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| FOR FREE ACCESS TO LESSON PLANS IN THIS UNIT YOU MUST REGISTER WITH THE DEVELOPERS at SOLID Start (MSU College of Education) (Gotwals and Wright, 2016) In the Weather Forecasting Unit students become familiar with how meteorologists gather and interpret data about weather, how to prepare for different types of weather, including severe weather, and how weather patterns change over time (for instance, a day or a year). The unit focuses on meteorologists and the tools they use for monitoring and gathering data of different weather conditions. Students gather data on temperature, precipitation, wind speed, wind direction, and cloud cover across the year. Then, they analyze their data for patterns in the temperature, precipitation, wind, and cloud cover in different seasons throughout the year. Students also explore different types of severe weather and discuss how weather forecasting can help people prepare for and respond to the severe weather conditions. |
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| Note that this unit is divided into two parts which span across the school year. The first part prepares students to track weather patterns over time. At the beginning of the year, students will complete Lessons 1-8, during which they will learn about different types of weather conditions and set up ways to track these weather conditions through the school year. During the year, students will gather weather data as a regular routine. See suggestions for how you might facilitate this on page 6 in the lesson plans. In the second part, towards the end of the year, students will review the data they have gathered and look for weather patterns. Depending on where you live, these patterns may be seasonal (with temperature and precipitation changing from season to season) or they may cycle daily (with cooler temperatures in the mornings and evenings and warmer temperatures during mid-day). Patterns from cloud and wind data may align with severe weather or precipitation and temperature patterns. Part of the fun of this unit is finding patterns with your students since they will be different each year and across different regions. In other words, learning happens in the process of doing science to find patterns rather than getting to right answers. | To prepare for different weather conditions, we look at what causes different weather conditions in order to forecast what changes may occur – and allow for time to prepare for those changing conditions. Meteorologists are scientists who study weather patterns. They use thermometers to study temperature changes, precipitation gauges to determine the amount of precipitation that falls in different areas, windsocks study the direction of the wind and anemometers to study the speed of the wind, while also monitoring cloud type and patterns. Meteorologists also use barometers to monitor atmospheric pressure (e.g., low pressure often means a storm system will be moving through), hygrometers to monitor changes in humidity (e.g., high humidity often means precipitation changes), and lidar for monitoring weather systems from a distance, among other tools. Forecasting the weather can help people prepare for many different weather conditions, particularly inclement weather conditions. For example, knowing the weather forecasts over time affects what clothes people wear and what protective gear they use throughout the year. Similarly, forecasting severe weather such as flooding, snowstorms, hurricanes, and tornadoes can provide people time to secure their belongings to prevent or minimize damage from the severe weather, as well as allowing time for people to evacuate to safer locations, if necessary. |
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| K-ESS2-1 Use and share observations of local weather conditions to describe patterns over time. K-ESS3-2 Ask questions to obtain information about the purpose of weather forecasting to prepare for, and respond to, severe weather. Copyright © 2001-2015 State of Michigan | - Use simple meteorological tools to measure weather conditions (e.g., thermometers, rain gauges, wind socks).
- Make predictions about the weather forecast, including the possibility of severe weather, using their weather data.
- Use evidence from scientific explorations, along with information and vocabulary from informational texts, to develop both oral and written descriptions of patterns in weather.
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| | Each lesson begins with an essential question. Please see Lesson Planner tab.
Teachers provide students multiple opportunities to engage in the practice of Asking Questions and Defining Problems:
Asking questions and defining problems in K–2 builds on prior experiences and progresses to simple descriptive questions. - Ask questions based on observations to find more information about the natural and/or designed world(s).
- Ask and/or identify questions that can be answered by an investigation.
- Define a simple problem that can be solved through the development of a new or improved object or tool.
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| Assessment Statement #1: Students can record observations to describe local weather conditions (i.e., temperature, amount of precipitation, wind speed and direction, and cloud cover) (aligned with K-ESS2-1). Lessons 1, 2, 3, 4, & 5 Assessment Statement #2: Students can ask questions and obtain information about the purpose of weather forecasting when preparing for and responding to severe weather (aligned with K-ESS3-2). Lessons 1, 6, 7, 8, & 11 Assessment Statement #3: Students can use their observations of local weather conditions to describe patterns over time (i.e., seasonal temperature and precipitation changes; seasonal cloud cover and wind changes, if applicable) (aligned with K-ESS2-1). Lessons 9, 10, & 11 | |
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