Making Weather Observations

Learning Resource Type

Classroom Resource

Subject Area

Science

Grade(s)

K, 3

Overview

Students can make and annotate weather observations with this interactive drawing tool produced by WGBH. The resulting images can be downloaded, printed, saved, and shared. Students can use the documentation of their firsthand observations to communicate data about their local weather patterns, and—overtime—to describe typical weather conditions expected during a particular season.

Science (2015) Grade(s): KG

SC15.K.9

Observe, record, and share findings of local weather patterns over a period of time (e.g., increase in daily temperature from morning to afternoon, typical rain and storm patterns from season to season).

UP:SC15.K.9

Vocabulary

  • Observe
  • Record
  • Share
  • Findings
  • Weather
  • Patterns
  • Period of Time

Knowledge

Students know:
  • The number of sunny, cloudy, rainy, windy, cool, or warm days.
  • The relative temperature at various times of the day (e.g., cooler in the morning, warmer during the day, cooler at night).
  • The relative number of days of different types of weather conditions in a month.
  • The change in the relative temperature over the course of the day.
  • Certain months have more days of some kinds of weather than do other months (e.g., some months have more hot days, some have more rainy days).
  • The differences in relative temperature over the course of a day (e.g., between early morning and the afternoon, between one day and another) are directly related to the time of day.

Skills

Students are able to:
  • Observe weather patterns over a period of time.
  • Record findings of weather patterns over a period of time.
  • Share findings of weather patterns over a period of time.
  • Describe patterns in the weather data.

Understanding

Students understand that:
  • Patterns of weather can be observed, used to describe phenomena, and used as evidence.
  • Whether events have causes that generate observable patterns.

Scientific and Engineering Practices

Analyzing and Interpreting Data

Crosscutting Concepts

Patterns
Science (2015) Grade(s): 3

SC15.3.13

Display data graphically and in tables to describe typical weather conditions expected during a particular season (e.g., average temperature, precipitation, wind direction).

UP:SC15.3.13

Vocabulary

  • Data
  • Types of graphs
  • Table
  • Seasons
  • Typical weather conditions for a season
  • Temperature
  • Precipitation
  • Wind direction

Knowledge

Students know:
  • Weather conditions, like average temperature, precipitation, wind direction, from a given area across multiple seasons.
  • Patterns of weather conditions across different seasons and in different areas.

Skills

Students are able to:
  • Identify typical weather conditions for a season.
  • Represent data in tables and various graphical formats.
  • Describe typical weather conditions expected during a particular season.

Understanding

Students understand that:
  • Scientists record patterns of the weather across different times and areas so that they can make predictions about what kind of weather might happen next.

Scientific and Engineering Practices

Analyzing and Interpreting Data

Crosscutting Concepts

Patterns

CR Resource Type

Interactive/Game

Resource Provider

PBS

License Type

CUSTOM
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