About
this Daily Classroom Special
Wild
Wacky Weather was
written by Penny Perkins, primary teacher/PDL teacher at Athens
Elementary School, Fayette County, Kentucky.
Introduction:
| In
this curriculum unit, students will be learning about different
elements of weather including temperature, wind and air, precipitation,
clouds, and severe weather. The focus of this unit is to relate
the information to how it affects the students in their every
day lives. Students will be recording data throughout the unit
as a class and individually. Each day, students will record that
day's weather on their individual Excel charts and representatives
from the class will record the temperature on a class Excel chart.
This data will routinely be examined and analyzed. Students will
also be conducting the weather report on the school morning news.
At the conclusion of the unit, students will create a PowerPoint
presentation on the elements of weather and how it affects them.
|
 To
the unit: WWW:
Wild and Wacky Weather (Unit)*
Student
Calendar (example)*
Temperature
Chart (example)*
Temperature
Graph (example)*
Weather
Presentation (example)*
*pdf files.
Download
Acrobat Reader. |
Curriculum
Objectives:
Students will
observe weather learn that it can be described by observations and
measurable quantities. Students will be cutting and pasting in Excel
to record data on their chart. Students will also read and listen
to a variety of information and apply it to their lives.
Internet Support:
Students will use the Internet to research information on the
different elements of weather and look at the daily forecast on www.weather.com.
Overall Value:
This unit is a huge success with the students. They are highly motivated
by recording data on their own chart and being able to use that data
to draw conclusions about things that affect them. The meteorologist
visit was a great success for us. He thoroughly explained weather
on their level. Also, the involvement in all content areas is a great
learning experience because the students are able to witness the connections
that can be made throughout the content areas.
This project is
different because it allows the students to take responsibility as
they record their individual data. This also serves as a motivator
for student learning. Students are also using information from many
content areas. This unit addresses language arts (reading and writing),
math, and science. It also includes technology, creative movement,
cooperative learning, and speaking.
Assess Learning:
Each week the students will complete an open response question
that requires the students to apply the information they learn about
the weather elements to their lives. At the conclusion of the unit,
students will complete a PowerPoint slide on certain elements in groups.
The slides will be put together to create a PowerPoint slide show
presentation. It will be presented to other classes and parents. A
rubric is used to score the presentation.
Standards:
This unit requires the students to know information about weather
and to apply the information they learn. The students must also use
measurement skills in recording weather and technology skills to record
the daily weather on their Excel chart. Analysis skills will be utilized
as the charts are discussed. Various technology standards will be
addressed as the students use the Internet, create PowerPoint slides,
gather and manipulate data, and display information. Students will
also make sense of the information that they read and hear. Students
will connect knowledge and experiences from different subject areas.
