Download Clouds in the Sky

Clouds in the Sky
Stacy Doyon
Grade Level: 1st Grade, Earth and Space Science
Date Presented: 4/8/08
Objectives
Length of Lesson: 45 min.
Students will:
1. Be able to answer “What makes a Cloud?”or “How do clouds form?”
2. Demonstrate how clouds form through writing steps of the experiment and
drawing a detailed diagram.
3. Through writing express what the atmosphere needs to form clouds in essay
form.
4. Show they are flexible by: readily changing what they think and show a
willingness to consider alternative ideas.
5. Show evidence of being curious by: exploring things and asking
questions examining things carefully.
GLE Standard
ESS1 (K-2) –5 Students demonstrate an understanding of processes
and change over time within earth systems by … 5a observing, recording,
and summarizing local weather data. 5b observe how clouds are
related to forms of precipitation (e.g., rain, sleet, snow).
National Science
Education Standards
CONTENT STANDARD D: all students should develop an understanding
of Properties of earth materials, Objects in the sky, and Changes in earth and
sky.
Instructional
Materials &
Resources
BTS 2, 3
Weather Chart
“I Notice / I Wonder” Chart
Clear plastic bottle
Hot water (1”)
Match
Black Construction Paper
Bag of Ice
Cloud Worksheet
Paper and Pencil
Instructional
Activities &
Tasks
Opening:
Each morning during meeting time students collect data about the days’ weather.
I will save the weather chart for the end of the morning meeting. This will allow
me to dive right into our science lesson. Today to capture the student’s interest I
will have them probe deeper into the days’ weather. I will ask “What is the
weather like today?” I will try to pick a day that is either cloudy or partly cloudy.
If the child responds that it is a sunny day I’ll ask “Do you notice anything else
about the sky?” I’ll try to lead them to it being partly sunny with clouds. I will
call on a student to tell me and color a square on the graph what the weather is
today. I will say to the class “Today we are going to investigate and learn more
about today’s weather.” I will ask the students “What do we already know about
weather?” I will write their response on the board. I will explain how we are
going outside to make observations about what we “Notice” in the sky and what
we might “Wonder”. I will ask the students to get their jackets on so we can go
outside and investigate today’s weather even more.
Development:
1. While we are outside I will write down the student’s responses to what
they “Notice” and “Wonder”. BTS 5,6
2. I will ask the students to look up in the sky and tell me what they see. I
will reflect back to them their responses by saying using the words “I
Notice” or “I Wonder”. I will try to direct the students to focus on the
clouds in the sky and the temperature outside. I will try to lead the
students to “Wonder” how clouds form in the sky. After completing our
chart I will bring the students back inside. BTS 5,6
3. When we come back inside I will ask the students if they remember what
they “Noticed” or “Wondered”, I will write their responses on large paper.
I will also have the notes I wrote down from outside to help along with the
discussion. I will go back over our observations with the students by
reading the “I Notice / I wonder” Chart. After reading the chart I will say
and write on the board that today’s big question is “What makes a Cloud?”
4. First I will provide the students with some background knowledge by
explaining through drawing a diagram on the board how a cloud is formed
in the sky. I will explain that air contains water; water in the air near the
ground is usually in the form of an invisible gas called water vapor.
Water vapor is all around us. When warm air rises, it expands and
cools. Cool air can't hold as much water vapor as warm air, so some of
the vapor condenses onto tiny pieces of dust that are floating in the air
and forms a tiny droplet around each dust particle. When billions of
these droplets come together they become a visible cloud. BTS 5,6
.
5. I will then tell them “We are going to make a cloud today by using these
materials.” (hot water, match, bag of ice, and plastic bottle). I will
instruct the students to first write the materials we will be using under the
materials list on their worksheet. Then I will instruct the students to write
each step of the experiment on their worksheet as I conduct the
experiment.
6. I will ask the students first to tell me what is in the empty bottle. After the
students answer that there is air in the bottle, I will remind them that the
air in the bottle contains water that is an invisible gas. I will then say
“The first step is place 1” of hot water in the bottle.” , “The second step
is to light a match.” , “The third step is to cover the top of the bottle
with the bag of ice.” After I have completed the experiment I will
explain to the students that the bottom of the bottle has warm air from
the water. And the air at the top of the bottle is colder because of the
bag of ice. The match gave off dust particles inside the bottle. As the
dust particles floated toward the top of the bottle the water droplets
from the bottom clung on. As the warm water and dust particles floated
upward the water and dust particles moved closer together. As the
particles move closer together it forms a cloud when can see. BTS 5,6
7. I will ask the students to draw and label a picture of the experiment in the
box on the worksheet.
Closing:
1. To make meaning to the students I will tell them “Clouds form when
warm air rises up and mixes with cold air in the sky making the water
droplets come together which forms a cloud.
2. I will recap to the students what the atmosphere needs for a cloud to form
(warm air, water, dust particles, and cold air). I will write the key words on
the board (water vapor, dust, cool air, rises, droplets, cloud). I will give
each student “A Cloud…” and ask them to write what they learned using
the key words on the board in complete sentences. Once they have
finished writing they will cut out the cloud and I will hang them from the
ceiling. At the end of the lesson I will have the students gather on the rug
to read, It looked like spilt milk.
Assessment
BTS 8
Formative Assessments (Informal) – Observational Assessment – I will assess
the student’s ability write each step of the experiment, list materials used in the
experiment, and draw and label a picture of the experiment. BTS 9
Summative Assessments (Formal) – Essay Assessment- I will assess the
student’s understanding of cloud formation by having them write in complete
sentences what they know about clouds using the key words on the board, the
steps in the experiment, and the diagram. “A Cloud…” Students must have 80%
accuracy to show understanding of content. BTS 9
Learner
Factors
This lesson accommodates individual differences in approaches to learning
through visuals, drawings/diagrams, and writing about the experiment. Also
by placing keywords on the board to help students express their ideas through
writing.
Enrichment opportunities that will be provided to the students will be further
experimentation on clouds and weather.
Plans for remediation will be discuss with students how to predict weather by
looking at the clouds, the different kinds of clouds, and the types of
precipitation that comes from clouds.
Environmental
Factors
Reflection
BTS 3,4
No changes are needed in the classroom for instruction.
Upon completion of the lesson – reflect upon the following questions, but
include them in your original plan, as well.
1. How effective was the lesson plan?
2. Was the pace of the lesson appropriate?
3. Did we call on a number of different students?
4. Did we implement effective classroom management strategies?
5. Did we support students who needed it in order to help them to be
successfu1?
6. Were all students actively involved in the learning process?
7. How well did we facilitate this?
8. Were we able to maintain student interest throughout the lesson?
9. Were the materials of interest to the students?
10. What was effective about our teaching?
11. What would we change next time we use this plan?
12. What areas of teaching do we feel need work?
13. Did the students meet the objectives? What did they learn?
What BTS are addressed through the process of reflection