What’s The Matter With Rain?

(and other weather)

Mikayla Wilcox

Dr. Tammie Samuels

Educ 370
 Rational

States of matter and their relationship to different kinds of weather is a subject that all
students will be able to make connections with because they have all experienced both every day
of their lives. Although concepts like matter and changing states can be complicated for young
learners, there are a lot of simple and engaging ways to demonstrate them and make them easier
to visualise and understand. There is also a lot to discuss related to this topic because before
students can understand the processes involved in weather, it’s helpful to have some
understanding of what matter is and how it can change. Although we don’t discuss the water
cycle in depth in this unit, it is a great example of how the changing states of matter are a key
part of weather which students will learn about more in later grades. It is also necessary for
students to understand how warming from the sun and other natural changes in temperature can
cause changes in matter on Earth, which is part of how we get different weather patterns like rain
and snow.
This is a very practical concept to learn about because it is something that students can
see all around them. Students can also see the effects of changes in matter and different types of
weather and can observe and experience both just by going outside or looking out a window.
This unit will give students a better understanding of these processes that they see in their daily
lives. If the subject seems to be difficult for some students to understand there are ways to
simplify the material so that they are still learning the basic ideas of the lesson.
There are many kinds of visual aids and examples that can be used to help ELL students
and other students who benefit from having visuals. There are also a lot of books and online
materials and videos that explain the concepts in a very child-friendly way for students to
explore, particularly if they need some additional explanations or examples to support their
understanding. There are also a lot of very hands-on activities that can be used to keep students,
particularly those who struggle to focus, stay engaged in the lesson.
 Standards

Kindergarten: Earth and Space Sciences

ESS2. Earth’s Systems

K-ESS2-1. Use and share quantitative observations of local weather conditions to describe
patterns over time.
Clarification Statements:
· Examples of quantitative observations could include numbers of sunny, windy, and
rainy days in a month, and relative temperature.
· Quantitative observations should be limited to whole numbers.

Kindergarten: Physical Science

PS1. Matter and Its Interactions

K-PS1-1(MA). Investigate and communicate the idea that different kinds of materials can be
solid or liquid depending on temperature.
Clarification Statements:
· Materials chosen must exhibit solid and liquid states in a reasonable temperature range
for kindergarten students (e.g., 0–80°F), such as water, crayons, or glue sticks.
· Only a qualitative description of temperature, such as hot, warm, and cool, is expected.

PS3. Energy

K-PS3-1. Make observations to determine that sunlight warms materials on Earth’s surface.
Clarification Statements:
· Examples of materials on Earth’s surface could include sand, soil, rocks, and water.
· Measures of temperature should be limited to relative measures such as warmer/cooler.

Writing Standards
Text Types and Purposes
Kindergarten 2. Use a combination of drawing, dictating, and writing to compose
informative/explanatory texts in which they name what they are writing about and supply some
information about the topic.

Kindergarten 8. With guidance and support from adults, recall information from
experiences or gather information from provided sources to answer a question.
 Objectives

1. Students will be able to explain in their own words that everything around them is made
up of matter and that there are three different types of matter.

2. Students will be able to identify solids and liquids, and explain how the properties of the
two states of matter differ.

3. Students will be able to sort different objects into the category of liquid or solid, given a
set of examples and a worksheet with the categories.

4. Students will explore physical examples of each state of matter by manipulating the
provided materials at each station and discussing their observations with peers and adults.

5. Children will be able to draw and explain that matter, specifically water, changes from a
state of solid to liquid or vice versa at different temperatures.

6. Children will be able to explain that sunlight warms water and other materials on the
earth’s surface.

7. Students will observe the weather and describe what kinds of clothes are appropriate for
different kinds of weather.

8. Students will be able to explain how different temperatures affect the type of weather and
relate it to what they learned about different types of matter.

