How the World Works

An inquiry into the natural world and its laws; the interaction between the natural world (physical and biological) and human societies; how humans use their understanding of scientific principles; the impact of scientific and technological advances on society and on the environment.

Central Idea: Weather and climate play a role in the world.

Weather conditions and seasons; Connection between weather and regional climates; Impact of weather-related hazards

NGSS Standards : Weather and Climate

Performance Expectations

1. Represent data in tables and graphical displays to describe typical weather conditions expected during a particular season. 3-ESS2-1
2. Obtain and combine information to describe climates in different regions of the world. 3-ESS2-2
3. Make a claim about the merit of a design solution that reduces the impacts of a weather-related hazard. 3-ESS3-1

Resources

Books in the iCommons:

1. On the same day in March : a tour of the world's weather by Marilyn Singer ; illustrated by Frané Lessac. Summary: Highlights a wide variety of weather conditions by taking a tour around the world and examining weather in different places on the same day in March.

2.Cloudy with a chance of meatballs written by Judi Barrett ; and drawn by Ron Barrett. Life is delicious in the town of Chew and swallow where it rains soup and juice, snows mashed potatoes, and blows storms of hamburgers--until the weather takes a turn for the worse.

3. The cloud book words and pictures by Tomie de Paola. Summary: Introduces the ten most common types of clouds, the myths that have been inspired by their shapes, and what they indicate about the weather

4. Geoffrey Groundhog predicts the weather by Bruce Koscielniak. Summary: When Geoffrey Groundhog pops out of his hole to predict the weather, he is blinded by television cameras and lights and is unable to see if he has a shadow. No one in town knows how to proceed, so Geoffrey needs help fast.

5. Brewster, the rain-makin' rooster written by Tim Ross ; illustrated by Scott Ross. Summary: Brewster, an intelligent rooster, successfully predicts the weather, spelling out his forecast by scratching on the ground.

6. Come on, rain! by Karen Hesse ; pictures by Jon J. Muth. Summary: A young girl eagerly awaits a coming rainstorm to bring relief from the oppressive summer heat.

7. Monsoon by Uma Krishnaswami ; pictures by Jamel Akib. Summary: A child describes waiting for the monsoon rains to arrive and the worry that they will not come.

8. Eli the elephant : a tsunami story by Margaret Donald's; illustrations by Sophia Grant and Stuart Noble. Summary: It is inspired by the first hand reports on child victims and the impact of the tsunami. Describes how Eli the elephant helps the other animals to a safer place.

9. Herbert : the true story of a brave sea dog by Robyn Belton. Summary: When Herbert, a small dog that lives by the sea, goes on a trip in a boat with Tim's father, a storm arrives, causing Herbert to experience an adventure.

10. A storm called Katrina written by Myron Uhlberg ; illustrated by Colin Bootman. Summary: When flood waters submerge their New Orleans neighborhood in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, a young cornet player and his parents evacuate their home and struggle to survive and stay together.

11. Flora's very windy day by Jeanne Birdsall ; illustrated by Matt Phelan. Summary: When a big wind blows her annoying little brother away, Flora decides to save him despite the many tempting offers she gets for him from, among others, a cloud, an eagle, the man in the moon, and the wind itself

12. The little island by Margaret Wise Brown ; with illustrations by Leonard Weisgard. Summary: Depicts the changes that occur on a small island as the seasons come and go, as day changes to night, and as a storm approaches.