Skip Navigation
Search

Weather Tools

Weather Tools

TEKS Objective

The student is expected to collect, record, and compare information using tools, including computers, hand lenses, rulers, primary balances, plastic beakers, magnets, collecting nets, notebooks, and safety goggles; timing devices, including clocks and stopwatches; weather instruments such as thermometers, wind vanes, and rain gauges; and materials to support observations of habitats of organisms such as terrariums and aquariums.


Essential Understanding

The student uses age-appropriate tools and models to investigate the natural world.

Science Background

What are Weather Observations? American Geological Institute (website) - Students learn about different elements of weather, how and why we observe and measure weather conditions, and how this information is used to predict the weather. (Click the arrows to navigate from page to page.)

What are Weather Observations?
American Geological Institute, www.k5geosource.org

Temperature: Environmental Literacy Council (website) - Extensive background information on temperature and how it relates to weather.

Temperature
Environmental Literacy Council, www.enviroliteracy.org

Signature Lesson

Weather Experiments: Weather WizKids (website) - Students build and use simple weather tools (see links for making a thermometer, anemometer, windsock, etc.) to collect, measure, record and compare local weather information.

Weather Experiments
Weather WizKids, www.weatherwizkids.com

Supporting Lessons

How to Make an Anemometer: Southeast Regional Climate Center (website) - Easy, clear instructions for making an anemometer.

How to Make an Anemometer
Southeast Regional Climate Center, www.sercc.com

Elaboration Lessons and Extensions

Make a Rain Gauge: Weather Wizkids (website) - Simple directions for creating a rain gauge.

Make a Rain Guage
Weather WizKids, www.weatherwizkids.com

Assessment Ideas

Instruments That Measure Weather: National Geographic (PDF) - Students match descriptions of weather instruments to images of those instruments or of weather conditions that the instruments measure.

Instruments That Measure Weather
National Geographic, www.education.nationalgeographic.com

Literature Connections

Weather Forecasting. Sievert, Terri (ISBN-13: 978-0736837392)

What’s the Weather Today? Fowler, Allan (ISBN-13: 978-0516449180)

Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs. Barrett, Judi (ISBN-13: 978-0689707490)

Weather Words and What They Mean. Gibbons, Gail (ISBN-13: 978-0823409525)

Who Cares About the Weather? Berger, Melvin (ISBN-13: 978-1567840049)

Related Science TEKS

(2.1A) Science Safety
The student is expected to identify and demonstrate safe practices as described in the Texas Safety Standards during classroom and outdoor investigations, including wearing safety goggles, washing hands, and using materials appropriately.

(2.1B) Importance of Safe Practices
The student is expected to describe the importance of safe practices.

(2.1C) Recycling/Disposal of Science Materials
The student is expected to identify and demonstrate how to use, conserve, and dispose of natural resources and materials such as conserving water and reuse or recycling of paper, plastic, and metal.

(2.2A) Ask Questions
The student is expected to ask questions about organisms, objects, and events during observations and investigations.

(2.2B) Plan and Conduct Descriptive Investigations
The student is expected to plan and conduct descriptive investigations such as how organisms grow.

(2.2C) Collect Data
The student is expected to collect data from observations using simple equipment such as hand lenses, primary balances, thermometers, and non-standard measurement tools.

(2.2D) Record and Organize Data & Observations
The student is expected to record and organize data using pictures, numbers, and words.

(2.2E) Communicate and Justify Explanations
The student is expected to communicate observations and justify explanations using student-generated data from simple descriptive investigations.

(2.2F) Comparing Results of Investigations
The student is expected to compare results of investigations with what students and scientists know about the world.

(2.3B) Make Predictions
The student is expected to make predictions based on observable patterns.

Related Math TEKS

2.12D    The student is expected to use tools such as real objects, manipulatives, and technology to solve problems.

2.13A    The student is expected to explain and record observations using objects, words, pictures, numbers, and technology.

Additional Resources

The Weather Channel Kids: The Weather Channel (website) - This site, designed specifically for students, will help your class to learn about weather and how to measure it.

The Weather Channel Kids
The Weather Channel, www.theweatherchannelkids.com

Close Comments Button

Comments

Post a Comment
Close Comments Button