9. Students will be able to name several different weather measuring tools (e.g.
thermometer, rain gauge, wind vane) and explain what the tools are used for.
 Introductory Lesson: What is matter?
Teacher: Mikayla Wilcox

Grade Level: Kindergarten

Curriculum Area(s): Physical Science

Rational:

This lesson will introduce students to the concept of matter and concept of different states of
matter. Before students can learn how certain materials change states in natural processes like
weather, they need to understand that everything in the world around them, including people, are
made of matter and that there are three states of matter. In this lesson, students will have the
opportunity to draw on their background knowledge about differences between various materials
(e.g. rocks v. water) and learn that everything around them fits into a category of matter (e.g.
rocks are solids, water is a liquid). Students will also be able to look at and touch physical
examples of each form of matter to better understand the properties of each state. This lesson is
important because it will get students thinking about what they already know about different
kinds of matter/materials and allow them to connect the lesson to things in the world around
them that they see every day.

Massachusetts Curriculum Framework:

K-PS1-1(MA). Investigate and communicate the idea that different kinds of materials can be
solid or liquid depending on temperature.

Objective(s):

Students will be able to explain in their own words that everything around them is made
up of matter and that there are three different types of matter.

Students will be able to identify solids and liquids, and explain how the properties of the
two states of matter differ.

Students will be able to sort different objects into the category of liquid or solid, given a
set of examples and a worksheet with the categories.

Assessment of Student Learning:

Students will be completing an activity where they will be sorting examples of matter into the
category of either liquid or solid with an optional bonus category of gases for students who finish
early or want to try an added challenge. The teacher will assess students’ comprehension of what
the different states of matter are by what they have written and/or drawn on their worksheets. If
they put the objects and their image into the correct column, the teacher will know that they
understood the lesson. If some students struggle with some of the objects, the teacher will
address it by providing more examples in the closing discussion, and ask students to explain their
reasoning behind putting certain objects in the category that they did.

Methodology:

Students will use brainstorming during class discussion to come up with examples of the
different types of matter, which the teacher will list in different columns on a large piece of paper
for all of them to see. They will look at some examples of the different types of matter and
discuss the differences between them to help the students understand what properties determine
an object’s state of matter. Students will then work on their own with a picture of a scene from a
popular book or movie. On a worksheet, that the teacher will provide, with a column for liquids
and a column for gases, they will categorize different objects in the image in order to solidify the
idea that everything around them fits into a type of matter using things they recognize.

Key Vocabulary:

● Matter
● State
● Solid
● Liquid
● Gas

Materials:
● Large paper and marker
● Graham cracker as an example of solid
● Bottle of water as an example of liquid
● A clear cup or container
● bubbles as an example of gas
● A few different pictures of scenes from popular movies/books
● Worksheet for the students to fill out
● Markers, crayons, pencils, scissors, glue sticks, etc. for completing the worksheet

Learning Activities: including introduction, transition, and closure

Introduction:
“Today we are going to start a new unit all about matter and how it changes! Has anyone ever
heard matter before? (give time for students to respond) So the matter that we’re going to talk
about is different from the “matter” that we use to describe when something is important. This
type of matter is what things are made of. Everything you can see, touch, hear, smell, or taste
(point to eyes, skin, ears, nose, and mouth respectively) is made of matter. Even you (point to
students) are made of matter!
There are three different kinds of matter, though; there are solids, liquids, and gases. The first
one we’re going to talk about is solids. Friends, what do we think a solid might be? (allow
students to respond) A solid is something that has its own shape and it always keeps its shape
like a rock or like this graham cracker. Even if we break it (break graham cracker in half), it still
keeps its shape, it’s just in smaller pieces. Solids aren’t always hard, though. Sometimes they
can be squishy or soft, like a blanket or a stuffed animal, but those are still solids because they
have a particular shape and we can’t go through them (try poking a finger through the graham
cracker or another near-by object)

The next type of matter we’re going to talk about is liquids. Raise your hands if you’ve heard of
a liquid before. (give students time to raise their hands) Great! Does anyone have an idea about
what a liquid might be that they want to share? (give time for students to respond) A liquid is
something that flows (use hand gestures to show a flowing motion) and it’s shaped like whatever
you put it in. Water is an example of a liquid (hold up bottle of water). See how it is in the shape
of the bottle? And if I tip the bottle over (turn bottle upside down) the water flows to the other
side. If I pour the water into this cup (pour water into cup/container) it changes to the shape of
the cup. How is that different from the solids we just talked about? (give time for students to
respond; remind students of the properties of solids to reinforce this idea).

