Group Members: Alejandra De La Hoya, Irais Martinez,

Emma Ritter, and Mario Villanueva

BED 4343 Sheltered Instruction Lesson Plan
Title: How is rain formed?
Topic: Science (Water Cycle)
Grade: 2nd

Authors: Dr. MV
Date: 30 November 2015
Introduction:

English Language Learners (ELLs) have a difficult time when it comes to learning
a different language, let alone new academic content. By using sheltered instruction, teachers
are able to make the academic content more comprehensible for the ELLs while still giving the
original content just in an easier form. The main goal of this SIOP lesson plan is to keep the
same content concepts by just adapting some of the wording without losing the content instead of
watering down the information. It is important that we teach our ELLs not just conversational
language but also academic language. The lesson is meant for second grades to learn about the
water cycle. This lesson will include the following:

TEKS: 112.13.8C Explore the processes in water cycle, including evaporation, condensation,
and precipitation, as connected to weather conditions.
Content Objective(s):
1. Students will be able to recognize and understand the key vocabulary terms.
2. Students will be able to illustrate the process of the water cycle.
3. Students will be able to create and explain the main parts of the water cycle.
Language Objective(s):
1. Students will be able to write each step of how the water cycle works by writing the
cycle in the correct order (evaporation, condensation, and then precipitation).
2. Students will be able to illustrate by constructing their own diagram of the water cycle.
3. Students will be able to describe to a partner their illustration of the water cycle.
Relevant ELPS:
Beginning proficiency ELLS are able to produce only single words or short phrases
consisting of recently practiced, memorized or highlight familiar material when
speaking. Label, list, and copy when writing. Understand simple conversations and
simple discussions with the support of visuals, slower speech, and other verbal cues
when listening. Also, read and understand the very limited recently practiced,
memorized, or highly familiar English they have learned when reading (ELPS at a
Glance).
Intermediate proficiency ELLs are able to produce simple, original messages, participate
in short conversations within the classroom interaction when speaking. Write short,
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BED 4343 Sheltered Instruction Lesson Plan
simple sentences using high frequency words when writing. Understand simple
conversations and simple discussions with the support of visuals, slower speech, other
verbal cues, and seek clarification when needed while listening. Also, read slowly and in
short phrases when reading (ELPS at a Glance).
Advanced proficiency ELLs are able to participate comfortably in most conversations
when speaking. Write grade level appropriate sentences. Understand the main points in
conversations when listening. Also, with language support read and understand grade
level text (ELPS at a Glance).
Advanced High proficiency ELLs are able to participate effectively in extended
discussions when speaking. Write complex grade level sentences. Understand the main
points of elaborate conversations when listening. Also, read and understand grade level
text (ELPS at a Glance).
Language Adaptations and Accommodations:
Students within different proficiency levels are able to understand and produce academic and
conversational content at different stages using the English language. Based on the information
provided within the Relevant ELPs the following accommodations will be made for each
proficiency level.
Beginning
1. Students will be able to copy on a pre-made handout how the water cycle works in the
correct order (evaporation, condensation, and then precipitation).
2. Students will be able to identify each part of the water cycle by matching the correct term
with their picture; list of words will be provided along with worksheet.
3. Students will able to name each part of the water cycle to a partner.
Intermediate
1. Students will be able to write on a pre-made handout how the water cycle works in the
correct order (evaporation, condensation, and then precipitation).
2. Students will be able to identify each part of the water cycle by matching the correct term
with their picture; worksheet will be provided.
3. Students will be able to name and define, using simple sentences, each part of the water
cycle to a partner.
Advanced and Advanced High (no adaptation of objectives)
1. Students will be able to write each step of how the water cycle works by writing the
cycle in the correct order (evaporation, condensation, and then precipitation)..
2. Students will be able to illustrate by constructing their own diagram of the water cycle.
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BED 4343 Sheltered Instruction Lesson Plan
3. Students will be able to describe to a partner their illustration of the water cycle.
The following accommodations will be made for ELLs.
Text adaptation. Teacher will adapt the content vocabulary to ELLs by simplifying
words, using short sentences with cognates, and subject-verb-object (SVO) order.
Prior knowledge. Teacher will provide visuals, and graphic organizers for students to
make connections with the new vocabulary being introduced. This will help students
understand content specific words better.
Hands-on activity. This will be used to help students get a better, visual, and hands-on
grasp on how the water cycle occurs.
Modeling. Teacher will model for students how to illustrate, on the document camera, a
water cycle. How to build parts of the water cycle. Also visually show the water cycle in
action.
Realia. Teacher will bring in real life examples for each part of the water cycle. This will
coincide with the modeling accommodation.
Grouping. Teacher will start with a whole-class group to start the lesson. After the
whole-class instruction, teacher will form heterogeneous groups so that different
proficiency levels work together. Then, students will work individually on illustrating
their worksheet.
Assessment. Teacher will make sure appropriate pictures are drawn or copied by the
beginning and intermediate proficiency ELLs. Make sure the advanced and advanced
high are using appropriate terminology.
Materials:
Paper
Plastic bottles
Water
Cup
Mug
Water Cycle Poem (Appendix A)
Water Cycle Worksheets
Glue

