Summary of Lessons

In the Changes in Weather Unit, the lessons are specifically thought out and designed for

every type of learner. The teacher is going beyond just “telling,” and having the students actively

and eagerly involved in each lesson. Connections are made throughout the unit by relating the

weather back to the concept of change. On the first day of the unit, the teacher will introduce the

idea of change by having the students participate in “Silent Conversations,” where they will

connect change to their life and also begin to think about change related to weather. This will set

the foundation for the following days of instruction. In order to highlight these connections to

change throughout the unit, they are highlighted in blue.

To connect the content every day, the teacher will create a “Weather Wall” in the

classroom. This will serve as a visual aid as they learn about the concept of change and how it is

interwoven into weather. Throughout the lessons, the teacher will create organizers and models

to incorporate on the wall, as well as displaying student work and examples of changes in the

water cycle, cloud formation, and different weather phenomena. The “Weather Wall” will also

assist the students in reviewing the material each day. To highlight the bridges throughout

lessons, they are highlighted in green.

In order to promote learning throughout the unit, the students are given hands-on practice

opportunities to explore the content. As the teacher is presenting the content in a fun and

interactive way, the students are creating foldables and completing graphic organizers, in which

they guided along with their note taking. For practice, the students get to take that knowledge

and explore more in depth while applying the content to change and everyday situations. The

teacher will provide questions to assist the students while they are learning in order to check for

understanding as well as challenge the students to reach a higher level of cognitive development.

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To close out the Changes in Weather unit, the students will complete a culminating

activity where they role-play as the meteorologist. This incorporates a variety of learning styles

as well as applying the knowledge and content from the unit. In conclusion, the teaching,

practice, and assessments provided in these lessons were created to encompass every learning

style as well as to challenge every student to their highest level of learning.

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Design for Learning                   Instructor: Tabitha Whitacre and Harper ParkeyGrade Level/Cooperating Teacher: 3rd gradeLesson Title: Introducing Change                                         Date: Unit Day OneCurriculum Area: Science                                  Estimated Time: 40 minutes

Standards Connection: 12.) Identify conditions that result in specific weather phenomena, including thunderstorms, tornadoes, and hurricanes.•  Identifying cloud types associated with specific weather patterns

Learning Objective(s): When given a journal prompt, students will respond to how change in weather has affected change in their lives and they will be assessed according to a teacher made rubric.

Learning Objective(s) stated in “kid-friendly” language: Today boys and girls we will be talking about changes. One of the biggest things in our life that changes daily is weather. We will begin to learn today why the weather changes so often!

Evaluation of Learning Objective(s): When given their journals, students will respond to the prompt “How does change in weather affect change in your life.” with a one paragraph response that includes an example. Students will be graded according to a teacher made rubric and will be considered proficient if they receive a six out of six in order to be considered proficient.

Proficient (2) Partial (1) Incomplete (0)Paragraph Response Students wrote at least

4 sentences about weather and change.

Students wrote only 2-3 sentences about weather and change

Students wrote only 1 sentence about weather and change, or it was one giant incomplete thought with no punctuation.

Mentions Weather The student talks about weather phenomena in their life and gives an example.

Student mentions weather but does not give any examples that help connect the writing to the prompt.

Student does not mention weather.

Connects weather to change

The student connects the weather phenomena to change

The student mentions weather phenomena but does not state how

The student does not mention change in their life or weather.

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in their life. it has affected him/her in his/her life.

Engagement:Teacher will bring in a microwave to the class for the day. Students will gather around the microwave for the discrepant event. For the discrepant event, the teacher will microwave a bar of ivory soap. After a period of time, the soap will begin to form into a puffy cloud like formation. This will begin the conversation about change. Good morning boys and girls! Today we are going to get to start with a fun discrepant event! Everyone come to the carpet and get in a place where you can see the microwave. Can anyone tell me what I have in my hand right now? That’s right it’s a bar of soap! What all can we do with a bar of soap? Yes, we can wash our hands, clean our body, and so much more! What happens to soap after you use it for a while though? It gets smaller, you’re absolutely right! So does soap change? Yes it does! Lot’s of things in our life change! We are going to do something completely different with the soap today though. I am going to place this soap in the microwave and let’s see what happens. Teacher will then microwave the soap until the change occurs. The soap should become a puffy cloud like consistency. Whoa!!! What a cool experiment! Let’s head back to our tables, so we can talk more about this cool experiment.  Teacher will then use this moment to transition into teaching about the concept of change.

Learning Design:

I.  Teaching: Teacher will begin by asking students if the soap changed. She will then discuss what change means with the class to set up background knowledge. She will ask several questions about change, refer back to the event, and finally make connections to change in students’ lives. Ok class, so what happened to the soap when I put it in the microwave? Yes, it changed into a cloud! I love the way you said it changed. How do you know that it changed? Yes, it became something else. So when something changes in our life what does that mean? It’ means it’s new or different than it was before, wonderful answer! Is anyone willing to maybe share about ways they have experienced change in their life? Teacher will allow time for students to share personal experiences about change. Most children will probably talk about moving, changing schools, getting a new sibling, painting their room, etc. If the students leave things out the teacher can prompt them about different ideas. Those are all wonderful examples of change in your own life. Sometimes change can be difficult, but sometimes change is a good thing. Believe it or not, we experience change every single day. Can you guys brainstorm ways that we change every single day? Turn and talk with your neighbor and then each partner group can share one way in which we experience change daily. Teacher will allow time for students to collaborate and share. Answers should include we grow, the weather changes, the temperature changes, the sky light changes, etc. The teacher can continue to prompt or explore answers when necessary. Very good examples class! Change is a unique thing. Sometimes change is so big that it really affects our lives. When we move or go to a new school that is a really big change and it takes some adjustment. Sometimes, change is so small though or so normal that we don’t even

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notice it. The change in daylight was a great example! The sun rises and sets everyday and the amount of daylight is constantly changing, but we are so used to it that we don’t even notice the change. That is a change that is just a normal part of our lives. What would happen if we didn’t change though? Would life be different if we didn’t change? Turn and talk with your neighbor for a moment about that. This is a really hard thinking question. Teacher will allow a moment for the students to collaborate about life without change. She will then ask the class to share about what life would be like. So what were some thoughts on not having change? Who thinks that no change would be good? Why do you think so? Who thinks that having change is a good thing? Why do you think so? Is change sometimes hard? Yes, we just talked about that, but sometimes change is a really good thing. Change is a really unique aspect about our world, and if we didn’t have change, life might get kind of boring. Something not boring though, is our discrepant event! Let’s think back to our discrepant event again. What happened to the soap? It changed! Yes absolutely! What do you guys think about that change. Was it a big change or a small change. It was a big change yes, but some people think it is a small change. How was it a big change? It was drastically different looking you’re right. How was it a small change? Yes, it wasn’t nearly as big as a change in weather. Did that change in the soap affect our everyday life? No it was just a fun experiment to help us think about change. Well now, we are going to have a chance to explore change even further and participate in a silent conversation. Teacher will now use this time to transition into the opportunity for practice.

II. Opportunity for Practice: Teacher will set up four pieces of chart paper around the room. They will have a topic in the middle for the students to discuss in a “Silent Conversation.” The students will be divided up into groups and each will have a different a different color marker. The teacher will explain the guidelines to them and they will move to each station and discuss what is on the chart paper. They can add new thoughts, comment on others’ ideas, star or check ideas, and connect ideas to each other. This will give them the opportunity to think about different changes in their own life and in the environment around them. After each group has rotated to each station, they will go back to their first and see the conversation that took place. They will pull three main ideas and share with the rest of the class.  Alright boys and girls, today we are going to have a “Silent Conversation.” You will work in your Table Group, and each group will have a different color marker. You can see that there are four pieces of chart paper around the room. Each group will start at one station, and have a conversation with your peers on the topic in the center. You can add new ideas, comment on ideas, star or circle ideas, and make connections to different ideas. But, you cannot talk at all. You have to write everything you are thinking. When the time is up, each group will rotate to the next station. Here, you will read all the ideas and the conversation that is already posted and continue to add to the paper. You will rotate to each station, adding to the conversation in your specific color of marker. At the very end, you will make it back to your first station and read all the comments that have been made. You will pick three main ideas from your board to share with the class. Are there any questions? Ok, great! So Table Group #1, you will be blue and start at “Our Lives.” Group #2, you will be red and start at “Seasons.”  Group #3, you all green and will start at “Weather.” And Group #4, you will be purple and start at “School.” So everyone grab your marker and Groups 1 and 3 you all can head to your stations. And Groups 2 and 4, you may also head there now. Just remember, no talking - you are having a Silent Conversation. The teacher will walk around the room to facilitate and make sure they are all participating and not talking. She will

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take notes on different things that they are thinking and writing. After 3-5 minutes, she will have them switch stations and rotate to the next. When they finally get back to their first station, they will share with the class three main ideas. Alright, is everyone back to their first station? I want you guys to take a look at the conversation that took place after you left that station and pick out three main things or ideas that you think are interesting to share with the class. The teacher will have each station share. After that they will go back to their seats for their Assessment. Wow, those are great conversations that you all had about change! Tomorrow when you guys get to class, we will start a new unit about weather. We will have a weather wall and we will add these conversations to the weather wall! It’ll be so great. For now though, let’s head back to our seats, and we are going to journal about change.

