#1796. Observing Weather Using the Internet

Science, level: Elementary
Posted Fri Jun 16 06:46:04 PDT 2000 by Michelle Conroy (mconroy@reinbeck.k12.ia.us).
Gladbrook-Reinbeck Elementary, Reinbeck, IA 50669
Materials Required: Class Weather Chart, Computer
Activity Time: 10-15 minutes daily for a period of time
Concepts Taught: Weather, Internet

Title: Observing Weather Using the Internet

Subject Matter Emphasis and Level: 2nd Grade Science

Brief Description of the lesson:
Students will read the local forecast by using a site generated by the teacher. After getting the information, the student will chart the information on a class weather chart. The class will use the information for a class discussion. When all the students have had a chance to be the metereologist for the day, we will use the weather chart information and put on a graph for a discussion on weather patterns and making predictions.

Why Do This?
Standard #1: Understands basic earth features and processes.
Benchmark: Knows that seasons and weather change.
**This lesson will be important to the students because this is something that happens and changes every day. This lesson will focus on weather patterns and making predictions. The students will also realize that the weather is different in all parts of the United States.

Content
Critical Objectives: Students will know there are four seasons: fall, winter, spring, and summer and realize that weather changes with the changing seasons where we live.
This learning connects to other areas of the curriculum: science, language arts, math, social studies, and technology.
Students will need to have knowledge of how to use the computer and where to find the Internet site. A group instruction lesson will be presented before students do their own project gathering. I would anticipate some hesitation and confusion from the students because this is probably a new learning tool for most of them. Hopefully after discussing weather, using the computer to get information, and some practice the students will feel more at ease with using and gathering information from the computer.

Assessment
As each student records and charts the weather, a daily discussion about the temperature and conditions of weather will be reviewed. As a class we will talk about patterns and make predictions on the weather. I will assess the students in the following ways:
Teacher Observation
Charting Information
Class Participation

Teaching Strategies
I will introduce the weather unit with an activity called "Hats Off To Weather". I will have a collection of hats to wear and ask the students to describe what the weather might be if a person chose to wear each hat. After the activity, I will ask the students if they think weather forecasters or meteorologists predict the weather by observing the hats people wear. I will record their thoughts, which will lead into "Observing the Weather on the Internet."
After this introduction, I will then give the assignment of class meterologist. Each day a student will be assigned to be the class meterologist. Their job is to use the computer and find the local forecast for Reinbeck, Iowa. They will responsible for recording the temperature and the conditions of the day (cloudy, sunny, rainy, etc.) from the information on the Internet site to the class weather chart. I will then do a class demonstration on how to go about getting this information from the computer using the multimedia projection screen. I will be the meterologist for the first day demonstrating what is to be expected.
Students will learn this content being taught best by hands on experience. Allowing them to use the computer will enable them to observe the weather in a different way.

Materials and Resources
Class Weather Chart
URL: http://www.niceweather.com/
Scrapbook of weather sites to be used throughout the unit

Management
Students will do this activity independently on the computer in the classroom. This activity will be done at a specific time each day (12:00 p.m.) when the students come in from recess. This is a time when the other students in the class will be doing independent math work so if they need assistance I will be available to help or I will have peer helpers available.

Support Services
I will contact our technology coordinator in our district if I need assistance with this project. The special education teacher would be available to guide students with special needs.