KUTZTOWN UNIVERSITY

ELEMENTARY EDUCATION DEPARTMENT

PROFESSIONAL SEMESTER PROGRAM
LESSON PLAN FORMAT
Teacher Candidate: ___Rebecca Tooker______________________________
Cooperating Teacher: __Dr. Varano___________________________________
Group Size: _24 Students______ Allotted Time: ____50 minutes_____
Subject or Topic: _____Weather-Clouds_______________________________

Date: ___3/9/16_______________
Coop. Initials: ____KU_________
Grade Level: __1st Grade_____
Section: _____________________

STANDARD: (PA Common Core):

3.5 C Identify types of clouds
I. Performance Objectives (Learning Outcomes)
A. 1st graders will understand the difference between the shapes and appearances of types of
clouds by constructing different ones.
II. Instructional Materials
A. Pack of 100 cotton balls, Handful per student
B. Black and blue markers for each student
C. Sheet of blue construction paper per student
D. Smart Exchange about clouds
E. Little cloud by Eric Carle
III. Subject Matter/ Content (prerequisite skills, key vocabulary, big idea)
A. Prerequisites Skills:
1. Basic knowledge of clouds and that there are different types
B. Key Vocabulary:
1. Cirrus, stratus, and cumulus
a. Cirrus-They are composed of thin, wispy clouds blown in high winds into long
streamers. Cirrus clouds are usually white and predict fair to pleasant weather.
b. Stratus-Stratus clouds are uniform grayish clouds that often cover the entire
sky.
c. Cumulus-Cumulus clouds are white, puffy clouds that look like pieces of
floating cotton.
C. Big Idea:
1. There are multiple types of clouds and that different clouds react with different
types of precipitation.
D. New Context:
1. There are different types of clouds a. Cirrus, stratus, cumulus and their characteristic
IV. Implementation
A. Introduction
1. Read the book Little Cloud by Eric Carle on the carpet
2. Ask the students what they think they are learning about.
3. Talk about the cloud in the book and relate it to what they are learning that day.
B. Development
1. Teacher will present the information through a smart exchange about clouds
a. http://exchange.smarttech.com/details.html?id=a6e953b4-0012-4820-a8d2-6384e1810f6f
2. Students will be asked to come sit on the carpet in from of the smart board.
3. The smart exchange shows pictures and labels of each type of cloud.
4. The teacher will review different characteristic of each cloud and their name.

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Throughout the Smart Exchange there is a different cloud activity.

Students will be called up to the board to correct out the picture of a cloud under the word it
belongs to.
The Smart Exchange is complete students will return to their seats.
Teacher will explain the cloud activity with an example of a done project.
Students will be handed out light blue construction paper, glue, blue/black markers and
cotton balls.
Students will be instructed to represent the different clouds by using cotton balls and
markers.
Students must fold the blue construction paper like a hamburger.
On one side of the paper it will be cute into three sections. Each section will be labeled on the
front with a different cloud.
Under each flap there will be characteristics of each cloud.
The students will use cotton balls to show what each cold looks like.
Teacher will walk around taking notes on the students progress and understandings of the
cloud project.
Teacher will assist students when needed help with representation.

C. Closure
1. Teacher will ask students to sit on carpet.
2. As a class they will review the four different clouds and characteristics of each one.
3. Reread book if they the teacher has time left in class.
D. Accommodations / Differentiation 1. Steve has a visual impairment and has trouble with seeing certain things. Steve will be places
in front of the classroom during the read aloud. For the students that have trouble hearing
will also be put in front of the class. The students that have difficulty with fine motor skills,
will have cotton ball pulled already apart for them to glue on the blue paper.
E. Assessment/Evaluation plan
1. Formative- The cloud activity will be evaluated on a rating scale. (Shown below)
Where a score 5-6 will be considered mastery.
a. 1- There is only 1-2 cotton ball cloud and labels on the paper.
b. 2- Only has 2-4 cotton ball cloud and labels correctly on the paper
c. 3- There are 4-5 cotton ball cloud and labels correctly on the paper
d. 4- There are 5-6 cotton ball cloud and labels correctly on the pager
e. 5- There are 6-7 cotton ball cloud and labels correctly on the paper
f. 6- There are 7-8 cotton ball cloud and labels correctly on the paper
2. Summative-There is no summative assessment for this lesson

V. Reflective Response
A. Report of Students Performance in Terms of States Objectives

Remediation:

B. Personal Reflection
How did the book help the students with knowing what they were going to do in the lesson?

How did the overall independent cloud activity work out for the students? Did they understand the
difference between the four different clouds?

VI. Resources
Book:
Carle, E. (1996). Little cloud. New York: Philomel Books.
Smart Exchange:
http://exchange.smarttech.com/details.html?id=a6e953b4-0012-4820-a8d2-6384e1810f6f