Predicting The Weather
Submitted by: Alysha Bannick
Endorsed by: Dr. Don Descy, Mankato State University
Date: October 31, 1996
Grade Level: Grades 4-6
Description:
Weather forecasting can be a very fun activity for children because weather is
something that they have observed and will continue to observe throughout their lifetime.
Understanding how weather predicts our daily activities can be useful to everyone. This
lesson will introduce children to weather vocabulary and symbols that will enable them to
read a weather map and produce a forecast.
Goal:
Students will understand the basic concepts and terms associated with forecasting the
weather.
Objectives:
- Students will correctly display the daily forecast each morning that they have
researched either using the newspaper, internet sites, or weather reports from the
television news.
- Students will write up a weather prediction for the next day for one week.
Background Information:
This activity should be done with children in pairs or groups and each pair / group
should do the activities for one week. You will need to introduce or review what each of
your weather symbols means. For example, if the forecast for the day is rain, then the
children will use the umbrella and rain drops to attach to the map.
Concepts: Students will be able to:
- Understand weather vocabulary used in weather forecasting.
- Experience writing a weather forecast.
Materials:
1 large laminated map of your state
laminated weather symbols ( These will depend on what you want the students to learn.
They could include such symbols as a sun, clouds, an umbrella with raindrops, snow flakes,
etc.... )
masking tape
weather reports from the newspaper
paper
pencils
Procedures:
- Construct the map and symbols before beginning the activity. The teacher can do this
alone or have the children help.
- Display the map somewhere in the room that will be accessible for the children. Have a
basket to hold the symbols and tape.
- Assign pairs or groups.
- Each morning have the group research the dayUs forecast and then using the weather
symbols tape the correct one for the day on the map. (ie: If it is going to be sunny all
day, then only the sun would be needed.)
- By the end of the day have the same group write up a prediction for tomorrow. This can
be based on research or by simply guessing.
- At the end of each week, when the group has finished, determine how many times their
predictions were correct.
Assessment:
There are many cross curricular activities that can be done using this lesson. Math-
you can have the children chart or graph the number of correct predictions they made and
compare them with other groups. Art- each child could make their own map and symbols and
continue this activity at home. Writing- each child could write an essay on what they
think would happen if their was no such thing as a weather person. The activities are
endless.
Internet Resources:
- http://www.intellicast.com/weather/msp
- http://www.rainorshine.com/weather/index/sites/njo
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