Science
SCI.V.3.2
Strand:
Using Scientific Knowledge in Earth Science
- Atmosphere and Weather
Standard:
Benchmark:
Grade: K
All students will investigate and describe what makes up weather and how it
changes from day to day, from season to season and over long periods of
time.
Describe seasonal changes in Michigan’s weather.
Constructing and Reflecting:
SCI.I.1.1 - Generate reasonable questions about the world based on observation.
SCI.I.1.2 - Develop solutions to problems through reasoning, observation, and investigation.
SCI.I.1.5 - Develop strategies and skills for information gathering and problem solving.
SCI.II.1.1 - Develop an awareness of the need for evidence in making decisions scientifically.
SCI.II.1.4 - Develop an awareness of and sensitivity to the natural world.
Vocabulary
Context
Seasons and types of weather:
Examples of visible seasonal changes in nature
•
fall — cool nights and warm days, day length
getting shorter
•
winter — snowy and cold, getting dark early in
the evenings
•
spring — warmer days, often rainy with
thunderstorms, day length getting longer
•
summer — warm or hot days and warm
nights, daylight lasting until late in the
evenings
Knowledge and Skills
Michigan’s weather changes with the seasons.
Resources
Season Books from personal and school
libraries
Changes in weather will include:
• Temperature
• Precipitation (rain, snow)
• Number of hours of sunlight
Students will
•
•
Compare and contrast seasonal changes in
weather (fall, winter, spring, summer)
Describe the effects on seasonal changes on:
• Vegetation
• Human activities
Instruction
Benchmark Question: What are the relationships
between human activities and the atmosphere?
Focus Question: How do the temperature and
precipitation for each season affect what we wear?
Whole Group Activity:
Make a data chart labeled “SEASONS.”
•
Divide chart into 4 sections
•
Lead class discussion to name the seasons
•
Add pictures/words under each season to
determine what happens each seasons:
1. What activities can we do during each season?
2. What grows during each season?
3. What do we wear during each season?
Assessment
Teacher Notes:
Explain what causes different kinds of weather.
The causes of different weather are not a priority in the elementary grades. The foundation for the causes of
different kinds of weather is laid as young learners are able to identify the states of water (see the
Hydrosphere). Students may believe that when water evaporates it disappears all together rather than just
changing form. They may also think that it just changes location and is still a liquid. Late elementary students
may understand that evaporated water is still in the air. Ideas such as air pressure and temperature changes
with altitude become important in explaining the causes of different kinds of weather. Different forms of
precipitation, relative humidity, dew point, and fog require this type of knowledge. Some students may think
that water vapor and steam are held or soaked up by the air. They may not understand that steam, like air, is a
gas and mixes with the other gases in the air and that water vapor is a liquid held in the air. As temperature
increases more water vapor enters the gas phase. Students also envision that humid air is "heavier" than dry
air. In fact, humid air is actually less dense than dry air of the same temperature.
At the high school level, students will describe patterns of air movement in the atmosphere and how these
patterns affect weather conditions. Pressure systems are particularly difficult to understand because air moves
from high to low pressure.