OBJECTIVE SWBAT

NGSS or INDIANA STATE STANDARDS

2.ESS.1 Chart or graph weather observations such as cloud cover, cloud type and type
of precipitation on a daily basis over a period of weeks.
ESSENTIAL QUESTION(S) How can clouds help forecast weather?
ASSESSMENT By the end of the class period, my students will be able to:
Explain thatclouds are made of water, cold air, cloud condensation nuclei (cloud seeds)
Do this skillrecord observations, identify cloud types
Answer this sample problem

Connection to unit/course/Big
Idea (why is this objective Key Points:
important?):
Observing different weather Clouds are made of water, cold air, and cloud condensation
every day in order for future nuclei
forecasting It rains when there is a great amount of condensation
There are many different types of clouds
Materials/Setup: Agenda: Homework:
Jar 1. Engage (5) -
Hot water 2. Explore (20)
Match 3. Explain (10) Reminders:
Tin foil cup 4. Elaborate (20) -
Lab worksheet 5. Evaluate (5)
*Timing is flexible but
recommended Explore and
Elaborate should be the biggest
sections

ENGAGE: KEY POINTS PREVIEWED - Capture students attention, activate prior knowledge, and
stimulate student thinking so that they are prepared for todays lesson and have sufficient context
around which to construct new knowledge.

KWL Chart on weather What prior knowledge must be

How do you decide what to wear in the mornings? Like why brought up to get them ready
to explore the new concepts
did you all not come in wearing shorts today? How do of todays objective?
people dress in Antarctica vs. Hawaii? (continue
questioning, according to weather) Weather is our new What questions can I ask to
science unit, and we are going to learn about different elicit that prior knowledge?
types of weather and how weather effects our daily lives
To what previous content
as well as forecasting weather. and/or real-life experience can
What are some things you already know about weather? I connect todays objective to
What are some adjectives that describe weather? (ex. capture students attention
Warm, cold, humid, cloudy) and build anticipation for the
What are some things you are are curious about and want lesson?
to learn? What misconceptions might
After our unit we will reflect on what we learned to students have and what
complete our chart. questions can I ask to have
them reveal those
When you look outside today, what is something you notice misconceptions?
 about the weather? (continue to question until someone
says clouds) Clouds are really interesting because they
are constantly changing. Have any of you ever seen
shapes in the clouds? Maybe you noticed this but never
knew that there are different types of clouds? Some days
the clouds are grey and wispy, other days they are large
and puffy. This book talks about the different kinds of
clouds and when they are present.
Read The Cloud Book by Tomie Depaola
Have the shape of several different clouds unnamed and
have students name them and arrange them in order by
altitude.

EXPLORE: KEY POINTS DISCOVERED - Students make observations, record data, design and execute
experiments, create graphs, interpret results, organize their findings, and develop hypotheses or
conclusions so that they can construct knowledge independently and practice their scientific habits of
mind.

Start weather journal. Students go outside and record the What must students be doing
kind the kind of cloud(s) outside today, must explain why and thinking to discover the
key points through their doing
they think so and draw a picture. instead of my telling?
Every day we will record the weather during the unit and
note different changes. Throughout the unit our How can I set up an
observations will become more detailed but today I just experience to allow my
want you to write your observations of the clouds, try to students to do and think these
things?
identify it, explain why you chose what you chose, and
draw a picture of the clouds you see. What questions must I ask to
guide their thinking to arrive
Cloud Lab: Have materials out and give students the lab at the key points?
worksheet.
How are students pushed to
You are all going to investigate what makes a cloud and develop the explanations or
how weather occurs. solutions I am looking for?

How and where are students

recording information/data?

How will I ensure that all

students are not just
participating in the activity,
but engaging in the thinking
required to arrive at the key
points?

EXPLAIN: KEY POINTS FORMALIZED - Solicit student ideas of what theyve just done, engage in
discussion, introduce laws/models/theories/vocabulary, guide students towards generalizations that
explain the results of their explorations, and confirm ideas so that students are clear on what is correct,
why its correct, and what they need to take away.

What did you need in order to create a cloud? Why was How will I set students up to
their no cloud in part one? So you had water, and ice, and create accurate explanations
and justify them with
smoke. Clouds need water vapor. Can you guess why we evidence?
used ice? (elicit ideas) Clouds also need cold air. The
cooler air higher in the atmosphere cannot hold as How will students share and
much water vapor as the warmer air near the surface engage in the findings of their
classmates (whole class or
of the earth. smaller groups)?
Some of the water vapor wants to condense, but in
order to change from a gas to a liquid, water needs How will students receive
a non-gaseous surface. Cloud condensation nuclei information on formal
(CCN) or cloud seeds provide that surface. CCNs definitions, labels, rules and
procedures and record in a
can be any tiny solid or liquid found in the way that makes sense?
atmosphere, usually salt from the ocean, dust, or
pollution. How will students compare
their explanations to formal
So the smoke acted as the cloud seeds for the water vapor definitions and rules so that
they make sense of their own
to latch onto. Did some of you notice another type of experience?
weather within the jar? (elicit rain) Water condensed on the
bottom of the tin and began to drip, what does this What misunderstandings do I
replicate? Rain! Exactly. When the water vapor gets too anticipate students still having
thick and heavy in the cloud the water molecules combine and how can I correct them?
into droplets and fall from the cloud to make rain. How will I know when students
understand? What questions
must they be able to answer?

ELABORATE: KEY POINTS USED - Students practice applying ideas to new domains in an increasingly
independent way and practice problems for skill objectives so that they reinforce their knowledge, check
their understanding while the teacher is present, and can extend ideas beyond just the problem or
application in the example.
How will students use their
new definitions, rules, and
skills to investigate or solve
problems in a new, yet similar
situation?

How will I scaffold my support

and include whole class,
group, and individual checks
for understanding?

How will students

demonstrate their knowledge
of the new information and
ability to apply it in new ways?

How will I ensure that students

are able to apply their
knowledge in an increasingly
independent (and eventually
independent) way?

EVALUATE: KEY POINT ASSESSED - Assess students current mastery of knowledge, skills, and concepts,
and determine students self-assessed level of comfort and confidence with the objective so that the
teacher knows where to remediate or reinforce ideas the next day, and the extent to which each
individual has mastered the lesson.

The lab worksheet and questioning will display students How will students show
understanding and mastery of the knowledge. mastery of the objective?

If students will be self-

 evaluating their efforts and
abilities, what are the
guidelines they will follow?

NOTES/CONSIDERATIONS
I might have to point out the condensation on the foil Remediation: What additional
because that may be easily overlooked. explicit instruction or supports
will students need so they can
If some students miss I would have the other students accomplish tasks?
share their observations of the lab with the other student.
This is a 2 day lesson plan. The first day of the lesson will Catching students up who
be the KWL chart, reading of The Cloud Book. miss part of the exercises:
How will students
easily jump in to any
part of the lesson
Inspired by ideas from: cycle?
Lynch, N. (2015, November 11). Cloud in a Jar - Playdough To Plato. What will students
Retrieved from http://www.playdoughtoplato.com/cloud-in-a-jar/ need to participate
fully?

Timing and Pacing: If the 5E

model goes beyond one day,
what is the clear output for
each day?

Cloud Lab
Questions: What is a cloud?

Trial 1:

Materials used: ______________________________________________________

Observations:___________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________