Singing the Water Cycle
Initial Publication Date: September 15, 2008
Summary
In this activity, students will learn the water cycle using song and movement. In groups of two, they will learn the song with key vocabulary words, create movement, and perform the song for their class.
Collapse
Learning Goals
This activity is designed for students to become familiar with the water cycle and its vocabulary; students will sing and act out the water cycle. Students will identify water in a variety of forms and how these forms relate to weather.
Concepts:
Water can be a solid, liquid or gas.
The water cycle is a repeating pattern.
Vocabulary:
Evaporation
Condensation
Precipitation
Concepts:
Water can be a solid, liquid or gas.
The water cycle is a repeating pattern.
Vocabulary:
Evaporation
Condensation
Precipitation
Context for Use
Grade 1-2 classroom activity.
This is part of our unit on weather. The class size should be 24 students in a public school setting. Each child will need a partner or be in a group of three students. This is a week long activity. On the first day of the unit I teach the song and demonstrate simple movements to go with it. I also divide the children into groups and give them sentence strips (3) to write the vocabulary words on. The first day takes about 20 minutes. During each of the next three days, the students need about ten minutes practice time. On the last day you will need 20-30 minutes to have each group perform the song and dance.
This is part of our unit on weather. The class size should be 24 students in a public school setting. Each child will need a partner or be in a group of three students. This is a week long activity. On the first day of the unit I teach the song and demonstrate simple movements to go with it. I also divide the children into groups and give them sentence strips (3) to write the vocabulary words on. The first day takes about 20 minutes. During each of the next three days, the students need about ten minutes practice time. On the last day you will need 20-30 minutes to have each group perform the song and dance.
Description and Teaching Materials
On the first day of our water cycle unit, I present the material in our book. I have sentence strips with the vocabulary words written on them and a picture. Then I tell my students I have an easy way to remember the water cycle. I teach them the song:
To the tune of Clementine (In a Cavern)
Evaporation,
Condensation,
Precipitation,
the water cycle.
Evaporation,
Condensation,
Precipitation's how it goes.
(may repeat as much as needed)
Then I do the song with simple movements.
Hands going up with fingers moving for evaporation. Hands over head with fingers moving for condensation and hands coming down and fingers moving for precipitation.
I divide the class in groups of 2 (3 if needed).
Each group gets sentence strips to write the vocabulary words. They write the three words.
Each group gets to create movement to go with the song, they may use the vocabulary word strips.
Each day after our lesson they practice their performance for ten minutes.
At the end of the week we have a show.
Each group performs-you may want to record this.
To the tune of Clementine (In a Cavern)
Evaporation,
Condensation,
Precipitation,
the water cycle.
Evaporation,
Condensation,
Precipitation's how it goes.
(may repeat as much as needed)
Then I do the song with simple movements.
Hands going up with fingers moving for evaporation. Hands over head with fingers moving for condensation and hands coming down and fingers moving for precipitation.
I divide the class in groups of 2 (3 if needed).
Each group gets sentence strips to write the vocabulary words. They write the three words.
Each group gets to create movement to go with the song, they may use the vocabulary word strips.
Each day after our lesson they practice their performance for ten minutes.
At the end of the week we have a show.
Each group performs-you may want to record this.
Teaching Notes and Tips
Have your groups picked ahead of time, you know who can work together.
Anytime I can get my students moving seems to help my teaching.
Anytime I can get my students moving seems to help my teaching.
Share your modifications and improvements to this activity through the Community Contribution Tool »
Assessment
After writing the vocabulary words, singing them and moving to them, most students will know evaporation, condensation and precipitation at the end of the week. Watching 12 groups preform also instills the concepts.
I also have the students do a painting of the water cycle and label it with printed vocabulary words.
I also have the students do a painting of the water cycle and label it with printed vocabulary words.
Standards
Standard: The student will investigate weather cycles.
Strand III Earth and Space Science.
Sub-Strand B The Water Cycle, Weather and Climate.
Benchmark: The student will observe, record and describe characteristics in daily weather and seasonal cycles.
Strand III Earth and Space Science.
Sub-Strand B The Water Cycle, Weather and Climate.
Benchmark: The student will observe, record and describe characteristics in daily weather and seasonal cycles.