Brittany Brown Science Unit: Physical science and weather Standards: It is expected that students will:

make and justify predictions based on observations ask questions about the natural world cooperate and contribute ideas within a group relate classroom science experiences to the work of scientists

Engage: Distribute to the groups one of each of the following instruments: a thermometer, rain gauge, and weather vane. Tell students that they will be examining and determining: What these instruments are as well as their names and uses and how these scientific measuring tools help predict weather and determine weather patterns. (If these instruments are unavailable, I will use pictures of the instruments for the students to use.) Without touching the object, I will have students write down in their science journal what they think their given instrument is used for in terms weather. Explore: Divide the class into 4 or 5 groups. Give each group a weather instrument. Instruct students to examine the tool/instrument in their group. Encourage them, as a group, to name the instrument and decide on its purpose/use. Explain: Have each group stand in front of the other groups and report on their instrument. After the group has finished, I will discuss each weather instrument and its purpose. As I discuss each instrument, the groups will re-write the correct name for the instrument as well as its purpose/use Re-cap information presented. At this time, using their science journal, students should be able to answer the following questions: What is this? (Hold up a thermometer, rain gauge, weather vane). What does it do? Where have you seen a (name of the particular weather instrument) before? How does this (the instrument I am discussing) help us predict or determine weather patterns? I will then explain that Meteorologists gather and record data that they use to make weather maps and predict changes in the weather. Elaborate: Students will compare the different weather instruments and write down in their science journals 3 similarities and 3 differences between the instruments. Evaluate: As an evaluation for this lesson, students will fold a piece of paper in thirds, and draw or write the name of the weather instrument in each block (thermometer, rain gauge, and weather vane). Under the name (or picture) have students write or draw clothes and/or activities that would be appropriate for that weather condition. Collect these papers and use them as a tool to evaluate the knowledge of the students. Papers could be displayed on a bulletin board or science center.

Standards: It is expected that students will:

Describe and sort materials in terms of their observable properties (shape, weight, color, texture)

Engage: Students will be given a card with names of the different clouds in the sky (Cirrus, stratus, cumulus and nimbus). Students will then get into groups based on the name of the cloud on their card. Each group will then be handed pictures of the different cloud types and asked to guess which cloud type they think matches the name of their group name. Students will then be read The Cloud Book by Tomie dePaola Explore: Students will be asked to record the different characteristics of each cloud type in their science journal. This may be done either by drawing pictures of the cloud and writing a describing word or anything that will help them to remember it. We will go over this and have a whole class discussion as I record some of the words that they used to describe the cloud types on the board. I will then pass out a piece of construction paper, cotton balls, glue and crayons to each person in the group. Students will create cumulus, stratus, cirrus and nimbus clouds using the cotton balls, and then gluing them down to the construction paper. Students will label the type of cloud with the crayons. Explain: Once students have completed their cotton ball cloud activities, they will make a Venn Diagram in their groups comparing and contrasting the different cloud types. Once groups finish their diagrams, we will make a class Venn Diagram. Elaborate: Using what students now know about the different cloud types, students will be told to bring a piece of paper and pen or pencil and follow me outside. Students will observe the clouds in the sky and draw what they see. Once students are done drawing, we will go back inside and they will be asked to name the cloud type that was in the sky today. We will talk about what we observed and some of the characteristics that we used to help us to determine what kind of cloud we saw. Students may then color their cloud picture. Evaluate: The cotton ball cloud activity, group Venn Diagram and paper with their cloud drawing will all be collected and used to evaluate students understanding of cirrus, stratus, cumulus and nimbus clouds.

Standards: It is expected that students will:

Investigate, observe, describe and record how weather changes from day to day and seasonally throughout the year. Engage: Ask students about the weather today (class discussion). Record their responses on the board. Pull up weatherchannel.com to show them what the weather report says about todays weather. Explore: Students will be divided into 4 groups and within those 4 groups there will be 4 stations. Each station will have a piece of paper labeled with one of the seasons (Spring, Fall, Summer, and Winter) and magazines. Using the magazines, students will look through as a group and find pictures that relate to that specific season, what clothes they normally wear during the season and different activities they could do during that certain season. Students will rotate every 10 minutes and at the end each group should have a total of 4 pieces of paper to represent the 4 seasons. Explain: Each group will come up and present one of their season charts to the class. Each group will present a different season and explain the characteristics of that season and why the pictures they chose represent this season. For example, if students have a picture of someone surfing under summer, I will ask why would this be under summer and not winter? What are some of the words that we can use that best describe this season? Students will write down these words in their science journals. Elaborate: Have students complete a seasons word find. Once students are done with word find, have them write down each word in their science journal and either draw a picture or use a describing word that will help them remember what that words means. Evaluate: Anecdotal notes will be used to evaluate students progress as they work in their groups on the seasons picture chart, word find, and as they write in their science journals.

Standards: It is expected that students will: Investigate, observe, describe and record how weather changes from day to day and seasonally throughout the year.
Engagement: I will explain to students that today they will be weather detectives and that they will be going on a scavenger hunt. I will ask students, by a raise of hands, who has ever been on or heard of a scavenger hunt. Exploration: Students will be placed in small groups of 3 or 4. Each group will receive a piece of paper with the clues to the items they will be looking for on the scavenger hunt. For example the first clue would say. I am found in the sky and rain falls from me, what am I? Students will also be given a disposable camera with a group number written on them so I know what group took the pictures. Students will write down the object they found and take a picture of it. Explanation: When students have successfully completed the scavenger hunt, we will come back together in the classroom and discuss our findings. Once we discuss what we found on the hunt, students will make a T-chart to discuss how the different items we found relate to weather and in what ways. For example, for clouds, students would write the word clouds on one side of the chart and on the other write why it is an important part of weather. For example, students might say clouds are an important part of our weather because they hold rain. We would do this for each item we found of the scavenger hunt Elaborate: Have students explain in their scientific journals how some of the objects they found in the scavenger hunt allows them to determine what season we are in. Evaluation: Students will turn in cameras and their papers with the objects from the scavenger hunt and those will be used to evaluate and demonstrate students understanding of the objects used to determine weather and seasons.