Lesson Plan Template

Candidate Name: Jenell Tanksley

Strategy (circle one): Task Rotation; NAL; Mystery; Decision Making;

C/C Thinking; Metaphorical; Windows Notes; Other
UNIT NAME
Water Cycle
LESSON NAME
Water Cycle
Grade
4th

Time Needed (Hours/Days)

45 -60 minutes
Subject
Science

Course

STANDARDS/ELEMENTS: CCGPS, GPS/GSE (where applicable) and TAG Standards

S4E3.d. Explain the water cycle (evaporation, condensation, and precipitation).

TAG Standard
Creative Thinking & Creative Problem Solving Skills
7. The student uses analogies, metaphors, and/or models to explain complex
concepts.
ENDURING UNDERSTANDING:
Students will be able to determine the difference between evaporation,
condensation and precipitation.
Students will be able to understand the water cycle
ESSENTIAL QUESTION(s)
Clearly stated, Specific, Unambiguous, Detailed
What should students know, understand, and be able to do when lesson is completed?

Essential Questions:
How are the different phases of the water cycle formed?
What are the different stages of the water cycle?
How are the different phases of the water cycles alike and different?
TEACHER LESSON PREPARATION
Carousel Brainstorming Posters
Create Handouts:
o Compressed Conflict
o Metaphorical Expression
Leveled Readers on the Water Cycle
iPads

ACTIVATING STRATEGY

Contains one of these in a well-developed, clearly explained format: related pre-assessment,

motivating introductory activity (hook or mini-lesson), opportunity for students to link content
to prior knowledge and interests, an advanced organizer, and/or clearly stated learning
expectations using related focusing and guiding questions

The Hook: Students will participate in a Carousel Brainstorming Activity.

Students will inspect the question posed at each station, develop/record all
ideas, and rotate to expand ideas at another station.
Questions:

How is water like sunshine?

If you were water, where would you live? Why?
What state of water would you be? Why?
Water is like..because.. (3 ideas)

Review the three types of metaphorical expressions experienced by the

students: direct analogies, personal analogies, and compressed conflicts.
Explain to the students that today in science we are going to learn a new
concept using these three types of metaphors.

Instructional Sequence and Activities including use of technology

Includes all essential aspects of strategy, demonstrating clear understanding of how to use the strategy.
The procedures are well-scripted and very clear.
Technology is utilized efficiently, seamlessly, and creatively
Fact Finding: The students will work independently to list all of the facts and
obtained from the leveled readers on the water cycle (evaporation,
condensation, and precipitation). The students will record facts on their graphic
organizer. The students will look to describe evaporation, condensation and
precipitation. Each student will pair up with another student (with a different
leveled reader) to compare their fact findings water cycle (evaporation,
condensation, and precipitation). Then as a class, the students will discuss their
findings. To conclude the fact finding activity, the teacher will introduce the
Water Cycle Song. Students may add more facts to their organizer after
hearing the song.
Direct Analogy: The students will compare the water cycle to a roller-coaster.
In groups of 2-3, the students will record their comparisons on the graphic
organizer. The students will also record their comparisons on Padlet.
Personal Analogy: The students will pretend they are a water droplet going
through the water cycle. They will choose a phase of the water cycle

(evaporation, perception, and condensation). They will record their answers to

the following questions independently.
How are you formed? How do you feel during the process?
How do you feel when you are transition to another cycle?
How do you feel when the temperature change?
The students will write a short story, poem or song about their life as a water
droplet. Students may complete their assignment on the iPad using the story
maker app or iMovie app.
Compressed Conflict: Students will brainstorm antonyms that describe one of
the three phases of water cycle (evaporation, perception, and condensation)
and/or the process in which they are formed in order to create compressed
conflict phrases.
Synthesis Activity: Students will generate another direct analogy by
completing the following sentence: The water cycle is like ________. Give at
least 5 reasons why the water cycle is like the item in your sentence.

Assessment Strategies
Assessment is all of these: aligned to the essential question(s), includes either informal or formal assessment
of student learning, and any assessment tools or questions used are included
Teacher observation of paired and group work
Completion of organizers
Synthesis Activity

Differentiation
Lesson is clearly differentiated for gifted learners by use of one or more of the following: acceleration, extensions, enrichment,
tiered activities.
Lesson incorporates concepts, principles, cognitive skills, and methodologies that can be transferred across disciplines.
Activities require students to analyze, synthesize, and/or evaluate.

Leveled readers for the information on the water cycle.

Intervention: The students can create another direct analogy to help make
the connections. Together as a group, the students can help to answer the
question.
Extension: Assign a story starter: For example, What would happen if water
did do go through the water cycle? Think about our quality of life, how would
we grow food, how would the earths surface look and feel?
Materials/Links/Text References/Resources - Thorough

References:

Silver, H. F., Strong, R. W., & Perini, M. J. (2007). The Strategic Teacher (pp.
207-215). Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum
Development.
Materials:
Leveled Readers on Water Cycle
Compressed Conflict
Synthesis Activity Organizer