Science Lesson Plan

Title: The Great Earth Mover

Subject/Grade Level/ Date(s): Science/ Fourth/ 10-28-15
Time Requirements: 50 minutes
Materials List: For each group: 1 tray, aluminum foil, spray bottle with water, strip of paper, pencil,
worksheets; large post-it sticky

Type of Lesson: Whole-group lesson

Connection to Standards: PO 1. Identify the Earth processes that cause erosion.
PO 3. Describe the role that water plays in the following processes that alter the Earths surface features:
erosion
deposition
weathering
LI-6 Responding to comprehension questions by analyzing the content for relationships among facts, ideas,
or events using appropriate vocabulary.
LI-8 Responding to social conversations by rephrasing and repeating information, asking questions, and
expressing ones ideas.

Instructional Objective: SWBAT assess that water, as other earth materials, moves downhill on
Earths surface.
SWBAT generate models to stimulate real-life events.

Language Objective: SWBAT discuss many ideas in a group setting and select one.
SWBAT respond to observation questions using their given worksheets.

Active Instructional Plan:

Anticipatory Set: Restate riddle from a few lessons back. Have the students anticipate in their
heads the answer (water) and then have the class give the answer. Review briefly the power of
water.
Questions: Review what models represent: What is a model? What do scientists use models for?
What model did you use with the tombstones? What did you learn? You also used a model in our
last activity, what was the model like?
Introducing Lesson: After turning to page 29- What is happening in the photographs? What do you
already know about erosion and water moving on earths surface?

Introduce collaborative skill: What should I see and hear when it comes to collaborating on ideas as
a group?
Modeling: Model the activity before starting- Spread the aluminum foil on the tray. Spray the water
on the foil in several places. Observe, answer questions. Discuss ways you could make water
move. (Use students as an example) Carry out that plan and observe. Discuss and answer

questions with teams. Write a sentence that describes where the water moves.
Guided Practice: Students will work together on the activity using the worksheet, making
observations and answering questions while teacher monitors each group and assists where
needed. Teacher will also recognize efforts if a group is using their collaborative skill. If not, teacher
will make suggestions: lets go around and hear what each person thinks; lets talk about the idea;
lets see if there is a way to combine; lets agree to try one idea, and if it doesnt work maybe the
others.
Independent Practice: After groups share their sentence fro question #6, students will be asked to
independently write one sentence that best describes what everyone observed.
Closure: Have students tape their sentences on the large post-it, and create one class sentence
summarizing all the ideas as closure.

Assessment/Evaluation: Teacher will informally observe groups through monitoring during the
activity. Teacher will informally observe when groups share their observations. Teacher will use the
worksheet to evaluate the concepts students attained.

Modifications/Differentiation: The curriculum had students write in journal, worksheets were made
instead to help students organize their work.