Lesson Plan
STRUCTURED DISCOVERY LESSON PLAN FORMAT
Types of Clouds
Elementary Science
_____________________________________________________________________________
Big Idea: Clouds
Grade Level: 5th Grade (could be 4th grade too)
Rationale: Students need to understand what clouds are and the different types of clouds so they can better understand what it is that they see in the sky. When students learn about various clouds and their formations, they can better understand weather patterns. Understanding clouds and their formations is a basic building block for furthering knowledge on environmental science.
NC Essential Standard(s): 5.E.1 Understand weather patterns and phenomena, making connections to the weather in a particular place and time. 5.E.1.3 Explain how global patterns such as the jet stream and water currents influence local weather in measurable terms such as temperature, wind direction and speed, and precipitation.
National Science Education Content Standards Reference:
Clouds,formed by the condensation of water vapor,affect weather and climate.
Instructional Objective: After a powerpoint presentation is showed to students on the subject of the clouds in the atmosphere, stratus, cumulus, and cirrus, student will be able to illustrate their understanding on the three studied clouds through creating a pictorial representation of each of the clouds with cotton balls. Students mastery will be met if the student accurately depicts each cloud accurately and states three accurate facts on each of the cloud types.
Prerequisite knowledge and skills: Students will already know what clouds are made up of and when they form. The teacher should know how clouds form and when they do so. Additionally, the teacher should have already watched the cloud videos and understand the differences between the three types of clouds, stratus, cumulus, and cirrus.
Materials/Resources:
· Cotton Balls
· Glue
· Construction Paper
· Markers
· Student Science Textbook
· Book for read aloud
· Cloud Video: http://www.watchknowlearn.org/Video.aspx?VideoID=19624&CategoryID=5559
Source of your lesson: Classroom, Elementary School Teacher
Estimated Time: 50 Minutes
Accommodation for Special Needs/different learning styles:
Students with a physical handicap will work with either the teacher or a group of peers so that they can create the pictorial representation of the different cloud types. Students with learning disabilities may work closely, in a more structured learning environment to better gain insight on the lesson. The powerpoint presentation will additionally be provided to students with learning deficits so that they may have a hands-on, learning visual to connect with. Finally, visual aids (like the powerpoint presentation) will be provided for ESL students, in their native language.
Safety considerations:
To make sure that students are safe during this activity, it will be important for students to follow directions and carry out procedures as directed. For example when students are creating the pictorial representations of clouds with cotton balls, the cotton balls are to be used for the purpose of creating the pictorial representations, only. Additionally, the glue should be used for the purpose of gluing objects together.
______________________________________________________________________________
Content and Strategies (Procedure)
Engage:
Visuals of interesting cloud pictures will be shown. To activate prior knowledge and engage student participation, the following questions will be posed?
· What are clouds made up of?
-Expected Student Response: Water Droplets or Ice Crystals
· When do clouds form?
- Expected Student Response: When the air cools and water vapor condenses around dust or other particles
· What is a cloud at ground level?
- Expected Student Response: Fog
Explore:
Following the student responses, the class will travel outside to the soccer field. As students are outside on the soccer field, they are to look up at the sky. While looking up at the sky, students are to record on the attached worksheet, their observations on what they see in the sky. Are to draw a picture of the cloud that they see and write down observations they notice. Students are to then later reference this observation worksheet during the explanation part of this lesson. During the explanation part of the lesson, students will be able to better identify the type of clouds that they saw outside based on their recorded observations.
Picture of the Sky.docx
Explanation:
With the aid of the Powerpoint attached, explain to students the three types of clouds that they are going to focus on during this lesson, stratus, cumulus, and cirrus clouds.
Types of Clouds.pptx
1. "Stratus clouds are the clouds in the sky that are spread out in a layer. Have you ever looked up at the sky and noticed that the clouds above you almost look like rippled stones? (Yes.) When the clouds in the sky form in this way, the clouds are known to be stratus clouds. Stratus clouds look spread out in a layer and are blanket-like."
