Instructional Software

Lesson Idea Name: All About the Water Cycle!

Content Area: Science
Grade Level(s): 4th Grade

Content Standard Addressed: S4E3. Obtain, evaluate, and communicate information to demonstrate the
water cycle
a. Plan and carry out investigations to observe the flow of energy in water as it changes states from
solid (ice) to liquid (water) to gas (water vapor) and changes from gas to liquid to solid.
b. Develop models to illustrate multiple pathways water may take during the water cycle (evaporation,
condensation, and precipitation).

Technology Standard Addressed: 3- Knowledge Constructor

Selected Technology Tool: BrainPop.com

URL(s) to support the lesson (if applicable): https://www.brainpop.com/science/weather/watercycle/

Type of Instructional Software:

☐ Drill and Practice ☒ Tutorial ☐ Simulation ☐ Instructional Game ☐ e-books/e-references

Features of this software (check all that apply):

☐ Assessment Monitoring/Reporting
☐ Allows teacher to create customized lessons for students
☒ Multi-user or collaborative functions with others in the class
☐ Multi-user or collaborative with others outside the class
☒ Accessible to students beyond the school day
☒ Accessible via mobile devices
☒ Multiple languages
☒ Safety, security and/or privacy features

Bloom’s Taxonomy Level(s):

☒ Remembering ☒ Understanding ☒ Applying ☐ Analyzing ☐ Evaluating ☒ Creating

Levels of Technology Integration (LoTi Level):

☐ Level 1: Awareness ☐ Level 2: Exploration ☐ Level 3: Infusion ☒ Level 4: Integration
☐ Level 5: Expansion ☐ Level 6: Refinement

Universal Design for Learning (UDL): The library of videos available to students on BrainPop.com could
greatly benefit students in their academic success by both tending to ELL students’ needs by providing videos
for students to view in multiple different languages and by providing closed caption services for students who
have auditory impairments. In addition, BrainPop also includes options to pause and rewind videos so that
students are able to catch every piece of important information in the video. All of these opportunities will
allow for students to gain a great understanding of the content being taught and introduced in the classroom.

Lesson idea implementation: The Water Cycle video on BrainPop will be used to help introduce the students
to the topic of the Water Cycle. The teacher will start out the lesson with a discussion about water and how it

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moves around the world. Students will be encouraged to provide any information they know about water and
its different purposes and forms, such as rain, snow, hail, etc. After watching the video, students will divide
into groups and begin researching the water cycle in greater depth in order to further their learning. Each
group will be given a plastic box with a piece of cling wrap, a clay mountain and water and they will be
instructed on how to model the water cycle in the box. Students will model their mountain, pour water into
the box to represent the ocean, and they will be given a lamp, a petri dish with ice cubes in it, and they will
take pictures and put information about what they observed into a PowerPoint presentation as they observe
what happens.

This task is estimated to take about 2-3 class periods out of the week. The students will observe that the lamp
will act as the sun, it will heat up the water in the “ocean,” causing evaporation and condensation to occur at
the top of the box on the cling wrap. After enough condensation has formed it will eventually begin to rain
inside of the box, representing precipitation. After they have taken their pictures and completed their
PowerPoint presentations, they will present them to the class to see how everyone’s Water Cycle model
worked and to compare it with their own.

Reflective Practice: I feel that because this lesson is so hands-on, the students will enjoy learning about the
water cycle, as opposed to just learning about it through listening to a teacher talking about it. I could further
extend this lesson by having an expert on the water cycle into the classroom to help them gain a better
perspective on why we learn about it in school, and it’s important role that it plays here on Earth.

Spring 2018_SJB