Pens and Pencils

Clay
Electric kettle
Ice cubes
Crayons
Toothpicks
Cotton balls

Supplementary Materials: Realia, visuals, demonstration, hands-on, modeling, and technology

Key Vocabulary:

Dr. MV
BED 4343 Sheltered Instruction Lesson Plan
The vocabulary listed below is content specific which are needed in order for students to
participate in the lesson. A pre-lesson will be given to the ELLs in which visuals, realia, and
when possible cognates will be used to ensure comprehension.
Evaporation (cognate: evaporacin): vapor
Condensation (cognate: condensacin): humidity
Precipitation (cognate: precipitacin): rain
Runoff: extra water
Infiltration (cognate: infiltracin): absorbed (cognate: absorber)
Cycle (cognate: ciclo): never ending loop
Heat: hot
Causes (cognate: causa): create (cognate: crear)
Rise: climb
Fall: go down
Cumulus: clouds that look like cotton balls
Stratus: clouds that look like flat sheets
Cirrus: clouds that look like feathers
Connections to Prior Knowledge/Building Background:
To benefit students, it is important to activate their prior knowledge in order to make the lesson
more meaningful. In order to achieve this, students will answer the questions below to assist in
filling out a graphic/mapping organizer with the guidance of the teacher.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

How do you think we get rain?

Where does the water in the clouds come from?
Where does the water go after it has rained?
What do you think evaporation means? Precipitation? Condensation?
Can you tell me what these pictures represent?

Higher Order Thinking Questions

The following questions will be used to guide students in an academic conversation. Questions
will also be used as a form of assessment to check for student comprehension.
1. Why does evaporation cause condensation?
2. Why doesnt all of the water infiltrate the ground?
3. How do we know when it is going to rain?
Interaction and Grouping
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BED 4343 Sheltered Instruction Lesson Plan
The lesson is compiled of different parts. The first part focuses on activating the prior knowledge
of the students. Second, a heterogeneous group will be used in order to discuss questions. Third,
students will be broken into heterogeneous groups as well as into homogeneous groups so that
the teacher can work with the ELLs in order to give them a pre-vocabulary lesson. This section
also includes Assessment, Practice and Application.
Meaningful Learning Activities
A. Activating prior knowledge
1. Activate prior knowledge. Teacher will ask guiding questions in order to see what
students know about the water cycle. See questions listed above under Connections to
Prior Knowledge/Building Background. The questions will also be part of the
whole-group discussion which will involve graphic/mapping organizer.
2. Whole-group discussion. Teacher will discuss, with students, the questions that activate
their prior knowledge. Students will provide the teacher with answers to fill-out their
class mapping/graphic organizer using the document camera. This will allow for the
teacher to gauge what students already know and need to focus on more.
3. Small-group discussion. Students will be split into groups, of mixed proficiency levels
along with gifted and talented, at-risk, special education, and etc., and work on adding
more details to their graphic organizers. Teacher will work with ELLs by providing
cognates for the words brainstormed by the class, and go over the questions to check for
student understanding.
B. Meaningful activities and reading discussion
Realia will be used throughout the modeling, demonstration, and hands-on learning
activities. By doing this, it allows for different learning styles to get their chance to learn
the way that is best for them. Using real life objects, helps students be able to relate what
they are learning to something familiar.
After the vocabulary pre-lesson, which will include visuals for each word to further
reinforce the vocabulary being taught, the following activities will take place.
1. Reading. Students will be given a poem to popcorn read, as a class, on the water cycle.
Teacher will have pictures via PowerPoint that correlate with the key words found within
the text and show them as their read aloud to reinforce comprehension. See Appendix A
on page 8 for poem.
2. Informal Assessment. Teacher will ask questions about the poem in order to check for
understanding. This will also allow for the teacher to see what part(s) of the water cycle
need to concentrate on more.
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BED 4343 Sheltered Instruction Lesson Plan
3. Modeling. The modeling will be done by the teacher showing a picture on the projector.
The teacher will point to and describe each part of the water cycle as well as label for the
students to see. Each part will be zoomed into individually and then the whole cycle
shown together.
4. Demonstration. Teacher will show the students a simulation model on how each part of
the water cycle works. The teacher will focus on evaporation, condensation, and
precipitation individually and then show all the parts working together to make a
complete water cycle. Once again, each part of the water cycle will be broken down into
pieces and then shown again as a whole working model.
5. Hands-on learning. In small heterogeneous groups (special education, at-risk, general
education, gifted and talented, and different ELL proficiency levels all mixed), students
will recreate a part of the water cycle either evaporation, precipitation, or condensation.
Materials will be provided by the teacher for students to create their own model(s).
6. Assessment. Groups will present their models, (evaporation, condensation, or
precipitation) that they put together with the materials provided by the teacher, to the
class and explain what they did in order to make it work, what they learned while making
the model, how it relates to the water cycle, and what part of the water cycle they made.
7. Writing activity. Teacher will provide students with a worksheet to fill out by labeling
and illustrating the different parts of the water cycle. Adaptation: worksheets will be
adapted for beginning and intermediate proficiency level students when it comes to the
labeling portion.
8. Partner grouping. After students have finished their worksheets, they will be partnered
up in order to explain their worksheets to each other. This allows students to practice
their oral language skills as well as their listening skills.
9. Assessment. Once again, the teacher will hold a class discussion on what took place and
why it happens. The teacher will refer to Higher-order thinking questions. Students
will be required to demonstrate their understanding of the water cycle orally and well as
in writing. This assessment is tied to the objectives stated above. The activity requires
listening, speaking, reading, and writing skills.
Wrap-Up
Students will go over their initial graphic organizer and add any new terms or information they
learned as well as making corrections if needed. Students will also write on their graphic
organizer what they learned from the lesson. The teacher will be picking up the graphic
organizers, not to be counted as a grade but to see what the students learned. By picking up the
organizers, the teacher is able to see how the class as a whole understood the new content and if
anything will need to be retaught.
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BED 4343 Sheltered Instruction Lesson Plan
Evaluation and Assessment
Forms of assessment are incorporated throughout the lesson. A summative evaluation will be
done at the end of the lesson. The assessment will cover everything done by the students
throughout the lesson.
The teacher will be evaluating students based on their oral presentation(s), formally written
answers to the higher-order thinking questions, and their individual worksheets. The evaluation
will be based on the following three areas: 1) accurate use of key vocabulary, 2) comprehension
of content, 3) connection between ideas.