2. "Cumulus clouds are puffy and appear to additionally be fluffy. Have you ever drawn a picture of a cloud and you outlined it to appear fluffy like a pillow? (Yes/No.)
If so, you have drawn a cumulus cloud. Cumulus clouds are many clouds on top of each other."
3. "Cirrus clouds are wispy curls across the sky. Have you ever looked up at the sky and seen thread-like white marks? (Yes/No.) These clouds are at very high altitudes, and in turn create feather-like shapes."
Show the following video:
http://www.watchknowlearn.org/Video.aspx?VideoID=19624&CategoryID=5559
Show students video of clouds changing due to weather patterns, and ask the following questions:
· What types of clouds were shown in the video?
-Expected Student Response: "I recognized the stratus/cumulus/cirrus clouds."
· How were clouds from one part of the video different from another?
-Expected Student Response: "Some clouds were clumpy and together while others were spread and thinner."
Elaborate:
Students will each receive cotton balls, glue, a marker, and construction paper. The student is to divide the paper into 3 regions. Each region should include the name of one of the various cloud types, three facts, and a created pictorial representation with cotton balls. Student facts can be found in their science text books or referenced from the Powerpoint presented in the classroom.
Evaluate:
Students will be assessed based on if they create a pictorial representation of the listed cloud name with accuracy. Additionally, student mastery of the lesson will be made known if at the least 2/3 facts for each cloud type are correctly listed. This is a formative assessment to help identify if more instruction on cloud types is needed, or if students have mastered the content of the lesson.
Closure:
Finish the lesson with a finial discussion on observations and inferences that students made throughout the lesson to identify the various types of clouds and their formations. Have a student explain to the class why it is important to know different cloud types. Students may respond stating that different cloud types allow for us to predict what kind of weather we may be experiencing or soon to be experiencing.
Have students brainstorm some testable questions for homework, such as:
· Is there a connection between what clouds look like and what kind of weather they may be experiencing?
· Challenge students to make a prediction about the weather based on the clouds that they saw today outside.
Types of Clouds
Elementary Science
_____________________________________________________________________________
Big Idea: Clouds
Grade Level: 5th Grade (could be 4th grade too)
Rationale: Students need to understand what clouds are and the different types of clouds so they can better understand what it is that they see in the sky. When students learn about various clouds and their formations, they can better understand weather patterns. Understanding clouds and their formations is a basic building block for furthering knowledge on environmental science.
NC Essential Standard(s): 5.E.1 Understand weather patterns and phenomena, making connections to the weather in a particular place and time. 5.E.1.3 Explain how global patterns such as the jet stream and water currents influence local weather in measurable terms such as temperature, wind direction and speed, and precipitation.
National Science Education Content Standards Reference:
Clouds,formed by the condensation of water vapor,affect weather and climate.
Instructional Objective: After a powerpoint presentation is showed to students on the subject of the clouds in the atmosphere, stratus, cumulus, and cirrus, student will be able to illustrate their understanding on the three studied clouds through creating a pictorial representation of each of the clouds with cotton balls. Students mastery will be met if the student accurately depicts each cloud accurately and states three accurate facts on each of the cloud types.
Prerequisite knowledge and skills: Students will already know what clouds are made up of and when they form. The teacher should know how clouds form and when they do so. Additionally, the teacher should have already watched the cloud videos and understand the differences between the three types of clouds, stratus, cumulus, and cirrus.
Materials/Resources:
· Cotton Balls
· Glue
· Construction Paper
· Markers
· Student Science Textbook
· Book for read aloud
· Cloud Video: http://www.watchknowlearn.org/Video.aspx?VideoID=19624&CategoryID=5559
Source of your lesson: Classroom, Elementary School Teacher
Estimated Time: 50 Minutes
Accommodation for Special Needs/different learning styles:
Students with a physical handicap will work with either the teacher or a group of peers so that they can create the pictorial representation of the different cloud types. Students with learning disabilities may work closely, in a more structured learning environment to better gain insight on the lesson. The powerpoint presentation will additionally be provided to students with learning deficits so that they may have a hands-on, learning visual to connect with. Finally, visual aids (like the powerpoint presentation) will be provided for ESL students, in their native language.
