THE CLAFLIN IMPERATIVE PREPARING STDUENTS FOR LEADERSHIP AND SERVICE IN A MULTICULTURAL, GLOBAL AND TECHNOLOGICAL SOCIETY

Claflin University School of Education - - - EDUC 450 Reflective Lesson Plan Model Name: Ms. Aubriaunna Bodrick PART I: PLANNING Title of Lesson The Three Types of Clouds (Day 3 of 5 Day Unit)
Is this lesson original idea? If not, from what source did I borrow this lesson?

Date: February 24, 2012

Source Subject Area (s) Grade Level

SC State Curriculum Standards/Support Documents Science 4th Grade Standard 4-4: The student will demonstrate an understanding of weather patterns and phenomena. Indicator 4-4.2: Classify clouds according to their three basic types (cumulus, cirrus, and stratus) and summarize how clouds form.
What will students experience during the lesson? What is the content to be taught?

Curriculum Standards

Description and Background Information

During this lesson, students will (experience):

ENGAGE in a discussion about the three basic types of clouds and then a cloud illusion guessing game. An anticipation guide on previously learned material will be given before the formerly stated activties as a reinforcer of lessons previously taught. EXPLORE cloud formations through an art activity (blot art), as well as the similarities and differences between poerty and music (cloud poems and learning of song). EXPLAIN newly learned concepts in their own words and how they relate to previously learned material. EVALUATE their learning experience by answering open-ended questions by using evidence and previously accepted explanations.

Content to be Taught: A cloud is made up of tiny water droplets and/or ice crystals. How a cloud forms: All air contains water, but near the ground it is usually in the form of an invisible gas called water vapor. 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.

Stratus (meaning "stretched out") clouds are made up of low layers of clouds that usually cover the whole sky and block out the sun. These clouds bring gray days, steady rains, snow, or very cloudy days. Cumulus (meaning "heap") clouds are the large clouds that sometimes look like huge puffs of cotton balls. Often called fair-weather clouds, cumulus clouds are common on sunny days, when the sun heats the land. Cumulus clouds grow upward and can develop into giant cumulonimbus clouds, which are thunderstorm clouds. Cirrus (meaning "curl") clouds are very high, wispy clouds made entirely of crystals of ice. Even in the summer, cirrus clouds are made of ice because it is cold high above Earth. Cirrus generally occurs in fair weather and point in the direction of air movement. The prefix-nimbo (nimbus) refers to precipitation.

What will I need to teach this lesson? What do students need to participate?

Materials

To teach this lesson, I will need: Starboard, Laptop, & Internet Connection It Looked Like Spilt Milk by Charles G. Shaw Teacher-Made Cloud Illusions PowerPoint Blue Construction Paper White Tempura Paint To participate in this lesson, students will need: Science Journals Pencil Blue Construction Paper White Tempura Paint Lyrics to The Three Types of Clouds (Song)
What will students be able to do at the conclusion of this lesson?

Lesson Objectives

At the conclusion of this lesson, students will be able to classify clouds according to their three basic types and list all of the characteristics of each.
How will I vary these objectives for students who do not understand the material?

Students will work in small groups so they may master the objective of this lesson.

Varying Objectives for Individuals Needs

How will I vary these objectives for students who have already mastered the concept?

All activities during this lesson are activities that all students can participate in because they reinforce what it is students already know. If a student who has already mastered the concept finishes early, he/she may visit Study Island on the computer to practice these same skills (or practice entire weather unit).
How will I vary these objectives for students who are presently learning English?

There are no students who are presently learning English.

Part II: IMPLEMENTATION

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Pre-assessment

How will I find out what students already know about this topic?

To find out what students already know about this topic, students will have to get up out of their seats and move around. In the room, there are three large carpet areas. Each of these areas will represent one of the three types of clouds. To see what students know, I will make statements (call out facts) about each of the three clouds. Once I make a statement, students are to walk to the area rug representing the cloud they believe I am talking about.
What will I do to make a connection between students and this lesson?

