Teacher Candidate: Sara Saurazas

Cooperating Teacher: Dr. Varano

Group Size: 24
Allotted Time: 40 minutes
Subject or Topic: Clouds and how it rains

Date: 10/07/15
Coop. Initials: ________________
Grade Level: 1st grade
Section: _____________________

STANDARD: (PA Common Core): 3.3.1.A5. Become familiar with weather

instruments. Collect, describe, and record basic information about weather
over time.
I. Performance Objectives (Learning Outcomes)
A. Students will be able to demonstrate comprehension of the basic cloud type and their characteristics by
completing a guided note sheet that accompanies an online video.
B. Students will explain how clouds produce rain by completing a graphic organizer as a group while
participating in an experiment.
C. Students will demonstrate their understanding of cloud characteristics by creating cloud diagrams using
cotton balls and labeling with the correct cloud type.
II. Instructional Materials
1 copy of "Little Cloud" by Eric Carle
Access to smart board or projector
Access to YouTube link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kL6tfEEzXtM
24 copies of guided notes (see attached)
6 mason jars
6 tubes of food coloring
6 cans of foam shaving cream
water
6 chart pieces of chart paper with guiding questions (see attached template)
1 bag of cotton balls
24 bottles of glue
24 packs of markers
1 pack of blue construction paper
III. Subject Matter/ Content
A. Prerequisite skills:
1. Students need a basic understanding of clouds
2. Students need to understand the basics of the water cycle
3. Students need to be familiar with working in cooperative groups
B. Key Vocabulary:
1. Stratus clouds: clouds that appear to blanket the sky can produce rain or snow
2. Cumulus clouds: puffy, marshmallow looking clouds
3. Cirrus clouds: thin, wispy looking clouds
C. Big Idea:
1. There are many different types of clouds and some of them can cause rain.
D. New Content:
1. There are three main types of clouds
A. Stratus
B. Cumulus
C. Cirrus
2. Cloud types can be identified by their appearance
3. Some clouds create rain
A. clouds are made of tiny water droplets
B. When the cloud becomes too full of water, the water falls, making it rain

IV. Implementation
A. Introduction
1. Ask the students what the students standing on the outside of the circle represented in the
representation of the water cycle from the previous day (Clouds)
2. Read the book "Little Cloud" by Eric Carle
3. Ask the students what they think today's lesson will be all about
4. Explain that today we are going to learn more about the clouds in the sky
B. Development
1. Ask students to turn to a partner and talk about the different things they notice about the clouds
when they look in the sky
2. Have a few students volunteer to share what they discussed
3. Explain that there are different types of clouds in the sky and that they all look different from
one another.
4. Hand out the guided note sheet (see attached)
5. Read over all of the questions on the guided note sheet
6. Explain that we will be watching a short video together about clouds
7. Start the video
8. Stop after each cloud type is discussed, read the first question on the notes and ask for a
volunteer to answer
9. Help the student spell the cloud type and have them write it on the board so the rest of the class
can copy onto their notes
10. Continue stopping the video at each cloud type and calling volunteers until the guided not
sheet is complete.
11. Read over the guided notes as a class once more
12. Tell the students that they will be using their guided notes to help them create a cloud type
book using cotton balls.
13. model how they will glue the cotton down to resemble the type of cloud for example ask the
student what cumulus clouds look like (Fluffy, like pillows) show that the students will glue
several cotton balls down to create a fluffy looking cloud.
14. Model how the students will label the 3 clouds they create with the correct cloud name.
15. Have the students begin working, walk around to help anyone who needs assistance.
16. Once the students are finished have them put their clouds on a drying rack to be stapled
together at another time when they are dry.
17. Group the student into teams of 4.
18. Have the students get with their team at a table.
19. Give each team a poster paper with the guiding questions (see attached)
20. Explain to the student that they will be creating a rain cloud to see what happens and how a
cloud "rains"
21. Explain to the students that they will use the posters to answer questions and guide their
inquiry and experiment.
22. Give the teams their supplies (jar filled 3/4 with water, shaving cream, and food coloring)
23. Model for the students how to squirt the shaving cream on top of the water and have the teams
do it.
24. Show the class how to drop 4-5 drops of food coloring onto the shaving cream cloud "cloud"
25. Have the students complete the question on the poster paper "What do you see first" by writing
their answers or drawing pictures on the poster
26. Walk around and observe students answers
27. Guide students to answer the next questions with words or pictures as the observe the cloud
"raining"
28. Allow time for the students to watch and respond, allow the students to add more drops of food
coloring, ask them what happened.
29. Once all questions on the posters have been answered instruct the teams to clean their area and
gather at the group rug
30. Discuss the answers to the questions and what the student discovered
31. Guide students to answering the main question: How do clouds rain?"

C. Closure
1. Ask the students to turn and talk with a partner and name the three types of clouds
2. Have volunteers share
3. Review the experiment and ask 3 students to share something new they learned about clouds
today.
D. Accommodations / Differentiation 1. Finn, a student who has autism will be paired in a group of students who are cooperative and willing to
help him. His group will help him through the experiment and activities. Finn's class work buddy will also
help him during the individual projects. Finn will be provided with a print out of the schedule so he is
aware of what will happen next and can better stay on task.
E. Assessment/Evaluation plan
1. Formative - the guided notes will be collected to see If students listened to the video
and review and whether they got the correct answers or not. The books will also be
collected and graded according to a checklist; if the students labeled and correctly
represented 2 of the 3 cloud types correctly they will be considered meeting mastery,
while those who do not will need more help.
2. Summative - there is no summative assessment for this lesson.
V. Reflective Response
A. Report of Students Performance in Terms of States Objectives

B. Personal Reflection
What went well during this lesson?

What didnt work well that I need to change?

Were the students engaged and interested, if not what can I do better?

VI. Resources
Inquiry:
https://www.pinterest.com/pin/194499277634571463/
Video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kL6tfEEzXtM