Observing and Recording Weather Changes
TEKS Objective
The student is expected to observe, measure, record, and compare day-to-day weather changes in different locations at the same time that include air temperature, wind direction, and precipitation.
Essential Understanding
The student knows there are recognizable patterns in the natural world and among objects in the sky.
Science Background
Weather Unit: American Geological Institute (website) - Weather is an easily observable, constantly changing set of phenomena of which students have a basic understanding. This unit enables the teacher to determine students’ knowledge levels and to provide in-depth instruction on the many components that influence and collectively comprise our weather.
Weather Unit
American Geological Institute, K-5 GeoSource, www.k5geosource.org
Weather: National Geographic (website) - Short explanation of weather and weather forecasting.
Weather
National Geographic, www.nationalgeographic.com
Weather Words: Weather Wiz Kids (website) - More than 150 weather-related words and definitions.
Weather Words
Weather Wiz Kids, www.weatherwizkids.com
National Weather Service: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (website) - Provides weather information at the local, state and national levels, including warnings and forecasts.
National Weather Service
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, www.weather.gov
Signature Lesson
Track Weather Like a Meteorologist: Center for Innovation in Engineering and Science Education (website) - Over a period of at least two weeks, students use weather instruments and Internet information to observe, measure, record and compare weather data for the local city and two others.
- Supporting Lessons
- Extensions
- Assessment Ideas
- Literature Connections
- Related
TEKS - Additional Resources
Supporting Lessons
Weather Experiments: Weather Wiz Kids (website) - A large selection of weather investigations.
Weather Experiments
Weather Wiz Kids, www.weatherwizkids.com
Elaboration Lessons and Extensions
Weather Walks: Utah Education Network (website) - Students learn about weather with guided activities while taking walks in various types of weather conditions.
Assessment Ideas
Have students pretend they are meteorologists working at a local TV station. Based on the data they collected in the Signature Lesson, they should write a weather report to be told to the audience on TV. For background, suggest that students observe the local television weather report for a few days, so they have an idea about what goes into such report.
Literature Connections
Weather and Climate Change, Howell, Laura (ISBN 10-0794519865)
Weather. Crosgrove, Brian (ISBN: 0-756-63006-1)
Weather & Climate: The People Behind the Science. Cullen, Katherine (ISBN: 0816054665)
The Weather Book: An Easy-to-understand Guide to the USA's Weather. Williams, Jack (ISBN: 0-679-77665-6)
Weather Instruments. Delta Education (ISBN: 1-592-42260-8)
Weather! Rupp, Rebecca (ISBN: 1580174205)
Tornadoes. Simon, Seymour (ISBN: 0-060-87725-1)
Storms. Simon, Seymour (ISBN: 0-688-11708-2)
Flash, Crash, Rumble, and Roll. Branley, Franklyn M. (ISBN: 0-064-45179-8)
El Niño: Stormy Weather for People and Wildlife. Arnold, Caroline (ISBN: 0-618-55110-7)
Blizzard! The Storm that Changed America. Murphy, Jim (ISBN: 0-590-67310-6)
Additional Resources
Weather: NOAA Education (website) - General weather-related materials and resources for use in the classroom.
Weather
NOAA Education, www.education.noaa.gov
Juicy Geography: Teaching Climate Graphs (website) - Interactive activity that teaches students to read and interpret climate graphs, and to dress appropriately for different climates.
Teaching Climate Graphs
Juicy Geography, www.juicygeography.co.uk
Ocean’s Effect on Weather and Climate: The NSTA Learning Center (website) - Register online to download the complete PDF guide, focusing on weather and climate, the water cycle and the importance of solar energy. (Scroll down to find the activity.)
Ocean’s Effect on Weather and Climate
The NSTA Learning Center, learningcenter.nsta.org
What is Weather? BBC Schools (website) - Interactive site with information about different aspects of the weather.
What is Weather?
BBC Schools, www.bbc.co.uk/schools
Local Weather: Weather.com (website) - Good source for current weather information locally and around the country.
Weather Map Symbols: About.com (website) - Interactive gallery of weather map symbols.
TEKS Navigation
Grade 3
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