Weather and Technology - Kindergarten
Interdisciplinary Lesson
Ohio Standards
Connection
Technology
Nature of Technology
Benchmark A
Recognize the characteristics and scope of technology.
Indicator 2
Describe how people use tools to help them do things.
Library
Media Literacy
Benchmark B
Distinguish between a variety of elements used to create and construct media communications for personal and various other purposes.
Indicator 1
Recognize a variety of print and non-print formats used in the delivery of media messages (e.g., book, television, film, radio, CD-ROM, DVD, e-mail, web pages, photographs, charts and graphs).
Information Literacy
Benchmark E
Understand what information is and use a process to find information.
Lesson Summary:
Students learn through a discussion of daily weather change, that we live in a world of symbols and innovations.
Recognizing the use of symbols to replace language and the value of technological innovation to improving our lives makes students aware of the importance of scientific innovation. The interdisciplinary nature of this lesson helps students connect the real world to technology.
The initial lesson will last five days, beginning with daily emphasis on weather observation, and searching the school library for weather-related resources. After an initial week of instruction, students will continue to discuss technology innovations at the end of daily recording of weather.
This lesson brings together technology, science and English language arts content with assistance of the school
Librarian and is designed for the elementary classroom.
Estimated Duration:
15-20 minutes per day for five days (adjust as needed for discussion and demonstration)
Commentary:
Kindergarten teachers often have students begin the morning by reporting the day’s weather. Up to this point they may have used a picture of the sun to represent a sunny day or a picture of rain drops to represent rain, both good preparations for this lesson. Student’s lessons in the school library on the arrangement of fiction and nonfiction books also help.
Pre-Assessment:

Students collectively create a chart of weather symbols, including such things as cloud coverage (large, puffy white clouds; thin, wispy clouds; dark, dense clouds), temperature and precipitation to use in observing daily weather changes.

Students correctly separate informational books from story books about weather. Be sure they have a basic understanding that nonfiction books have numbers on the spine of the books to indicate the subject.
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Weather and Technology - Kindergarten
Interdisciplinary Lesson
Indicator 1
Identify what information is and recognize that it can be represented in a variety of ways (e.g., numbers, words, pictures, sounds).
Indicator 3
Find the information with the assistance of the teacher or librarian (e.g., using books or observations).
Indicator 4
Use the information by sharing ideas and experiences.
Science
Earth and Space Science
Benchmark C
Observe, describe and measure changes in the weather, both long term and short term.
Indicator 4
Observe and describe dayto-day weather changes
(e.g., today’s hot, yesterday we had rain).
Scientific Inquiry
Benchmark C
Gather and communicate information from careful observations and simple investigation through a variety of methods.
Indicator 9
Make pictographs and use them to describe observations and draw conclusions.
Scoring Guidelines:
1.
Check to see the chart created by students includes at least five weather symbols within the general categories of hot or cold, cloudy or sunny, wet or dry. (See Attachment A,
Scoring Rubric .)
2.
When presented with storybooks about weather and nonfiction books about weather, students must separate fiction from nonfiction. Students successfully locate the nonfiction section of the school library, choose a nonfiction book about a weather topic and check it out.
The School Library Media Specialist (SLMS) monitors this activity.
Post-Assessment:

Based on a study of weather symbols and weather forecasts, students attempt to predict the kinds of clothing needed in the next few days.

Students identify five examples of technological innovation such as telephone, stove, dishwasher and verbally explain how each has helped people.

Students identify five examples of signs, symbols or codes used to represent information without, or with few words in everyday life and orally explain their meaning.
Scoring Guidelines:
See Attachment A, Scoring Rubric .
Using the results, create bulletin boards in the classroom to which students can add throughout the year.
Instructional Procedures:
Day One:
1.
Begin with a library lesson. Ask SLMS to review fiction versus nonfiction, asking students to identify the qualities that help them determine if the book is fictional or real.
Remind students that nonfiction books in libraries have numbers on the spine that separate books by subject. As the number gets longer, the subject gets more specific. An example for this lesson topic would be:

