Fermilab LInC Online

Weather . . . or . . . Weather Not?

Unit Description before LInC

Summary

Scenarios

Student Pages

Rubrics

Index of Projects

Grade Level: 4th Grade

Subject: Science

Learner Outcomes:

Students will use weather symbols to read and interpret weather maps.
Students will use weather instruments to measure and record weather data.
Students will be able to identify severe weather conditions which occur in the area and know what safety precautions should be taken.

Student Task: Students read from their text books about weather measurement and forecasting. Students collect sample weather maps from the local newspaper for one week and create a bulletin board in the classroom. Students watch nightly television weather forecast and take notes on statistics given (precipitation, temperature, pressure, humidity). The teacher demonstrates for the class how to read several types of weather instruments. Each day for a week the class records the readings from the instruments on their data charts on the bulletin board. Students watch several videos on severe weather from the Weather Channel's Classroom Connect. Student teams do research and write a report on one type of severe weather. These reports are presented to the class.

Teacher Role: The teacher lectures, makes homework and research assignments, demonstrates the use of weather instruments, and leads discussions. The teacher uses transparencies of weather maps from the newspaper to acquaint the students with weather symbols and the basics of weather systems. The teacher shows videos of severe weather and discussed safety precautions with the students.

Grouping: The students work primarily individually during this unit. They are divided into five teams for the measurements made with the weather instruments. Each team of 3 or 4 students is responsibile for taking the measurements for one day of the week. Students work with a partner on their sever weather reports.

Hook: Students present their severe weather reports to the class.

Student-Directed Learning: Student teams decide what type of severe weather they wish to study.

Use of Technology: Videos, television, and weather instrumentation are used. Some students use computers for their reports and some use the Internet for their research, but it is not required.

Assessment: Students are given a pencil and paper test at the end of the unit. The severe weather reports are graded using a rubric. Students earn credit for bringing in the weather maps and the data from the television weather reports. Student teams are graded on the accuracy and completeness of the weather data they record.

Created for the Fermilab LInC program sponsored by Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory Education Office and Friends of Fermilab, and funded by United States Department of Energy, Illinois State Board of Education, North Central Regional Technology in Education Consortium which is operated by North Central Regional Educational Laboratory (NCREL), and the National Science Foundation.

Author(s): Linda L. Payne (lpayne@scsu.edu)
School: Bamberg-Calhoun-Orangeburg Math/Science Hub, Orangeburg, SC
Created: March 18, 2001 - Updated: April17, 2001
URL: /lincon/w01/projects/weather/lp_pre.html