Subject: Science
Unit: Weather
Grade: 4
PLO’s
Key Knowledge and Skills Students Will Acquire
Earth and Space Science: Weather
o measure weather in terms of temperature, precipitation, cloud
cover, wind speed and direction
o analyse impacts of weather on living and non-living things
Processes of Science
o make predictions, supported by reasons and relevant to the
content
o use data from investigations to recognize patterns and
relationships and reach conclusions
o Will observe and learn how to predict weather
o Will understand the different properties of weather (e.g. air speed,
precipitation, clouds etc) and how it impacts weather
o Will measure different aspects of weather and keep careful
records in a Weather Journal
o Learn the different parts of the water cycle
o Will be able to identify the different types of clouds
Vocabulary
Performance Tasks
Temperature, Wind Speed, Beaufort Scale, Wind Direction, Water Cycle,
Clouds, Evaporation, Condensation, Precipitation, Anemometer,
Thermometer, Rain Gauge, Weather Vane, Cloud Cover, Cumulus
Clouds, Cumulonimbus Clouds, Cirrus Clouds, Stratus Clouds
Lesson #
and Title
Lesson #1 What is
Weather?
Lesson #2 –
Wind
o Weather Journal
o Cloud Poem
o Group project on extreme weather signs and preparations
o Final test?
Activities
Materials
Tell students that we will be studying weather over the next 10 Science Lessons
“What is weather?”/“What does weather mean”?
Give students each a clipboard and ask students to observe “weather” with a partner - what can they
see, hear, smell & touch that is weather related. Have them write down their observations on their
clipboards
4. Back in Classroom, discuss their findings/observations
5. “What is the basic instrument that we need in order to tell the weather? “What is a Thermometer?”
What does it do?”
6. Show / Explain the different parts of a thermometer
7. Discuss how to measure the temperature – what to do and what not to do
a. ie.: “Don’t hold the thermometer by the bulb”
8. Give students the Thermometer Handout and ask them to label the parts (early finishers can colour
the thermometer)
9. Give students Duo-Tangs and explain that the Duo-Tangs are their own weather journal – have
students place their 1st weather observation and their thermometer worksheet in their weather
folder
10. In Groups of 2, ask them to measure the temperature in 3 locations. (Hand out Temperature record.
sheet) Early finishers can start colouring/decorating their weather journal
1. Ask students to go in pairs to measure the outside temperature
2. Ask them that while they do that, to watch for the wind. From which direction does wind come
from?
- DuoTangs (# depends
on students in class)
- Clipboards
- Thermometers
- Thermometer
Handout
- Temperature
Recordings Sheet
1.
2.
3.
- Clipboards
- Thermometers
- Temperature
Assignment/
Assessment
Direction
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
Lesson #3 Rain
Lesson #4 –
Water Cycle
1.
2.
Back in the classroom, discuss/share observations. Ask them to point out from which direction the
wind is coming from. If they point from one direction, have one student blindfolded. Ask this student
to turn a couple of times and to point out the direction of the wind. Was the student correct?
How can we describe weather to somebody else?
Build a Weather Vane (see attached sheet on instructions – Activity #6) Early finishers can colour
their weather vane
While they are outside, ask them from which direction the wind is coming from. Do they all agree?
Back in the class have students add the wind direction next to their daily temperature reading
Before class commences, teacher will dress up in rain gear.
Ask students: “Why do I wear those clothes?” Where does rain come from? What do you think? Are
all rain droplets the same size? How can we find out? Think/Pair/Share to the above questions
3. Give students a dark sheet of construction paper, clipboards attached with paper and ask them to
bring their weather vane and their thermometer
4. Once outside, tell students to measure the temperature and wind direction
5. Students should observe of where the rain is going once it hits the ground
6. Give students a dark sheet of construction paper. Do Activity number 12 (attached)
7. Students go back inside and measure the raindrops on their dark construction sheet. They record
their findings in their Weather Journal
a. Temperature
b. Wind Speed
c. Where they think the rain is going after it hit the ground
d. Size of rain droplets
8. Share the findings with the class.
9. Make them aware that there are few water droplets that are small in size and more water droplets
in bigger size
10. Activity number 11: building a rain gauge (don’t have)
1. Before class commences, ask 2 volunteers to measure the temperature wind speed and amount of
rainfall. After, have them write the data on the board
2. With your partners answer the two questions:
3. “Why do you think that most rain droplets are big?