500 natural sciences and mathematics

550 earth sciences

551 geology, hydrology, meteorology

551.6 weather

551.63 weather forecasting
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Weather and Technology - Kindergarten
Interdisciplinary Lesson
Instructional Tip:
To acquire additional technical information and illustrations on the topic
Dewey Decimal System, conduct an online search using keywords: Dewey
Decimal System, How to use the Dewey Decimal System.
2.
Ask the SLMS to share several books about weather, indicating the number on the spine of the book, and then read information from previously chosen library books. Ask students if information is important for them to know to record the weather in the classroom. Refer to
Attachment B, Ohio Research Model Skills (Grades K-2).
3.
In the classroom, gather students around the weather chart.
4.
Chart the day’s weather as usual.
5.
Ask students what kinds of weather books they found in the library. Ask what they learned about weather from the SLMS during story time.
6.
Ask students: could more information be recorded about the weather on their classroom chart, other than it is sunny, rainy or cloudy? Could they use more symbols? Brainstorm examples of other symbols.
7.
Have students create a chart of symbols to represent a sunny day, cloudy day
(including types of clouds) and rainy days (light rain, heavy rain, thunderstorms).
Students draw the symbols in their journals.
8.
Have students decide the weather symbols to use for the classroom weather chart for the remainder of the year. Check the Internet or library books for examples of weather symbols currently in use such as descriptive characteristics of weather, measuring effects of weather, natural sounds made by weather, seasonal photographs or weather symbols.
9.
Ask students if they know what each symbol means. Are symbols a way of communicating with people who do not speak the same language or who cannot read?
Do students understand all the symbols they see? Do we use symbols in other ways besides reporting the weather? (Tell them about stop signs, cave pictures, smiley faces, stars on good papers). Again, have student draw symbols in their journals.
10.
For homework have students look for symbols at home and in the community that represent information such as a stop sign or rest room sign. Record them in a journal and bring them to class on Day Two.
Day Two:
11.
Chart the day’s weather using symbols.
Instructional Tip:
To acquire additional technical information and illustrations on the topic of weather complete an online search using keyword: weather symbols, forecasting, television weather symbols and interpreting weather symbols.
12.
Discuss the symbols used. Invite students to share the symbols found for homework that represent information in any language.
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Weather and Technology - Kindergarten
Interdisciplinary Lesson
13.
Begin a bulletin board where the class identifies signs, codes and symbols found throughout the year.
14.
Return to discussing weather. Ask students how they know when the weather is changing. Answers should include it gets cloudy (overcast), the temperature changes, you feel cold or hot, it rains, snows or the sun appears.
15.
Ask how we know what the weather will be tomorrow or three days from now? How do weather forecasters know or predict the weather? Hopefully, students answer that the weathermen have machines that help them. Discuss the kinds of machines that predict weather.
16.
Ask why it is important to be able to predict the weather. What happens when a storm comes? How do we know a storm is coming? What are some clues? Is it always windy during a storm? What does wind do when it is over water? (It causes waves.)
From what direction does the wind come? How can you tell? Why is it important to know about approaching bad weather? (Rerouting airplanes; helping farmers save crops; saving lives and homes.)
17.
Explain how weather forecasters know when the wind is getting strong. Does anyone know a weather instrument or machine that helps us know about the weather?
(Possible answers are thermometer, rain gauge or barometer.) Share a brief history of the thermometer, who invented it and when? Conduct an online search on “history of thermometer” to share with class.
Instructional Tip:
Share Internet pictures (or bring in real examples, if possible) of the weather instruments meteorologists use.
18.
Invite students to help create a second bulletin board about innovations that help people.
19.
Explain the homework for Day Two. Ask students to find something in their home that is an example of invention that helps people. Draw a picture of that invention and bring it to class that day. Be ready to explain how the invention helps people.
Day Three:
20.
Begin with weather symbols for the day. Demonstrate locating a weather site on the
Internet where students can find a simple weather report. Discuss the weather report for the end of the week.
21.
Record the predictions and ask students how many agree with the weather forecaster’s predictions. Plan to return to these predictions on Day Five to check their accuracy.
22.
Review the homework. Have students report on the technology innovation they discovered at home. Discuss how these innovations help in their daily lives.
23.
Have the students record in their journals by drawing pictures of the innovations.
Explain to students that this will be an ongoing list.
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Weather and Technology - Kindergarten
Interdisciplinary Lesson
Day Four:
24.
Begin a class discussion on the day’s weather. Ask students if their new symbols are useful. Do they give a better description of the weather? Can we have too many symbols? Can it get confusing?
25.
Look at the number of weather symbols on a Web site for weather forecasts. Find symbols for sleet, hail, and freezing rain. Let students share their knowledge of these types of weather plus what they know from library books or online resources.
26.
Remind students that they have been looking at inventions, which are all examples of technology. Are the symbols and codes we use to represent information a type of technology too?
27.
Ask students how you get their attention. Can sounds be used to get a message across? How are blind people able to read? (They feel the raised dots (Braille type) that represent letters, words and symbols.)
28.
Have students draw pictures in their journals of inventions in the classroom. To prompt ideas ask students how we write on chalkboard. How have they been recording in their journals?
29.
Have students continue to point out helpful innovations in the classroom that help them. Ask them to brainstorm ideas that haven’t been invented yet that would be helpful, too. Provide an example.
30.
Add to the innovations bulletin board. Add the word “technology” to the bulletin board.
Day Five:
31.
Begin a class discussion on the day’s weather. Was the weather forecast from two days before accurate? Discuss.
32.
Visit a weather Web site to view the forecast for the next week. Based on the forecast, what clothing should students wear during the next week? Brainstorm answers.
33.
Ask if students have any other innovations to share or add to the bulletin board.
Remind students to add symbols, codes and innovations to the bulletin board throughout the year, so always be on the lookout for new items to add.
Instructional Tip:
Keep weather reports over a month or longer so students can determine how many days were dark, sunny, rainy or cloudy.
Differentiated Instructional Support:
Instruction is differentiated according to learner needs, to help all learners either meet the intent of the specified indicator(s) or, if the indicator is already met, to advance beyond the specified indicator(s).