III. Assessment: Teacher will have students sit back down at their desks and pull out their science reflection journals. They will respond to the prompt “How have changes in the weather caused changes in your life.” She can prompt them with ideas and then she will request that they write one good paragraph in response (4-5 sentences). Ok class, you all had wonderful conversations about change in your lives! We are now going to take our our science response journals and get to write about change in our lives. Your prompt today is “How has change in the weather affected change in your life?” I know for me sometimes bad weather affects what I can do outside, or different types of weather make me happy or sad, or even different seasons mean different vacations. You all have lots of different life experiences, so tell me in one good paragraph how the change in weather has affected change in your life. Remember that a good paragraph is how many sentences? Four to five very good class! When you are finished you may illustrate your journal in your free time.

IV. Closure: The teacher will discuss with the class what they learned today regarding change. They will discuss the discrepant event, their silent conversations, and their journal prompts. For closure, the teacher will ask if change is always seen. This will allow the students to begin thinking about things that you might not see, but that are always changing (including the Water Cycle.) Class, great job today! We learned a lot about change didn’t we? Who can tell me what our Discrepant Event was about? Yes! The ivory soap changing. And what did we talk about during our silent conversations? Yes, our lives, and things around us that change. What is one thing you wrote in your journal today regarding weather and change in your life? A few students will share what they wrote. Wow, yes those are all great ideas and connections!  As we close today’s lesson, I want to ask you a question that you might have to think about for a while before you can come up with an answer. The question is, ‘Is change always seen?’ Think about what might change around us, that we do not see or notice. The teacher will call on one or two students with ideas of change that they might not see. Yes, those are great ideas! Tomorrow we are going to talk about something that is constantly changing, but we might not even see or notice it throughout our day-to-day lives. I hope you all are excited about tomorrow! Great job today boys and girls!!

Materials and Resources: Soap

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Microwave Student pencils Chart Paper Different color markers Journals Journal prompt

Differentiation Strategies (including plans for individual learners):

H: Students will analyze what could potentially happen in our world if there were no change.

ELL: Instead of connecting the journal to weather, discuss any changes in your everyday life.

Data Analysis:

Reflection:

Samford UniversityDesign for Learning

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Example of opportunity for practice

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Design for Learning Instructor: Tabitha Whitacre and Harper ParkeyGrade Level/Cooperating Teacher: 3rd gradeLesson Title: The water cycle! An In-Depth Look Date: Day TwoCurriculum Area: Science Estimated Time: 75 minutes Standards Connection: 12.) Identify conditions that result in specific weather phenomena, including thunderstorms, tornadoes, and hurricanes.• Identifying cloud types associated with specific weather patterns Learning Objective(s): When given a plastic bag, students will accurately create and draw the water cycle and will be assessed according to a teacher made rubric. Learning Objective(s) stated in “kid-friendly” language: Today boys and girls we will be exploring the water cycle! By the end of the day, you will know the water cycle well enough to create our own here in the classroom!

Evaluation of Learning Objective(s): Students will be given a Ziploc bag, and they will draw the water cycle with all four stages (evaporation, condensation, precipitation, and accumulation.) The students will be considered proficient if they receive a four on the teacher made rubric. The class will be putting the bags on the window, so they can watch the water cycle take place over the unit.

Proficient (2) Partial (1) Incomplete (0)Draws the water cycle Student draws the water

cycle accurately.Student draws the water cycle but leaves out one or more parts.

Student does not draw a diagram that has any resemblance of the water cycle.

Labels the water cycle Student labels all four parts of the water cycle accurately.

Students mislabel 1-2 parts of the water cycle or 1-2 parts are not labeled.

Students mislabel 3+ parts of the water cycle or 3+ parts are missing.

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Engagement:Teacher will begin by asking students to form a line. Once they form the line she will ask them if they can identify the start and end of the line. They should be able to identify that depending on which end you start on, one end is the starting point and one end is the stopping point. The teacher will then ask the students to form a circle. She will then ask if there is a starting point to the circle. When students have different answers, she will then explore the idea of a stopping point. She will prompt them with different starting and stopping points in the circle to see that you can have a beginning or an end anywhere, unlike a line which the beginning and end is clearly defined. Soon they will begin to understand that a line has a beginning and end but a circle does not begin or end at any one point. From there she will introduce the idea of a cycle. She will define a cycle as something that is continually in motion without stopping. She will then connect cycles back to change and emphasize the idea that something in a cycle is constantly changing. From there she will ask everyone to sit down. Good morning class! I hope everyone has had a good day so far! To start off our lesson today I want everyone to stand up and come over here to the front of the room. I want everyone to hold hands so we can form one big line. Wonderful, it doesn’t matter where you stand just as long as we are all shoulder-to-shoulder. Ok now, who can tell me where the starting point is? Ok you think that this end is the starting point. Some people think that the other end is the starting point. Let’s explore that. Jason you said that the starting point is on this side. If that’s true where is the end? Very good on the other side! Now Caleb you said this side was the starting point, so where is your end point? The opposite side as well good job! Now class are they both right? Yes they are both right! Technically you can start at either end just as long as you include everyone in between! Now let’s get out of our line and form a circle instead. Everyone can still hold hands, it’s OK! This looks great! Now who can tell me where our circle starts? It starts with the teacher? Why doesn’t it start with John or why can’t the circle start with Amy? Well, we seem a bit stumped on that, is there an ending point to our circle? Who would be the last person? Well technically anybody could be the last person depending on where we start, you’re so right! So if technically we could start anywhere and end anywhere does that mean we have any starting or stopping point? No we don’t have a beginning or an end. That is what makes a circle so special. It continues to go around and around without ever stopping. A line stops, but a circle never does. In life we call something that is continually going in a circle to be called a cycle. Can you say that with me? A cycle! Awesome. So a cycle is something that is constantly changing, repeating, and never ending. Everyone can head back to your seats now. Learning Design: I. Teaching: Teacher will explore the idea of a cycle a little further. Once the students understand that a cycle is always changing and never ending she will give the definition of a water cycle. She will ask students where they can find water. She will then ask them what happens to water when it gets heated up. That will allow her to introduce the idea of evaporation.

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After introducing evaporation and water vapor, she will ask where the water vapor goes. That will allow her to introduce condensation. With condensation they can talk about clouds, and when clouds get too heavy it rains. That will allow the teacher to introduce precipitation. Then the teacher will ask where the water goes from there. She will make it evident that the water goes right back to the water sources that were talked about earlier, and that is accumulation. Along the way the students will consistently be filling in the graphic organizer with terms and definitions. Then she will reiterate the fact that the next step would be evaporation and the process is a never-ending cycle. They will end the discussion by doing movements to reinforce the four stages of the water cycle. Let’s take a second to look at what the word cycle means. On the board I am going to draw an example of a cycle. My cycle says 1 - 2 - 3 and the arrows tell me to keep going around and around. So if I am following this cycle, what will I say over and over and over again? 1-2-3-1-2-3-1-2-3 and so on and so forth forever and ever! Exactly! Well in nature things are constantly changing right? Yes! We talked about that yesterday during our silent conversations. If you will look over to the side of the room, you will see our new weather wall!! On our weather wall, we have our silent conversations from yesterday, and today we are going to add to it during our lesson! It’ll be super exciting! So like we were saying, yesterday we talked about the seasons changing and the weather changing. But do you know why the weather changes? It is actually because in nature there is change that is not always seen! We have what is called the water cycle. The water cycle is the continuous movement of water on, above, or below the Earth’s surface. So where does this occur? It occurs ON, ABOVE, and BELOW the surface of the earth very good! The water cycle looks like this. Teacher will then show the class a diagram of the water cycle. Ok so where do you see water on the Earth? Very good it is in lakes, rivers, streams, puddles, pools, oceans! Awesome! The most water in on Earth is in the oceans. Have you ever watched your mom boil a pot of water or maybe you’ve had a really hot bubble bath? Yeah? Well what happens when water gets really hot? It gets steamy absolutely! When it steams up it is no longer considered water anymore, but instead it is water vapor. So when the sun warms the ocean what do you think happens? It gets hot and the water turns into water vapor you’re right! This process of water turning into water vapor is called evaporation. Everyone say that with me: evaporation! Awesome. Evaporation is shown here on our diagram. Let’s put that in the blank on your graphic organizer and we will add this to our weather wall. Teacher will add a sun and an arrow for evaporation to the weather wall. The teacher will model for students. Can anyone explain to me again what evaporation is? It is when water gets heated up and turns into water vapor, yes very good! Now what do you think happens to that water vapor? Does it just melt back into the ocean when it gets cooled off? Sometimes it does, but a lot of the time the water vapor floats up high into the sky and it cools off there. When water vapor cools off in the sky, it turns back into water droplets. Where do those water droplets go do you think? They fall back down as rain? That’s a good guess, but what do we have to have before it rains? Clouds!! Yes, great job! When water evaporates it turns into water vapor, but when the water vapor goes up into the sky it cools off and goes through a process called condensation. Everyone say that with me: condensation! Awesome. Condensation is when water vapor condenses back into a liquid to form clouds. Let’s put this next term on our graphic organizer. It