4. Where do you think the rain goes after it hit the ground?
a. Have them record their idea in their journal. Also, have them record the measurements that
were taken by the 2 student volunteers
5. Share ideas with the rest of the class. On the black board, teacher draws rain and the ground.
Indicate the run-off
6. Where does the water go once it goes in the ground? – Draw it on the board
7. Give each group the materials listed in the material list. “Can we make it rain here in the classroom?”
8. Activity: Lets make it rain in the classroom (attached)
9. “How did the water get into the small bowl? What happened?”Introduce the word evaporation.
Evaporation is when the sun heats up water in rivers/lakes/oceans and turns it into vapour or steam
10. Teacher draws this process on the blackboard and explains that precipitation can also mean snow,
sleet, hail
Recordings Sheet
Large paper plates
magic markers
scissors
crepe paper
streamers
- felt pens
- paste or tape
- Sky Watchers logo
(attached)
-
- Clipboards
- Thermometers
- Temperature
Recordings Sheet
- Black (or dark)
construction paper
- Rulers
- Plastic 2-litre pop
bottle with straight
sides (# depends on
students +1)
- Clear tape
- Large plastic bowl
(large margarine
container)
- Smaller plastic bowl
(small margarine
container)
- Marble or stone
- Large rubber band
- A piece of plastic
wrap
- A penny
- Watch/Stop Watch
- Homework: Think
about why most rain
droplets are bigger
than others
Lesson #5 Clouds
Lesson #6 –
Clouds
Experiment
Lesson #7 –
11. Introduce the word condensation. Water vapour in the air gets cold and changes back into liquid
12. Teacher introduces the term water cycle. A continuous process during which water evaporates from
the earth, condenses in the air, returns to the Earth in the from of precipitation and evaporates
again. Cycle keeps repeating
13. Students fill out the attached worksheet (Water Cycle) and put it in their Weather Journal
1. Before class commences, ask 2 volunteers to measure the temperature, wind speed and amount of
rainfall. After, have them write the data on the board
2. See if students can solve the following riddle: “I am formed when warm air rises and condenses”
Clouds
3. Ask the students what clouds are. Explain: Water is constantly evaporating. Water vapour condenses
into droplets at high altitudes. The droplets are so mall and light that they float up into the air.
Clouds look different because the water droplets are different. Some clouds consist of tiny droplets
of water and cause the cloud to appear white. When cloud droplets are bigger, the cloud is thicker
and blocks out the sunlight. Those clouds look grey and it starts to rain.
4. Take students outside and observe the clouds.
5. Ask: What colour are the clouds, What do the clouds look like? How are they shaped? Are the clouds
moving?
6. Have students lie on their backs and have students fill out the worksheet “A cloudy day”
7. Students share their observations and file the worksheet in their weather journal.
8. Hand out the “Sky Cover” Sheet. Explain the meaning of the worksheet. Have students look out the
window and determine the Sky Cover. They record this in their Weather journal.
1. This activity best done with small groups so all students can view the cloud formation in the jar.
Other class members could be working on researching the different types of clouds, drawing and
labelling these clouds, researching and drawing the water cycle, working on a forecast for the rest of
the day based on the clouds in the sky, etc.
2. Tell the students that we are going to perform a simulation of the forming of a cloud. Take out the
jar and have one of the students tape the black piece of paper onto one side of the jar. Ask another
student to pour the warm water into the jar until it is one third full.
3. Light a match and hold it in the jar for a few seconds and then drop it in. At this point, have a student
quickly cover the jar with the bag of ice.
4. Have another student (or teacher) shine the flashlight on the jar while they record their
observations.
