CKLA Knowledge 

 Our new unit focuses on   Seasons and Weather . This domain will introduce students to the concept of weather. Students will learn that different regions of Earth experience different weather patterns throughout the year. They will also learn that we can think about a year and the related weather patterns in terms of four seasons: winter, spring, summer, and autumn. Students will also learn why knowing about the weather is important, and how weather affects our daily lives and activities. As the weather associated with each season varies depending upon where one lives, students throughout the United States will have different experiences with regard to the four seasons. There are, however, certain common seasonal features that will be true for all children living within the continental United States; for example, summer is always a warmer season, in general, than winter. The lessons and Read-Alouds included in this domain have been carefully written to make these common seasonal features clear, while still encouraging you to customize the discussions and subsequent activities to make students aware of the specific weather patterns in your area. Implicit in understanding the relationship between weather and seasons is having an understanding of time. Your students’ grasp of the concepts discussed in this domain will be enhanced if they are already somewhat familiar with basic temporal concepts, such as day, week, month, and year. You will note that, within the lessons that follow, we recommend frequently referencing to a monthly calendar as a way of making the idea of time concrete. The kinds of directed observations and hands-on activities associated with documenting the daily weather—such as looking at a thermometer, examining precipitation collected in a rain gauge, or observing the types of clouds in the sky.