Name: Lore

Title of Unit: Wild, Wacky, Wonderful Weather

Grade Level: First

Subjects: Earth Science

Performance Tasks/GRASPS

Goal – Students will learn many things about weather. They will observe, measure and communicate weather data to see patterns in the weather and climate.

Role- The students will become weather forecasters as they observe the weather, learn about different weather instruments, learn how to measure the weather and record their findings in a weather journal. They will also become familiar with weather graphs over the two week period.

Audience- You will report your findings at the end of the two weeks by becoming a weather reporter. You will pretend to be on T.V. and give some facts about what you’ve learned during the two week period. You may read from you weather journal, report findings on your graph or discuss the weather for that day. Just have fun! Enjoy your five minutes of fame!

Situation- There is a big storm forecasted for our area. The students must act as reporters and gather facts about the approaching storm. They will also need to use weather instruments to help them. How do they know a storm is coming? They can measure barometric pressure. They will see the wind pick up with an anemometer or simple wind sock. They may observe a weather vane and as the front or storm gets closer they can measure rainfall with a rain gauge. Over this two week unit, these instruments will be made as a class to help the students learn to measure the weather.

Product-Students will conclude with writing about the storm. They will write about how they predicted a storm was coming and what instruments they used to prove this. They will draw a picture to go with it. In their writing they will make predictions, observe the weather to see what is actually happening, then record their results.

Standard/Measure of success – see rubric

Weather Rubric

Predicting Excellent Good Needs work

Students will predict Students had lots Students had Students were not

what will happen to the of good ideas some ideas sure what would

weather as a result of happen or how to

the coming storm. predict

Observing

Students will watch Students made Students made Students really

the weather to see careful observations some observations didn’t observe

what will happen much

Recording

Students will write Students kept careful Students did an Students forgot

what they’ve observed records ok job of recording to record what

and how the weather they saw

changed

Drawing

Students will draw Students made detailed Students did some Students did not

in their journals how the drawings in their drawings add much detail

sky looks when a journals or color etc.

storm is coming

Conclusions

Students will conclude Students could explain Students could Students shared but

by sharing journals, very clearly what they explain most of learning wasn’t real

graphs etc. learned what they learned clear