Lynda Jones
LIS 648
Bibliography Project
April 13, 2008
Topic: Weather
Grade Level: Second Grade
Description of Assignment
This bibliography is designed to support a second grade unit of study on weather. In
this unit the second grade teachers have several activities planned to help students
understand that weather effects daily life and is constantly changing. Plans for this unit
of study includes lessons on, weather in every season, weather predictions, the water
cycle, and states of matter. This bibliography was created to provide teachers with
multimedia resources to support instructional activities specifically for this unit of study.
These resources include both print and digital sources to provide appropriate and relevant
information to support the students’ information needs.
Specific activities planned for this unit include:
 Building a KWL chart
 Building a vocabulary chart of weather terms,
 Tracking and charting local weather conditions
 Hands on experiments on evaporation and wind speed,
 Writing activities such as journaling and open response questions
These activities are planned to provide students with a real life understanding of how
weather effects everyday life and how predicting the weather can help us prepare for
severe weather conditions.
This unit was designed by the second grade team to cover elements of Kentucky’s
combined curriculum document including the following objectives.
A.E. 2.2 Students identify, analyze, and use patterns such as cycles and trends to
understand past and present events and predict possible future events.
Core Content:
SC-EP-1.1.3 Students will describe the properties of water as it occurs as a solid, liquid,
or gas.
Matter (water) can exist in different states, solid, liquid, and gas. Properties of those
states of matter can be used to describe and classify them.
SC-EP-2.3.2
Students will describe patterns in weather and weather data in order to make simple
predictions based on those patterns discovered.
Weather changes from day to day and over seasons. Weather can be described using
observations and measurable quantities such as temperature, wind direction, wind speed
and precipitation. Simple predictions can be made by analyzing collected data for
patterns.
Program of Studies
SC-P-EU-U-2
Students will understand that some events in nature have a repeating pattern. Weather
changes from day to day, but things such as temperature or precipitation tend to be similar
(high, medium or low) in the same months every year.
SC-P-EU-S-3
Students will observe weather conditions and record weather data over time using
appropriate tools (e.g., thermometer, wind vane, rain gauge, etc.)
SC-P-EU-S-4
Students will use weather data to describe weather conditions and make simple
predictions based on patterns observed (e.g., daily, weekly, seasonal patterns)
Bibliography of Resources
Discovery Education Streaming/KET Encyclopmedia videos
1. The Magic School Bus: Wet All Over
In this episode of The Magic School bus, the students in Ms. Frizzle’s class experience
the phases of the water cycle while on one of the class’s wild field trips. The video is
approximately 30 minutes long.
The Magic School Bus: Wet All Over. Scholastic 1996.
Discovery Education. 13 March 2009. http://streaming.discoveryeducation.com/
2. The Magic Schools Bus Kicks Up A Storm
On this episode of The Magic School Bus, Ms. Frizzle’s class travels into a thunderstorm
on another wacky field trip. This video is approximate 30 minutes in length. It is broken
into eight short video segments. Video segment titles include, Recipe for Weather, Air
Always Rises, What Makes Wind, Clouds: Water Droplets, Inside A Thunderstorm, and
Riding Snowflakes.
The Magic School Bus Kicks Up A Storm. Scholastic 1994
Discovery Education. 13 March 2009. http://streaming.discoveryeducation.com/
3. Weather: A First Look
This short video provides students with a look at how weather affects daily life.
This 17 minute video provides information on seasons, the sun, clouds, water, and
forecasting.
Weather A First Look: Rainbow Educational Media. 2000.
Discovery Education. 13 March 2009. http://streaming.discoveryeducation.com/
Websites
4. Study Jams-The Water Cycle by Scholastic, Inc.
This website contains a short three minute video on the water cycle. It also introduces
water cycle words for a great introduction to weather vocabulary and allows students to
take a quiz over what they have learned.
"Study Jam/Water Cycle." Student Activities. 2009. Scholastic, Inc.. 13 Mar 2009
<http://teacher.scholastic.com/activities/studyjams/water_cycle/>.
5. Water Cycle Game by South East Water
This interactive website allows students manipulate the water cycle. Students can label
the different parts of the water cycle using the vocabulary words, precipitation,
evaporation, condensation, etc…
Water Cycle Game." South East Water. 2007. South East Water. 13 Mar 2009
<http://apps.southeastwater.com.au/games/education_kidsroom_wcactivity.asp>.