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will go right here up at the top and we can write the definition on the side. While you guys are doing that we can add this to our weather wall too. Teacher will add clouds and the term evaporation to the weather wall. The teacher will model for students. Wonderful job class! So far we have evaporation and condensation on our weather wall. So have you ever looked up into the sky and seen different clouds making different shapes? Yes, clouds come in all shapes and sizes, but what makes them different sizes is the fact that some clouds have more water vapor than others. When clouds are really small and wispy they do not have a lot of water vapor, but when they are really big and puffy there is lots of water in the cloud. How cool! Now, let’s think about something else for a second. Imagine you are carrying a heavy stack of books. After a long time do your arms sometimes get tired? If I kept adding books until it got too heavy, what would you eventually do? You would have to set the books down or you might even drop the books! Well if we go back to our water cycle diagram, that is what happens to clouds when they get too heavy. They have to drop all of their water, which we know is what?? RAIN!! Of course! When clouds get too heavy they bring the water back down to the ground in a process called precipitation. This will go on the far left hand blank on our graphic organizer. Let’s fill in that blank with the word precipitation and we can add the definition to the side. Teacher will model for students. We also need to add precipitation to our water cycle. I will put an arrow going down from the cloud to the river and we can label it precipitation. Where does the water go when it rains though? It goes right back to the puddles, streams, rivers, lakes and oceans! You’re right!! This process of water collecting again is called accumulation. That’ll be our final term on our graphic organizer. Let’s fill that in. Teacher will model for students and give them time to write. Awesome, I see most of you have that in your graphic organizer, so I will add our last term accumulation to the weather wall as well. Now we have all four terms on our wall. What is this process called again? The water cycle very good!! And what do we know about cycles? Do they ever end? No they don’t have a starting or stopping point. So when the water is back in the ocean, what would be the next step? Evaporation! If we look at our diagram the water cycle is the continuous movement of water on above and below the Earth’s surface! Does everyone see that now? Let’s take a second to review the steps a few more times. Water starts in the ocean but who can raise their hand and tell me where the water goes next? It gets heated up and undergoes evaporation yes, very good. Now when it evaporates what happens? Yes water vapor but what else where does the water vapor go? It goes into the sky to form clouds, which is called?? Condensation very good! Condensation is what? Forming clouds, very good! And when does the process change? When it gets heavy it rains so its turned into precipitation. Awesome! And what would be the next step? Accumulation again! Great job guys!! So our cycle is evaporation, condensation, precipitation, and accumulation. And a cycle never stops does it? No it doesn’t just like we talked about change yesterday, we are always changing and water is always changing too. That is why it is called the water CYCLE, because water is constantly moving and changing into different forms just like we in life are constantly growing, changing, and learning more! Let’s take a little brain break and play a fun movement game to help us remember. If the teacher is water, I am going to start in my seat as accumulation. Then the sun heats me up, so I start to evaporate. I’ll stand up to show evaporation. I’ll keep reaching and reaching for the sky

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to show more condensation and when I can’t reach any higher I jump up and fall back down. Falling back down is precipitation so we just did the whole water cycle with our bodies. Let’s do that as a class. Accumulation we are sitting in our seats, evaporation is when the water is heating up so we slowly rise but the water is condensing and condensing as we rise and rise and jump!! Oh no we came back down as precipitation and now we are back in our seats as accumulation. Isn’t that so fun?! Let’s do it just a few more times for a brain break, but be sure to say our vocabulary words to practice while we do so!

II. Opportunity for Practice: The teacher will make slips of paper with real life examples of the water cycle. Students will work with a partner and they will draw a slip of paper from the bag. Each partner group must identify which stage of the water cycle the example would be in. They will draw a picture of the example/event on a piece of construction paper. Then they will identify the stage of the water cycle and write one sentence saying how they know. Ok boys and girls, now that we have taught each stage of the water cycle, we are going to practice with examples that might be in each stage! For example, if I said an ice cold drink on a hot summer day, what stage do you think that would be in? Yes! Condensation. So, you will have real life events just like that and you will have to tell us which stage it would be in. This is just to help us practice, so you all will work with a partner, and you all can brainstorm with your table group if you need to. Once you have figured out which stage it falls into, you will get a piece of construction paper and draw a picture of your example/event. You will identify and label which stage of the water cycle it is and write one sentence explaining how you know. So if mine was an ice cold drink on a hot summer day, how would I know that it is condensation? Yes, because water vapor on the outside of the drink is cooling down because of the ice and it is causing the vapor to change back into liquid. Does that make sense? Do you all have any questions? There are lots of different real life examples, and you can work with your partner to brainstorm about your specific one. And as always, I am always here to help you too! Once each partner group has drawn their event on a piece of construction paper, the teacher will ask the students to place these events/examples on the Water Cycle Wall. They will do this together as a class to review the material and each group will place theirs in the appropriate spot. This will help serve as a visual aid as well as a reference for future events. Alright, has everyone completed your drawing and explanation of your event? Perfect. Now, we are going to place each of our events onto our Water Cycle Wall. You see we have our silent conversation about Change on that wall too. As you all know, each stage of the Water Cycle is changing into the next. So as a class we are going to put our events onto our wall, so we can see all the things that can take place and change within the Water Cycle. All of the students will place their event on the wall as they discuss what example they had and why they placed it in the stage that they did. When you and your partner come up to the Wall, tell us what your event was, which stage of the water cycle it is in, and your explanation how you knew. And if you are not presenting, feel free to ask questions because I want everyone to feel confident with these events and examples. Students are allowed to ask questions and at the end, there will be many events on the wall. This will be used as a reference throughout the rest of

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the Unit. Great job! Now we have a visual aid to help us with specific examples of the Water Cycle! III. Assessment: The teacher will give each student a Ziploc bag. They will be required to draw the water cycle on the outside of the bag and include all four stages. Once the students have completed the drawing, and the teacher has assessed each student, they will fill the bags partially with water and will tape each bag strongly to the window. Alright, boys and girls, now that we have explored the water cycle, and what happens in each stage, we are going to create our own water cycle! I am going to give each of you a clear Ziploc bag, and using the four phases that we talked about today, you are going to draw the water cycle on the outside of the bag. You are going to show the cycle as a circle, and what is happening to the water in each stage. You must label each stage as well. Be sure to use your best handwriting because when we are finished, we are actually going to put water in the bag and tape the bags to the window so we can watch the Water Cycle take place! I know, isn’t that neat? Ok, when I give each of you a Ziploc bag and sharpie, you may begin drawing the water cycle. Remember that sharpie’s don’t erase, so think carefully about what you are drawing. You can draw it first on a scrap piece of paper if you need. When you complete your water cycle, bring it to me and I will check it before we put it on the window. Are there any questions? Great! You may begin when you receive your bag and sharpie. The teacher will walk around while the students are drawing on their bags and take notes on how they are doing. Once the students finish, they will bring the bags to the teacher and she will record how each student did. They will be graded according to a teacher made rubric. Once you have placed your bag on the window, you may go back to your seats and we have a special surprise to end the day! IV. Closure: Once every bag is placed on the windows, the students will be in their seats and the teacher will review the water cycle with them. They will go over each of the four stages, and review what they have learned about each. When they have adequately reviewed, the teacher will play the Water Cycle Rap Video for the students to watch and listen to. It will help them remember what they have learned in a fun and engaging way. Class, great job creating your Water Cycles today! I hope you are very eager to watch what happens to them over the next few days. To review the four phases, who can tell me one of them and what happens to the water in that phase? The teacher will call on a student who will answer about one phase. Wow, great job thinking about that stage in the Water Cycle! Who can tell me one other stage? The teacher will have the students answer about the rest of the phases. And there are two more, who can remember them? Yes, you guys are great at remembering these! Since you guys had such a great day, and the Water Cycle was so fun to learn about, we are going to watch a little video that will help reinforce everything we just talked about. The teacher will play the Water Cycle Rap Video (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i3NeMVBcXXU) for the students. After it is over, she will get them excited about learning the Water Cycle in relation to clouds for the next day. Haha, didn’t you love that video? Were you surprised that you knew most of what he was talking

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about? Well, tomorrow we are going to be learning how the Water Cycle helps produce different kinds of clouds! I am very proud of you for your hard work today! Great job! Materials and Resources:

● Diagram of water cycle to display on the board ● Graphic organizer from the previous day● Butcher paper for weather wall

● Clouds for wall● Sun for wall ● Arrows for wall● Vocabulary words for wall: precipitation, evaporation, condensation, and

accumulation.● Pencils● White board● Slips of paper with events/examples● Construction paper to draw and write about event/example● Crayons, markers, or colored pencils● Water Cycle Wall● Ziplock bags● Sharpie or expo marker● Internet access● Projector to play the video● Rap Video - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i3NeMVBcXXU● Puzzle for Lower Learners

Differentiation Strategies (including plans for individual learners): H: Students will choose an activity from the choice board. L: Students will work on the Water Cycle puzzle in order for them to understand the phases and how they change.

