Lesson+Plan

Lesson Plan **Title:** **CLOUDS** **Subject:** Science **Author:** Alexandra Goode-McDaniel **Grade Level:** Second **Overview:** Students will be exposed to the different types of clouds that exist in Earth’s atmosphere. They will observe clouds on a daily basis for one week and keep track of them in a cloud calendar. They will also explore how water changes. We will begin the lesson on Monday by experimenting with water in an open and closed container, to show how water evaporates.

Objectives:  For students to be aware that there are different types of clouds that form under different circumstances and that water changes form through a cycle. At the end of the lesson students should be able to identify the different types of clouds based on their appearance and characteristics.

Materials Needed:
 *  two containers
 * water
 * computer with internet access
 * notebook paper
 * poster board
 * colored pencils or markers or crayons

Starting on Monday we will begin this section. First we will experiment by placing water in two containers one closed and one opened. Prior to that we will have a class discussion, I will start by asking the class where they think rain comes from and how it is made/ formed. I will then tell them we will have a little experiment watching water in two containers. Students will make predictions on what they think will happen to the water. Then I will conduct the experiment in front of the class for all students to see. After the water in the closed container evaporates I will explain how the water in the closed container transformed from a liquid to a gas through a process called evaporation. The water was absorbed into the atmosphere. Water that evaporates will return to the earth in the form of rain or snow. Throughout the week students will participate in various activities to educate them on the clouds. On the Student Activities page you can find a detailed outline of the activities for each day and assignments that will be due.
 * Activities and Procedures: **

Assessment : At the end of the unit student will take a test on clouds. They will be asked to match the cloud to the cloud's definition as well as to draw certain clouds.They will also be asked about certain defining characteristics of each cloud. They will be asked a few questions about the water cycle, such as how water returns to the earth after evaporation. The main focus however is on clouds. Also student will draw the clouds they had observed each day. They will be given a half sized poster board, already divided into fifths for the five days of the week. The students will use their cloud calender to look back at what they had recorded and draw the appropriate cloud for the appropriate day. On the day before the tests students will present their finish project to the class. This will also help serve as a review for the test. The CLOUD POSTERs will be due on MONDAY the the 22nd.The last day of observations is FRIDAY. We will make our observations in the morning and students will have the day to work on their posters. Students may take the posters home to complete them if they need. Then on MONDAY students will present their finished posters to the class. After everyone has presented their posters the class will take the test. The test should be taken on Monday at the end of the day. Students should be given at least 45 minutes to take the test. **The posters will be worth 25 points** 10= Presentation, neat and colorful, correct spelling and sentence structure.. 20= Information, students identify the correct cloud for the each day (4 points a day) and describe its characteristics and qualities correctly. 5= Students incorporate information about the water cycle, even if it does not rain during any observations they correctly identify what clouds are most likely to result in rain. **The test will also be worth 25 points** Each question will be worth 1 point. Students will have multiple choice as well as matching questions. Then students will be asked to draw specific clouds. There should be 3 cloud drawings leaving the remaining 22 questions to be multiple choice or matching. Some questions will be taken from the first and third websites students will visit on Tuesday that offers a quiz ( Weather Watch as well as Brain Pop). The main focus should be on characteristics of different types of clouds, what they look like, where they are in the sky, what kind of weather they are associated with. There should be a few questions incorporated that focus on the water cycle, but that should not be the main focus. Students will also receive credit for the work they do throughout the week such as the CLOUD CALENDAR, the web they create on dabble draw, and they will be graded on completion so their hard work is not ignored. However the test and poster will be used as the main measuring tool for how well they have grasped the concept of clouds.

Standards:
 *  SC.2.E.7.1 Compare and describe changing patterns in nature that repeat themselves, such as weather conditions including temperature and precipitation, day to day and season to season.
 * SC.2.E.7 Humans continue to explore the interactions among water, air, and land. Air and water are in constant motion that results in changing conditions that can be observed over time.
 * SC.2.P.9 A. Matter can undergo a variety of changes. B. Matter can be changed physically or chemically.
 * <span style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Arial; letter-spacing: 0px; margin-bottom: 12px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">SC.2.E.7.3 Investigate, observe and describe how water left in an open container disappears (evaporates), but water in a closed container does not disappear (evaporate).