Motivation

Talk about sky gazing on nice, sunny days and all of the different cloud shapes/formations we see in the sky. Read the book It Looked Like Split Milk, play a cloud illusion guessing game, and have students create their own cloud formations with paint. Play music and have students learn a song (to the instrumental of Soulja Boy Pretty Boy Swag- students love this song)!

What will I say to explain the importance of learning this lesson?

Statement of Purpose

To explain to students the importance of learning this lesson, I will say that learning about clouds is just as important as learning about how to collect weather data using weather instruments. This is true because each cloud is a predictor of weather and meteorologists use clouds, just as they use weather instruments to forecast weather conditions/patterns.
What will I do to show students what is expected?

Teacher Modeling or Demonstration

To show students what is expected, I will: Read the book, It Looked Like Split Milk (students will create their very own cloud book with blot art) Model blot art activity so students know exactly what to do when they get their materials. Model cloud poetry activity so students know the exact format their poem should be in. Hold conversation with students about the similarities between poetry and music.
What will we do together as they learn how to succeed at the new task?

Guided Practice

Cloud Blot Art Students will create blot-art clouds using white tempura paint. Once they have created a shape, they must identify what their cloud looks like. Once artwork has dried, students will write on their construction paper, Sometimes it looked like a ___________.But it wasnt a __________.
What will I ask to know if students understand so far? What techniques or strategies will be used to determine if students understand so far?

Checking for Understanding

Cloud Poetry Students will use descriptive words to create a cloud poem that follows the format below. Rough drafts will be written

in science journals so I can check before final drafts are published. Final drafts will go on cloud writing paper. TITLE/FIRST LINE: name of cloud SECOND LINE: three adjectives that describe the cloud THIRD LINE: three verbs related to the cloud FOURTH LINE: a phrase that tells about the cloud FIFTH LINE: name of a cloud or synonym (5 Lines Total) This activity will let me know exactly what students know about the clouds (a particular cloud of their choice) because it forces them to know the characteristics of each. I will walk around and monitor student progress.

What will students do to internalize the knowledge?

Independent Practice

Learning of the Song The Three Types of Clouds Students will be split into three groups. Each group will be responsible for learning a verse (3 verses total). Once students have been split into groups, they are to work quietly by themselves to study their part.
What will students do to demonstrate what they have learned?

Assessment (attach to lesson plan)

There will be no formal assessment. Students cloud poetry will be used as an informal assessment for this particular lesson. A formal assessment will be given Friday (attached).
How will I conclude the lesson and relate it to future experiences?

Closure

Review of Focus Question: What are the characteristics of the three basic types of clouds? Singing of the Cloud Song- students will stop studying the lyrics to the song independently and come together with their group to practice singing together.

Extension Activities

What can students do at home or in the classroom to apply the knowledge or skills? How could you use your colleagues or community agencies to improve student performance?

At home, students can keep at sky watch journal and take note of all of the different cloud formations they see. Drawing pictures to go along with these notes would be great, but if students have access to a camera, that would be even better. They can create a photo album of cloud shapes/formations. At home, students could work to create their own song lyrics about the clouds. To pull in my colleagues from school, I could have someone from the Mass Comm. Depatment come out and record students performing The Three Types of Clouds. They could edit the recording in order to create a real music video. Students would be very excited about having their own music video! To pull in community agencies, I could schedule for a meteorologist from the local news station to come in and talk to students about clouds further and the role clouds play in predicting the weather.

How is technology meaningful to this lesson?

Technology

Technology will be utilized throughout the implementation of this lesson. The Starboard, Laptop, and internet will used.
How could this lesson connect other content area across the curriculum?

