Summary
Students take weather readings using simple weather instruments and predict the weather in this lesson. They take readings for a month during a season and chart it. With the information, they can graph what is happening with each instrument each day and use the data to show patterns the storms follow for that particular season.
Materials
Additional Resources
Books
- Weather Forecasting, by Gail Gibbons; ISBN 0689716834
- Weather, by Seymour Simon; ISBN 0060884398
- Dr. Fred's Weather Watch: Create and Run Your Own Weather Station, by Fred Bortz; ISBN
0071347992
- Earth's Weather, by Rebecca Harman; ISBN: 1403470650
Background for Teachers
Meteorologists gather information each day about the weather
using their weather instruments. They have been gathering this
information for decades. With all this data they gathered they look for
patterns. When they notice a certain pattern for any given day, they
can predict the weather. Many years ago before there were satellites,
Doppler Radar and specialized weather instruments they would just
use a barometer, thermometer, weather vane, anemometer, hygrometer,
and rain gauge to predict the weather. When they saw the barometer
at a certain pressure, the temperature at a certain level, and the wind
blowing at a certain speed and a certain direction they could generally
predict what the weather was going to be like the next day. Now with
the all their special weather instruments added to these other tools they
can predict the weather pretty well.
Just like meteorologists of old, students can take the weather
readings using the simple weather instruments and be able to predict
the weather. To do this they must take these reading for a month
during a season and chart it. With the information, they can graph
what is happening with each instrument each day. As storms are
coming in and going out, the written data shows certain patterns
the storms follow for that particular season. When they graph each
instrument each day they can see what happens to each instrument
as a storm comes in and when it leaves. It is also fun to compare the
graphs of the instruments to each other each day. The more they do it
the more they will see the patterns of the storms. It is recommended
that students do a month of instrument reading for each season so they
can know the patterns of each season.
Intended Learning Outcomes
1. Use science process and thinking skills.
4. Communicate effectively using science language and reasoning.
Instructional Procedures
Invitation to Learn
Put the students' desks in groups or six. Hand out some pattern
blocks to each student. Give them a couple of minutes for each to
make something that shows a somewhat complicated pattern. Have
them make it so the pattern is recognizable and can be added upon. It
can be in any shape or design he/she desires. Have each student show
his/her pattern to the group. Have the group discuss the patterns they
see in each one to see if they can add more pattern blocks to continue
the pattern. Discuss as a whole class how we are able to know which
types of blocks should be placed next to complete the pattern. Ask
the class where we might see patterns each day. Ask where we might
rely on patterns. Tell the class that we are going to talk about patterns
of the weather. We rely on these patterns so the weather can be
predicted.
Instructional Procedures
Part One
- One month previous to doing this activity have the students
take instrument readings of the weather each day with a barometer, thermometer, anemometer, weather vane, rain
gauge/ruler, and noticing the types of clouds in the sky.
- Put the students in groups of six.
- Pass out to the groups the Weather Data Chart that shows
the recorded data telling the weather readings of the weather
elements--precipitation, cloud type, air temperature, wind
speed, wind direction, and barometric pressure.
- Pass out the Recognizing Changes in Different Weather Events
worksheet. This is a list of weather events that happen
regularly.
- As a group, have the students look for the dates that led
up to each weather event on the Weather Data Chart --fair
weather, cloudy weather, rainy weather, snowy weather,
snowy weather, windy weather, and cold weather. Have the
students write down on their Recognizing Changes in Different
Weather Events worksheets the dates they found for each
weather event. Have them share with each other the dates they
found.
- After the groups have worked together, have the class share
what they found.
- Have a discussion about weather events of what is happening to
the weather elements in each weather event.
Part Two
- Put the students in the same groups they were in before.
- Have the students take out their Recognizing Changes in Different
Weather Events worksheet.
- Review with the students what they have done so far. (They
have recognized that changes happen with each weather
instrument when there is a weather change.)
- Pass out some graph paper.
- Assign each group a weather event they are going to graph.
Assign each student one of the weather elements to graph
(air pressure, temperature, wind speed, wind direction,
precipitation, and cloud type) for that weather event.
- By using the Weather Data Chart and the dates they found that
are on the Recognizing Changes in Different Weather Events
worksheet, have them graph their own weather element
readings of the dates of their category. If there is more than one event in each category, make sure they graph each set of dates separately if there is time.
Part Three
- Put the students in the same groups they were in before.
- Review with them what each group has done so far. They
written down dates that lead to weather events on the
Recognizing Changes in Different Weather Events worksheet
acquired from the Weather Data Sheet. They each graphed a
weather element change in one of the weather events.
- Now that the students have graphed the information for each
event, have each student write about the pattern he/she sees for
the type of weather element he/she was assigned.
- Have the group of student tell each other, one by one, what
happened to each weather element for the event they graphed.
They may even tell it about each on day by day.
- Have the students share what they learned with the whole class
about each weather event.
- Put the graphs on the wall in weather event groups, labeling
each one. Put the statement the students wrote about the
weather element change by each graph.