Rubrics for assessment (Rubistar):

Water Cycle Rubric
Oral Presentation Group
Content

Accuracy

4 Points

3 Points

2 Points

1 Point

Shows a full
understanding of
the topic.
Student is able to
accurately
answer almost all
questions posed
by the teacher
about the topic.

Shows a good
understanding of
the topic.
Student is able to
accurately
answer most
questions posed
by the teacher
about the topic.

Shows a good
understanding of
parts of the topic.
Student is able to
accurately answer
a few questions
posed by the
teacher about the
topic.

Does not seem to

understand the
topic very well.
Student is unable
to accurately
answer questions
posed by
classmates about
the topic.

Dr. MV
BED 4343 Sheltered Instruction Lesson Plan

Vocabulary

Worksheet - Individual
Accurate Labeling

Uses vocabulary
appropriate for
the audience.
Extends audience
vocabulary by
defining words
that might be
new to most of
the audience.
4 Points
At least 90% of
the items are
labeled and
located correctly.

Comprehension

When shown a
blank worksheet,
the student can
accurately label
all parts.

Demonstration of
Knowledge

Information
clearly relates to
the main topic. It
includes several
supporting
details and/or
examples.

Uses vocabulary
appropriate for
the audience.
Includes 1-2
words that might
be new to most
of the audience,
but does not
define them.
3 Points
80-89% of the
items are labeled
and located
correctly.
When shown a
blank worksheet,
the student can
accurately label
more than half of
the parts.
Information
clearly relates to
the main topic. It
provides 1-2
supporting
details and/or
examples.

Uses vocabulary
appropriate for
the audience.
Does not include
any vocabulary
that might be new
to the audience.
2 Points
79-70% of the
items are labeled
and located
correctly.
When shown a
blank worksheet,
the student can
accurately label
less than half the
parts.
Information
clearly relates to
the main topic.
No details and/or
examples are
given.

No vocabulary
words used.

1 Point
Less than 70% of
the items are
labeled and
located correctly.
When shown a
blank worksheet,
the student can
accurately label 3
parts.

Information has
little or nothing
to do with the
main topic.

Appendix A
Water Cycle Poem
The heat from the sun shines down on the lake
And causes some water to evaporate
Evaporated water rises up to the sky
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BED 4343 Sheltered Instruction Lesson Plan
And changes into clouds that we see passing by
Along comes the wind and blows them around
And thats what makes the rain that falls to the ground.

References
"Create Your Rubric - Customize Your Rubric." Rubistar. Web. 20 Nov. 2015.
<http://rubistar.4teachers.org/index.php?screen=CustomizeTemplate&bank_rubric_id=4
ion_id=1&>.
Enterprises, EL Saber, comp. Flip Into Success: ELPS At A Glance. Dallas: EL Saber
Enterprises, 2009. Print.
"Water Cycle" Poem." Web. 12 Nov. 2015.
<http://www.scihi.hawaii.edu/downloads/IntroUnit/StudentHandouts/Ahupuaa/pdf/d_Rea
ding_water_cycle_elem_level.pdf>.