LESSON

PLAN

DATE: March, 2016

TOPIC: The water cyclerain and clouds

CLASS: Kindergarten

DURATION: 50 minutes

SCHOOL: Mountainview

OBJECTIVES Students will:

use their fine motor skills to manipulate, cut, color
(CURRICULUM
DOMAIN)
and paste materials
use gross motor skills by dancing and singing to a
water cycle song
be creative when creating their own marshmallow
clouds
use critical thinking in order to understand the
water cycle(its on-going process and order)
learn three new vocabulary words : evaporation,
condensation, and precipitation
understand why it rains
understand where rain comes from
cooperate with their peers at each center
follow the rules and expectations of each center
attend each center and participate
take time into account when looking at the timer
use their number recognition to know how much
time is left
rotate from one center to another quietly and in
the proper order

GROUP SIZE Group size: 19 students

& MATERIALS Materials:
Water
Plastic cups
Whip cream
Bowls and bins
tongs
Marshmallows
Cotton balls

ADAPTATIONS

Food coloring
Construction paper
Water cycle handout and cut outs
Smartboard
Glue, scissors, coloring crayons

When sitting down on the mat, hand tangles to a few

students who have difficulty sitting down and paying
attention. This is a great tool for ADHD students. Remind
them that if they want the tangle they must be sitting
bums glued to the mat and only play with it using their
hands. If they do not respect these rules, it will be taken
away from them.
Allow student S to sit in the front row on the mat
(specifically in the green corner if needed) when
explaining the activity instructions. Remind the student
to sit down correctly as many times as possible so that
all the students may see. The student will most likely not
sit correctly, be bouncing or looking around the
classroom. As long as he is not disrupting the lesson or
the students and he is sitting quietly, it is acceptable for
this student to not always be facing forward. As long as
he is listening, understands the instructions and
expectations some movement may be tolerated. If
student S is sitting quietly he may be chosen to
participate in the smartboard game. Make sure he is
circulating and participating during center time.
I chose to incorporate a song and add some movements
to it so that the students can associate actions with
words and it gets them moving.
Rather than just telling a story, I am using a visual in the
background for the students to make connections in
order to understand the water cycle process. The timer
during center time is great for number recognition and
for students to know how much time they have to
complete the activity.

PROFESSIONAL COMPETENCIES
Competency 3: To develop teaching/learning situations that are
appropriate to the students concerned and the subject content

with a view to developing the competencies targeted in the

programs of study.
-We discussed how rain occurs very often during the season of spring,
when introducing the new season and our class book about rain.
Therefore adding to this I wanted to discuss why it rains and where
rain comes from.
Competency 4: To pilot teaching/learning situations that are
appropriate to the students concerned and to the subject
content with a view to developing the competencies targeted
in the programs of study.
-The students learn about the weather each morning when completing
the calendar and observing what is going on outside. Teaching about
rain and clouds reinforces and adds to the students prior knowledge as
well as develops new vocabulary words.
Competency 6: To plan, organize and supervise a class in such
a way as to promote students learning and social
development.
-I will have all the materials ready and placed at each center so that
the students know what to do. Clear instructions will be given for each
center in order for the students to stay on task. During center time, I
will set a timer for time management and circulate around the
classroom to make sure the students are working well and
participating.
Competency 7: To adapt his or her teaching to the needs and
characteristics of students with learning disabilities, social
maladjustments or handicaps.
-I will use tangles with a few students who have difficulty staying
focused.
Competency 8 :To integrate information and communications
technologies (ICT) in the preparation and delivery of
teaching/learning activities and for instructional management
and professional development purposes.
-I will use the smartboard to show a short video and visual of the water
cycle. An interactive game played on the smartboard will also be done
where a few students will come up and participate in the game.
Furthermore, during center time a picture of the water cycle will be
shown on half of the screen whereas the other half of the screen will
be used for a timer.

KINDERGARTEN COMPETENCIES
Competency 1: To perform sensorimotor actions effectively in
different contexts
-The students will come up to smartboard during an interactive water
cycle game. They will also sing and follow actions to a water cycle
song. Furthermore they will cut, paste and color at certain centers as
well as use their hand to squeeze out the water in cotton balls(clouds).
Competency 5: To construct his/her understanding of the world
-The students will understand and learn about where rain comes from
and its process being the water cycle through interactive and engaging
fine and gross motor activities.
Competency 6: To complete an activity or project
-The students will understand the water cycle by participating in four
centers in which they will identify the steps of the water cycle, be
creative and invent their own cloud, see how a cloud must gather
before it rains and actually making it rain.
CROSS CURRICULAR COMPETENCIES
To exercise critical judgment
-The students must use their prior knowledge about weather and
where rain comes from.

