A.

Title of Lesson: ​Precipitation Types

B. Context of Lesson: ​The purpose of this lesson is to teach students about the

different types of precipitation that can occur. There are four types of precipitation that

the lesson will be focused on: Rain, snow, sleet, and hail. The students are going to

investigate how each type is formed via a jigsaw approach. There will be eight small

groups each with two to three students in each group. Each group will be assigned a

specific precipitation type that they are going to research through the use of leveled

readers provided by the teacher. These groups will be pre-determined by the teacher

based on their reading levels. The groups who were assigned the same precipitation type

will have the chance to conference with each other to discuss what information they

think is most important to teach to the other groups. They will use the ipad app, Padlet,

to organize their thoughts. After that, the groups will meet up with students who

researched different precipitation types so that they can go through what they learned

and teach the other students about their topic. They will be using the padlet app to help

them explain their thoughts. Padlet is an interactive app that gives students the tools to

collaborate and make connections between different ideas. The link to the padlet that I

created for this lesson can be found here:

https://padlet.com/caitlin_bossert20/sgoyv7kxufy

C. Unwrapping the Virginia Standards of Learning:

The student will investigate and understand how weather conditions and phenomena

occur and can be predicted. Key concepts include

a) Weather phenomena
 b) Weather measurements and meteorological tools; and

c) Use of weather measurements and weather phenomena to make weather

predictions

Overview: This standard focuses on weather conditions and a more technical

understanding of the tools and methods used to forecast future atmospheric conditions.

Weather is introduced in science standard 2.6. It is intended that the students will

actively develop and utilize scientific investigation, reasoning, and logical skills (4.1) in

the context of the key concepts presented in this standard.

Unwrapped Concept Unwrapped Skill Taxonomy Level
(nouns) (verbs) (SOLO)

Changes in Weather -predict -Multistructural (2)

Over Time -analyze -Relational (3)
-temperature -design -Relational (3)
-air pressure

Weather Maps -illustrate -Unistructural (1)

-high/low pressure air -label -Unistructural (1)
masses -differentiate -Multistructural (2)
-warm and cold fronts -analyze -Relational (3)
-temperature and -report -Relational (3)
precipitation

Cloud Types -differentiate -Multistructural (2)

-Cirrus
-Stratus
-Cumulus
-Cumulo-nimbus

Precipitation Types -compare and contrast -Relational (3)

-rain
-snow
-sleet
-hail

Storm Types -recognize -Unistructural (1)

-thunderstorms -describe -Multistructural (2)
-hurricanes -explain -Relational (3)
-tornadoes

Meteorological Tools -design -Relational (4)

-anemometer
-rain gauge
-thermometer
-barometer

D. LEARNING INTENTIONS and SUCCESS CRITERIA

Learning Intentions: Today I am learning about precipitation types so that I can

understand how each type is formed in our atmosphere.

Success Criteria: I’ll know I have it when…

● I can recognize the four types of precipitation

● I can explain how each type is formed

● I can find similarities and differences between each of the precipitation types

E. ASSESSING LEARNING

I will be informally assessing student’s learning throughout the lesson. As

students talk with their group mates and discuss important ideas from the reading, I will

be able to move around the classroom and listen in on what the student’s are thinking. I

will also be able to see which students post on the padlet app and further assess their

understanding based on what they wrote and if they found any connections to what

somebody else may have wrote. As a whole class, we will be comparing and contrasting

the precipitation types based on what the students posted so I will be able to answer any

questions the students may still have and guide their learning by asking them questions

that push their thinking further. The padlet app also allows me to comment on any of

the posts, so I will be able to review what each group posted and provide them with

appropriate feedback.

