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﻿ Weather Unit: **The Water Cycle** ﻿To create a mini unit about the water cycle, I first learned how to create a wiki page through reading about wikis - (Shrum,L. and Levin, B. Leading 21st Century Schools: Harnessing Technology for Engagement and Student Achievement. (2009). Corwin Press. ISBN 978-1412972957) ﻿and instruction in class.
 * [[image:http://water.tamu.edu/images/roundwatercyclesmall.jpg align="left" caption="water cycle" link="http://water.tamu.edu/images/roundwatercycle.jpg"]]
 * ﻿ ﻿ ** ﻿THE WATER CYCLE ||
 * ﻿ ﻿ ** ﻿THE WATER CYCLE ||

I **Introduction to concept**: Science Standard: ESS Standard 10: Describe how water on earth cycles in different forms and different locations, including underground and in the atmosphere. PS Standard 3 Describe how water can be changed from one one form to another by adding or taking away heat.

*Discussion board question: Share one sentence about something you know about the water cycle.

*Students watch the video [] <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 150%;"> <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 150%;">Bill Nye the Science Guy - 'The Water Cycle Jump'. <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 150%;">*As students watch and listen to the rap song - they jot down words on their white board that are connected to the water cycle. <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 150%;">*After watching the video, students go up to promethean and create a class list. <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 150%;">While students are adding their words on a list on promethean, others are sharing their white board list with their shoulder partner. <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 150%;">*Using those words, a class wordle is created. (May be used in vocabulary lesson.)

<span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 150%;">Alternate video option: []

'Where did you go H20' - a song about the water cycle <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 150%;"> <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 150%;">Best practices : <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 150%;">Activating prior knowledge, sharing ideas supports students that do not have background knowledge. <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 150%;">Discussion board question <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 150%;">__Think, Pair, Share__ - Before watching video, students use prior knowledge to brainstorm words that they may already be familiar with; orally share with partner. (Students unfamiliar with water cycle vocabulary will be able to actively engage in writing words on their white boards while watching video.)

<span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 150%;">II. **Vocabulary Lesson**:

<span style="color: #ff0000; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 150%;">ELA Standard: <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 150%;">Vocabulary Acquisition and Use- Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 150%;">meaning words and phrases based on grade 4 reading and content, choosing flexibly from a range of <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 150%;">strategies. <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 150%;">Craft and Structure- Determine the meaning of general academic and domain-specific words or <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 150%;">phrases in a text relevant to a grade 4 topic or subject area.

<span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 150%;">* Read the story //The Rise and Fall of Water// with a partner. <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 150%;">* Using a printed copy of a wordle (previously created using the handout, []<span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 150%;"> or from lesson I) students circle the four main vocabulary words <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 150%;">in the water cycle. <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 150%;">* Create a labeled diagram of the water cycle using those words.

<span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 150%;">Best practices: <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 150%;">Differentiation for learners: <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 150%;">remedial - students use a premade wheel that shows the steps of the water cycle. They color it in and label with appropriate vocabulary words. <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 150%;">on level - students use template and illustrate and label steps in the correct boxes. <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 150%;">advanced - students create their own diagram / chart to show the water cycle, labeled and illustrated.

<span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 150%;">Students may also use wordle to make flash cards for with key words and definitions for review before assessment.

<span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 150%;">III. **Water cycle: Tell a story**

<span style="color: #ff0000; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 150%;">ELA Standard: <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 150%;">Presentation of Knowledge and Ideas - Report on a topic or text, tell a story, or recount an experience in an organized manner, using appropriate facts and relevant, descriptive details to support main ideas or themes; speak clearly at an understandable pace.

<span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 150%;">*Discussion board question: Write one question you might ask a classmate about the water cycle.

<span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 150%;">*Students use the wordle and diagram/ water wheel to retell the story of the water cycle in their own words in a play format. Each student takes the role of one step in the water cycle, and a narrator. In writing their story, the narrator introduces the topic by explaining the importance of the water cycle in our weather system. Each student then introduces themself, (Let me introduce myself, I am evaporation....) and explains what their job is in this process.

<span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 150%;">Best practices: Students work in heterogenous groups of 5 to write their stories. Students have cooperative group roles, i.e. recorder etc.... <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 150%;">Alternate activity: Write a rap or song rather than a story.

<span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 150%;">IV. **Culminating Activity**

Science Standard: <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 150%;">ESS Standard 10 <span style="color: #ff0000; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 150%;">ELA Standard: <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 150%;">Speaking and Listening - Add audio recordings and visual displays to presentations when appropriate to enhance the development of main ideas or themes.

<span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 150%;">*Discussion board question: Share one fact you have learned about the water cycle. <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 150%;">*Watch the podcast **WatercyclePodcast.m4a** <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 150%;">﻿as a model of podcasting and a review. The podcast reviews and explains the steps in the water cycle. <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 150%;">*Students in small groups will then create their own podcast explaining the steps of the water cycle in a story format - using the stories they wrote in previous lesson. Time is given for students to create props - clouds, sun, etc...

<span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 150%;">Best practices: <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 150%;">Discussing responses to discussion board question reinforces information. <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 150%;">Time is provided for 'rehearsal' so that students will feel comfortable with their 'lines'/ fluency practice. <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 150%;">After each group shares their podcast - students write a positive comment about that group's production. When all have been watched, groups are given the written comments to read together.

<span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 150%;">**Ongoing throughout the mini unit on the water cycle, (as well as the umbrella weather unit) students will become classroom meteorologists as they record precipitation using [] <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 150%;">﻿ Alternate site (podcast): ﻿ [] <span style="color: #ff0000; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 150%;">Science Standard: <span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 150%;">ESS Standard 7: Distinguish among the various forms of precipitation (rain, snow, sleet, and hail) making connections to the weather in a particular place and time. <span style="color: #ff0000; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 150%;">﻿Math standard: 4D.1: <span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 150%;">﻿Collect and organize data using observations, measurements, surveys, or experiments, and identify appropriate ways to display the data.

<span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 150%;">Students will work with a partner and use a variety of maps on the web site (or information given in the podcast) to record the weather/ precipitation over time in a specific location. Students will choose a state in the region of the United States being studied in Social Studies at this time, and use a table or chart to record this data.

<span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 150%;">Best practices: Students are making connections across curriculum areas- Science, Social Studies, Math. While learning about forms of precipitation, students are connecting with the weather over a period of time (climate) in a specific region of the country, and recording data (using a chart or table to display the information).