Choices:Day Two

Water CycleDuring opportunity for

practice, students will come up with their own

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event/example to explain part of the water cycle. They will

create the event, explain where it is in the Water Cycle,

and draw it in the Cycle.Think about our local area that we live in. Where does most

of the water come from? Create a map of our town and how the water cycle is actively working here. Be sure to talk

about all four phases.Compare and contrast our

environment with the environment of the ocean. The water cycle looks different in

each area, so explain the differences and say why. You will need one solid paragraph of information and you may

include drawings as well.

Data Analysis:

Reflection:

Samford UniversityDesign for Learning

Low-level learners Example Activity:

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Design for Learning                   Instructor: Tabitha Whitacre and Harper ParkeyGrade Level/Cooperating Teacher: 3rd gradeLesson Title: Do all clouds produce rain? – Exploring cloud types                     Date: Day ThreeCurriculum Area: Science                                  Estimated Time: 70 minutes

Standards Connection: 12.) Identify conditions that result in specific weather phenomena, including thunderstorms, tornadoes, and hurricanes.•  Identifying cloud types associated with specific weather patterns

Learning Objective(s): When given a graphic organizer, students will identify and draw each cloud type and describe the change in weather associated with that cloud according to the teacher made rubric.

Learning Objective(s) stated in “kid-friendly” language: Today boys and girls we are going to learn about different types of clouds. Did you know that each cloud is different and not all clouds produce rain? We are going to find out more about which clouds produce rain today!

Evaluation of Learning Objective(s): When given a graphic organizer with four spaces, students will identify and draw each cloud type and describe the change in weather associated with that cloud. The students will be considered proficient if they receive a 12 out of 12 on the teacher made rubric (See attached.)

Excellent(4)

Partial(3)

Incomplete(2)

Not Present (1)

Drawing Student accurately illustrated all four cloud types.

Student accurately illustrated 2-3 cloud types.

Student accurately illustrated 1 cloud type.

Student did not accurately illustrate any cloud types.

Name cloud type

Students named all four cloud types correctly.

Students named 2-3 cloud types correctly.

Student only named 1 cloud type correctly.

Student named no cloud types correctly.

Description Student wrote Student wrote Student wrote one Student did not

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of change in weather

one accurate sentence about change in weather for each cloud type.

one accurate sentence about change in weather for 2-3 cloud types.

accurate sentence about change in weather for only 1 cloud type.

write any accurate statements about cloud type.

Engagement: Teacher will begin with a discrepant event engagement activity. She will ask a few prompting questions about the water cycle and the different changes within. She will then put shaving cream in a clear glass that is full of water. She will ask if the cloud is producing any precipitation. Then she will add food coloring to the cloud until it becomes heavy enough to produce precipitation. She will then explore with the class what change occurred to make the cloud produce precipitation. The class will now understand that not all clouds mean rain and that there can be different types of clouds in the sky. Good morning class! Yesterday we had a great time learning about change and the water cycle! We can see our water cycle diagram on the weather wall! Can anyone remind me what part of the water cycle was cloud formation? Yes condensation. We also talked about what happens when clouds get too heavy; what was that stage of the water cycle? Precipitation absolutely!! Let’s take a second and look over here at our water cycle bags from yesterday. Do you see any clouds that have formed yet from the heat of the sun? I see a few and I see some drops falling down the side. What would that be? The water vapor at the top is condensation and the water falling down is precipitation. How cool that we get to see the water cycle in action!! Well today we are going to explore clouds more in depth. So my question for you today is do all clouds produce rain? We are going to get to explore that and learn more about clouds. Let’s first start by seeing how much water it takes to make a cloud rain. In my glass I am going to put some shaving cream on top of the water to represent a cloud. Right now is there anything happening? No it’s just sitting there. So does this cloud produce rain? No it doesn’t why does it not produce rain? Because it isn’t heavy enough. What will make it heavier? More liquid or more water vapor that has CONDENSED through condensation. Well, now I am going to take some food coloring and see how much liquid it takes before a cloud gets too heavy. Let’s see how much liquid it takes to make it too heavy by counting the number of drops until we see precipitation. Teacher will then add food coloring until the cloud becomes too heavy and starts to precipitate. How cool, so it took us that many number of drops until this cloud finally started to precipitate. So what change occurred to finally make this cloud precipitate? The amount of water changed and the cloud became too heavy. The water cycle is all about change and as our clouds change it helps propel the water cycle forward. Just now we learned that not all clouds produce rain, and today we are going to get to explore what different types of clouds there are and the different changes of weather associated with each cloud type. Let’s pull out our pencils and get started!

Learning Design:

I.  Teaching:

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Teacher will transition into the lesson by asking again if all clouds produce rain. Then she will explore that concept with the class by talking about four different cloud types: cumulus, cirrus, stratus, and cumulonimbus. They will begin the lesson by making their foldable to take notes. Once those are made the teacher will talk about each cloud type one by one. As she introduces each type, the students will have an opportunity to write each cloud type name, represent the cloud using cotton balls, and then finally write notes about each cloud type. The notes should include the type of weather associated with each cloud in order to communicate the idea of change in cloud is associated with change in weather. The teacher will have corresponding notes on the board on her own organizer. When they are finished, they will again explore the essential question asking if all clouds produce rain. So this morning I asked you if all clouds produce rain. From our discrepant event we decided that some clouds produce rain and some clouds don’t produce rain. Throughout learning today I want you to see if different clouds mean different changes in weather. You’re a scientist so you can come up with your own conclusions through research! Today we are going to be talking about four different types of clouds, so let’s make a special note taker to keep our thoughts organized. Everyone should have a really big piece of blue paper on their desks. I want you to fold the paper in half hamburger style and then open it back up. Once it is folded, then take each side and fold it in again like this to meet in the middle so our paper will be in fourths. Teacher will model for students. Now that we have done this, fold it one more time but this time we are going to fold it hotdog style. Great job! Once you have that raise it up so I can give you the thumbs up. Very good it looks like everyone has it! Now last thing we want to do is cut two little creases just like this. Don’t cut all the way though, just to the first little line. Very good! Ok so throughout the lesson today we are going to be writing on our foldable and we are going to get to draw the cloud type inside as well using cotton balls. It’ll be really fun but you have to be sure to pay attention to get the right notes ok? Wonderful! Let’s get started! The first clouds we are going to talk about today are called cumulus clouds. Cumulus clouds are what we normally think of when we think of clouds. They are white and puffy and they are piled high up in the sky. If you use your imagination these clouds can turn into different shapes and animals! So what I want us to do now is take our cotton balls and in the top left hand corner we will make a cloud with four or five fluffy cotton balls. It should look like this! When you are finished, open your foldable up and write the name of the cloud inside. What is the name of our cloud again? Cumulus that’s right! Teacher will allow adequate time before explaining more details about the cloud type. Ok so I see most everyone has finished that portion of the note taker. Now we can learn more about cumulus clouds! If I am taking notes on my teacher chart you should take notes inside your foldable as well. So what did we say cumulus clouds looked like? They are white and puffy clouds yes! In fact, the word cumulus means “heap or pile.” That might help you remember what clouds are cumulus clouds.  Do you usually see those clouds on a sunny day or on a rainy day? Usually you see those clouds more on a sunny day. They aren’t usually heavy enough to produce rain, but if they get larger they can turn into a new type of cloud that produces precipitation. Let’s take a second to see all the notes we took about cumulus clouds. They are white and puffy; they are piled high in the sky; they look like cotton balls; they usually don’t produce rain. Let’s be sure to add all those to our note takers right next to the name in this spot. I’ll give you a few minutes to do that. Ok wonderful now our second type of cloud also appears on a sunny day. This cloud is called a cirrus cloud. Cirrus clouds are thin wispy clouds that are very high up in the sky. In fact they are so high up in the sky that they are sometimes ice! Usually they indicate fair weather but rarely they can mean storms. I sometimes like to think of cirrus clouds looking like a strand of hair. I also have a silly joke to help you

