ESS.K.1.3
Obtain, evaluate and communicate information to compare weather patterns that occur from season to season.
Embedded Files
District Recommended Resources for Kindergarten Grade Science
Science Phenomena Resources
Next Generation Science Standards YouTube Channel
Step 1: Lesson Standards & Learning Goals
Dimension 1:
Science and Engineering Practice:
Analyze and Interpret Data:
With guidance and support, compare predictions (based on prior experiences) to what occurred (observable events) (NSTA SEP Matrix).
Dimension 2:
Crosscutting Concepts: Patterns, Cause and Effect
Dimension 3:
Disciplinary Core Ideas:
ESS2.D 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. (A Framework for K-12 Science Education).
4C/P2 Change is something that happens to many things. (Benchmarks for Science Literacy)
Sample Essential Questions
Sample Essential Questions
"How does the weather change from one season to another?"
"What do you see outside that tells you which season it is?"
"What's different about summer weather and winter weather?"
"How does spring weather compare to fall weather?"
"Do you notice any patterns in the weather as the seasons change?"
"How often does it rain (or snow) in each season?"
"What clothes do you wear in different seasons? Why?"
"Which season is best for playing outside? Why do you think so?"
Vocabulary
Vocabulary
changes
compare
differences
observations
predictions
similarities
weather
weather conditions (sunny, rainy, cloudy, warm, cool, etc.)
Students will be able to...
Students will be able to...
Use observation skills to note characteristics of their environment on a daily basis.
Compare their observations and describe how each observation is similar to or different from a previous observation.
Ask questions- based on observations to find more information about the weather conditions.
Analyze and Interpret Data- Compare predictions (based on prior experiences) (e.g., puddle on the schoolground) to what occurred (observable events) (e.g. puddle disappeared). Another example is clouds formed, it rained later in the day.
Students will know...
Students will know...
The weather changes and that it may be sunny one day and cloudy another day.
Step 2: Assessment
Formative Assessments
Formative Assessments
Writing Prompts
Student Created Journal - Weather Month by Month
When we have rain for two days, why might we not be able to go on the playground? (water puddles, water on the slides, swings and other equipment)
If it’s been really hot and we have not had rain in a long time, what might happen to the ground outside on the playground? (it could be really dry, with lots of dust, because it is is so dry- cracks might form in the earth/clay)
If it is really sunny and warm outside, when we go out on the playground in the afternoon, the equipment we play on will probably be _____. (warm, hot)
It has been raining all day, so if we go outside to walk to the buses, the ground will probably be _____. (wet)
It is a windy day, if you look outside the window what will you see? (leaves blowing, flags moving)
If it is a windy day, when you look outside you will see a flag _________. (moving)
Opinion writing: Students can write about their favorite season based on the weather patterns of each season. They will use the information they have learned about the weather throughout the seasons to form their opinion and use the weather as one of their reasons to explain their opinion. Example: Winter is my favorite season because it snows. Or I like Summer because it is hot and I can swim in the pool. Students will draw pictures to support their opinion and match their sentences.
Opinion writing with comparing weather: Students can write which season they like better than another, based on the weather patterns they observed on their weather charts. Example: I like Winter better than Fall because it snows in the winter. Or I like Fall better than Summer because I like to play in the crunchy leaves.
Mini Lesson: Seasonal Changes & Clothing Sort
Mini Lesson: Seasonal Changes & Clothing Sort
Objective: Students will recognize weather patterns and how they relate to different seasons.
Materials Needed:
Four large seasonal posters (spring, summer, fall, winter)
Various clothing items (real or picture cutouts)
Sentence strips and markers
Read-aloud books about seasons (e.g., The Reasons for Seasons by Gail Gibbons)
Steps to Follow:
Season Introduction: Read a book about the four seasons and discuss characteristics of each.
Weather Sorting Activity: Show pictures or objects (mittens, shorts, rain boots, sunglasses) and have students sort them onto the correct seasonal poster.
Discuss Patterns: Talk about what happens during each season and why (e.g., "In winter, we wear coats because it is cold and sometimes snows.").
