Name: Katlyn Travis
Title: Weather
Grade Level: First Grade
Benchmarks:
E.ES.01.31 Identify tools used to measure temperature, precipitation, cloud cover, and wind.
E.ES.01.32 Observe and collect data of weather conditions over a period of time.
Objectives: (Science Net Links, 2011)
The student will be able to:
 Describe ways to measure the temperature, cloud cover, wind speed and direction,
and precipitation.
 Record data from observations and measurements.
 Report observations and data collected.
 Demonstrate proper use of tools such as a thermometer, rain gauge, anemometer,
and visual observations to collect data.
Materials and Setup:
 Different accessories (sunglasses, snow pants, rain boots, umbrella, etc.)
 Youtube video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9rBVyASNLxM
 Thermometer (for every two students)
 Rain gauge (for every two students)
 Anemometer and wind vane (for every two students)
 Lab sheet (one for each student)
 Weather worksheet (one for each student)
Requisite Knowledge/skills for students:
Students do not have to have any requisite knowledge for this lesson.
Procedure:
Engage:
Introduction to the concept of weather will be done by the teacher coming into the
classroom wearing all different kinds of clothing (sunglasses, umbrella, rain boots, snow pants,
winter coat, etc.). First grade students will notice and ask the teacher why they are dressed like
that. The teacher will ask the students to point out which items of clothing doesn’t belong and
why. (e.g. If it is sunny out the students will say the umbrella and rain boots. Or if it is summer
time the snow pants and gloves do not belong). The teacher will ask the students how they know
what clothes she should be wearing (students may say sunglasses because it is sunny, etc.)
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Explore:
The teacher will then divide the board into 4 categories: temperature, wind, precipitation
and cloud cover. Each category will be discussed and examples of each will be placed on the
board. Some examples may be to put rain and snow in precipitation, cloudy or clear in cloud
cover, hot or cold in temperature, etc.
The teacher will then ask the students if they know of any ways in which to measure the
four different weather conditions. Students will say things like looking outside, reading a
thermometer, etc. The teacher will make a list of the suggestions (Objective 1).
Students will then watch a youtube video
(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9rBVyASNLxM) of several instruments that are used to
measure weather and write down the main words (thermometer, rain gauge, etc.) under the
condition they help measure.
Explain:
The teacher will show students the instruments (thermometer, anemometer, rain gauge)
and have the students’ partner up.
Each person will get their own lab sheet and each pair will get their own instruments. The
students will fill out the worksheet recording observations (is it cloudy/is it raining/does it feel
hot or cold?) as well as data (temperature in degrees/wind direction). The class will be going
outside everyday for one week and will need to collect the data for each day. They can set up
their rain gage on the first day and record the collected amount for each day. (Objective 2 and 4)
Students will use their data they collected to complete the worksheet provided to turn in
for a grade. (Objective 2).
An exit card will be filled out by each student to turn in at the end of the discussion that
describes one way to measure the temperature (by feel or thermometer), wind speed/direction (by
feel or anemometer), cloud cover (observation), and precipitation (observations or rain gauge).
(Objective 1)
Elaborate:
Each day one students will act as “news anchor” and report the current weather to the
class. They are to use the data they collected but are also free to reference the weather channel if
they watched it that morning. The students will be graded on using the correct terms (e.g. the
temperature today will be 63 degrees, it is partly cloudy, etc.) (Objective 3)
Evaluate:
Exit Card
Objective 1
Lab Sheet/Working
outside to collect data
Objective 2 and 4
Students will give an
example of one way to
measure each of the 4
discussed weather
conditions
Students will record
their observations and
measurements on a lab
sheet
Summative: will be
graded based on
correct use of tools for
each weather
condition
Formative: will not be
graded but instead
used for students to
fill out the sheet that
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Class Discussions
Objective 1
Final Work Sheet
Objective 2
News Anchor
Objective 3
goes along with it.
Students will
Formative: students
participate in class
will be required to add
discussions throughout at least one comment
the lesson
during this lesson.
Teacher will keep
track by giving 5
points to those that
comment.
Students will use their Summative: will be
data and observations graded based on
to complete a
completeness and how
worksheet that
well it correlates to
summarized the
their data.
information collected
Students will act as
Summative: will not
the news anchor (one
be graded but teacher
student/day) and
will look for correct
report the weather
usage of vocabulary
using either their data words.
or by observing the
morning news
Scientific Background for the Teacher
The weather can be measured by kinds of tools. For first grade they will stick to the basic
of weather and only measure things like temperature, wind speed and direction, cloud cover, and
precipitation.
The temperature can be defined as the measure of the average kinetic energy of the atoms
that compose a substance (Moran, 2001). Several different tools can measure the temperature of
the air but for a basic introduction it is easiest to use the thermometer. A thermometer is usually
filled with mercury that expands when the glass part of the thermometer comes in contact with
the substance being measured. The way to read a thermometer is to use the scale and record the
number (using degrees Fahrenheit) at the top of the mercury level.
The wind speed and direction can be measured using an anemometer. There are once
again several different types of anemometer but we will be using a basic one. The anemometer to
be used in this lesson consists of three cups on a horizontally spinning shaft. The students will
measure the speed based on how fast the cups are spinning. A wind vane will also be used to
record which direction the wind is blowing. A wind vane consists of an arrow and a North,
South, East, West compass. The arrow will point to the direction to which the wind is blowing.
Cloud cover can be actually measured but for basics students will just observe the sky.
Depending on the amount of clouds they will write down either sunny (no clouds), mostly sunny
(few clouds), partly cloudy (more clouds than sun), or cloudy (sky is completely covered with
clouds).
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Precipitation includes rain, snow, sleet, and hail. This can be recorded simply based on
observation (is it raining out?) but can also be measured using a rain gauge. A rain gauge is an
instrument that is made of a cylinder with a funnel on top. The funnel catches the precipitation,
which then collects in the cylinder. The cylinder will have measurements on the side (measured
in inches) that can be read and recorded depending on how full of water it is.
References Cited
F1zban88. "Measuring Weather." YouTube. YouTube, 03 Nov. 2010. Web. 20 Sept. 2012.
<http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9rBVyASNLxM>.
Moran, Joseph M., and Joseph M. Moran. Weather Studies: Introduction to Atmospheric Science.
Boston, MA: American Meteorological Society/ Education Program, 2001. Print.
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