Learning Cycle Lesson Planning Form

Grade Level:
Science Standards (Benchmarks/NSES/GLES) to be
Addressed:
k-3rd grade
Sc 2.4.2
Science concept(s): Students will be able to identify a valley form (either U or V shaped),
compose a valley, and discuss where valleys are found in the U.S.
Idea(s) about the nature of science: Valleys- what do they look like, where can we find them?
Students will be able to use the provided materials to create a valley model. They will examine
the concept of river, mountains, and hills, which make up a valley area. In learning the terms,
students will model/design their own valley using grass, paper and glue provided. Students will
be shown pictures of U and V shaped valleys and able to compare and decipher which shape
they are with their arms (U or V) and give a simple explanation.
Students need to investigate the term valley along with others to fully describe the
environmental processes and features of places and areas around them. A valley connects ideas
of other land features like mountains, rivers, plains, and hills. Knowing whether a valley is U or V
shaped will allow them to see the difference.
Teachers should illustrate what a valley is, where to find one, how they are made, what they look
like, and the other features needed to create a valley. Many students may not know that a valley
is made up of hills and dipped with a plain or a river below. They are in the shape of a U or a V
depending on their size and area in the U.S. They are a cross section of hills and slopes where
many plains and mountain animals live.

Science Topic/Content Area:

Landforms- Valleys
1. What concepts/big ideas
did you intend students to
learn?
2. What did you expect
students to understand
about this concept and be
able to do as a result?
3. Why is it important for
students to learn this
concept? (Rationale)
4. Provide an overview/
explain what teachers should
know about this topic. What
misconceptions do students
typically have about this
concept? (Lesson
Background Info)
5. What specific activities
might be useful for helping
students develop an
understanding of the
concept in each phase of the
Learning Cycle?

Engage:
1. Review Plains- who lives on the plains what do they look like in the environment? (show
pictures on iPad) Nebraska is a plain state, what are others? Plains are flat; lets make a
flat plain with our arms.
2. Discuss Mountains- where might we find or see mountains? (Show picture to class on
iPad) What do they look like? Who lives on the mountains? Where have you seen
mountains? (ex: Colorado, South Dakota) Lets make a peak with our arms now, this is a
Mountain.
3. Our new landform today is VALLEY. What is a valley? Where do we find them? What do
they look like? (show a clip of a valley)
4. Watch the short clip on Valleys, large and small, in California
http://schoolmediainteractive.com/view/object/clip/97F37081058CD76B14DF5BE2B49A1C
40/04
5. Explain: U and V shaped valleys. (Show PowerPoint/pictures of U and V shaped valleys.
Have students make
them with their arms sitting in rug area) Give students
pictures as a class and have them decide whether the picture is U or V shaped and

Adapted from the Content Representation Tool (Loughran, Mulhall, & Berry, 2004)

discuss their reasoning.

Exploration:
1. Lets make a valley!
2. Students will sit at seats and see demonstration of the premade brown construction
paper mountains in U and V shaped on the paper. (teachers will come around to place
glue and give grass)
3. Students will use brown construction paper, glue, and real grass to create either a U or V
shaped valley depending on placement of mountains.
4. Once students have finished ask students, Who made a U shaped valley? Who made a
V shaped valley? Who had time to make both? have students share with one another
and compare the placing of their mountains and grass area.
Explanation:
1. Now lets discuss as a class what our U and V shaped valleys look like. How are they the
same? How are they different? (V shaped are mountains closer together, U shaped are
further apart)
2. Sometimes there are rivers in between valleys, but not always. Why might this be? So
who might live near or by a valley?
3. How might a river form in a valley?
Extension:
1. Now we will watch a short clip about mountains, plains, rivers, and valleys. I want you to
be thinking about the ANIMALS that are living in these places. Keep one in mind and be
able to share at the end.
http://www.neok12.com/video/Mountains/zX0473737f64460f5c465a0a.htm
2. What types of animals did you see in the landforms (mountains, plains, rivers, and
valleys?
3. How might these animals survive?
6. In what ways would you
assess students
understanding or confusion
about this concept?

7. What materials/
equipment are needed to
teach the lesson?

Formative Assessment: Students will be asked to write in their landform journal about the
meaning and their construction of the valleys, either U or V shaped. What other landforms make
up valleys? (mountains, hills, rivers)
Summative Evaluation: As a class students will answer the concluding questions.
1. What is a mountain?
2. What is the plain landform?
3. How is a valley formed? What types of valleys are there?
Large piece of construction paper for each child (given last week), construction paper (brown for
mountains), grass from outside for valley in between the valley forms, pencils, glue. Flip books
and name tags- (made previous week) Computer and iPad access for PowerPoint, pictures, and
video.

Adapted from the Content Representation Tool (Loughran, Mulhall, & Berry, 2004)

8. References (Please list all

resources consulted in
developing this form)

1.
http://schoolmediainteractive.com/view/object/clip/97F37081058CD76B14DF5BE2B49A1C40/04
2. http://www.neok12.com/video/Mountains/zX0473737f64460f5c465a0a.htm
3. Google images for mountains, plains, and valley forms

Adapted from the Content Representation Tool (Loughran, Mulhall, & Berry, 2004)