Connection Across the Curriculum

Already a science lesson, here are some other ways this lesson connected to (or could connect to) other content areas: English Language Arts- Read aloud and Cloud Poetry Math- Cloud Altitudes- How many feet above ground are these clouds? Social Studies- To tie in SS, students could explore geographical landforms such as mountains (particulary Mount Everest, which is known as the Land in the Clouds) and talk about how the altitudes of such landforms relate to the altitude of clouds. The Arts- Cloud Blot Art and Singing of Cloud Song Physical Education- As an extension activity for this particular lesson, students could have partcipated in a lesson called Cloud Dance- where students go outside, lay down and look at cloud formations. When thay are finished cloud gazing, students can use their bodies to create and change into different cloud formations, as well as travel just as clouds do. Health Education- What kinds of healthy foods can we eat that remind us of clouds?

PART III: REFLECTION

Describe the strengths of my instructional techniques, strategies and classroom management. Describe the strengths of student engagement.

Strengths

Some of the strengths of my lesson include: The pre-assessment at the beginning of the lesson went very well. Students were very much involved- they really enjoyed being up and out of their seats and having the opportunity to move around the room during instruction. Blot-Art activity went very well. Students were very excited about using paint to create their very own cloud formations. The Cloud Song- perfect touch to my lesson. Got the students moving all over again. When my lesson was done for the day, I could see how excited students were about learning! It was written all over their faces as they walked out the door singing to the tune of my song.
Describe the weaknesses of my instructional techniques, strategies and classroom management. Describe the weaknesses of student engagement.

Weaknesses

Some of the weaknesses of my lesson include: The only weakness I can pinpoint during this lesson was my not being prepared to deal with the mess that would be caused by the paint. I should have brought newspaper to spread across student desks so that paint would not smear all over their work area. When students finished the activity, we had to take extra time to clean up.

What specifically can I do to improve?

Suggestions for Improvement

I can do the following things to improve: Try not to overplan as much. I get so excited about teaching concepts in fun ways and do not think about the amount of time allotted. Continue to use fun activities that get students up and moving. Activities as such appeal to students who are kinesthetic learners, as well as everyone else! Be prepared for any and everything- when I plan experimental activities that involve things other than pencils and paper, have the necessary materials available to clean up after the students (students can clean up after themselves).
Revised 1-2012

Three Types of Clouds

(Sung to the Tune of Soulja Boys Pretty Boy Swag)

Verse 1 There are 3 types of clouds/ stratus, cumulus, cirrus clouds/ everybody pay attention/ cause this right here is the stratus cloud/ Im usually a flat layer of low clouds/ and if you didnt know I guess you bout to know now/ when you see me get inside in a hurry/ likely to cause light rain, drizzle, or flurries/ you thought the sky was blue/ Ill make it gray/ gray clouds in the sky rain all day/ I have many forms that you may know/ I could be the cause of rain, fog, or even snow Verse 2 There are 3 types of clouds/ stratus, cumulus, cirrus clouds/everybody pay attention/ cause this right here is the cumulus cloud/ Im usually white clouds/ not dark at all/ when you see me I may look like floating cotton balls/ I have flat bottoms and Im usually round/ look up in the sky/ Im far from the ground/ Im composed of tiny water droplets/ if I grow tall I bring rain you cant stop it/ if you heard Im fluffy /that is true/ Im usually seen in fair weather/ when the sky is blue Verse 3 There are 3 types of clouds/ stratus, cumulus, cirrus clouds/ everybody pay attention/ cause this right here is the cirrus cloud/ My clouds are usually thin and wispy/ try to pronounce my name/ its kind of tricky/ I move across the sky/ from west to east/ likely to point to fair weather thatll bring you peace/ my clouds are feathery/ the highest in the sky/ reaching above 18,000 feet/ yeah thats high/ Im composed of crystals of ice/ I could appear anywhere when the weathers nice. Outro There are 3 types of clouds/ stratus, cumulus, cirrus clouds/ now did everybody pay attention/ cause those right there were the three types of clouds

CLOUD BLOT ART- 4TH GRADE STANDARD 4-4.2 Classify clouds according to their three basic types (cumulus, cirrus, and stratus) and summarize how clouds form. After reading Charles G. Shaws It Looked Like Spilt Milk, students created these masterpieces.

SPOTLIGHT ON STUDENT WORK