6. Drinking Water and Ground Water Kid’s stuff by the United States
Environmental Protection Agency.
This website has numerous interactive activities for students. It has an animated water
cycle presentation, word scrambles, matching game, and trivia questions.
"Drinking Water and Ground Water Kid's Stuff." Safe Water. 12 March 2009. United
States
Environmental Protection Agency. 13 Mar 2009
<http://www.epa.gov/OGWDW/kids/gamesandactivies.html>.
7. Ed Heads Weather Activities
This interactive website allows students to predict the weather and report the weather. It
also offers downloadable activities, a weather glossary, a Fahrenheit to Celsius converter,
and lesson plans to support classroom instruction.
"Weather Activities." Ed Heads. 2009. 14 Mar 2009
<http://www.edheads.org/activities/weather/>.
8. Weather Watch, by Scholastic
This website has four different activities pertaining to weather. It allows students to
observe the clouds, experiment with weather tools, investigate weather conditions, and
forecast the weather.
"Weather Watch." Student activities. 2009. Scholastic. 14 Mar 2009
<http://teacher.scholastic.com/activities/wwatch/>.
9. What is Weather? by the British Broadcasting Corporation
What is Weather?, created by the BBC, is an interactive site for students aged 4 to 11. It
allows students to explore elements of the weather such as, precipitation, wind direction,
wind force, visibility, and temperature.
"What Is Weather?" Schools. BBC. 14 Mar 2009
<http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/whatisweather/>.
10. Weather One, by University of Illinois
Weather One focuses on how weather effects our every day live. Some of the topics it
covers include, seasons, changes in the weather, clouds, air pressure, wind, and severe
weather. This site provides hands-on activities on seasons, clouds, wind, and global
warming.
Duane, Friend. "Weather One." University of Illinois Extension. 2009. 14 Mar 2009
<http://urbanext.illinois.edu/weather/1.html>.
11. Weather Facts by The Youth Online Club
This site offers a basic look at weather. It offers facts and definitions on weather
terminology.
Shauna Lee, De Feyter. "Weather Facts." The Youth Online Club. 2008. 14 Mar 2009
<http://www.youthonline.ca/fastfacts/weather.shtml>.
12. Kids Crossing in the Classroom
This is an excellent interactive website that promotes literacy and science. The site
provides a teacher’s guide that is easily downloaded from the website.
"Earth and Atmospheric Science Fun At NCAR Kid's Crossing." Kids Crossing. The
University Corporation For Atmospheric Research. 14 Mar 2009
<http://www.eo.ucar.edu/kids/index.html>.
13. Readers’ Theater Script: Water Cycle Adventure
Enchanted Learning
Enchanted Learning offers a readers’ theater play that takes the reader through the steps
of the water cycle. The script is very simple and the reading level is appropriate for
second grade.
(2009). Readers' Theater Script: Water Cycle Adventure. Retrieved March 16, 2009, from
Enchanted Learning Web site:
http://members.enchantedlearning.com/rt/weather/watercycle.shtml
14. WKRC.com
This is a website for a local news station located in Cincinnati. The weather web page for
this station includes weather forecasts, weather radar maps, and daily weather updates.
This site can help students track the local weather on a daily basis.
(2009). Local 12 The Weather Authority. Retrieved March 16, 2009, from Local 12.com
Web site: http://www.local12.com/weather/default.aspx
Videos
15. Stormchasers by Thinkeroo
This is a thirty-minute DVD program that explores weather and what causes different
weather conditions. It discusses the job of a meteorologist and the necessary equipment
used to measure weather conditions.
Stormchasers. Dir. Mark Mazzarella. DVD. Mazzarella Bros. Productions, Inc. 2003
16. All About Wind and Clouds by Schlessinger Media
This is a twenty-three minute DVD program that provides information on the wind and
clouds and their correlation to weather conditions.
All about wind & clouds. Wynnewood, Pa: Schlessinger Media, 2005..
17. Science video Quiz Water Cycle
This thirty-minute video demonstrates the water cycle and provides students with
vocabulary words such as precipitation, condensation, and evaporation. The video is
done in a fun quiz format.
Teacher’s Video Company. (2000) Science Video Quiz Water Cycle. Scottsdale, AZ
Teacher’s Video Company
18. Eyewitness Weather
This video introduces students to a mixture of forces in the earth’s atmosphere that
affects weather conditions on our planet.