- Have them continue to use the instruments to find more
weather data within the same season. Have them gather enough
data to be able to make a prediction by graphing the data and
comparing it to the data that data that has already been taken.
Have them predict what the upcoming weather will be.
Extensions
- For the advanced learners, have the students watch a weather
forecast on TV. Have the students watch to see what the
different forecasts are for different parts of the state. Have them
tell why the forecasts are different for the different parts of the
state.
- For the advanced learners, have the students watch a weather
forecast on TV. Have them watch for a pattern in the weather
broadcast. Have them watch the meteorologist's forecast and
tell why he/she predicted that forecast.
- For the special learner, have him/her work with someone in
the group to help him/her understand the information they are
graphing and what it means.
- Math V, 1; Put all the graphs about one weather event on one
graph paper so the information can be compared about each
weather element.
- Choral Reading of poetry about weather is always fun to do.
- Use the follow rhythm music to enhance science. This activity
uses sets of percussion musical instruments, or "found"
instruments that students discover in the classroom (tapping
pencil, shaking pencil box, etc.)
Sound Storm
- Invite class to tap the rhythm to music. (The music should
represent a storm.) They may keep the beat on their laps, tap
their feet, nod the rhythm with their heads, etc. (See suggested
titles for use.)
- Divide into groups. Assign or have students choose a Summer
Storm or Winter Storm. They will create a "Sound Storm" that
will represent their choice.
- Have the pattern for each storm posted, or give each group a
copy of the pattern to follow.
- Plan which instruments will best "mimic" the sounds and
represent the steps in the pattern of their storm. (If students
have not explored instruments lately, it might be necessary to
"test" their sounds during a discovery time.)
- Have specific music chosen for them to use. Remind them they
need to follow the pattern correctly in order to have a storm
that is typical of summer or winter.
- Practice together to the music. They might need to have a
conductor in order to stay together and play the instruments in
the correct sequence.
- Have fun! Exploring the sounds and the steps of the storm
means everyone will have a different interpretation. There is no
"right" answer!
Summer Storm Pattern
Sun shines
Temperature warm
Sudden gusts of wind
50-60 mph
Abrupt change
Dark clouds
Bursts of rain
Thunder
Lightning
Strong rain continues
Less thunder/lightning
Wind slows
Sun returns
Temperature cooler
Winter Storm Pattern
Wind begins
Wind gets stronger
No sign of rain clouds-just cirrus
Stratus clouds on horizon
Wind blowing hard
Temperature warms from south winds
Stratus clouds dark and close
Snow begins to fall silently
Wind dies down
Snow falls
Very quiet as snow falls
Music to use: sound clips of Vivaldi's Four Seasons
Suggest Summer-presto, mvt 2 for the summer storm
Thunder and Lightning, by Decca Records PolyGram Company, 1995
CD.
Family Connections
- Make a copy of the graph the student made and let him/her
take it home. Have the student explain it to his/her family what
category he/she worked with and what his/her job was. Have
him explain what his graph means.
- The teacher can type up the patterns that were found for
each category. Give each student in each group the pattern
statements of each weather element. Have the student explain
the patterns of his/her category.
- Have the students go to http://www.weather.com each evening for a
few days to find out what each weather instrument reading is.
Have him/her record it for a few days on a paper. From what
they learned in class, have each student find the pattern for one
of the weather events studied. Have him/her predict what the
weather will be in the upcoming day(s).
Assessment Plan
- In the first activity, watch carefully that the dates they wrote
show a change in the weather event.
- In the second activity, look at the graphs they made to make
sure they are accurate.
- In the third activity, read the statements they wrote that tell
about their patterns.
- Have the students take more reading of the weather as a group.
Have them look at the patterns and tell what type of weather
event will be coming up in the near future--storm, wind, fair
weather, etc.
- Give the students a scenario of a weather pattern. See if they
can identify what type of weather event the pattern is leading up
to.
Bibliography
Research Basis
Armstrong, T. (1994). Multiple intelligences in the classroom. Alexandria, VA: Association for
Supervision and Curriculum Development.
Multiple intelligences let students choose a method of learning in
connecting one subject to other subjects to their world. The integration
of instructional methods focuses on teaching a standard in one
curricular area and matching it to a standard in another curricular area
such as integrating science with Language Arts, math, math, or social
studies. As educators teach with this idea in mind it helps students
see a connection between subjects relating to the real world. It helps
students understand their world better to see how subjects relate to
each other. This method puts into practice the teaching of multiple
intelligences.
Ketch, A. (2005). Conversation: the comprehension connection. The Reading Teacher, Vol. 59, No. 1, pp. 8-18.
Students who engage in conversation in the classroom become
reflective thinkers. Conversation brings meaning to students as they
contemplate to understand our complex world. Conversation is the
comprehension connection. There are literature circles, book clubs,
whole-class discussions, pair-share, small-group discussion, and
individual conferences that help in conversation comprehension.