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Weather Detectives

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This lesson provided by:

Author:	Nick
System:	Shelby County
School:	Shelby County Board Of Education

General Lesson Information

Lesson Plan ID:	1523
Title:	Weather Detectives
Overview/Annotation:	This is an introductory lesson to a second grade weather unit. The students will be observing the weather each day for one week and recording their observations in a chart. The students will be integrating information from the Internet as well as what they learn in English by using adjectives in their descriptions. After the students have collected data for a week, in cooperative groups, they will predict the weather for the next week. The teacher will show the students guides or weather reports from past years for that particular week in order to guide them in the direction of an accurate prediction. The students will go to a technology lab to look up and record the weather from a teacher-selected web site.

Associated Standards and Objectives

Content Standard(s):

Science
SC2015 (2015)
Grade: K

9 ) Observe, record, and share findings of local weather patterns over a period of time (e.g., increase in daily temperature from morning to afternoon, typical rain and storm patterns from season to season).

NAEP Framework

NAEP Statement::
E4.8: Weather changes from day to day and during the seasons.

NAEP Statement::
E4.9: Scientists use tools for observing, recording, and predicting weather changes from day to day and during the seasons.

Unpacked Content

Scientific And Engineering Practices:

Analyzing and Interpreting Data

Crosscutting Concepts: Patterns

Disciplinary Core Idea: Earth's Systems

Evidence Of Student Attainment:

Students:

Observe local weather patterns over a period of time.
Record local weather patterns over a period of time.
Share findings of local weather patterns over a period of time.

Teacher Vocabulary:

Observe
Record
Share
Findings
Weather
Patterns
Period of Time

Knowledge:

Students know:

The number of sunny, cloudy, rainy, windy, cool, or warm days.
The relative temperature at various times of the day (e.g., cooler in the morning, warmer during the day, cooler at night).
The relative number of days of different types of weather conditions in a month.
The change in the relative temperature over the course of the day.
Certain months have more days of some kinds of weather than do other months (e.g., some months have more hot days, some have more rainy days).
The differences in relative temperature over the course of a day (e.g., between early morning and the afternoon, between one day and another) are directly related to the time of day.

Skills:

Students are able to:

Observe weather patterns over a period of time.
Record findings of weather patterns over a period of time.
Share findings of weather patterns over a period of time.
Describe patterns in the weather data.

Understanding:

Students understand that:

Patterns of weather can be observed, used to describe phenomena, and used as evidence.
Whether events have causes that generate observable patterns.

AMSTI Resources:

AMSTI Module:
Weather Walk
*Weather, STC
*Sunny Sandbox, ETA/hand2mind
*Clouds, GLOBE

Alabama Alternate Achievement Standards

AAS Standard:
SCI.AAS.K.9- Participate in daily weather activities with common symbols (e.g., sun, cloud, rain, wind, snowflake).

Digital Literacy and Computer Science
DLIT (2018)
Grade: K

R5) Locate and curate information from digital sources to answer research questions.

Unpacked Content

Evidence Of Student Attainment:

Students:

will find answers to a question or learn about a topic using a device.

Teacher Vocabulary:

video
text
image
webpage
ebook

Knowledge:

Students know:

computers give access to information.
devices can record pictures, videos, and text.

Skills:

Students are able to:

find information about a specific topic or to answer a specific question using a digital resource such as a webpage, ebook, and/or video when given support and guidance from an adult.

Understanding:

Students understand that:

answers to questions can be found in digital resources such as a webpage, ebook, and/or video.

Local/National Standards:

Primary Learning Objective(s):

Students will understand how observational skills can help them evaluate the weather.

Additional Learning Objective(s):

1. Students will record five daily weather observations from the Internet and outside their classroom in their observation charts for five days. 2. Students will learn to read a thermometer and record the daily temperature two times a day in their observation charts for five days. 3. In cooperative groups of 3-4, the students will make a three-day prediction of the weather which includes the following: temperature morning and late afternoon, sky conditions, precipitation, and wind speed. These predictions will be recorded in the observation chart in addition to writing the basis for these predictions. 4. Students will be able to determine what types of clothing are necessary for the present weather conditions by writing a clothing suggestion to accompany their observations and predictions.

Preparation Information

Total Duration:	Greater than 120 Minutes
Materials and Resources:	observation chart, thermometer, weather reports from past years for the same week of the lesson
Technology Resources Needed:	computer with Internet access, technology lab access, printer
Background/Preparation:	This lesson will raise awareness of weather being all around us. In addition, it will also give the students an introduction to other major concepts that will be covered in the lesson such as temperature, air changes, wind direction and speed, in addition to cloud cover. This is a good lesson to practice and utilize observational skills.

Procedures/Activities:

1.)Each student will bring an observational chart and a pencil outside.

2.)At the start of the day, the teacher and student will stand outside for approximately 5-10 minutes making group observations of the weather. The teacher may ask the students questions, such as what they think is the reason behind the air feeling hot or cold, or why clouds are different shapes.

3.)The students will then record observations into their charts and return to the classroom.

4.)Then the class will visit the technology lab to gather, interpret and collect data from the Internet about the daily weather and record on their observation chart.
(The Weather Channel)
This web site allows for anyone to check the local weather by typing in the zip code and to check national weather around the United States.

5.)When the students return to the classroom, the teacher will demonstrate how to read a thermometer. The students will read the indoor/outdoor thermometer that is provided in the classroom and record the temperature.

6.)While the students are out at recess, they will make more observations and record any differences from the morning results, in addition to recording the temperature when they return from recess.

7.)Repeat steps one through six for five days.

8.)After the last recording on the fifth day, divide the students into cooperative groups of 3-4, and have them compare their data. During their group time together, the students will predict what the weather will be for the next three days and write it into the observation chart.

9.)The students will then write a short paragraph explaining how and why they came to the predictions that they did.

Assessment

Assessment Strategies

1. The observation chart in itself can be used as an assessment tool for each student.
2. The prediction paper will also be used in assessing knowledge of weather, in addition to observational skills.
Example of observation chart:
Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday
Sky Conditions
Temperature (morning/noon)
Wind speed (guess)
My prediction
Internet forecast
Actual weather
Difference between actual and prediction

Acceleration:	Using the Internet, students will observe the weather of other states in the United States and compare it to their own state. An observational chart will be used to record and interpret data.
Intervention:

View the Special Education resources for instructional guidance in providing modifications and adaptations for students with significant cognitive disabilities who qualify for the Alabama Alternate Assessment.

ALEX Lesson Plan

Weather Detectives