Students can work with partners to locate appropriate library books or create weather symbols.

Weather is a topic students enjoy because they have an interest in it. Someone may have or knows someone who has experienced a tornado or hurricane. Let students
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Weather and Technology - Kindergarten
Interdisciplinary Lesson share weather phenomenon they have experienced or for which they have extended knowledge.

Challenge students to incorporate weather vocabulary words as reading and spelling words.
Instructional Tip:
Provide blind students and students with severe physical limitations can have three dimensional symbols that they learn to identify.
Extensions:

Have students, working with a parent or other adult, watch the evening weather forecast and extended forecast and be prepared to advise classmates as to weather predictions and appropriate clothing to wear later in the week.

Have students brainstorm innovative ideas that would improve their own lives.

Students may look at weather reports for different locations in the country or world.
This could be especially beneficial during the hurricane and tornado seasons.
Students looking at dropping barometric pressure will understand that lower pressure indicates worse weather.

Investigate the background of actual inventions. This might be an activity that a teacher or student shares. It may be accomplished in the school library with the help of the media specialist.
Home Connections:

With adult assistance, look at newspaper or television news weather predictions for the week and discuss what the symbols mean.

Discuss with family members how predicted weather patterns will affect planned outside activities.

Observe weather measuring devices around the home such as indoor-outdoor thermometer, rain gauge, weather vane.

Study family photo album pictures to see technology examples used in the past.
Materials and Resources:
The inclusion of specific resource in any lesson formulated by the Ohio Department of
Education should not be interpreted as an endorsement of that particular resource, or any of its contents, by the Ohio Department of Education. The Ohio Department of
Education does not endorse any particular resource. The Web addresses listed are for a given site's main page; therefore, it may be necessary to search within that site to find the specific information required for a given lesson. Please note that information published on the Internet changes over time; therefore, the links provided may no longer contain the specific information related to a given lesson. Teachers are advised to preview all sites before using them with students.
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Weather and Technology - Kindergarten
Interdisciplinary Lesson
There are a variety of materials created as part of the Ohio Department of Education model curriculum efforts supporting academic content standards implementation. The
Instructional Management System (IMS) offers a valuable pool of standards-based resources. These materials can support Technology ACS lesson implementation by providing teacher background study on the lesson topic and/or added resource information to share with the students. Links to other lessons are also useful in developing a larger instructional unit, or in forming a team of teachers to address a thematic topic. Existing lessons can be previewed at: http://ims.ode.state.oh.us/ode/ims.
Note: Some Web sites contain material that is protected by copyright. Teachers should ensure that any use of material from the Web does not infringe upon the content owner's copyright.
For the Teacher: Web sites with simple weather forecasts, video projector, pictures of weather instruments (or real examples)
For the Student: a journal
The instructional Management System (IMS) offers a valuable pool of standards-based resources. Listed below are lessons that can support Technology ACS implementation.
Potential IMS linked lessons:

Changes-Grade Kindergarten, Science, Earth and Apace Sciences

Changes in Our Sky-Grade Two, Science, Earth and Space Sciences
Vocabulary:
Many of these words are “exposure” words, not necessarily meant to be read or spelled correctly by a student this young. Some vocabulary words may be defined orally by students. Advanced students may wish to try spelling the words also.
 weather
 technology
 invention
 weather words like cloudy, fog, rain and snow.
Library Connections:
In 2003, the State Board of Education and the Ohio Department of Education established library guidelines that represent a standards-based education approach to school library programs. Entitled Academic Content Standards K-12 Guidelines Library, Ohio’s library guidelines provide a variety of content-specific, grade-level indicators describing information literacy, literacy linked to library-based technologies, and media literacy experiences for students. Featured on pages 204-219 are sample activities for making library connections across academic content standards and disciplines. Also included are grade-band models for student research and specific information concerning copyright and fair use of materials laws. K-12 teachers are encouraged to utilize the library guidelines and collaborate with the SLMS whenever possible. Ohio’s library guidelines
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Weather and Technology - Kindergarten
Interdisciplinary Lesson can be found under the heading of Library at www.ode.state.oh.us, keyword search
Library.
Library Guidelines
Information Literacy
Benchmark C
Understand that library books and materials are housed in specific areas of the library media center.
Indicator 2
Know that the library catalog gives access to information about all of the books and materials in the school library media center.
Benchmark E
Understand what information is and use a process to find information.
Indicator 1
Identify what information is and recognize that it can be represented in a variety of ways
(e.g., numbers, words, pictures, sounds).
Indicator 4
Use the information by sharing ideas and experiences.
Specific examples of how library resources can be used to support this lesson are listed below:

