KUTZTOWN UNIVERSITY

ELEMENTARY EDUCATION DEPARTMENT

LESSON PLAN FORMAT

Teacher Candidate: Holly LaCapra

Date: November 11-12, 2015

Breanna Watkins, Katie Jaxheimer

Cooperating Teacher:
Group Size:

25

Subject or Topic:

Coop. Initials
Allotted Time: 60 minutes

Grade Level 1st grade

Clouds

Section

STANDARD:

CC 1.2.1 .A Ask and answer questions about key details in a text.

3.2.1.A1: Observe and describe the properties of liquids and solids. Investigate
what happens when solids are mixed with water and other liquids are mixed with
water.

I. Performance Objectives (Learning Outcomes):

Students will create a bulletin board showing their knowledge of the different
types of clouds.
II. Instructional Materials
Large poster board
Construction paper
Scissors
Letter press
Cotton balls
Glue
Magazines
Science notebooks
The book (Clouds by Smith-Saunders)

III. Subject Matter/Content (prerequisite skills, key vocabulary, big idea, outline of
additional content)
A. Prerequisite skills
1. Information about the water cycle
2. Liquids, solids, and gases

3. A specific knowledge about condensation

B. Key Vocabulary
1. Clouds- gas form of water
2. Cirrus clouds- high clouds thin wispy looking
3. Stratus clouds- Low clouds, broken up and scattered to cover the sky
4. Cumulus clouds- white puffy clouds, which look like pieces of floating
cotton
5. Cumulonimbus clouds- Storm clouds
C. Big Idea
1. Name four types of clouds and describe what they look like.
D. Content
1. The students will be able to learn four different types of clouds and what
they look like through visual aids and the book Clouds. After the visuals are
given and the book is read the class will collectively create a bulletin board.
The children will decorate the board with given materials and content that
they learned.
IV. Implementation
A. Introduction
1. Educator will begin the class with the reading of the book, Clouds, to
introduce the lesson.
a. Educator will say, Pay close attention to the pictures as I read
this book.
2. The teacher will ask the students to describe the types of clouds that were
discussed in the book by saying, tell me what you observed about all of the
clouds shown in the book. Today we will be focusing on four specific types of
clouds.
a. Students will respond in their science notebooks.
3. Educator will state the four types of clouds they will be discussing, which
are Cirrus, Stratus, Cumulus, and cumulonimbus clouds.
B. Development
1.The students will be asked to recall the four types of clouds mentioned in
the book, and then draw them in their science notebooks.
2. Educator will walk around and observe the various drawings made by the
students and choose four to present their drawings.
3. After each student presents their cloud the teacher will display an actual
picture of that specific type of cloud. This will give the students a visual to
compare their drawings to the real thing.
4. As we discuss cloud by cloud the educator will provide information on
each cloud.

a. The teacher will display multiple pictures of a cirrus cloud and

explain to the students that these clouds are high up in the sky and
look like thin wispy clouds. They are white and often come along
with nice weather.
b. The teacher will display multiple pictures of a stratus cloud and
explain to the students that these clouds are placed toward the
lower end of the sky. Stratus clouds often cover the entire sky and
usually come with a light rain or drizzle.
c. The teacher will display multiple pictures of a cumulus cloud and
explain to the students that these clouds are white puffy clouds that
look like giant cotton balls.
d. The teacher will display multiple pictures of a cumulonimbus
cloud and explain to the students that these clouds are large storm
clouds. They are typically associated with heavy rain and wind.
5. Students will record these important descriptions in their science
notebooks to differentiate between the different types of clouds.
6. The educator will say, Now that we are experts on the four types of
clouds we discussed, lets apply this information we learned and create a
class bulletin board.
7. The teacher will do one of the clouds (pick one of the four) on the bulletin
board and model drawing the clouds with clear representation and
descriptions of the cloud, having the students help with the descriptions.
8. Teacher will break the class up into three different groups and assign each
group a cloud.
9. The students will be given materials such as poster paper, glue, scissors,
markers, and cotton balls, etc. to create a visually appealing
representation.
10. The teacher will say, Make sure you follow the steps we took together to
create your clouds, making sure your descriptions are included.
11. Educator will walk around and observe the progress by each group and
provide help if needed.
12. As each group wraps up their creations the teacher will display the
finished products onto the bulletin board.
C. Closure
1. After the students have completed the bulletin board assignment the groups
will be asked to describe the characteristics of their drawings.
a. Students should respond with things like the location of their cloud in
the sky as well as the visual description of their cloud.
2. The educator will say, I am really impressed with all of your drawings you
have created today. Would anyone like to share what their favorite cloud is?
a. The students will respond by raising their hands and being called on.
3. Educator will say, Now that we have mastered these four types of clouds,
tomorrow we will be discovering what exactly precipitation is.

D. Accommodations/Differentiation
For students who struggle with reading the teacher will read the book
out loud as well as display many visuals and pictures for them to see.
For those students who have difficulty reading drawing the images of
each cloud will be beneficial.
E. Assessment/Evaluation Plan
1. Formative
Students will be evaluated by their drawings and descriptions of
those drawings in the bulletin board project.
2. Summative
Unit test at the end of the unit.
3. Performance assessment
The utilization of the materials provided for the students to create
the bulletin board and accurately execute the drawings of the four
different types of clouds.
V. Reflective Response
A. Report of Student Performance in Terms of Stated Objectives (Reflection on
student performance written after lesson is taught, includes remediation for
students who fail to meet acceptable level of achievement)
B. Personal Reflection (Questions written before lesson is taught. Reflective
answers to question recorded after lesson is taught)
How could this lesson be improved?
How did the students utilize the materials given?
What were the students responses to the reading of the book?

Bulletin Board, Poster Project Rubric

Organization

Information

Target
The cloud is well
drawn, and clearly
resembles what the
specific cloud actually
looks like.

Acceptable
The cloud is well
drawn, and mostly
resembles what the
specific cloud actually
looks like.

The Characteristics of
the cloud are neatly
written on the poster.
The descriptions on
the cloud are
accurately written out.

The characteristics of
the cloud are written
on the poster. The
descriptions on the
clouds are mostly
accurate.

Unacceptable
The cloud is not
drawn well, and it
does not resemble
what the specific
cloud should look
like.
The characteristics of
the cloud are not
written on the poster
in an accurate manner.

VI. Resources (in APA format)

Weather Wiz Kids weather information for kids. (n.d.). Retrieved October 9, 2015.