Common Core Lesson Planner

Grade Level: Kindergarten Teacher: Miss Emily

Subject: Weather/Science
K-ESS2-1
1 Use and share observations of local weather conditions to describe patterns over time.
Common Core K-PS3-1
and Content Make observations to determine the effect of sunlight on Earth's surface.
XC-CE-LE-1
Standard(s) Events have causes that generate observable patterns.

2 - large clear plastic cup,

Materials/ - can of shaving cream
Resources/ - a bottle of water
Lesson - bottle of blue food coloring
Preparation

3 - Students create a model of precipitation to discover what causes rain to fall from the clouds.
Objective(s)

Level 2: Skill/Concept-Students will learn a new concept by learning through experiments.

4
Webb’s Depth of Level 3: Strategic Thinking-Students will use the new concept to create their own perception and
Knowledge understanding of Condensation & Precipitation.
Level

5
Students will be able to demonstrate independence, responding to varying demands of audience, task,
College and purpose, and discipline & coming to understand other perspectives and cultures
Career Ready
Skills

6 This lesson will have students gain communication & collaboration while working together in groups.
They will also gain critical thinking of the functions of condensation and precipitation at the same time
21st Century building creativity.
Skills

Lesson Delivery
7 Condensation & Precipitation are key terms that are important for students to know to understand the
lesson
Vocabulary/Key
Terms

8 • English Learners: A sheet will be printed out with clear, simple and picture instructions of the
Differentiated experiment
Instruction • Special Needs: Big picture image instructions in flashcard form will be given to special students.
Support will be provided for them along with reputation of instructions and demonstrations. In
which they can use the flashcards to refer.
• Accelerated (Gifted/Talented): Students will be given a work sheet to describe what they
are observing in each step of the experiment. They will also answer observation questions
as well.
9 Formal:
Assessments
Informal:

SAUSD Common Core Lesson Template (adapted)

 Prior Knowledge, Context, and Motivation: I begin a discussion with the students by saying,
"We are going to talk about rain today and how that works. Before I begin, I would like you to turn to
the person next to you and talk to each other for two minutes about what you already know about rain."
While they are talking, I am listening to their conversations. This gives me a pretty good idea of the
knowledge that they may or may not have about rain and if anyone has any knowledge about the water
cycle. This is why it is so important to find out what background knowledge students have on a topic.

Describe each step of the lesson

Teacher will… Students will…

1) Ask students to quickly take their seats. To 1) Tell students to stay in their seats until any
simulate how rain falls from clouds, lead the further instruction. Explain each step
class in an experiment. On each table, have carefully and clearly.
placed a large clear plastic cup, a can of
shaving cream, a bottle of water and a bottle
of blue food coloring.

2) Instruct students that they will work with 2) Students will listen and carefully follow
their table groups to share the responsibilities instruction
of getting the simulation set up and to all
participate equally.

- Tell students to Pour water from the water
bottle into the cup until the cup is about half
full. Then, spray shaving cream into the rest
of the cup. The shaving cream should not
come over the cup.
- In each group each student will take turns
to do each that step. That way all will
cooperate and engage in the activity.

- Then, explain that the food coloring is like

the rain drops, the shaving cream is the cloud.
We are going to drop the food coloring one
drop at a time into the cloud.

3) Next tell students to drop one drop of

coloring in. Did anything happen? Talk to 3) Students will discuss among themselves
your table group about what you see. Then and give interpretation
drop another drop.See anything?

- Continue doing this until there are so many

drops of coloring that they begin to leak - The students will be able to see the color
through the cloud. drop down in the water when this happens.

- Take a few minutes to discuss how clouds

form from condensation. Then discuss when
so much water has collected in the clouds
and they are not able to hold it anymore,
that is when we get rain or precipitation.

SAUSD Common Core Lesson Template (adapted)