5. Now the students will explore what happened. The following questions can be used to help the class
learn about what was happening:
a. What did you see in the jar? (a cloud)
b. Where did the cloud come from? (the water in the bottom of the jar?
c. How did the warm water effect the cloud formation (caused to evaporate and warm and
warmed the air, causing it to rise)
d. What did the ice cubes do the help the clouds form? (cooled the air[made the water vapour
condense])
e. What role did the match and its smoke play in the cloud formation? (gave the water
something to condense or grab on to)
f. Now what would you tell me a cloud is made of (small water droplets)
g. Ask someone to describe the process of cloud formation from what they just learned
1. Before class commences, ask 2 volunteers to measure the temperature, wind speed and amount of
- Temperature
Recordings Sheet
- Thermometer
- Wind-Gauge
- Assessment: Have
students exchange
weather journals with
classmates and have
then do a mid-unit
check-up (Are they
filling in their logs, is
their journal tidy, etc)
- A large jar
- Plastic bag of ice that
will fit over the jar
opening
- Pitcher of warm
water
- 1 sheet of black
paper
- Flashlight
- Matches
Optional Extension
Materials
- More jars, bags of
ice, black paper,
flashlights and warm
water
- Collected dust
- Flour
- Sand
- Cedar Shavings
- White construction
paper
- Homework: Students
can draw a picture of
how a real cloud
would form and what
effects the warm earth
and the cool air in the
mountains would
have.
- Extension: The process
could be repeated by
students without using
the match or with
dust, flour, sand, cedar
shavings, or other
particulate materials
to see if the cloud
would still form.
“Shapes in the Sky –
- Homework: What type
-
Types of
Clouds
Lesson #8 –
Wind Speed
rainfall. After, have them write the data on the board
Ask students figure out the cloud cover.“Look out of the window and look at the clouds. Can you see
different types of clouds compared to yesterday?”
3. Read the book “Shapes in the Sky – A book about clouds”
4. Point to the cloud-poster
5. Google images of clouds and have students identify those clouds.
6. Ask students to identify the clouds from yesterday’s observation. Ask students to identify the current
clouds
7. Give out the “Cloud Information Page” and ask students to draw them
8. Create a Favourite Cloud Graph
9. Title a chart paper “our favourite clouds” and divide it into three columns with stratus, cirrus, and
cumulus. Give each student a cotton ball and have them stretch, cut, or shape it to make it look like
their favourite kind of cloud. Have them glue their cloud in the corresponding row. Which clouds do
most students like best? According to the cloud information.
10. Have students create a cloud poem: Have students use descriptive words and follow the format
below:
Title: name of cloud
First line:
Three adjectives that describe the cloud
Second line:
Three verbs that relate to the cloud
Third line:
A phrase that tells about a cloud
Fourth Line
Name of the cloud
Ex.
Cumulus Clouds
Fluffy, white, wispy
Forming, changing, moving
Help predict the weather
Cumulus Clouds
1. Review: What is fog?
i. Low-lying stratus cloud
2. Ask students: “How do clouds move?” “What is wind?”
3. Do the finger play
4. “What are ways to measure wind speed? How can we measure wind speed?
5. Make a Windmill. Hand out instruction sheet “How to make a Windmill”. Early finishers can colour
them / and or help those who are behind
6. Go outside and test them. Once outside, have students predict the wind speed (ie. is the wind
strong, weak, …)
7. Those who think the wind is strong can go on one side, those with other opinions go to other sides
8. Teacher: “The wind can’t be all of the characteristics. How can we measure the wind speed - so that
there is no confusion. Think about this at home”
9. Students will measure
i. Temperature
2.
-
-
-
-
a book about
Clouds”, by Josepha
Sherman
Cloud posters
Cloud Information
Page
Cotton Balls
Glue
of a cloud is fog? Or, is
it a cloud?
- Homework: Finish
cloud poem
“The Wind” – a
finger play
(attached)
Square sheets of
stiff, lightweight
paper
Rulers, pencils,
eraser
Scissors
Glue
60cm of 0.5cm
dowelling
drawing pin
Markers/Colouring
- Homework: Think of
how we can measure
the wind speed. What
would we need to do
that?
ii. Rain
iii. Wind Direction
iv. Sky Cover
v. Types of clouds
10. Students will enter the data in their weather journal
Lesson #9 –
Wind Speed
con’t
Lesson #10Forecasting
1.
2.
Ask students: “How can we measure the wind speed. What would we need?”
Give students the materials required to build the anemometer. Ask them how these materials will
help out.
