GRADE: ESAM: K-2

CONTENT STANDARD: Earth and Space Science

CONTENT TOPIC: Meteorology

CONCEPT: Weather conditions change from day to day.

CONTENT OBJECTIVE: C1.00 To understand various weather conditions

INSTRUCTIONAL OBJECTIVES: The learner will:

1.01 define types of weather.
1.02 graph weather conditions
1.03 use a thermometer
1.04 predict weather

I. Types of weather
II. Observing and recording weather conditions
III. Using a thermometer

TN COMPONENT OF SCIENCE: Process Of Science

TN GOAL:

To enable students to demonstrate the process of science by posing questions and investigating phenomena through language, methods and instruments of science

1.5 EXPLAINING - Phenomena and related information are made understandable through discussion that culminates in a higher level of learning

1.5a Tables and graphs may be used to interpret the meaning and significance of data.

BENCHMARK: Graphs and tables provide visual results of observations

1.5b Nonmathematical language may be used to interpret the relationships presented in mathematical form.

BENCHMARK: Descriptions and comparisons may be presented in terms of number, shape, texture, size, weight, color, and motion.

TIME REQUIRED:

Introductory lesson - 20 minutes, then 5 minutes daily (Note: although this lesson was written to be used daily as part of the calendar activities, it could be used for just a week or month.)

Weather graph, (Use a cork board. Draw lines with a permanent marker. Label with pictures: sunny, cloudy, rainy and snowy. Push two straight pins side by side in each square. Use colored unifix cubs for graph: sunny = yellow cubes; cloudy = dark blue; rainy = light blue, snowy = white.) A large mercury thermometer, thin strips of red paper at least as long as your thermometer, a weather bear or paper doll person and clothing to dress them, weather report from a newspaper.

Every night before I go to bed, I read the weather report in the newspaper or watch it on TV. How many of you have ever watched it on TV? Good. Watching the weather can help us make decisions. How could knowing what the weather is or will be help us makes decisions? (Elicit answers from the children: If its rainy, take an umbrella; cold, wear a coat; sunny and warm, go on a picnic, etc.) People are so interested in the weather and find it so helpful that now there is a weather channel on TV just for weather reports! Each day, as part of our calendar activities, we will be reporting and predicting the weather.

Weather is something that we have everyday. It happens in the air all around us and it changes often. Sometimes we like the weather. If we want to go swimming and its sunny and hot, we're happy. But sometimes we don't like it. If we want to play outside, but its raining, then we are not happy. Who can name a kind of weather? (Record responses with word and simple picture.) There are many different types of weather. This year we are going to be reporting and recording the weather each day. Show the children the weather graph and help them name the pictures for each category.

(Put the thermometer outside at least 5 minutes before lesson.) Call on one child to give a weather report. Use a unifix cube to record the weather on the graph. Take a minute to discuss the graph -- what kind of weather has the most, the least, are any equal, how many more does cloudy need to be equal to sunny?, etc. (As an added bonus, the empty snow category in the summer and fall helps kindergartners understand the concept of zero. Be sure to include it in your discussions.)

Restate the weather. Today is sunny and warm. Do you think the red line in our thermometer will be up high or down low? Why? (Then have the children 'guesstimate' the day's temperature. About once a week, record their estimates. Circle the highest and lowest numbers to find the range. Bring in the thermometer. Bend down a thin red strip of paper so that it is the same length as the mercury in the thermometer. Glue it to the monthly temperature sheet and record the number at the top. Talk about the temperature as it relates to the season. Is it unseasonably hot or cold? Is it warmer or cooler today than yesterday? last month? Be sure to save monthly recordings to compare August's hot temperatures to January's cold. It is more effective in noting and predicting temperature patterns to record all summer months on yellow paper, fall months on orange, winter in blue, and spring in yellow.

Have the leader of the day dress the weather bear or paper doll in appropriate clothing.

Ask the children to predict tomorrow's weather. Do you think it will snow tomorrow? Why not? It's cloudy today. Do you think it will rain? (Remind them of their predictions the following day as you begin the daily weather report. Was their prediction correct?)

At the end of the month, count and compare the different types of weather. Take the unifix cubes from the sunny weather category and count and stack them. Then you and the children transfer this information to individual graphs.(see the ditto master sheet at the end of this unit) Repeat for the other weather types. Save your copy to compare with other months. Have the children turn their graphs over and follow seasonal directions. Example: It is a hot day in August. What are you going to draw in the sky? Good - a sun! Now draw a picture of yourself outside playing. Be sure to dress yourself in the right kind of clothes!

1. Create a large wall display of the different types of weather. If possible use colored chart paper that matches your unifix cube system of yellow for sunny weather, dark blue for cloudy, light blue for rainy, and white for snowy. Have the children cut out pictures of the different kinds of weather and glue them under the correct categories.

2.Use a national newspaper such as USA Today and compare your weather to the weather in such place as Miami, Florida or Fairbanks, Alaska.

"What Will the Weather Be Like Today?", Paul Rogers, Scholastic
"It's Raining, It's Pouring", Kin Eagle, Whispering Coyote Press

This is the time this file has been accessed since 03/01/2004.

The University of Tennessee at Martin is not responsible for the information or views expressed here.

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