Safety considerations:
To make sure that students are safe during this activity, it will be important for students to follow directions and carry out procedures as directed. For example when students are creating the pictorial representations of clouds with cotton balls, the cotton balls are to be used for the purpose of creating the pictorial representations, only. Additionally, the glue should be used for the purpose of gluing objects together.
______________________________________________________________________________
Content and Strategies (Procedure)
Engage:
Visuals of interesting cloud pictures will be shown. To activate prior knowledge and engage student participation, the following questions will be posed?
· What are clouds made up of?
-Expected Student Response: Water Droplets or Ice Crystals
· When do clouds form?
- Expected Student Response: When the air cools and water vapor condenses around dust or other particles
· What is a cloud at ground level?
- Expected Student Response: Fog
Explore:
Following the student responses, the class will travel outside to the soccer field. As students are outside on the soccer field, they are to look up at the sky. While looking up at the sky, students are to record on the attached worksheet, their observations on what they see in the sky. Are to draw a picture of the cloud that they see and write down observations they notice. Students are to then later reference this observation worksheet during the explanation part of this lesson. During the explanation part of the lesson, students will be able to better identify the type of clouds that they saw outside based on their recorded observations.
Picture of the Sky.docx
Explanation:
With the aid of the Powerpoint attached, explain to students the three types of clouds that they are going to focus on during this lesson, stratus, cumulus, and cirrus clouds.
Types of Clouds.pptx
1. "Stratus clouds are the clouds in the sky that are spread out in a layer. Have you ever looked up at the sky and noticed that the clouds above you almost look like rippled stones? (Yes.) When the clouds in the sky form in this way, the clouds are known to be stratus clouds. Stratus clouds look spread out in a layer and are blanket-like."
2. "Cumulus clouds are puffy and appear to additionally be fluffy. Have you ever drawn a picture of a cloud and you outlined it to appear fluffy like a pillow? (Yes/No.)
If so, you have drawn a cumulus cloud. Cumulus clouds are many clouds on top of each other."
3. "Cirrus clouds are wispy curls across the sky. Have you ever looked up at the sky and seen thread-like white marks? (Yes/No.) These clouds are at very high altitudes, and in turn create feather-like shapes."
Show the following video:
http://www.watchknowlearn.org/Video.aspx?VideoID=19624&CategoryID=5559
Show students video of clouds changing due to weather patterns, and ask the following questions:
· What types of clouds were shown in the video?
-Expected Student Response: "I recognized the stratus/cumulus/cirrus clouds."
· How were clouds from one part of the video different from another?
-Expected Student Response: "Some clouds were clumpy and together while others were spread and thinner."
Elaborate:
Students will each receive cotton balls, glue, a marker, and construction paper. The student is to divide the paper into 3 regions. Each region should include the name of one of the various cloud types, three facts, and a created pictorial representation with cotton balls. Student facts can be found in their science text books or referenced from the Powerpoint presented in the classroom.
Evaluate:
Students will be assessed based on if they create a pictorial representation of the listed cloud name with accuracy. Additionally, student mastery of the lesson will be made known if at the least 2/3 facts for each cloud type are correctly listed. This is a formative assessment to help identify if more instruction on cloud types is needed, or if students have mastered the content of the lesson.
Closure:
Finish the lesson with a finial discussion on observations and inferences that students made throughout the lesson to identify the various types of clouds and their formations. Have a student explain to the class why it is important to know different cloud types. Students may respond stating that different cloud types allow for us to predict what kind of weather we may be experiencing or soon to be experiencing.
Have students brainstorm some testable questions for homework, such as:
· Is there a connection between what clouds look like and what kind of weather they may be experiencing?
· Challenge students to make a prediction about the weather based on the clouds that they saw today outside.