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remember cirrus clouds you wanna hear it?? Ok, well my joke is: “I need a haircut, does anyone have a pair of cirrus?” Haha get it?! Cirrus clouds look like a strand of hair and cirrus sounds like scissors! So funny! Anyways, back to our learning. Let’s do our foldable now. What did we say this cloud was called? Cirrus! Let’s put that here. Now let’s write our notes to the right of it. Finally what did we say these look like? They are thin and wispy like a hair, yes! Let’s take a second to make those out of cotton balls! I’ll give you time to work. Ok so our third cloud type is Cumulonimbus. These are very tall dark clouds. You would see these on a very stormy day! Who knows why you might see these on a stormy day? Yes! Because these clouds indicate that a thunderstorm is on the way. These clouds can produce other types of dangerous weather too, which we will talk about tomorrow. I will give you a vocabulary word that will help us remember these Cumulonimbus clouds. We have already learned about Culumous clouds, and to add on to that “nimbus” means storm or rainstorm. So, you add cumulous, a heap or pile of puffy clouds, to nimbus, meaning storm or rainstorm, and it will help you remember that cumulonimbus clouds produce storms. Let’s transfer this information to our foldable now. What was the name of this cloud? Yes! Cumulonimbus! Let’s put that here. And what did we say these looked like? Yes, very tall dark clouds. So we can use our cotton balls to make our cumulonimbus clouds. Just put a ton of clouds bunched up in order to represent Cumulonimus. Very good! Now, onto our last cloud type! Our last cloud type is Stratus. This cloud is a flat layer of clouds that are low to the ground. They might even look like a thin grey blanket across the sky! Imagine taking one of your blankets and then laying it low in the sky. That is what Stratus clouds look like! Stratus can be flattened, spread out, or layers, just like our blanket image! What kind of precipitation do you think stratus clouds would bring? Yes! They often cause a change in our weather with rain or snow. Have you ever seen Stratus clouds in the sky? Yes, of course! Now, next time you see them you will be able to tell which cloud type it is! Let’s add our last cloud type to our foldable. You can write Stratus write here. And what did we say Stratus clouds looked like? Yes, a thin grey blanket across the sky. So with your cotton balls, you can stretch them out to create a blanket like cloud. Perfect! So now we have learned about all four types of clouds! So from learning about all four cloud types, what is your conclusion about all clouds producing rain? Do all clouds produce rain? Very good not all clouds produce rain; some clouds are present on a sunny day. Knowing this we can say that change in cloud type means change in what? Change in weather absolutely. That is going to be our big statement today. Not all clouds produce rain, but change in cloud type can mean change in weather! Great job today class! You learned a lot today so kiss your brains! Now, we are going to practice learning the four with a really fun (and a little messy) activity!

II. Opportunity for Practice: The students will be creating clouds to give them a visual of the four cloud types we talked about in class. Students will work in partners and each have a pile of shaving cream on their desks. They will be given a small watercolor paint brush. Each partner will take turns drawing a cloud with the shaving cream. The other partner will record the type of cloud by drawing and naming it, as well as telling which weather is associated with it and writing a few adjectives on a separate graphic organizer. Ok class, now that we have learned about the four different cloud types, we are going to create the clouds on our desks! This might get a little messy, so we are going to be using our Art Aprons just in case! After we all put our aprons on, I will put a pile of shaving cream (yes! Shaving cream!) on your desk and will be giving you a small watercolor paint brush. You are going to work with your partner, and one of you will

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create a cloud on your desk, and your partner will have to tell which cloud you created! You will both keep track on your graphic organizer. There is a place for you to draw the cloud and name it. You will also document which weather would come from that cloud and a few adjectives about the cloud. You may use our notes from the board and your foldable. What will be happening to the shaving cream on your desk? Yes! It will be changing into different cloud types!! You have to be creative and create all four different types of clouds! Remember, the water vapor can change into different types of clouds even when they are in the sky. Make sure you make a distinction so your partner can tell which cloud you are creating. Do you all have any questions? Great. Ok Table Groups 1 and 3 may get their Art Aprons. Groups 2 and 4, you may now get your Aprons. Can I have the paper helper help me pass out the graphic organizers? And I will be giving you the paint brushes when I put the shaving cream on your desk. Once you and your partner have all of your supplies, you may begin. The students will create clouds and decide which type of cloud they are creating. The teacher will walk around while the students are practicing to help them when they are deciding the different cloud types and formally assess their knowledge of clouds. When they are finished, they will all put their graphic organizers in the class work tray and clean up their desks. Alright, did everyone have a chance to create a few clouds and determine which clouds the shaving cream changed into? When you are finished, you may put your graphic organizer in the class work tray, and come get a wipe to clean up the shaving cream. There is a cup of water by the sink for your paint brushes to go in. The students will finish up and clean up their areas. When you are completely cleaned up, head back to your seats. We have one final activity for the day to review your knowledge about clouds!

III. Assessment: The teacher will give each child a paper with four boxes. They will be required to name each cloud, draw each cloud, and write one sentence about the weather that the cloud type brings about. In order to be considered proficient, students must have the name of all four clouds, a drawing of all four clouds, and one sentence explaining the change in weather that comes from that cloud. Ok class, wasn’t that so much fun? I love getting to play and learn at the same time! Now we are going to complete one last activity that will review your knowledge on cloud types. I am going to give everybody a sheet of paper that has four boxes on it. Each space has a place for you to name the cloud, draw the cloud, and then write a sentence that describes the change in weather that cloud brings. There are four cloud types, and each change the weather and can even change our mood during the day. We have reviewed and practiced each throughout the day, but are there any questions before we begin? Ok, great. When I give you your Organizer, you may begin. The teacher will pass the assessment out to each student. She will walk around while the students are filling in their organizer. She will answer any questions that the students may have and make sure each student is filling in the organizer in the correct way. When the students are done, they will put the organizer in the class work tray before they close the lesson. When you are finished, place your organizer in the class work tray.

IV. Closure: The teacher will review the four types of clouds. She will connect the changes in cloud types back to the changes in the environment and the students’ lives. The class will review that change in clouds affect change in weather. The teacher will ask them to look for clouds up in the sky today when they go home and play outside. Wow! We learned a lot today didn’t we?! How many different types of clouds did we learn about? Yes, four different types! Who thinks

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they can name all four types? The teacher will call on a student and they will discuss the different types of clouds. Great job! Ok, so say we come to school and it is sunny outside, but then we want to go out for recess but it is raining. What caused that change in our weather and our day? Yes! The clouds changing into different types of clouds that produced different kinds of weather. What is your all’s favorite type of weather? What kind of cloud would cause that weather? Yes, great thinking! Ok, so here’s what I want you to do. Tonight, when you go home and play outside, I want you to look up in the sky and see how many different types of clouds you can see! You can share tomorrow during our Calendar time and we can see if together as a class we can see all four types! You guys did a great job today! I am very proud of each of you!

Materials and Resources: Butcher paper for teacher instruction on cloud types Blue paper to become foldable Cotton balls Children’s markers Art Aprons Shaving cream Paint brush Graphic organizer for partner shaving cream game Classwork Tray Wipes for cleaning up Cup of water to clean paint brushes Food coloring Glass of water Little Cloud by Eric Carle for Lower Level Learners Internet Access for Higher Level Learners

Differentiation Strategies (including plans for individual learners):

H: Students will choose an activity from the choice board.

L: Students will read Little Cloud by Eric Carle and journal three things that they learned about clouds.

Day ThreeCloud Types

Students will explore http://www.pbs.org/wgbh /nova/labs/lab/cloud/ and

create their own presentation on types of clouds. They are

free to explore additional cloud types if they so choose.

Pretend you are a scientist

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waiting for a storm to arrive. Write a short narrative about

your day outside watching the clouds change. Be sure to

include what cloud types you saw and what changes

occurred in the atmosphere to create new cloud types.

If you like to draw this is for you!! Draw at least four

different creative cloud shapes that you might see in the sky. (Can be anything… dinosaurs,

flowers, people… be creative!) Then after drawing

the cloud tell what type of cloud would potentially create

that figure and state at least one sentence saying how you

know.

Data Analysis:

Reflection:

Samford UniversityDesign for Learning

24

Engagement Picture

Teaching Picture

Foldable Picture

25

Design for Learning Instructor: Tabitha Whitacre and Harper ParkeyGrade Level/Cooperating Teacher: 3rd gradeLesson Title: The Why Behind the Weather Date: Day FourCurriculum Area: Science Estimated Time: 60 minutes Standards Connection: 12.) Identify conditions that result in specific weather phenomena, including thunderstorms, tornadoes, and hurricanes.• Identifying cloud types associated with specific weather patterns Learning Objective(s): When given a raindrop cutout, students will identify one type of dangerous weather that a cumulonimbus cloud can produce and state the change that occurs within the cloud to produce that weather. They will be graded according to a teacher made rubric.

