I.

LESSON TITLE
The Water Cycle
II. GRADE LEVEL
Second Grade
III. SUBJECT
Science
IV. OBJECTIVE OF LESSON
1. What are the states of matter?
2. What happens to water when it heats up?
3. What happens to water vapor in the atmosphere?
4. What is precipitation?
5. What happens to precipitation?
6. Identify and describe each step of the water cycle.
7. How can we care for our water?

NH State Standards:
S:ESS1:2:7.1 Recognize that water can be a liquid or a solid; and explain that it can be made to
change from one state to the other, but the amount (mass) of water always remains the same in
either state.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.2.2
Write informative/explanatory texts in which they introduce a topic, use facts and definitions to
develop points, and provide a concluding statement or section.
R:IT:2:1.1: Obtaining information, from text features (e.g., simple table of contents, glossary,
charts, graphs, diagrams, or illustrations)
R:IT:2:1.3: Locating and recording information to show understanding, when given an
organizational format (e.g., T-chart or Venn diagram)
R:B:2:2.2: Participating in discussions about text, ideas, and student writing by offering
comments and supporting evidence, recommending books and other materials, and responding to
the comments and recommendations of peers, librarians, teachers, and others
ISTE NETS Standards:
1. Creativity and Innovation
Students demonstrate creative thinking, construct knowledge, and develop innovative products
and processes using technology.

3. Research and Information Fluency

Students apply digital tools to gather, evaluate and use information.
4. Critical thinking, problem solving and decision making
Students use critical thinking skills to plan and conduct research, manage projects, solve
problems, and make informed decisions using appropriate digital tools and resources.
V. FRAMING THE LESSON/BIG IDEAS
I will ask students if they had ever thought about where all the water goes after it rains? I
will ask them to think about what they thought the clouds were made up of. I will ask if
anyone can remember what a solid, liquid or a gas was.
Objective: We will identify and discuss the parts of the water cycle and how they fit together.
Closing Task: I will write a paragraph describing a journey through the water cycle as a raindrop,
using key words I learned.
VI. MATERIALS NEEDED
Ipads with Internet access
Internet access for the Storyjumper book The Water Cycle
Internet access for Brain Pop Jr. video of The Water Cycle using the user name and
password provided by the school:
https://jr.brainpop.com/science/weather/watercycle/
Internet access for interactive activity
http://studyjams.scholastic.com/studyjams/jams/science/ecosystems/water-cycle.htm
Computers with Google Apps for Education
Internet access for Artpad at artpad.art.com
Paper, crayons
Word wall
KWL charts for each student
Legos station set up with blocks labeled as condensation, evaporation, precipitation
and runoff

VII.
ACTIVATOR
Teacher will activate background knowledge by reading the online book called The Water Cycle
found http://www.storyjumper.com/book/index/13169272/The-water-cycle#page/22. We will use
the smartboard to read this book aloud. After a discussion of the book and what it is about, we
will fill out a KWL Chart together. We will discuss the prior ideas of the states of matter.

Teacher will engage students by playing the Brain Pop Jr. movie of The Water Cycle. We have a
discussion based on the following questions:

VIII. ACTIVITIES
As a class, we will create a word wall with the following key words: evaporate, water vapor,
atmosphere, condensation, precipitation, runoff and conserve.
There will be 3 groups of students. Each group will be working on one of the following
areas.
1. Technology area (online using ipads-about 20 minutes)- In partners, students will watch
Brain Pop Jr. movie on The Water Cycle and do the quiz online. They will also do the
interactive activity on the Scholastic Studyjams.
2. Foldable Water Cycle area (offline; face-to-face-about 15-20 minutes; online-can refer
back to the Brain pop movie for help with the key words on their foldable product)-

students will use the words Condensation, Precipitation, Runoff, and Evaporation to
create a foldable model of the water cycle. Show students an example of what is
expected. They will get their information for this activity from the word wall we created
earlier in the lesson and from the Brain Pop explanations.

Image Source

VIIII. CHECK FOR UNDERSTANDING

I will be checking for understanding throughout the lesson. In the technology time, I will
look at the quizs to see if they understood the material. I will also be using formative
assessments throughout the lesson to see who understands the ideas presented. More
specifically, I will use my anecdotal note cards to record observations on students. I will also
ask students to rate their understanding. I will have students hold up fingers 0-5. (5 being that
they understand everything about the water cycle and 0 being that they really do not
understand what we are doing).
X. CLOSURE
Students will have a choice to wither make an animation or diagram/paragraph about the water
cycle. Using the lego station, create a lego model with your group of the water cycle using the
blocks labeled condensation, evaporation, precipitation and runoff. Using Stop Motion
Animation, students will create an animation explaining the Water Cycle. Use YouTube video as
an example. Students will upload this to the Google Classroom to share with their peers.

Image Source
OR
Students will write a paragraph about what they have learned using at least 4 words from the
word wall. The instructions are to imagine you are a raindrop. Write about your journey
through the water cycle. Students will type this into their Google app for education and save
it to their account. This will take about 30 minutes using the computer. Using Artpad
(artpad.art.com) students will make a diagram of the water cycle. They will take this diagram
and upload it into their Google account with the paragraph they wrote on the water cycle.
This will take about an hour online using a computer, as students must draw, label and upload
their drawing to Google.
XI. SUMMATIVE ASSESSMENT
Their final products will uploaded and found in their Google account and be composed of
either the animation or the diagram/paragraph about the water cycle.
Animation or Digital Drawing/Paragraph of The Water Cycle

CATEGORY

Phases of the Cycle

All 4 main parts

of the water cycle
are visible; 4 main
parts of the cycle
are labeled
correctly with
arrows - Title is
included

3 main parts of
the cycle are
visible and
labeled correctly
with arrows Title is included May be a minor
error with an
arrow

2 main parts of
the cycle are
visible and
labeled correctly Title is included May be errors
with the arrows

1 or no parts
of the cycle
are visible or
labeled

Creativity of
Diagram or
Animation

The diagram is
colored and the
words are written
neatly

The diagram is
colored, though
the coloring or
writing may be a
bit messy.

The diagram is
colored, though
the coloring or
writing may be
messy OR poster
coloring looks
unfinished

The diagram
is in black
and white
and/or the
writing is
illegible.

Water Cycle
Explanations

I explained why
each phase of the
water cycle is
important. I
explained how
each phase in the
water cycle is
connected

I explained why I listed the phases

each phase of the of the water cycle
water cycle is
important I did
not explain that
the phases are
connected

Rain Drop
Perspective

The essay was

Most of the essay
written like I was was written like I
a rain drop talking was the rain
drop. Sometimes
I forgot

I forgot to write
I did not
my essay from the write an
perspective of a
essay
rain drop

Finished Product

I have a neat,
organized finished
product in my
Google Account

I have a product
in my Google
Account but it is
not finished

I have a finished
product in my
Google Account
but it could be
organized better

I did not talk

about the
water cycle
in my essay

I have not
uploaded
anything into
my Google
Account