What is the weather?

Topic: Listening/Speaking (kindergarten)

Standard: Increases vocabulary to reflect a growing

range of interests and knowledge.

A week long lesson on weather

Jennifer Beal

What is weather? What is weather? What is the sun? What is rain? Who has seen snow? What does the wind do?

Objectives

Students will demonstrate difference between sunny, rainy, windy, and snowy

A. By written description in Content Journal using at least 3 words/term

B. By titling pictures shown in PowerPoint correctly 8/10 times

Materials Content journal Heat lamp Sheet Misting bottle Water pitcher White confetti

Access to sprinkler Student swimsuits Access to walk-in freezer Weather website:

http://www.nws.noaa.gov/

Types of weather

S u n ny C lo u d y R a in y W in dy S n o w y

T yp e s o f w e a th er

Day 1: A sunny day How does sunny weather

feel? Hot (sign hot, sweat,

worn-out) Bright (sunglasses, shiny,

shade eyes) Happy (not sad, excited)

A sunny experiment

Discuss sunny weather with signs

Hang heat lamp from ceiling

Have students take turns standing under lamp

How does sunny weather feel?

When have you seen sunny weather?

Day 2: A cloudy day What are clouds? Who has seen clouds? What do clouds do for

people? (sign protect from sun)

Where is the sun on a cloudy day? (sign hide)

A cloudy experiment Using heat lamp, have

students hold sheet above heads, horizontal to floor beneath lamp

Students stand beneath sheet

“Sun” is blocked by sheet Do we still feel the sun? What does a cloudy day

feel like?

Day 3: A rainy day What is rain? (clouds,

water, sky) Does it always rain the

same?(demonstrate differences in intensities)

When have you seen rain?

How does rain make you feel?

Sprinkling. . . Sprinkling means it is

not raining very hard Have students change

into swimsuits Have students spray

each other with misting bottle

How does sprinkling feel?

A down pour. . . “Down pour” means

raining very hard (Show difference in signs)

Fill pitcher with water Have students take turns

pouring water from pitcher on each other

Has anyone seen it rain in a down pour?

Day 4: A windy day What is the wind? (a-i-r,

blow, vary intensity) How does the wind feel?

(warm, cold, strong, breezy)

How do you know it is windy?

What is the wind good for?

Kites, cleaning the air

A windy experiment Turn fan on high

setting in classroom Have students take

turns standing in front of fan

Have students take turns releasing piece of paper in front of fan

What happens when it is windy?

Day 5: A snowy day

What is snow? (cold, white, frozen, sky)

Yes, it is frozen rain Who has seen snow? How do you think

snow feels? Is it cold? Wet?

A snowy experiment Take students to

school’s walk-in freezer

How do you feel? Can you see your breath?

Drop white confetti from above students’ heads to mimic snow

What do you see?

Meeting Objectives Students will demonstrate

difference between sunny, rainy, windy, and snowy

A. By written description in Content Journal using at least 3 words/term

B. By titling pictures shown in PowerPoint correctly 8/10 times

Have students write at least 3 words to describe each type of weather in Content Journals

Show pictures to “quiz” students’ weather forecasting abilities

What is the weather?

What is the weather?

Additional activities

Have students alternate turns in dressing the Weather Bear daily

Discuss clothing selections

Compare clothing to students’ clothing

Additional Activities Have students alternate in

the role of weather reporter for the day, using the web site

http://www.nws.noaa.gov/

Have students choose a city to monitor and collect weather data in Content journals

References Henson, J. (2001). How’s the weather? Reader’s Digest

Children’s Publishing, Inc. Pleasantville, NY. Keats, E. (1962). The snowy day. The Viking Press.

New York. Maestro, B. & Krupinski, L. (1994). Why do leaves

change color? Scholastic, Inc. New York. Weather Bear: Made by Jennifer Beal, 2002. http://www.nws.noaa.gov

A week’s worth of weather ideas

Jennifer Beal

Valdosta State University