Learning Objective(s) stated in “kid-friendly” language: Today boys and girls we are going to discover all the different types of dangerous weather that a cumulonimbus cloud can produce! Evaluation of Learning Objective(s): When given a raindrop cutout, students will accurately identify one example of dangerous weather associated with a cumulonimbus cloud and state what change occurs within the cloud to produce that weather. They must make a six on the teacher made rubric in order to be considered proficient.

Proficient Understanding (2)

PartialUnderstanding (1)

Incomplete Understanding (0)

Dangerous weather Student accurately identified one type of dangerous weather

Student identified a type of weather not associated with a cumulonimbus cloud.

Student did not identify a type of weather.

Change in the cloud Student accurately identified the change

Student partially identified the change

Student did not identify the change

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in the cloud that occurs

within the cloud that occurs.

within the cloud that occurs.

Change in environment Student accurately identifies a potential change in the environment after the dangerous weather.

Student partially identified the change in the environment after the dangerous weather.

Student did not identify the change in the environment after the dangerous weather.

Engagement: Teacher will ask students to brainstorm all the different kinds of weather that they can think of to get a frame of reference. She will then play a few different clips of weather sounds to get them excited and get them thinking in terms of different kinds of weather. Good morning class! Today we are going to get to learn about all kinds of different dangerous weather! What are different kinds of dangerous weather that you know of? Teacher will give students time to brainstorm. Great job class that sounds great! I want you to think about those different kinds of weather in your head because we are about to listen to some different weather sounds to get us excited about learning weather. Listen closely to this clip and see what you think it could be. Teacher will then play a clip of rain noise What do you guys think that sound was? It was rain very good! Let’s listen to another one! Teacher will then play a clip of thunderstorms. Ok class that one sounded similar but what was different? It was a thunderstorm very good!! Those can be kind of scary sometimes! Ok this will be our last one. This one is a little tricky, but see if you can identify the type of weather that this is. Teacher will then play a clip of a hailstorm. Can anyone give an educated guess of what that might be? It is a type of dangerous weather. It is actually hail! Hail are small pieces of ice that sometimes come down as rain. We will get to learn more about hail today and all kinds of dangerous weather. It’ll be super fun! Let’s pull out our pencils and get started and ready to learn. Learning Design: I. Teaching: The teacher will teach the students about four major types of weather associated with cumulonimbus clouds. They will first brainstorm the types of weather they know of and what they do when there is dangerous weather. They will talk about meteorologists and how important they are to tell us the weather that is around us. Then the teacher will teach about the four major weather phenomena associated with Cumulonimbus clouds. The students will make a foldable to take notes on the four types while the teacher writes it on chart paper. Ok class, so as we just heard, there are many types of different weather. What are some types of weather that you guys can think of? The teacher will write the brainstorming on chart paper. Yes! Those are all different types of weather. How do you find out what the weather is going to be like for the day or the week? Yeah. you listen to the news, or listen to the weather in the morning. Who is it on the news that tells you? Do you know what he’s called? Yes! A meteorologist! Does he only tell you about weather when it’s sunny and blue skies? No, of course not! He always wants to

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make sure you are informed and safe during all types of weather. Today, we are going to be talking about four major types of weather that are formed because of changes in a cumulonimbus cloud. If we look at our weather wall, we can see our four cloud types are now included on the wall. Can anyone look at the weather wall and remind me about a cumulonimbus cloud? Very good! Do you guys remember what the cumulonimbus clouds look like? Yes, large and very dark - usually letting you know that there is serious weather on the way that could potentially be dangerous. In order to help us learn all four of these types of weather, we are going to create a foldable. The teacher will pass out construction paper to each student to use when creating their foldable. She will instruct them on how to make the foldable, as well as modeling it and making it with them. I am going to give everyone a piece of construction paper. And you can take out your scissors. Once everyone has their construction paper, you are going to fold the front two pieces like this to make a shutter. The edges are going to meet in the middle. The teacher will demonstrate as the students do it as well. Yes! That’s perfect. Now, you are going to fold it in half just like this. Perfect. Unfold the half, and use your scissors to cut the JUST the front two tabs right along the folded lines. When you are finished, it should look like this. The teacher will show her completed foldable. Ok great job! Now you can open up each window and you have all that space to write. The teacher will introduce the four types of weather that they will be learning about that day. They will write each type on the front of their foldable. The four types of weather we are going to be talking about today are Thunder and Lightning, Tornados, Hurricanes, and Hail. You can write each of those four right on the front of your foldable. The teacher will section the chart paper into fourths and take notes for them to see and write on their own organizer. Ok, so the first type of weather we are going to be talking about is thunder and lightning. Who has any guesses on how lightning is formed? What changes in the cumulonimbus cloud to make lightning? The teacher will listen to the students ideas and brainstorms before she teaches them what actually happens. Yes, those were all great ideas! Here’s the crazy thing! The ice inside a cumulonimbus cloud is actually a key factor in producing lightning. This is because the interaction of highly charged particles in a cloud come together and produce an electric shock. Does anyone know what that electric shock is called? Yes! Lightning. Lightning strikes within a cloud, from cloud to cloud, and even cloud to the ground. Now, what always goes together with Lightning? Yes! Thunder. Did you know that thunder is actually the sound that is produced from the lightning strike? Lightning is a huge discharge of electricity, and this electricity shoots through the air, causing vibrations to be formed. The rumbling of thunder that we hear is simply the vibrations or sound of the air affected by the lightning. Does that make sense? So what are the changes in the cumulonimbus clouds to produce lightning? Yes, the highly charged particles coming together. And what about thunder? Yeah, it’s the change in vibrations that make the sound of thunder. Do you have any questions? What do you all think would change in our environment when thunder and lightning was produced? The class will brainstorm ideas as the teacher writes on the chart paper. Yes! There could be fires. Electrical lines could be down. People could even be struck by lightning! Great job brainstorming. Alright, I will give you a minute to transfer some of this great information to your foldable! The students will fill in the first section of their foldable. Very good class, let’s take a minute to look at a video of lightning! As you are watching the video think of one fact that you will want to share with your neighbor afterwards. Teacher will play the video (http://video.nationalgeographic.com/video/101-videos/lightning?source=searchvideo). Great job guys! Turn and talk with your neighbor for one minute and tell me what you know about lightning! Teacher will give talk time. Wonderful job class! I heard a lot of great

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conversations about the changes within the cloud to produce lightning. Ok, our next weather phenomenon is tornados. Who knows what a tornado is? Yeah, all those things are pretty accurate! A tornado is actually formed inside a cumulonimbus cloud. Before a tornado forms though, the cloud lowers to form a “wall cloud.” Then, rotation within that wall cloud actually produces the tornado. Isn’t that crazy that all of that happens inside of one huge cloud? Tornados sometimes simply stay inside the cloud, but sometimes they actually fully reach the ground! Has anyone ever seen a tornado before? What kind of change in our environment do tornados cause? Let’s brainstorm some ideas! Yeah, they can destroy buildings or trees. They can ruin forests and cause destruction on people’s houses. They can reconstruct landforms. Wow, yeah tornadoes can cause a lot of harm and change our environment in drastic ways can’t they? That’s why a meteorologist's job is so important because he warns and tells the people when tornadoes might be coming. Who has ever heard of tornado watches and tornado warnings? Does anyone know the difference? Yeah, a tornado watch is when conditions for the event are present, but the event has not actually occurred yet. It’s more just saying “Watch out!” dangerous weather could be coming soon. But a tornado warning is when the weather event it happening now. This means that people should take cover and find safety immediately. Knowing the difference between these two is very important when you are listening to a meteorologist, or even more so if you decide to become a meteorologist. Ok great job! We learned a lot about tornadoes so I will give you a minute to finish writing this on your Foldable. The students will make sure they have all the notes in their graphic organizer. Great job class! Let’s watch a short video clip of a tornado forming. Like the last video, think of something you will want to share with your neighbor after the video has played. Teacher will play the video (http://video.nationalgeographic.com/video/101-videos/tornadoes-101?source=searchvideo ). Great job class I heard lots of good conversations about wall clouds and rotation to form a tornado! Alright, our third weather type is Hurricanes. Who knows what a hurricane is? Where does it occur? Yes, in the ocean! Did you know that they actually form from cumulonimbus clouds? I know! Crazy! And they are considered the most violent storms on earth. Tropical cyclones are like engines that require warm, moist air as fuel. So the first ingredient needed for a tropical cyclone is warm ocean water. The second ingredient for a tropical cyclone is wind. Just as we have been talking about, as the wind passes over the ocean's surface, water evaporates, turns into water vapor and rises. As it rises, the water vapor cools, and condenses back into large water droplets, forming large cumulonimbus clouds. Winds in the storm cloud column spin faster and faster, whipping around in a circular motion. The winds blow faster and begin twisting and turning around the eye, or calm center, of the storm. The winds and the low air pressure also cause a huge mound of ocean water to pile up near the eye of the tropical cyclone, which can cause monster storm surges when all this water reaches land. Tropical cyclones usually weaken when they hit land, because they are no longer being fed by the energy from the warm ocean waters. However, they often move far inland, dumping many inches of rain and causing lots of wind damage before they die out completely. This can cause a lot of change in the environment! Has anyone ever seen the destruction that hurricanes can do? Yeah! Katrina here Alabama and New Orleans. What change did Katrina bring to the environment and people’s lives? Yeah, it destroyed people’s homes, flooded towns, and completely ruined people’s possessions. Hurricanes can be very dangerous, but luckily, we are usually able to be warned ahead of time so we can seek safety and get away from the most dangerous parts. Do you all have any questions about hurricanes? I know we just went over a lot! Alright I will give you a minute to finish up that section of your foldable and we will watch another video clip on