Students continue to check out weather resources (print and non-print) in the school library.

It is important for kindergarten students to further their understanding of fiction and nonfiction and the arrangement of such books in the library setting.

Students should recognize the library is a place to find answers.

Students could research (with the help of the school library media specialist) who invented a particular innovation and report back to the class.
Research Connections:
Marzano, R. et al. Classroom Instruction that Works: Research-based Strategies for
Increasing Student Achievement . Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and
Curriculum Development, 2001.
1.
Identifying similarities and differences enhances students’ understanding of and ability to use knowledge. This process includes comparing, classifying, creating metaphors and creating analogies and may involve the following:
 Presenting students with explicit guidance in identifying similarities and differences.
 Asking students to independently identify similarities and differences.
 Representing similarities and differences in graphic or symbolic form.
2.
Homework and practice provide students with opportunities to deepen their understanding and skills related to content that has been presented to them.
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Weather and Technology - Kindergarten
Interdisciplinary Lesson
3.
Nonlinguistic representations help students think about and recall knowledge. This includes the following:
 Creating graphic representations (organizers),
 Making physical models,
 Generating mental pictures
 Drawing pictures and pictographs, and
 Engaging in kinesthetic activity.
4.
Cues, questions, and advanced organizers help students retrieve what they already know about a topic. Activating prior knowledge is critical to learning new concepts.
“Higher level” questions promote deeper learning than questions lower order in nature.
Technology for All Americans Project, Measuring Progress: A Guide to Assessing
Students for Technological Literacy, Reston, VA: International Technology Education
Association, 2004.
Standards-based student assessment supports the systematic, multi-step process of collecting evidence on student learning, understanding and abilities and using that information to inform instruction and provide feedback to the learner, thereby enhancing learning. Students should be assessed often using a variety of tools and methods. The design of student assessments should follow set principles, such as utilizing authentic assessment that provides students the opportunity to demonstrate their knowledge and abilities in real-world situations. Note: the complete publication and other resource materials are available online at the Ohio page of the ITEA Center to Advance the Teaching of Technology and Science
[CATTS] web link: http://www.iteaconnect.org/EbD/CATTSresources/CATTSresourcesOH01.htm
Attachments:
Attachment A, Scoring Rubric
Attachment B, Ohio Research Model Skills (Grade K-2)
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Weather and Technology - Kindergarten
Interdisciplinary Lesson
Attachment A
Scoring Rubric
Note: Assessments are based on teacher observations and review of student journals.
Pre-Assessment Scoring Rubric:
1 2 3 4 5
Creates one weather symbol to represents a kind of weather
Illustrates one technological innovation and one sign or symbol and can orally explain it
Creates two weather symbols to represent different kinds of weather
Post-Assessment Scoring Rubric:
1 2
Illustrates two technological innovations and two signs or symbols and can orally explain them
Creates three weather symbols to represent different kinds of weather
3
Illustrates three technological innovations and three signs or symbols and can orally explain them
Creates four weather symbols to represent different kinds of weather
4
Illustrates four technological innovations and four signs or symbols and can orally explain them
Creates five weather symbols to represent different kinds of weather
5
Illustrates five technological innovations and five signs or symbols and can orally explain them
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Weather and Technology - Kindergarten
Interdisciplinary Lesson
Attachment B
Ohio Research Model Skills (Grades K-2)
Understanding Information: Talk about the difference between factual information and fiction (e.g., what is real and what is pretend or make-believe).
Decide: Decide what information is needed (e.g., brainstorm needs by deciding what you already know, what you need to know, and what you want to learn).
Find: Find information about the topic by using library materials.
Use: Use the information and communicate findings orally, visually or in writing.
1
Check: Check work by discussing the process used to find the information.
Adapted from Ohio K-12 Library Guidelines, 2004 pg. 197
Source: Office of Curriculum and Instruction. Ohio K-12 Library Guidelines Columbus, OH: Ohio Department of Education; 2004
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