Components

The student writes to communicate ideas and information effectively                                                                               
The student uses technology to locate, evaluate, and collect information from a variety of sources                                     
The student uses telecommunications to collaborate, publish and interact with peers                                                       

Objectives

1. Read various newspaper articles and reports about weather and research online newspapers: The Miami Herald, The Boston Globe and The Chicago Tribune  
2. Use prewriting strategies to identify ideas for submissions to class Weather Gazette  (brainstorming, listing, webbing, flow chart) 
3. Write a draft article (must have topic sentence, supporting details, examples and vivid language) or poem 
4. Edit 
5. Have students choose jobs for weather gazette: editor, graphics, writer, proof reader, typist, layout artist and researcher 
6. Vocabulary: review sections of newspaper: headline (large title at the top of the page), text (actual words), graphic (picture or drawing) and sub-headline (identifies each story)
7. Type text using ClarisWorks/AppleWorks or Microsoft Word and place copy in writing portfolio; share issue with parents Weather Gazette  
8. After locating an Epal at EPals, communicate with Epal and report various weather activities conducted in class

Competencies

The student will demonstrate growth in literacy by maintaining a writing portfolio, which includes examples of stories, reports and poems for class weather gazette. Teacher can use Rubric for Writing  to evaluate writing samples. The student will demonstrate use of telecommunications by communicating with key pal/Epal.

• Post weather articles on school web site
• Ask key pals/Epals to submit weather articles to gazette 
• Plan, write and publish a weather magazine
• Create weather commercials and promotions for weather products and present to class
• Video tape students' commercials using digital movie cameras or IMovies and play on school TV, insert these clips into multimedia presentations

Homework

Read an article about the weather in the newspaper or log onto a weather story on a weather web site and give the who, what, why, where and when of the story.

Guest Speaker

Invite a local weatherman to school to talk about the weather and weather trends.

Resource

Lurie. S. A Treasury of Amazing Knowledge. Playmore Inc.: New York. 1983.