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hurricanes. The students will finish the Hurricane space in their foldable and watch the video clip (http://video.nationalgeographic.com/video/101-videos/hurricanes-101?source=searchvideo ). Ok class, turn and talk with your neighbor again about the change you saw in the video. Teacher will give a moment for conversation time. Great conversations about all the devastating change that can occur after a hurricane. So much changes happens to form a hurricane and I loved hearing you guys make those connections. Would anyone like to share what they talked about? Teacher will give a moment for share time. Great job class! Ok, our last weather type is Hail. Who knows what hail is? Yes, freezing rain that is in the shapes of balls. That’s a great definition. Does anyone know how it is formed? Well, I am going to explain it to you! Hail forms when very strong winds push drops of water high up in the air where it is very cold. This causes the water to freeze into balls of ice called hail. When the hail gets too heavy for the wind to keep it up in the air, it falls to the ground. Because hail needs very strong winds to form, it usually comes with tornadoes and thunderstorms that happen in the warm spring and summer months. Imagine having little balls of ice on the ground while it is warm outside! That’s pretty crazy isn’t it? Who knows how big hail normally is? Yeah, it really does vary and range! There can be pea-sized hail or even grapefruit or softball sized hail! What do you guys think are some changes in the environment that hail could cause? Yeah, it could crack glass like windshields on cars. Or it could hurt people if they are standing outside. It could make roads or sidewalks slippery! Those are great brainstorming ideas. I will give you just a minute to finish that section on your foldable and then we will watch our last video. In this video, the man’s windshield got hit too! Make sure that you take note of the changes in size of the hailstones. It’s crazy! The students will finish writing about Hail and then watch the short clip (http://video.nationalgeographic.com/video/ng-live/balog-prove-lecture-nglive?source=relatedvideo ). Did you guys see how giant some of those hailstones were? Turn and talk to your neighbor and talk about if you were surprised or not! Teacher will allow for talk time. Great job today class! You all had such productive conversations about changes in the weather and changes within a cumulonimbus cloud to cause these dangerous weather patterns. Do you guys see how different changes in cumulonimbus clouds cause different changes in weather? And different changes in weather can cause big changes in our environment? Well, we are going to talk more in depth about this idea during our next activity! Great job learning and creating your foldable! We talked about a lot of new ideas.

II. Opportunity for Practice: Teacher will assign each table a different type of dangerous weather. Each group will be given a piece of chart paper and they will present an expert share on their specific type of dangerous weather. They will identify the weather, tell about the changes within the cloud to produce the weather, and talk about changes in society/environment that can potentially occur after. They will be allowed to use their notes, books, and devices if they so choose. Once each group has finished, the teacher will ask one student from each group to present the material to the class. Ok boys and girls now that we have learned a little about four different types of dangerous weather, I would like for you to work in your table groups to do an expert share. Each table group will be assigned a different type of dangerous weather. For your expert share you will each have a piece of chart paper and on your paper I would like you to write about the changes within the cumulonimbus cloud. If you will give examples of what can happen to communities and the environment after the dangerous weather that would be great

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too. If you would like to use your notes you may. I also encourage you to use you books as well as your devices. All those things will help you make a wonderful expert share. I will give you guys 10 minutes on the timer and if you need more we can negotiate later. Ok you may begin! Teacher will give students time to complete their expert shares. She will then call on each group to take a moment to share their presentations before moving on to the assessment.

III. Assessment: Teacher will give each student a paper raindrop cutout. She will ask them to write down one type of dangerous weather, identify the change that occurs within the cloud to produce that weather, and then identify what can potentially change in the environment after the dangerous weather. Once they are finished the teacher will hang them off a cloud to produce a really neat display for the classroom. That display will go on the weather wall. Ok class wonderful presentations this afternoon! Those were some great expert shares that you guys just did! I am so proud of all your learning today! We are almost done with our lesson, but before we finish I want everyone to take a raindrop cutout from your baskets on the table. Each person just needs one raindrop. To let me know how much you learned today I want you to share with me one type of dangerous weather that you learned about. Please write the one type of dangerous weather on your raindrop, tell me about the change within the cloud that occurs, and then tell me about one change in the environment that can potentially occur after the dangerous weather. I will write those three things on the board for you so you can remember what all is necessary to complete your assignment. When you are done please come over to my desk so we can hang them all on our cloud! It’ll be a really great info board once it is finished! Ok I’ll give you time to work! Great job today class.

IV. Closure: Teacher will close out the lesson by hanging all the raindrops off the cumulonimbus cloud. She will read off a few examples and review how changes in weather can create changes in society both good and bad. She will then hang the cumulonimbus cloud on the weather wall in the back of the class. She will praise the students for their incredible work throughout the unit and they can be proud of all their hard work and their weather wall. Wonderful job today class! We now have this great cloud that we made and it tells us about all the different kinds of dangerous weather that cumulonimbus clouds can produce. Different changes within the cumulonimbus cloud can produce different types of dangerous weather. When we have dangerous weather it affects our world though doesn’t it? It can be really scary sometimes but it’s always cool to have our community support us and be by our side during difficult times. Well we are finished learning about weather associated with cumulonimbus clouds today, but we are going to hang this on our weather wall which will complete it for our unit! Doesn’t it look so cool! Can you believe you guys learned all that about weather in just a short period of time? You’re becoming such scientists and I am so proud of you! Materials and Resources:

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● Teacher computer to play weather sounds● Raindrops for exit slips● Chart Paper● Construction Paper for Foldable ● Cumulonimbus cloud to hang raindrops on● Video links

● Lightning http://video.nationalgeographic.com/video/101-videos/lightning?source=searchvideo

● Tornado Video http://video.nationalgeographic.com/video/101-videos/tornadoes-101?source=searchvideo

● Hurricanes http://video.nationalgeographic.com/video/101-videos/hurricanes-101?source=searchvideo

● Hail http://video.nationalgeographic.com/video/ng-live/balog-prove-lecture-nglive?source=relatedvideo

● Internet access and a projector for the videos Differentiation Strategies (including plans for individual learners): H: Students will choose an activity from the choice board. L: Students will draw different types of weather phenomena produced by a cumulonimbus cloud instead of writing facts.

Day FourDangerous Weather

Create a presentation to compare and contrast tornado

warnings and tornado watches. Students will identify the

change in weather that occurs for each scenario and give practical responses that a

community should take when given these warnings/watches.Research dangerous weather that has happened in the state of Alabama over the past 3-4 decades and create a digital timeline using your personal

device.Pick any area of the country

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and research the weather patterns that are typical of the

area. Create a brochure explaining what benefits there are to living in that area and what negatives there are to

living in that area in terms of dangerous weather. Include a

persuasive piece for pro or con for living in that area.

Data Analysis: Reflection:

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Design for LearningInstructor: Tabitha Whitacre and Harper ParkeyGrade Level/Cooperating Teacher: 3rd grade Lesson Title: You’re the Meteorologist! Date: Day Five Curriculum Area: Science Estimated Time: 75 minutes

Standards Connection: 12.) Identify conditions that result in specific weather phenomena, including thunderstorms, tornadoes, and hurricanes.• Identifying cloud types associated with specific weather patterns

Learning Objective(s): When given a case study and technology devices students will identify the specific weather phenomena and apply their knowledge to create a weather report as a meteorologist. They will follow the guidelines of the teacher made rubric.

Learning Objective(s) stated in “kid-friendly” language: Today you are going to get to make your own weather report using the technology devices! Remember to use safe technology behavior and think back to all that we have been learning about the past week! You will be graded based on your performance and your attention to details in terms of including all content. Be sure to check your rubric to make sure you include all content!

Evaluation of Learning Objective(s): When given a case study and technology devices, students will identify the specific weather phenomena and apply their knowledge to create a weather report as a meteorologist. They will be graded according to a teacher made rubric. They must receive a 13 out of 16 on the teacher made rubric in order to be considered proficient.

