Lesson Cycle Template

Inquiry-Based Lesson Cycle for Disciplinary Literacy Matrix

Topic: Water Cycle Grade Level: Kindergarten
Time Allotted: Two Science Block Periods Discipline: Science
Rationale:

I selected literacy in science because I believe it’s one of the most interesting and fun way
to integrate two subjects. Without literacy within the lesson, it would not be easy for young
students to grasp on. The lesson that I created shows in multiple occasions the support of
literacy to understand the concept of the water cycle. Students will not be able to teach
themselves the definitions because they are still in the early stages of learning. Throughout
the phases I choose specific videos and literacy strategies that help the students understand the
cycle.
The specific literacy strategies I used were conducting a vocabulary instruction, graphic
organizer, and exit ticket/performance. The vocabulary instruction is specifically for students
to get use to the vocabulary and hear the definition of the word. As for the graphic organizer,
this allows the students to see the definition through illustration. The exit ticket/performance is
for the reassure of the students learning. This promotes disciplinary literacy through the
practice of different styles to help the student and teacher figure out what fits best for the
child’s learning.
Some challenges that I can foresee in this lesson plan is controlling the excitement/horse
play of the students during Phase I and students misinterpreting the vocabulary words.

Preparation for Obstacles: How I will prepare for these challenges is finding a book to read
instead of allowing the lesson to be active.

Phase I: Identify Desired Results

Disciplinary Practices Targeted:

Understanding/Identifying the Water Cycle
Importance of the water cycle
Texts Required:
Youtube video on the Water Cycle
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ncORPosDrjI

Water Cycle Dance (teacher developed)

Yotube video on Water Cycele song

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=liIPIGdWkcA

Graphic Organizer (teacher developed)

 These text support a diverse learning throughout the lesson because it fits in four different
types of learning styles of reading, illustration, action and audio. The reading applies to Phase
I of introducing the vocabulary words for the lesson. Vocabulary will be written on the board
with a very short definition. The illustration is done during the completion of the graphic
organizer. Students will be able to refer to pictures that will help them understand the
vocabulary. Action learning is done through the motions to the song of the water cycle and is
suitable for students that learn hands on. It allows the students physically see the action of
each vocabulary word. Lastly there is audio which is done during the play of both videos
through a song and basic explanation.

Understandings: State Standards Addressed:

Students should know… K.5 The student will investigate and
understand that water flows and
 Water can be a solid, liquid, or gas.
has properties that can be observed
 The phase of water can be changed by and tested. Key concepts include
heating or cooling it. a) water occurs in different
 The natural flow of water is from a phases;
higher to a lower level. b) water flows
downhill/downwards
.
.

Essential Questions:
What is the importance to the water cycle?
Why do we need water?

Reflection:

I liked my alignment of the task, students understanding, and essential questions. They
create a perfect flow in understanding the lesson. The standard is very straight forward in
vocabulary and understanding a cycle process of water. All the text I used provide multiple
promotion to disciplinary practice giving the ability to students to answer the essential
questions. Both videos focus on definitions needed to provide for the vocabulary. The song is
action based that lets the students see the process. The graphic organizer gives evidence to the
child’s understanding of the lesson.
 Phase II: Determine Acceptable Evidence

Performance Task(s): Other Evidence:

 Students will know the vocabulary  Students questioning in the beginning

terms for the water cycle
 The student will know a song with
action that will describe the water
cycle
 The students will create a chart that
demonstrates their understanding of
the water cycle.
of the lesson.
 Students involvement, eye contact,
asking questions, and getting feedback
in the song, dance, and questions
asked by the teacher
 Review questions on the water cycle
and its purposes

Reflection:
These tasks are authentic in everyday because it gives them the basic knowledge of where
water comes from. It allows the student to think that there is are things matter without
physically being seen. This assignment gives practice for students to think outside the box and
practice critical thinking of why things happen. The task allows the students to think that most
environmental factors undergo step by step process. Lastly, it helps the child find the proper
learning style for them to use in other content learning.

Phase III: Plan Learning Experience & Instruction

Preparing Students for Literacy Learning

Description of Activities/Methods/Materials:

 Student will be introducing through a series of questions…

o Who likes to drink water?
o Where does this water come from?
o What is rain?
o Does anyone know where rain comes from?
 Introduce the water cycle through written Vocabulary on the board
o Evaporation
o Condensation
o Precipitation
 Students are introduced to the video on the water cycle
 Ask and reiterate to students the definition of each word
 Introduce similar movements to each Vocabulary word for song preparation
o Evaporation: wiggle fingers in an upward motion
o Condensation: grabbing motion with hands in multiple directions
o Precipitation: fingers wiggling downwards
 Introduce the water cycle song for greater understanding of each word
  Cliff hanger ask students what would happen if we didn’t have a water cycle?