F. MATERIALS NEEDED

-tablets with the padlet app downloaded- provided by school

-A pre-made padlet for the students to log onto- provided by me

-leveled readers
 G. PROCEDURE
Activity Procedures and management
Element Step by step procedures including questions and main
& Time (in points
minutes)
Approximately
45 minutes
total
Engage To start the lesson, I am going to introduce the
-Introduction learning intentions and success criteria to the
students. I will ask for student volunteers to read each
3 min part aloud for the class to hear.
Transition 1 I will then ask the students to take out their tablets and
go onto the padlet app. The website version will be
3 min projected onto the smartboard for all to see. The
students can either type in the URL or scan the code to
have access to the padlet. I will ask the students to give
me a thumbs up once they see that their elbow buddy
has logged onto the padlet and is ready to learn.
Event 1 The first thing that I am going to ask students to do is
activate their prior knowledge. The day prior to this
2 min lesson, the students will have learned about clouds,
and since clouds are vital part of the water cycle and
closely related to precipitation, I am going to ask
students to post on the padlet information that they
learned about cloud formation the day prior.
Once everyone has posted something on the padlet, we
will have a class discussion about how this relates to
3 min precipitation. I will ask the students “What is
precipitation? What does that have to do with the
clouds? There are different kinds of cloud types
because of changing atmospheric conditions. Is that
the same for precipitation?”
Transition Once the class has come to the consensus that yes,
there are different kinds of precipitation, I am going to
2 min divide the students up into groups and assign them
Students
Students will be looking over the
learning intentions and success
criteria for the day, listening as
their peers read aloud.
Students will be gathering their
tablets and logging onto the
padlet app. If they see that a
neighbor is struggling with these
directions, they will help them so
that they can give me a thumbs up
that they are ready to begin the
lesson.
The students will be activating
their prior knowledge about the
water cycle by posting
information that they had just
learned about clouds. They will be
doing this independently, but will
be able to see everything that
their peers post on the padlet app
and on the smartboard.
Students will be participating the
group discussion about clouds
and precipitation.
Students will meet with their
group mates and collect their
reading materials.
 different topics to read about. It will be explained that
while they are reading, they are going to be searching
for important information about how their specific
precipitation type is formed in the atmosphere.
Event 2 I will be going around the classroom and observing
student behavior. If there are any groups who seem
8 min confused by something they are reading, I will go over
to them and clarify it for them. I will be keeping track
of time and letting students know when they have 2
minutes left to finish up their reading.
Transition Now, it will be explained to students that they are
going to meet up with the other group in the class who
2 min read about the same topic as them. It will be explained
that they are going to collaborate with the other group
to talk about what they learned and determine what
they think would be the most important information to
teach to the other groups who did not read about their
topic. They can record this information under the
correct subheading on the padlet app.
Event 3 I will be surveying the classroom and listening to
student discussions. If at any point I find it necessary
4 min to interject myself into conversations to clarify
misconceptions or further student thinking, I will do
so. I will let the students know when they have 2
minutes left to wrap up their conversations.
Transition Once the students have finished collaborating with the
other groups, it will be explained that they are now
1 min going to meet up with students from each of the groups
who researched topics that they did not. On the board,
I will have a list of sample questions that the students
can refer to to help guide their discussions in a way
that is productive.
Once the students are set up and
understand their expectations for
the activity, they will read with
their group member about the
specific precipitation type they
have been assigned. They will not
be using their tablets for this
portion of the lesson and instead
will be writing down information
that they think is important onto
a chart that I have provided for
them.
The students will be meeting up
with the other groups and
listening to the expectations for
what is to happen next. They will
have the chance to ask any
questions they have before diving
into the activity.
Now that the students have met
up with the other group, they will
discuss what they read and
determine what information
needs to be taught to the other
groups. They will use the padlet
app to help them organize their
thinking.
The students will be listening to
my instructions and finding
members from the other groups
to meet up with and discuss with.
The students will know who to
group up with because it will be
written on the board.
Event 4 I will be going around the classroom and informally
assessing student’s learning by listening in on their
4 min discussions. If at any point I find it necessary to
interject myself into conversations to clarify
misconceptions or further student thinking, I will do
so. I will let the students know when they have 2
minutes left to wrap up their conversations.
Transition Once students have finished their discussions, I will
tell them to go back to their original seats. I will ask
1 min the students to keep their padlet apps open for the next
part of the lesson.
Event 5 For the next part of the lesson, we are going to use the
information that the students posted about each type
8 min of precipitation and brainstorm ways that each are
similar or different. I will call on different student
volunteers to talk about what they had posted and if it
is similar/the same as what somebody else had posted
about a different topic, explain the connection. There
is a tool on the padlet app that allows users to connect
different posts together, so this would work well as a
visual aid for students who may be unsure of how
different concepts may relate to one another.
Conclusion To conclude the lesson, I will present the students with
a series of cloze statements on the smartboard. I will
3 min ask them to turn to a neighbor, read through the
statements and determine what words may belong in
the blanks. After a few minutes, we will quickly review
as a class what the answers are.
Students will be collaborating
with their peers and listening as
they are taught about the
different kinds of precipitation
types. If there is a lull in the
discussion, they can refer to the
sample questions on the board to
help scaffold the discussion.
Students will be returning to their
seats. They will give me a thumbs
up when they see that their elbow
buddy has their tablet in front of
them with the padlet app opened
to the section that is being
projected onto the smartboard.
Students will be participating in
the group discussion, analyzing
the different information that has
been posted and determining
whether certain facts are unique
to one specific precipitation type
or is a commonality between
each.
the students will review what they
had just learned by analyzing a
series of cloze statements about
the precipitation types.
 H. DIFFERENTIATION
English Language Content
Learners
Interest -Allow the students to
choose which type of
precipitation they would
like to research
Readiness -Use leveled readers that
have the same content
written in the ELL’s native
language
-Provide the spanish
translations of the
worksheets and charts
-Pre-expose ELLs to the
content- specific
vocabulary terms
necessary for
comprehension of the
lesson
Process-how you’re gonna Product- how’re you going to
ask them to engage scaffold their products
-Giving students the -Students show their thinking by
option of choosing their posting on the padlet app,
own groupmates connecting to someone else’s
-Allowing students the post, or commenting on someone
flexibility to choose the else’s post.
information that they
think is most important to
be posted on the padlet,
based on what was said in
the reading
-ELLs can collaborative on -An aide can come to the
activities with other classroom and help the student to
students in the class who translate everything that has
speak the same language been posted on the padlet, as well
as help them to be active
-ELLs can be given a listeners/participants in the
“helper buddy” to work discussion portion of the lesson
with when going through
the jigsaw portion of the
lesson and to brainstorm
different ideas to post onto
the padlet app