they
are staying on task.
○ I will use think time and talk strategies to get all students engaged in the
discussions that occur during the lesson, to make sure all students
understand and are thinking about the topic.
● Resources
○ Better Lesson Science Lesson: How Can Water Change the Shape of
Land?
○ Erosion by Robin Koontz