Literacy Strategies Employed: Vocabulary Instruction

Assisting/Guiding Students in Literacy Learning

Description of Activities/Methods/Materials:
 Ask students what would happen if we didn’t have a water cycle? (allow 2 mins to
think) and share
o Why do we need water?
o What is the importance towards the world?

 Replay water cycle song and have students sing along and do motions
 Students are then given a cycle Graphic Organizer that is requires them to fill in the
blanks and color the pictures
o Graphic Organizers are premade as well are the cut out Vocabulary Words
 Students are given the three vocabulary words and decipher which words goes where
 Once students get the vocabulary words correctly, they are to raise their hand and
allow the teacher to check for correction
 Once they’re checked off, the student can glue vocabulary words in the designated
blank and continue to color in the pictures

Literacy Strategies Employed: Graphic Organizer, Vocabulary Instruction

Helping Students Engage in Reflection to Promote Literacy

Description of Activities/Methods:
 Allow students to share again their thoughts on life without water
 Wrap up lesson with the questions of….
o What is the water cycle?
o What is the importance of water?
o Although we can’t see it, does it mean that the process is still happening?
o Do you think that other processes happen without us knowing?
 Exit Ticket/Performance is the song and movements to the vocabulary words

Literacy Strategies Employed: Exit Ticket/Performance

Reflection:
The methods that I choose from Phases I and II, I feel, reflect and hit the target for the
designated standard. I believe that for kindergartener to learn, lessons must be active, hands
on, and require constant reiteration. The methods that I choose fit perfectly in understanding
the concepts of the water cycle. Vocabulary instructions focused on the key terms that
compose the water cycle, allowing the students to know the important terms and the action that
is being done. In Phase II, I used a graphic organizer that gives the chance for students that
learn through pictures.
The text that I used throughout both Phases, were videos, graphic organizer, and action. These
support the literacy discipline by giving the students diverse ways of learning the content. The
vocabulary words were also stated and defined in the proper language for kindergartners.
Throughout both Phases, the students never have to worry about encountering unknown
vocabulary and can build a sense of independence through applying the content. This can also
be seen through the graphic organizer.
The methods that I choose for these Phases can easily be referred to the essential questions. In
Phase I, the student is taught the vocabulary that completes the water cycle and motions that
shows the action of the vocabulary. This relays back to the anticipatory set of questions of
where rain comes from and where the water we drink comes from and connecting lessons of
Phase I and II.

Final Reflections/Considerations

Reflection:
For this lesson cycle my focus was on understanding the water cycle using vocabulary
words. The module that helped a lot was module four and the concentration of using
vocabulary teaching tips. After reading Christine Joseph Picot’s article on using academic
word listing, it influenced me to connect literacy with science. Science is a subject filled with
high levels of vocabulary terms that describes processes in all contents of the science field.
Throughout the article it gave examples of targeting vocabulary and their definitions. This
influenced me to build my lesson around that concept. I wanted students to learn theses
specific terms as many ways as possible because it gives the students multiple opportunities to
learn the terms. What made these specific terms even better is that they all correspond with
one another making huge connections between the vocabulary words; therefore, making it
easier for the students to learn.
Some ideas that I gathered from the Alvermann’s book is chapter seven and eight. Chapter
seven talks about preparing students for reading and helped me think of what type of literacy
am I incorporating in my lesson cycle. What I filter down in the chapter was common text
structure of sequence. The sequence in my lesson was my vocabulary terms for the water
cycle. The students get the idea of sequence and pattern. Another strategy that I used in my
lesson plan was the teaching modeling think-along. Throughout my lesson, I constantly ask
questions for the students to think for themselves and have time for them to share and delve
into the target of the essential questions.
The other chapter that I had great influence on was chapter eight. This chapter helped me
understand about vocabulary and how to fit it into other disciplines. It made me think about
the level of word knowledge, the type of vocabulary, and the strategies of introducing and
teaching the vocabulary. This why I made created a diverse learning lesson of multiple
learning styles. I made sure that students had at least four different chances of learning the
vocabulary terms through visual aid, hearing, and doing. Student are able to read the
definitions, see illustrations of the definition, and do motions of definitions through songs.
This also connects the sequence and pattern of the water cycle because the students state each
term by stages start to finish.