Subject: Science
Grade: 3-5
The lesson objective is to interest students in various weather conditions, learn how to gather and interpret data, and understand the importance of gathering weather data.
3-ESS2-1: "Represent data in tables and graphical displays to describe typical weather conditions expected during a particular season."
Say: "What is today's weather like?" (Wait for a response.)
Say: "What do you think tomorrow's weather will be like?" (Wait for a response.)
Say: "What is a thermometer? What does it measure?" (Wait for a response.)
Show your class a thermometer.
Explain: "We use a thermometer to measure heat. When the temperature goes up, the mercury in the tube rises. The place where the mercury stops shows you the temperature."
Say: "What is a barometer? What does it measure?" (Wait for a response.)
Show your class a barometer.
Explain: "Air has weight and a barometer compares the weight of the air with a column of mercury. If the mercury rises, it means that the pressure is high. If the mercury falls, the air pressure is low. As the air warms, the air rises. This causes low pressure at the surface. As the air cools, the air descends. This leads to high air pressure. Low air pressure usually means that we will have unsettled weather. Unsettled weather means that the weather changes a lot. High pressure usually means settled weather. This means that the weather stays the same for a while.
Ask: "Is this week's weather settled or unsettled?" (Wait for a response.)
Say: "What do you think the air pressure is like today? High or low?" (Wait for a response.)
Say: "This week, we will keep a weather log. A weather log is a record of the weather over a period of time."
Action: Provide each student with a piece of construction paper. On the board, show the layout of the weather log. On the top of the paper, have the students list the dates of your timeframe. Example: Monday, Tuesday, etc. Down the left side of the paper, list the following data:
You will spend most of your class time on preparation. Once students have set themselves up, it will only take a few moments to fill in the information daily. You should ensure that students enter the information correctly and discuss any day-to-day differences.
As you discuss the day's weather, ask questions like:
You should reinforce what your students have learned by showing them a YouTube video.
It might be a good idea to prepare a short quiz for the class after they have watched the video. Doing this will let you see if they need extra work or time to gather and analyze their data.
If you are looking for materials about the weather to use in this or future classes, the following link to the National Weather Service may be helpful.
Written by Steve Tomkinson
Education World Contributor
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