Hands-On Activity: Students draw a picture of themselves dressed for their favorite season and write a simple sentence about it (e.g., "In summer, I wear ____ because it is ____.").
Comparison Discussion: Compare two seasons (e.g., "How is winter different from summer?") using visuals and guided sentence frames.
Mini Projects and Investigations
Shades of Meaning:
Using the "shades of meaning strategy," ask students to brainstorm a list words that describe temperature and then put them in order of coldest to hottest. See the image below as an example.
How does the temperature change from season to season? Gather paint chips from any paint store and have students use shades of meaning to describe weather during different seasons. You may also have students create their own color chart showing the shades of temperature for each season.
Winter shades of cold
Spring shades from cool to warm
Summer shades of warmth
Fall shades of warm to cool
Season to Season weather:
Review a weather chart from the Winter and compare it to a weather chart from the Spring. Ask students: “What do you notice about the weather patterns in Winter and in Spring? Which season has more rainy days? Which season did it snow in? Which season had cold weather? Which season had more sunny days?
Weather pattern flipbook:
Students can create a flipbook to show seasonal weather patterns, or daily weather patterns over a week’s time.
Culminating Activity
Windsock writing craft:
Students can do this multiple ways based on the type of writing you are teaching in your ELA block.
Idea 1:. They can write their opinion about wind (or any other weather type) and after they finish their writing, attach their writing paper to construction paper and roll it into a tube. Attach streamers to make a windsock with their opinion writing.
Idea 2: Students can create an informational weather windsock where they choose a type of weather: rain, snow, wind, stormy, sunny, etc. They will draw and label the type of weather they chose on the whole sheet of paper for the top. Then they will write facts that they learned about that weather type on strips of construction paper. One fact for each strip of construction paper to hang at the bottom. *Note: you can use colored copy paper instead of construction paper.
Idea 3: Students can create a narrative windsock where they choose a type of weather to be such as, “if I were a _______(raindrop, snowflake, the wind, a tornado, etc.) I would________.” Allow students to create their story, and after they finish their writing, attach their writing paper to construction paper and roll it into a tube. Attach streamers to make a windsock with their opinion writing.
Weather Journal with Book Creator
Create a weather journal for vocabulary, writing prompts, and data collection to span throughout the unit. Contact your DTLS if you need support with this activity.
Step 3: Lesson Instructions
Possible Activating Strategies
Possible Activating Strategies
Analyzing and Interpreting Data Graphs:
Using the graph, have students discuss the differences in the size of the bars on the graph. Which season had the most rainy days in Minnie City? Which month would be the best to visit and why?
Asking questions:
Which season do you think has the best weather? Is it spring, summer, fall, or winter? Why?
Where is some place you would like to visit? (Disney, Beach, Amusement Park, Mountains, etc.) What would you need to know about the weather before you visit? Why?
Activating Strategy: Seasonal Clothing Relay
Time: 10-15 minutes
Materials:
Large bin with mixed seasonal clothing (scarf, gloves, raincoat, sunglasses, flip-flops, sun hat, winter coat)
Four signs labeled: Winter, Spring, Summer, Fall
Activity Steps:
Show students the clothing items and ask: “Do we wear the same clothes all year?”
Split students into teams and give each team a few clothing items.
Call out a season, and teams quickly choose which item belongs to that season and place it by the correct sign.
After sorting, discuss why we dress differently for each season and introduce how weather patterns change throughout the year.
Additional Literacy Connections
Science A to Z
The Weather
epic!
Weather in Fall By: Katie Peters
Weather in Winter by:Jenna Lee Gleisner
Weather in Spring by: M.J. York
Weather in Summer by: Maddie Spalding
Please visit your media center to see new books and resources about weather!
Ask about Lightbox books for seasons.
Teacher Resources
Teacher Resources
Science A to Z
Kids Academy (one free month)
Videos:
All four seasons in 40 seconds video: https://vimeo.com/2639782?&login=true
Seasons song (Epic):
Page updated
Report abuse