Student Teaching Science Curriculum Unit Design

Candidate Name: Diana Stanley Host Teacher Name: Tina Lynch

School: Russian Jack Elementary School Grade Level: 2nd # of Students: 29
Theme of Unit: Water Content Area: Science
Classroom Demographics:
This class is diverse in gender, ethnicity, socioeconomic background, and cognitive reasoning. There
are fifteen boys and fourteen girls in my class and a total of five different languages are spoken
among the different students. Out of all my students two of them receive SPED services, one receives
gifted and talented services, two receive speech services, and eight receive ELL assistance.
Approximately half of the students are below to nearly below the target for second grade reading and
math and therefore receive weekly testing. The other half of the class is generally well above the
second-grade level and therefore language arts and math are differentiated based upon student
understanding.
Materials:
Book 1 Lila and the Secret of Rain Magnifying Glasses (should be kept
(Language Arts Big Book- Fictional outside to keep cold)
Realistic Story) Black Construction Paper (should be kept
Book 2: Three States of Water (Language outside to keep cold)
Arts Small Book- Scientific Text) Rubber Gloves
Book 3: Frog Brings Rain (Language Arts Crisco
Anthology- Folktale) Ice Water
SMART Board Egg Timer
Student White Boards Paper
Teacher White Boards Watercolor Pictures
Classroom White Boards Water Cycle Pictures (preferably in
Dry Erase Markers watercolor)
Pencils Watercolor Pencils
Writing Journals Watercolor Paper
Water Cycle Pictures Paper Towels
Winter Clothing Paint Brushes
Water Cycle Movements Laptop Computer
States of Water Movements Water
Science Journals Snow
Salter Scale Plastic Containers
Mason Jars (5) Winter Gear
Measuring Cups (1/4 cup, 1/2 cup, 1/3 Rubrics
cup, and two 1 cup) Lesson Instructions

Alaska Content Standards:

1) Alaska State Science Standard A: A student should understand and be able to apply the
processes and applications of scientific inquiry.
 2) Reading Standard for Informational Text RI.2.3: Describe the connection between a
series of historical events, scientific ideas or concepts, or steps in technical
procedures in a text.
3) Math Standard for Measurement and Data 2.MD.9.: Collect, record, interpret, represent,
and describe data in a table, graph, or line plot.
4) Alaska State Arts Standard A: A student should be able to create and perform in the arts.
5) Alaska Cultural Content Standard E: Culturally-knowledgeable students demonstrate an
awareness and appreciation of the relationships and processes of interaction of all elements
in the world around them.
Transfer Goal(s) - Unpacked Standards (Transferability)
1) Question, hypothesize, and observe scientific processes involving water.
2) Describe their understanding of the water cycle and different states of water verbally,
through movement, and artistically.
3) Conduct science experiments and gather and record data into a table.
4) Create a watercolor art piece representing all the stages of the water cycle.
5) Understand what the water cycle process should look like in their own immediate community
and environment based upon the current season.
BIG IDEA of the Unit:
Students will understand how water moves throughout the earth and the impacts it has on people,
animals, and the environment.

STAGE 1 Essential Questions and Enduring Understandings (Meaning)

Enduring Understanding(s):
Students will understand that.
1) They can question, hypothesize, and
observe scientific processes happening
around them.
2) Texts can give specific insight on a variety
of topics including the water cycle.
3) Representing data in an organized
manner helps to compare, contrast, and
understand the information.
4) Scientific processes can be represented
in a variety of ways.
5) The water cycle occurs all around the
planet, however, it may look different
depending upon the location and season
of a specific place.
Essential Questions to be Considered:
1) What scientific processes of inquiry need
to be considered to study and understand
water and its effects on people and
animals?
2) What are the major components of a
scientific text and how do these
components give us a better
understanding of the water cycle?
3) How can we collect, organize, and
interpret our data in a way that makes it
easier to see and understand?
4) How can art be used to represent a
scientific process such as the water cycle?
5) How might the water cycle process look
in our immediate community depending
upon the season and how could this
impact people and animals?

STAGE ONE: STAGE TWO:

Objectives/Learning Targets (Acquisition) Assessments/Acceptable Evidence Of
Learning
 Knowledge: What students should know.
1) What the following scientific processes of
inquiry are: question, hypothesis, and
observation.
2) The different stages of the water cycle.
3) How to create and interpret a simple
table.
4) How to use watercolor pencils to create
an art piece representing the water cycle.
5) What the water cycle would look like in
their own community during different
seasons.
Skills: What students should be able to do.
1) Follow directions to conduct simple
experiments using scientific tools.
2) Describe the different stages of the water
cycle.
3) Collect and organize data onto a table
with help and guidance from the
instructor.
4) Create an artistic representation of the
water cycle including all the different
stages.
5) Discuss the different stages of the water
cycle in our community and how it might
impact people and animals in our
environment.
STAGE TWO : Culminating Performance Task (synthesis of Unit or parts of Unit.)
Culminating Performance Task
Title of task __ Water Cycle Water Color Painting___________________________________________
(Formative/ Summative/Performance/ Self-
Reflection based on Objectives)
1) Students will discuss their understanding
of scientific processes of inquiry before
and after conducting an experiment.
(Formative/ Self-Reflection)
2) Students will be able to identify the
different stages of the water cycle and
describe them verbally and through
movement.
(Formative/ Performance)
3) Students will be able to conduct an
experiment, collect data, and record
their data in a table.
(Summative)
4) Students will be able to describe the
different states of water verbally and
through movement.
(Formative/ Performance)
5) Students will be able to describe the
impacts water can have on people and
animals.
(Formative)
6) Students will be able to create an artistic
representation of the water cycle using
watercolor pencils.
(Summative)
7) Students will be able to verbally describe
their water color paintings and point out
all the different stages of the water cycle.
(Summative)