3. Give them time to think before you give out the “Building a weather instrument – anemometer”
handout
4. Make an Anemometer: Hand out “Building a weather instrument: Anemometer” Early finishers can
help those who are behind
5. Go outside and have students measure
a. Temperature
b. Rain
c. Wind Direction
d. Sky Cover
e. Types of clouds
f. Wind Speed
6. Students will enter the data in their weather journal
7. Hand out the “Beaufort Scale” handout and explain what it means
8. Have students match their wind speed measurement with the Beaufort Scale. What is the Seaman’s
term for the wind that they have measured?
1. In groups of two, students measure the temperature, rainfall, wind direction, wind speed, and
identify the sky cover and types of clouds. They then update their weather journal.
2. Students write their dream job on a piece of paper. They also write what type of weather they want
for their job
3. Who needs what type of weather. Have students who need sunny type of weather go to one end of
the classroom and who need rain on the other side of the classroom.
4. GOAL: students realize that we are all dependent on weather and that we would like to know the
weather forecast.
5. Have students chart the temperature, sky cover, wind direction, rainfall. They can base their data
from their weather journals.
6. Have them find today’s weather forecast. Was the weather forecast correct? Can they make any
predictions for tomorrow’s weather?
7. Have them fill out “Reading the Clouds” Worksheet. Early finishers, go to the following website:
http://education.jlab.org/reading/water_cycle.html
8. Tell students that from now on they will participate in an actual weather survey: They will send in
their measurements of the weather to the Canada National Weather office. (Program is called: Sky
Watchers)
9. Tell them that they will use the data to predict tomorrow’s weather.
10. Read the book “Weather Forecasting
-
-
-
-
-
pens for colouring
the wind mill
Clipboards
Thermometers
Weather vanes
Building a weather
instrument anemometer
Needles
Threads
Ping Pong Balls
Protractor
Clipboards
Thermometers
Weather vanes
Today’s newspaper
with the weather
forecast
Reading the Clouds
Worksheet
“Weather
Forecasting”, by Gail
Gibbons
Chart Paper
- Homework: Why do
people listen to
weather news, and
why are people
interested in the
weather forecast
- Assessment: Have
students exchange
weather journals with
classmates and have
then do a mid-unit
check-up (Are they
filling in their logs, is
their journal tidy, etc)
Lesson #11Weather
Elsewhere
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Lesson #12 –
Wild
Weather TV
Audition
7.
1.
2.
In groups of two, students measure the temperature, rainfall, wind direction, wind speed, and
identify the sky cover and types of clouds. They then update their weather journal and submit the
data to the National Weather Service
Brainstorm, how is the weather different in different areas?
Read the book “On the Same Day in March”, by Marilyn Singer
Different areas have different weather conditions. Ask students to look up weather reports done by
other students around the country.
i. http://skywatchers.on.ec.gc.ca/sky-search.html
Have them chart the information from the School that they looked up
Have students compare yesterday’s with today’s graph. Are there similarities, are there differences?
Which weather do the students prefer?
Have them include the above in their Weather Journal
Students will work in small groups to prepare a mock TV audition for a show called “Wild Weather”
on TLC. The students will be allowed to choose from a list of extreme weather and must research
their weather phenomenon thoroughly.
Students will then present their TV audition in a creative manner for 5-10mins. The teacher will act
as the producer of the show
Useful Internet Resources:
http://www.nwsnorman.noaa.gov/severewx/safety.html (Severe Weather Safety)
http://www.txdirect.net/~msattler/ (Severe Weather!)
http://www.nssl.noaa.gov/ (National Severe Storms Laboratory)
http://weather.about.com/medianews/weather (About.com)
http://www.cwbol.com/ (Charles Boley's Weather Stuff Collection)
http://users.neca.com/jpcp32/svr.htm (Sever Weather Information)
http://www.weather.com/homepage.html (The Weather Channel)
-
-
Chart Paper
Computers with
Internet Access to
the Canadian
Weather Office
“On the Same Day in
March”, by Marilyn
Singer
- Chart paper
- Poster boards
- Criteria sheet for
project
- Group evaluation
sheet
- Assessment: Students
will be graded
individually by teacher
and group members
for both work ethic,
cooperation, effort
and meeting criteria
for project
- Classmates will
evaluate groups for
clarity of information,
creative presentation
and whether or not
they would want to
watch this show