TIME
LESSON
Introduction : Discuss water cycle + ict + song
5
minute
s
Discuss the water cycle by introducing three new vocabulary
words: evaporation, condensation and precipitation
Define these words individually using simplistic and relatable
explanations by telling a story. Have an video up on the
smartboard so that the students may have a visual to
understand the on-going process.
Smartboard video
Link:
https://www3.epa.gov/safewater/kids/flash/water_cycle_web3.sw
f
Show the visual while discussing the three vocabulary words and

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LESSON
telling the story.
*This link reinforces the water cycle previously explained and
gives a visual for the students to understand the process.
Evaporation: When the water changes from a liquid to a gas. Use
a puddle as an example. Explain that when it rains a puddle is
made on the ground. When the sun comes out it dries up this
puddle therefore the puddle disappears and becomes vapor
which is invisible in the sky.
Condensation: When the water vapor goes into the clouds it
meets some other raindrop friends. Together they become a
group. After a while the group becomes heavier and heavier
because there are always more friends who want to join their
group. Condensation is when all these friends come together
and make a group.
Precipitation: After a while it becomes so heavy that the cloud
cannot hold on to all the raindrop friends anymore. He needs to
let go of a group to leave space for a new group. The raindrops
are dancing and stomping very loudly until the clouds start
shaking and bouncing. All the clouds call for a meeting and
decide that they cant take the dancing anymore so they decide
to let go of all the raindrop friends. These raindrop friends come
running down from the clouds and onto the ground creating
puddles and filling up our rivers, lakes and oceans.
It then starts all over again.
Compare this process to a circle: it never stops
Smartboard interactive water cycle game
Link: http://apps.southeastwater.com.au/games/se-watercycle.swf

5
minute
Explain to the students that we will be playing a game to make
s
sure that we understand the water cycle and its steps.
Explain that I will ask a few students to come up to the
smartboard to help move things.
*Pick the students who are quietly sitting down and listening
I will read the instructions on the smartboard and start the
game.
Read the definition of evaporation. Ask one student to come up

TIME

LESSON
to the smartboard and carry the arrows from the water to the
sun.
Ask the student to go sit back down
Read the definition of condensation and ask one student to
come up to the smartboard to carry the cloud above the
mountains.
Ask the student to go sit back down
Read the definition of precipitation and ask one student to come
up to the smartboard and press three times on the cloud to
make it rain.
Ask the student to go sit back down
Explain that the water fills our rivers and oceans. Ask one
student to come to the smartboard and press on the water
stream to make it flow.
Ask the student to go sit back down.
When the game is done, explain to the students that we will quiz
ourselves and make sure we know the steps of the water cycle.
Ask one student to come to the smartboard and place the word
precipitation in the correct place.
Ask one student to come to the smartboard and place the word
condensation in the correct place.
Ask one student to come to the smartboard and place the word
evaporation in the correct place.
*If the student does not know where to place it they may ask
their peers for help to guide them through.
*If the student does not place the word in the correct place the
word will not stay there therefore they will know it is not in the
correct place.
Once the game is done, ask all students to stand up where they
are and explain to them that we will be singing and dancing to a
water cycle song.
*The students will have previously learned the song and the
movements associated to every line.

TIME

LESSON
*I will model the movements and sing the song along with the
students.
Water cycle song

3
minute
s

It's raining, it's pouring, (wiggle fingers)

The oceans are storing (bring arms together like if you picked
up something heavy)
Water from the falling rain
While thunderclouds are roaring. (stomp)
The rain now is stopping, (make an x with arms)
The rain's no longer dropping. (shake head)
Sun comes out and soaks up water (arms up over head and
bring them down on each side)
Like a mop that's mopping. (pretend you are mopping the floor)
The water's still there now, (put one finger up)
But hidden in the air now. (hide eyes with hands)
In the clouds it makes a home (swirl hands)
Until there's rain to share now. (wiggle fingers)
Development : Centers
Ask the students to sit back down on the mat.
Explain to the students that we will be working at four centers,
just like during center time, but this time the centers will be
different.
Explain that a 6 minute timer will be set, just like at center time
and that when the timer is done they must switch centers.