Sheen, Martin, Edwina Vardey, Richard Thomson, and Lynette Singer. Weather. [S.l.]:
DK Vision, 1996.
19. Science A closer Look, Explore Activities: Grade 2
This DVD has short video segements that demonstrate simple hands on science
experiements dealing with weather prediction, clouds, and the water cycle. This DVD
was included in the science textbook adoption kits from the Macmillan McGraw-Hill
company purchased for the 2008-2009 school year.
Science: A Closer Look, Exploring Activities: Grade 2. Sunburst Media. Macmillian
McGraw-Hill. School speciality, Inc.
Software
20. Let’s Learn About Temperature and Weather
This software program offers activities and quizzes on weather topics such as,
temperature, precipitation, clouds, and wind. It also offers three levels of difficultly for
differentiation purposes.
Selectsoft Publishing (Firm). Let's Learn About Temperature & Weather. South San
Francisco, CA: Selectsoft Publishing, 2006.
Databases and Online Encyclopedias
21. The Water Cycle (illustration)
This water cycle illustration is very colorful. The illustration is labeled with water cycle
terms such as precipitation, condensation, and evaporation. This water cycle illustration
can be found on World Book Online. The illustration is from the student edition.
Teachers and students need a username and password to access these online resources.
Please email me or stop in the library for the user name and password.
Suyeoka, George. "The Water Cycle." World Book. 2009. World Book, Inc.
25 Mar 2000 <http://www.worldbookonline.com/student/media?id=pc024389&
st=water+cycle>.
Print Resources
22. The Cloud Book, by Tomie dePaola
This book, by the well-known author and illustrator, names and describes each cloud. It
also discusses what weather conditions are associated with each type of cloud. The book
has excellent illustrations.
de Paola, Tomie. The Cloud Book. New York: Holiday House, 1975.
23. When A Storm Comes Up
This book discusses various types of storms such as rain, hail, snow, etc… and what
kinks of damage the storm may cause. It contains excellent photographs for visual
learners.
Fowler, Allan. When A Storm Come Up. Chicago: Children's Press, 1995.
24. Weather Report: Clouds
This book describes the various types of clouds and what type of weather is associated
with each type of cloud. It contains excellent photographs.
Merk, Ann, and Jim Merk. Weather Report: Clouds. Vero Beach: The Rourke
Corporation, Inc, 1994.
25. Weather Report: Studying Weather
This book discusses how the weather is studied to make predictions about future weather
conditions. It covers topics such as, climate, meteorologist, weather instruments,
weather maps, forecasts, etc…
Merk, Ann, and Jim Merk. Weather Report: Studying Weather. Vero Beach: The Rourke
Corporation, Inc, 1994.
26. Weather Report: Weather Signs
This book discusses various weather elements and signs that help predict the weather. It
discusses topics such as, cloud signs, rainbows, plant signs, seasons, etc..
Merk, Ann, and Jim Merk. Weather Report: weather Signs. Vero Beach: The Rourke
Corporation, Inc, 1994.
27. Storms!
This book from, Time For Kids, explores different types of storms such as hailstorms,
tornadoes, hurricanes, and snow. It provides the students with more than twenty-five
interesting facts about storms.
Dickenstein, Leslie. Storms. New York: Harper Collins, 2006.
28. The Magic School Bus Inside a Hurricane
This Magic School Bus book takes students on a windy adventure as they explore a
hurricane up close in their magic bus. It provides a lot of facts and information about the
formation of a hurricane, the life span of a hurricane, and the damage and destruction
cause by hurricanes.
Cole, Joanna. The Magic School Bus Inside a Hurricane. New York: Scholastic Inc.,
1995.
29. Lightning: It’s Electrifying
This book explains the power of lighting and how to stay safe in a storm. It contains
interesting facts and unusual information about lightning.
Dussling, Jennifer. Lightning, It’s Electrifying. New York: Grosset and Dunlap, 2002.
30. Rain or Shine
This book contains various topics related to weather and weather conditions. Some of the
topics include, wind, lightning, rainbows, weather watching, humidity, and world
climate. The book has many illustrations and diagrams that support visual learners.
Dalgleish, Sharon. Rain or Shine. Broomall: Mason Crest Publishers Inc., 2003.