Name: Amy MacDonald

Grade

Unit Strand

Subtopic

Understanding Earth and Water Systems

Space Systems

Lesson
Clouds and the water
cycle

Overview, Expectations and Rationale

Big Ideas:
Water exists in many physical states on our planet, which are all part of the water cycle.
Being able to identify clouds can aid in predicting the weather.
Ministry Expectations:
Overall expectations

Specific expectations

Demonstrate
an
understanding
of
the 3.1 identify the various states of water on the
characteristics of the earths water systems and
earths surface, their distribution, relative amounts,
the influence of water systems on a specific region. and circulation, and the conditions under which
they exist (e.g., water is a solid in glaciers, snow,
and polar ice-caps; a liquid in oceans, lakes, rivers,
and aquifers; and a gas in the atmosphere)
Student Learning Goals:
State the Learning goals and objectives for this lesson. What do you want students to learn and do
during this lesson? Use student friendly language.
By the end of this lesson, students should
understand the cycle that water goes through to become a cloud
be able to look at a cloud and name it
have an idea of what clouds bring good weather and what clouds mean bad weather is coming
Prior Knowledge:
State or identify what prior knowledge that students are expected to have in order to be engaged in this
lesson. Use the elementary Ministry documents and/or earlier segments of topics/concepts/skill sets
that may have been introduced previously in the course.
Students should be able to identify a liquid, solid and gas.
Assessment Strategies:
List the possible assessment strategies that will be incorporated into your lesson.
Re-enactment (skit) of the water cycle
Memory game to match cloud photos with names

Summary Chart for Lesson

**Add rows in the appropriate part of the lesson plan**
Time
(min)
5
10
5
10

15

7
15

What the teacher will do

Intro to today's lesson and schedule. Where can we
find water?
Instruct students to take turns reading each stage of the
water cycle out loud
After each section of the water cycle, ask students
what physical state the water is in.
Place a sheet indicating one stage of the water cycle in
each corner of the room. Ask students to act as water
molecules and follow the appropriate steps (in order)
of the water cycle. Encourage them to act out what the
water molecule would be doing at that time.
Verbally label each student either hydrogen or oxygen
(giving out twice as many hydrogens as oxygens) and
ask the class to make water molecule groups (groups
of 3, one oxygen and two hydrogens) and sit with their
group.
Write meanings of Latin words on board (A). Using a
table (B) and the Latin words, ask students for help in
filling in the names of the clouds.
Using the table, discuss which clouds tend to predict
bad weather.
Using smart board, display photos of clouds and ask
students to name them using the filled-in table.
Memory Game.

What students will do

Support materials,
supplies & equipment

Listen
Take turns reading out
loud
Raise hands to answer

Move themselves through

the water cycle by visiting
each corner in the
appropriate order while
acting out that stage of the
cycle.
Interact to find the
missing parts of their
water molecule and sit
together.

Raise hands to offer

possible answers.

Raise hands to answer.

In groups, match cloud
3
photos to cloud names.
Discuss with group about
which name goes to which
cloud and if that cloud
will predict good or bad

weather.
5

Summarize today's lesson: If when you go home,

someone asks you what you learned in this class today,
what will you tell them?

Student "Chalkboard" Notes:

What will you "put on the board" during this lesson? What will students have in their notes? Use a lettering system to link
these notes with the appropriate parts of the lesson in the Summary Chart. Insert these letters in the What the teacher will
do column

A. Stratus = flat, cumulus = fluffy, alto = medium, cirrus = high, nimbus = rain
B.
Flat

Fluffy

Low

Stratus

Cumulus

Medium

Altostratus

Altocumulus

High

Cirrostratus

Cirrocumulus

Others: Cirrus, Stratocumulus, Cumulonimbus

Classroom Ready Materials:

What needs to be ready to use in the classroom? Use a numbering system to link each appendix with the appropriate parts
of the lesson Summary Chart. Insert these numbers in the Classroom ready support materials column. Handouts, activity
worksheets, BLMs, and overheads are examples to include here.

1. A hand out sheet with a description of each stage of the water cycle.
2. 4 sheets of paper, each with a different stage of the water cycle.
3. A set of cloud photos and a set of cloud names that correspond.

Teacher Notes:
More detailed instructions about how to complete each activity, any necessary background information, notes to self, safety
considerations, additional prompting questions.

Memory Game:
Give each group of students a set of cloud photos and corresponding names. Have the students lay
them all out face down. Each student in the group will have an opportunity to turn over one cloud
photo and one name. As a group, they can then discuss if the two are a match. If they are, they set the
match aside either in a 'good weather' pile or a 'bad weather' pile. If not, they flip them both back over
and the next student has an opportunity to try to find a match. Continue until all cloud photos are
matched with a name. Walk around the room while the students are doing this activity to ensure
students are matching correctly. Coach to the correct match if necessary.

Accommodations:
Ensure class can be split into groups of three to use water molecule groups. Could also split into groups
of 4 by labeling each student with a stage of the water cycle and asking them to make one full cycle.
Maximum group numbers should be 4 to encourage each student to participate in Memory Game
discussions.