Grade 4 Lesson 5: Climate Lesson B: How Climate In Connecticut Affects
People’s Lives
Topic(s): How weather and climate affect people’s lives in Connecticut.
Connecticut Social Studies Curriculum Framework Objectives:
Strand: 1.5 Interaction of humans and the environment
Grade Level Expectation: 10. Describe how physical systems (weather
and climate) have affected people’s lives in Connecticut (e.g. economy,
recreation, transportation).
Teaching Point:
Students notice how weather and climate affect our lives in Connecticut by
explaining how the environmental and geographic features of Connecticut
shape its history (with specific focus on how they influence the economy,
recreation and transportation in Connecticut).
Materials list:
Student Notebooks
Regions Book pages 152 to155: “Autumn in the Northeast”
Internet Resources: Google Earth
Website:
World Book, CT article, contains section about CT climate, economy,
history (access through GPS Virtual Library):
http://www.worldbookonline.com/student/article?id=ar130020&st=climate,
+connecticut
Vocabulary:
Climate: A pattern of weather over many years.
Temperature: A measure of how hot or cold the air is.
Precipitation: Moisture that falls to the ground.
Suggested Procedure:
1. Review/connect to discussion in previous lesson.
2. How weather and climate affect people’s lives in Connecticut:
Environmental and geographic features of Connecticut have shaped its
history.
Small groups or individuals can read the article about “Autumn in the
Northeast,” in the
Regions book on pages 152 to 155, which could be called “Autumn in
Connecticut.”
Have small groups meet to discuss how weather and climate affect
people’s lives in
Transdisciplinary Unit: Geography and People
8-6-12
Connecticut. Emphasize economy (food, shelter, clothing), recreation and
transportation. OR
The teacher can print the article for students to read individually or in small
groups. Have small groups discuss how weather and climate affect
people’s lives in Connecticut.
3. Share
Small groups share how weather and climate affect people’s lives in
Connecticut by answering the question: How have the environmental and
geographic features of Connecticut shaped its history?
Emphasize economy (food, shelter, clothing), recreation and transportation.
Transdisciplinary Unit: Geography and People
8-6-12
Transdisciplinary Unit: Geography and People
8-6-12