Will it rain tomorrow? Charting forecasts will help children learn about the science of weather!
- Grades: PreK–K
Objective: Children will learn about weather words and the work of meteorologists as they begin to observe, describe, record, and predict the weather.
- books about weather such as Meteorologists by Sandra J. Christian (Capstone Press, 2002; $18.60) and Weather Words and What They Mean by Gail Gibbons (Holiday House, 1990; $6.95)
- chart paper, drawing paper, index cards, poster board
- outdoor thermometer
- TV and/or VCR
- newspaper with weather section
- Write the word meteorologist on a sheet of chart paper. Explain to the class that a meteorologist is a scientist who studies and forecasts the weather. Ask children if they have ever seen a meteorologist forecast weather on the television. What does a meteorologist tell us? Why is it important to forecast weather conditions? How does this information help keep people safe? What other ways can we find out about the weather?
- Together, read books about meteorologists and weather. Follow each reading with a discussion and create charts to summarize information. Ask children to develop a list of weather words and find an area in the classroom to create a weather word wall.
- Plan time for the class to view a televised weather forecast. Ask what the meteorologist said. Record their comments. What predictions for future weather conditions did the meteorologist make? How can we see if their predictions are correct?
- Invite children to study weather predictions. They can view television weather forecasts during class time or you can send home a note requesting families to make time for their child to watch a weather forecast. Create a form for children to record a five-day weather forecast. Ask them to compare the five-day forecast to the actual weather conditions and summarize their findings.
- Encourage children to document the daily temperature and weather conditions for a month. Make a calendar on a large sheet of chart paper or poster board. Provide children with a thermometer to record the temperature at a specific time each day. They should also record the weather conditions such as rain, sunshine, clouds, partial sun, and clouds. Ask them to design graphics to depict specific weather conditions.
- Review the chart at the end of the month. What was the average temperature throughout the month? Did the weather and temperature change from the beginning to the end of the month? How many days did it rain? Encourage children to describe other information they learned from their weather calendar.
Curriculum Connection: Social Studies
Our Climate and Community. Ask the class how weather affects their community. Do some businesses or activities operate only at certain times of the year because of the weather? Are there farms or stores in the community that depend on weather conditions to grow or sell food? How do clothing stores respond to the climate throughout the year?
Kipper's Book of Weather by Mick Inkpen (Harcourt, 1999; $4.95)
Weather Forecasting by Gail Gibbons (Simon and Schuster, 1993; $13.85)
What Will the Weather Be? by Lynda DeWitt (HarperCollins, 1993; $4.95)