7
minute
*Explain centers one at a time and give clear instructions and
s
steps so that the students know what they are expected to do
*Explain that they must stay at the center they are at until the
timer is up. They may not switch centers on their own.
Go to center one and model what should be done
Center one: The water cycle center (coloring and placing in
correct order)
-The students will have a handout and cut outs of the word
precipitation, evaporation and condensation.

TIME

LESSON
Step one- The students must write their name at the top corner
of the paper (Hold the paper up and point to where their name
should be written)
Step two- The students must color the water, sun and
cloud(Hold the paper up and point to the cloud, sun and water)
*Remind them that they must use the appropriate colors when
coloring( the sun is yellow, the water is blue)
Step three- They must take the cut outs of each word only once.
Step four- Glue the words in the correct boxes on the handout.
(Model where each word goes)
*An image of the water cycle will be shown on the smartboard
so that they have a reference.
Move to the second center
Center two: Art center (marshmallow clouds)
Step one- Pick a piece of construction paper and write their
name in the top corner of the paper (model and point where
their name should be written)
Step two- They will create a cloud on this construction paper
using marshmallows.
Step two- Once they have taken a few marshmallows they must
create a cloud. Encourage the students to be creative with the
shape of their clouds. Give them examples such as a bunny
cloud, a rectangle cloud, an apple cloud.
Step three- Once they have chosen their shape they must glue
these marshmallows onto the construction paper.
Move to the third center
Center three: Science center (Whip cream, water and food
coloring)
*This center reinforces the condensation and precipitation parts
of the water cycle
Set specific rules for this center. The students must:
-keep their hands to themselves and be careful with the cups so
that they dont drop them
-they must not touch the cup they may only look at it and wacth
what happens once they have put the whip cream on top of the
water
-not put the their fingers or the whip cream in their mouths
-once they are done they must place their cups in the bin so that

TIME

LESSON
they do not knock it over
Step one- Each student will get a cup. They must find the cup
with their name on it. Each cup will have some water in it.
Step two- When they have found their cup, they must take some
whip cream and place it on top of the water using a spoon.
Step three- They must put three drops of food coloring on top of
the whip cream and wait for it to go through the whip cream and
into the water making the clouds rain
*The whip cream will be the cloud and the food coloring will be
the rain
*This shows how much the cloud needs to gain water molecules
before it starts raining.
Move to the fourth center
Center four: Fine motor center (cotton balls and water)
*This center reinforces the entire process of the water cycle
Set specific rules for this center. The student must:
- Use tongs in order to take the cotton balls and drop them
in the water
- Wait one minute and let the cotton balls soak. Then pick
the cotton balls out of the water and squeeze them. It is
only then that they may use their hands.
- When they are done squeezing the cotton balls place them
in the third bowl to let them dry.
- Make sure they are putting the cotton balls in the correct
bowl
*The cotton balls represent the clouds
Step one- Take a maximum of 5 cotton balls in the dry bowl
using clips and place them in the bowl of water.
Step two- Wait at least one minute and watch what happens
Step three- Pick the cotton balls out of the water and squeeze
them with your hands
Step four- When they have squeezed all the water out of the
cloud, place these cotton balls in another bowl where they will
be left to dry.
When all the instructions are given, the students are ready to
start
Split the class in four (approximately 5 students) and place each
group at a specific center.

TIME

LESSON
Set a timer on the smartboard and give a cue to the students on
when they may start. (the timer will be set at 5 minutes per
center)
When the timer goes off point to the students where they should
go next group by group so that they follow the steps and all get
the chance to go to all centers.
Conclusion: wrap up discussion

24
Have all the students come and sit down on the mat
minute Have a short discussion and allow all students to speak
s
Ask the students which was their favourite center and why
Assessment
-Circulate and make sure all students are working well at each
center
-Make sure all students are participating during the song and
during center time
5
-Evaluate if the students positioned the cut outs of the water
minute cycle process in the appropriate places on the handout
s
-Evaluate if the students are following the rules at each center

TIME

LESSON