Charting Weather
Patterns in Seasons
rd
3 Grade
By: Meredith McCoy

Title: Charting Weather Patterns in Seasons

Name: Meredith McCoy

3-ESS2-1: Represent data in tables and graphical
displays to describe typical weather conditions
expected during a particular season.

Clarification Statement: Examples of data could
include average temperature, precipitation, and
wind direction.
Lesson Overview
 After
completing the lesson, students will
be able to:
 Identify
 Collect
 Use
weather conditions
data and complete a bar graph
a pictograph
 Understand
weather changes during seasons
Materials Needed

Weather Journal for each student

Chart with pictures

Book for engage

Crayons

Weathervane or flag to show wind direction

Outdoor thermometer
Engage: Read aloud to spark interest
Show an example of the two types of
graphs we will be using

Graph 1: Bar Graph
Second type of graph

Graph 2: Pictograph
Explore: What’s happening outside?

For 2 weeks, students will observe the weather for each day during the that
particular season. They will record the outdoor temperature, the weather
conditions outside, and wind direction every day at the same time outside.
Student observations will be recorded in their weather journals and put into a
bar graph each day. A class pictograph will be created after we collect the
data. We will include temperature, wind direction, rainy, snowy, cloudy, and
sunny in our table as possible conditions to track. Fill out the pages in the
weather journal. Take a vote at each table of 4 students to complete the
favorite seasons table.
My Worksheet Packet for the Weather Journal
My
Weather
Journal
Name_________________________
Explain: What have we learned?

Call on each table group to talk about what one thing they learned about that
season

As a class we will build our class pictograph on the chalkboard or on a bulletin
board based on our findings for our favorite seasons. We will use a leaf to
represent fall, a flower to represent spring, a sun to represent summer, and a
snowflake to represent winter. We will each come up and pick a picture cut
out and place it in the correct bar for the pictograph to see what our favorite
seasons are.

Show the following different pictures of seasons on the Smartboard or Power
Point demonstration. Ask what the conditions most likely are based on what
they see. Make sure they can explain how they know and what clues in the
picture helped them come to that conclusion.
Our Class Pictograph
What season is this? How do you know?
What should I wear today? A bathing
suit?
What season is this and how do you
know?
Do I need a heavy coat?
Elaborate: What’s it like in other parts
of the world?

Students will draw different slips from a box. Each slip will have a different city and
state, or country written on it with a month. The students will draw a slip and go
home and research what weather conditions are like for that particular place in that
particular month. They will build a graph on the “create a graph” website at home to
represent their findings. They will share these back at school in 5 minute minipresentation form. This will help them understand that weather is different all over
the world.
Weathervane Project
Evaluate: Do they understand?

Collect weather journals and check work to see if they are understanding

Invite students to come up daily and add to the class weather graph
independently to see if they can graph information correctly

Have students build their own graph on the Create A Graph website to
represent the information they gathered in the elaborate activity to present
to the class and turn the graphs into the teacher to be graded
References

http://mrsrichardsonfirstgrade.blogspot.com/2011/09/graphing.html

http://petersons-pad.blogspot.com/search/label/graphs

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/eS6k7zxGw5Y/UAHIKayzyzI/AAAAAAAABHw/Liz1qwHeWaU/s1600/daily+weath
er.003.jpg

“Create a Graph” http://nces.ed.gov/nceskids/createagraph/