Introduction and Central Focus
Every day children experience climatic changes through the variety of interactive activities outdoors. In this sequence of lessons, children will analyze the crucial role of various weather conditions and examine the reasons they change annually. The central focus of this particular lesson implies the significance of weather in human lives on Earth, as well as applying basic skills and knowledge to observe and understand climate variability.
Define Learners
This lesson sequence is designed for the kindergarten children of the K-2 grade level. At this stage in life, children have a poor understanding of such phenomenal global concepts and, therefore, require a simple and concise teaching approach and topic explanation. Children will be exposed to the set of qualitative observations, including basic weather descriptions, and engaged in the quantitative observations by counting sunny, windy, and rainy days within a set period. The climatic patterns will be taught by connecting the color vision and the temperature associations.
Content Standards
ESS2.D: Weather and Climate
Weather is the combination of sunlight, wind, snow or rain, and temperature in a particular region at a particular time. People measure these conditions to describe and record the weather and to notice patterns over time. (K-ESS2-1)
Curricular Fit
This lesson sequence is the introductory step towards learning the basic concept of weather and climatic changes in the Earth Science curriculum. Children are required to attain ELA and literacy skills by participating in shared research, writing projects, and asking and answering questions. They also need to implement the mathematics skills through the process of counting and cardinality, knowing number names and the count sequence, describing measurable attributes of objects, comparing objects, and classifying them into categories.
Learning Objectives
As a result of this instruction, students will be able to:
- Observe weather and define the basics of climate
- Identify different weather features and changes in weather
- Use tools to observe the weather
- Collect and organize data
- Use and share observations of local weather conditions
- Describe patterns over time
Materials and Resources Needed
- Standard weather measurement tools
- Real pictures of weather/Drawings of weather
- Raincoat, boots, rain gauge, umbrella, thermometer, winter and summer clothes, sunglasses, and other items used at different times of year
- A box or plastic container
- Colorful paper and art supplies
- Rubric for evaluating student assignments
Scope and Sequence
Differentiation
This introductory lesson teaches children basic theoretical knowledge and critical practical skills to learn about weather changes and outcomes. The small group of children is exposed to outdoor interactive activities, creative assignments, and open group discussions.
Final Assessment
The final assessment project implies discussing the weather charts that children made throughout the lesson and transfer the results to the whole class weather calendar.
Conclusion
Every day children can observe and wonder about the climatic changes as they have limited knowledge about weather and the ways it constantly changes. More specifically, they experience weather by playing outside in the snow during cold winter holidays or in the sand during the hot summer days. Children might chase leaves in the wind, jump in the rain puddles, or bundle up against the cold. By integrating such simple interactive activities, a child explores the weather and its impact on the natural environment. Therefore, children’s prior experience helps them better comprehend different types of weather phenomena to which they are exposed on a daily basis.
References
Gallery of Weather and Climate, NASA Kids. Web.
K.Weather and Climate (n. d.) Next Generation Science Standards. Web.
NASA Climate Kids (Interactive Platform). Web.