Exceed Expectations (4)

Meets Requirements

(3)

Partially Meets Requirements

(2)

Fails to Meet Requirements

(1)

Identifying the weather phenomena

Student accurately identifies the

Student accurately identifies the

Student partially identifies the weather

Student does not accurately identify the

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weather phenomena and even goes on to say what else could be in conjunction with this weather phenomena.

weather phenomena stated.

phenomena but makes some mistakes in fully identifying it.

weather phenomena.

Stating changes in the weather that have caused this phenomena to occur

Student accurately identifies the changes in weather that have caused this phenomena to occur. They connect the changes to cumulonimbus clouds and the water cycle too.

Student accurately identifies the changes in weather that have caused this phenomena to occur. They connect the changes to cumulonimbus clouds.

Student partially identifies the changes in weather that occur to produce this phenomenon but does not explore them well.

Student does not identify the changes in the weather that occur to produce this phenomenon.

Telling the community about the potential dangers that can occur and changes after the storm

Student accurately describes what can occur and gives examples of past experiences. They connect the dangers to change in the environment that can occur once the storm is over.

Student accurately describes the dangers that can occur.

Student partially describes the dangers that can occur but does not explain them fully or leaves out major details.

Student does not attempt to describe the dangers that can occur to the community.

Telling the community how to best react

Student accurately describes how the community should react to the dangerous weather and gives more than one example

Student accurately describes how the community should react to the situation and gives only one example scenario of how

Student tells the community how to react in the dangerous situation but does not give accurate information.

Student does not tell the community how to react in the dangerous situation at all.

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scenario of what to do in case of emergency.

to protect themselves.

Engagement: Teacher will begin the lesson by reminding the class what a meteorologist is. She will then emphasize their importance to our communities. After they talk about meteorologists, she will play a video of a meteorology report for students to watch. Afterwards she will ask the students if they would like to become a meteorologist one day. She will then tell them that they get to be meteorologists today! Good morning class! Today is going to be a really great day! You guys have been working so hard for such a long time learning all about weather and all that goes into it. Some people in our country are experts in weather. Does anyone remember what those people are called? They are meteorologists you’re right!! They are so important to our community because they tell us about potential dangerous weather as it is occurring or before it happens in our area. They can warn us about the dangers of certain weather and the changes that are occurring within the cloud and tell us how to best protect ourselves! Today I want to start off by watching a video of a meteorology report. Pay close attention to all the things a meteorologist talks about. Teacher will play the video for the class. Ok class, how many of you think being a meteorologist would be a fun job? I think it sounds pretty cool too!! Well it is your lucky day because today you guys are going to get to be a meteorologist!! Let’s talk some more about them and what they do though before we get started.

Learning Design:

I. Teaching: Teacher will review what it looks like to be a meteorologist. She will re-emphasize why they are so important to our community and ask what all a meteorologist needs to know. Once the students understand why they are so important and understand how much knowledge they need to have she will introduce the rubric. She will go through each portion of the rubric and encourage students to exceed expectations. Before sending the children of to start their projects, she will review good safe technology behavior. She will then dismiss them to script and practice. Ok boys and girls, like we said earlier, you are going to get to be a meteorologist today. Thinking back to the video we just watched, what were some things the meteorologist told us? He told us what was happening, he told us how to be safe, and he told us when the storm would end. Very good! Meteorologists have to have a deep understanding of weather in order to report accurately. What all does a meteorologist have to know in order to make accurate reports and keep the people safe? He has to know what weather is happening that is right! How will he know what weather is occurring? He has to know what is happening within a cumulonimbus cloud, yes! Thinking back even further and even deeper what else will he need to know? He needs to know the water cycle yes sir! He needs to know a lot! Today in your meteorology report, I am

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going to ask you to show me that deep understanding too. If you ever need any help with vocabulary or terms, then you can always look at our weather wall like a good meteorologist! Now on our weather wall we have the water cycle, clouds, and different raindrops with facts about dangerous weather. I know you guys will be awesome meteorologists with all this information! In order to be a great meteorologist though, let’s take a second to go over the rubric. Everyone should have a stack of four at your table groups in your baskets, so please each take one so we can review what you need in order to make a good grade. When we start our projects, I will give you guys each a case study and you will have to decide for yourself what the weather phenomena is. That is the first requirement and it is super easy to get a lot of points on this one if you simply get it right. You can get extra points though if you tell me what else can potentially happen in conjunction with your storm. The next component is talking about what changes in the cloud occurred to produce this phenomena. If you get it correct you receive three points, but in order to exceed expectations, I would like for you to also connect this back to change in the water cycle as well as change within the clouds. The third expectation is that a meteorologist will warn the community about potential dangers. You get three points for warning the community about danger but you can exceed expectations by giving examples of past experience and even talking about potential changes in the environment once the danger has occurred. The last thing that you will do for your project is make sure that you is tell the community how they should react to stay safe. You should tell them what they should do if they are at home, but if you want to exceed expectations you can tell them what they can do in a unique situation. Be creative on that one to get as many points as possible. I know you guys are going to do an awesome job. Just remember our safe technology rules. We always hold our devices with two hands, we are gentle and professional when using our devices, we walk calmly when we have them in our hands, and we are always aware of our surroundings when filming or taking pictures. I know you guys will do a great job. You think you can do all this for me? It’s a big project but its’ going to be super fun! I am so excited to see everyone’s finished product. Remember I am expecting everyone to exceed expectations. We are going to practice for a minute, but be sure to take time to really write out your script and think about your report before just doing it on a whim. You guys are going to be great; I am so excited to see so many meteorology reports!

II. Opportunity for Practice: Students will practice being a meteorologist with a partner. They will get into partner groups and practice what they might say if they were a meteorologist. They can pick one type of weather to focus on and give a brief overview of what they might say. This will just be a few minutes to begin getting the students thinking and role-playing as a meteorologist. Alright class, now that we know all about meteorologists, let’s practice being one with our friends before we start giving our official report! So in a minute I want everyone to get with their partner and practice what you might say if you were a meteorologist. You can talk about different weathermen/women that you have seen and what you liked about their reports, or things that you would change. And then take a few minutes to act it out with your friend. This is

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just a little activity to get you excited and prepared for your real weather report! I will be walking around and can answer any questions you have! Are you guys excited?! Do you have any questions? You can partner up now and spread throughout the room in order to brainstorm and practice! The teacher will walk around while the students are in partners and give advice, encourage students, and answer any questions. After the students have had time to practice, she will give them the rest of the time to work on their report.

III. Assessment: Students will create a weather report as a meteorologist. Using the rubric and expectations, they will work to explain a certain weather type or phenomena. They will have to include what the weather phenomena is and what changes in the weather caused this phenomena to occur. They will be informing the community about the potential dangers that can occur and changes after the storm. They will also be including telling the community how best to react and what safety precautions to take. Alright class, now that we have had time practicing with our partners, we are going to start on our weather report! So today I want you guys to pick a weather phenomena and start brainstorming what you might say in your report. Using your rubric as a guide, you can start to create your script for your report. Make sure you include all the necessary pieces while you are “on the air.” We will have time in class tomorrow to film your report - you can work with a partner to film a friend then the other way around. Or, you can always film this at home as well if you choose. We will have a little class time to work on this over the next few days, so don’t stress. Just remember to have fun and be creative!! The teacher will walk around while the students are brainstorming and creating their scripts. She will give them time in class to work on creating their Weather Report. The teacher will grade their presentations according to the teacher made rubric. In order to be considered proficient, the students must receive at least a 13/16 on the project.

IV. Closure: The teacher will close this lesson on the day that they present their presentations. On this day, the students will give two compliments to two different people about their presentations. Wow! Those videos were so fun to watch!! You all did such a great job being meteorologists! I have a feeling I might be watching you all on TV one day telling me what the weather report! :) As we wrap this up, I want you guys to think of two people’s presentation that you really loved and find two things to compliment them on their report. It can be any presentation and any compliment! Since you all did such a great job, I think this is a great way to end our Meteorologist role playing! Students will take the time to encourage their classmates on their report. Teacher will also add encouragement as each student gave their best. I loved hearing all the encouragement that you all gave to your classmates! Again, I just want to say SUPER great job on this! I am very proud of you.

Materials and Resources: ● Technology devices

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● YouTube video of a meteorology report ● Rubric to grade the project ● Projector to present the projects ● Chart paper to brainstorm ideas

Differentiation Strategies (including plans for individual learners):

H: Students will do a follow up report about what to do after the weather event has occurred. They will research on what has happened in the past as well.

L: Students will watch a meteorologist report and write a journal on it stating what they liked about the report and what the meteorologist did well, as well as what they would do differently.

Data Analysis:

Reflection:

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