Our Weather

Child Development

Allotted time: 4 days/ 30 minutes per day

April 3-9

Grier Bethea
Overview

The topic for the integrated unit project is weather. This unit will be taught to

a class of 20 Child Development students at Midland Elementary. The content of the

unit is adapted from the packaged curriculum that Horry County Schools uses in Child

Development, called Big Day for Prek. At the time of the unit, students will be

immersed in the theme, “Nature All Around.” The week of the unit focuses on, “Our

Weather.” The goal of the unit is that children develop a basic understanding of

weather conditions. Students will be able to describe the weather using basic

terminology such as hot and cold. In order to achieve the goal of the unit, a different

type of weather will be studied each day of the unit. To support learning, students will

be observing the current weather conditions, describing characteristics, measuring

and comparing temperatures, and making predictions.

Mathematical Content

The topic of weather naturally allows for the integration of mathematics.

During the unit, the study of temperature and weather patterns will build

understanding of the mathematical concepts of measurement and number recognition.

The introduction of these concepts will allow students to develop number fluency;

they will be comparing numbers and learning the referential use of numbers. The unit

plan includes the discussion of temperature as it relates to weather, description

temperatures as hot or cold, measurement of temperature using a thermometer, and

graphing results of the calculations. The integration of mathematics into this weather
unit allows students to develop a strong conceptual understanding of the topic. They

will understand the importance of mathematical concepts as they relate to the world

around them- more specifically, weather.

Adaptations

The unit, as it is written in the curriculum, provides high quality lesson plans,

but they do not cater specifically to the needs of the students in my class. From my

observations, I have found that the students learn best in small groups and through

hands-on activities. In response to those observations, I will adapt the curriculum to

fit the needs of the students by incorporating activities within the lessons that

immerse them into the content. As the students are engaging in the content, I will

take note of the students who need extra support and provide them with support

through small group instruction. Additionally, there are three students with IEPs in

the class. All three of them have speech IEPs, and one has another developmental

IEP. The developmental needs of the speech students will be supported by assisting

with their language development and helping them convey verbal observations. The

incorporation of song will also help students communicate in a safe way. Adaptations

for the developmentally delayed IEP will consist of outlines on drawing sheets, cutting

and pasting pictures and individualized small group instruction.

Reflection of National and State Standards

This unit reflects the curriculum guidelines of South Carolina as stated in the

South Carolina Early Learning Standards. The unit addresses goals and indicators

from the Cognitive Development domain and the Mathematical Thinking and

Expression domain. The cognitive development goal of focus is found under the

subtopic of Scientific Exploration and Knowledge. It states, “Children observe and

describe characteristics of living things and the physical world.” The indicator that we

are focusing on is CD-10o, “Notice and describe weather conditions, position of the

sun and moon at different times, and seasonal changes.” Furthermore, the

Mathematical Thinking and Expression goal that is being addressed is under the

subtopic of Foundations of Measurement and Data Analysis. It reads, “Children

demonstrate a beginning understanding of measurement and a beginning

understanding of data analysis through comparing and interpreting data during play

and other activities.” The indicator of focus is MTE-5o, “Describe the weather as hot

or cold.” The use of these standards for reference is valid because of the research

that supports them. The national standards, provided by NAEYC, have been

researched extensively and provide the foundations for the early learning standards

that are used by South Carolina.

Guiding Questions

What is weather?

What is one way to measure the weather?

How can we tell if it is hot or cold?