The last type of matter is a gas. We won’t talk about this one too much because you’ll get to
hear a lot more about it later when you learn about the water cycle, but I just wanted you all to
know what they are. There are a lot of gases that we can’t see, like the air around us that we’re
breathing right now; that’s a gas. I can move the air by waving my arms and I can feel it. Try
flapping your arms up and down; can you feel the air? (give some time for students to feel the air
move) And if I take this bubble soap on my wand (take out bubbles) and blow air into it (blow
bubble) the bubble is now filled with gas.

I have this big piece of paper here (point to paper) with a column for solids, a column for
liquids and a column for gases. I want you to take a minute to come up with some examples of
solids, liquids, or gases. Then we will raise our hands and share some so that we can make a list
all together.” I will give students a minute or two to think. Then I will call on students to provide
examples and write them down in the correct column. If the students are struggling to come up
with them I will provide a few examples. If a student suggests an example for the wrong category,
ask them how they know which category it belongs to and remind of them of the properties of the
proposed state of matter as a check-list).

Transition:
“Now we are going to head back to our tables. At each of your seats you will find a worksheet
like this (hold up worksheet) with a column labeled ‘solids’ and a column labeled ‘liquids’. You
will also find a few different options of pictures like these (hold up pictures). Certain things in
each picture will have a dotted outline around them. What I want you to do is match up each of
those items to the right column on your worksheet to show if it is a solid or a liquid. You have
the option to write the name of the object, draw it, or you can cut it out of the picture and glue it
to your worksheet with the scissors and glue stick at your table. If you finish early or if you want
to try an extra challenge, you can try to find examples of gases in your picture and you can either
circle them on your picture or you can write or draw them on the back of your worksheet. Once I
dismiss your table group you can head to your desk, pick which picture you want to use and get
started. I’ll be walking around and answering questions.”

Closure:
“Today we learned that everything in the world around us is made of matter and that there are
three different kinds of matter. Can I have one volunteer remind me what one of them is? (call
on student to answer, then ask for volunteers for each of the other two). Exactly! There are
solids, liquids, and gases! And everyone did such an amazing job sorting those examples on
their worksheets. Now I want you to keep those worksheets in your folders so that you can look
at them as examples that you can look back at later as we continue to talk about matter.”

Pacing:
The pacing of this lesson partially depends on the prior knowledge and understanding of the
students on the concept of matter as well as the pace at which they complete the individual work.
However, this lesson should take about 40-50 minutes.

Questions:
How do we know if something is a solid, gas or liquid?

Can you give some examples of a solid? A liquid? A gas?

Accomodations:
The teacher will have several physical examples of the different states of matter which would be
used to get the point across, which will be especially beneficial for ELLs. For instance, the
teacher would hold up the bottle or cup of water for them to see while they point to the word
liquid and say “liquid”. When the teacher talks about solids they will hold up the graham cracker
and point to the word “solid” as they read it, but the teacher could also hold up other examples
from around the room like a ruler or a shoe.

For some students, it will be difficult to sit and focus for the direct instruction, but the teacher
will give all students the opportunity to pass around the examples to get a closer look, which
could prevent some fidgeting. The teacher can also provide extra examples for students to fidget
with if it seems necessary.

During the sorting activity, the teacher will have the list of examples generated by the class
posted where everyone can see, along with the physical examples, so that they can refer back to
it while working. Students who have trouble with writing or fine motor skills can also have the
option of circling or coloring/scribbling on the objects in their picture with two different color
makers and tell the teacher which color indicates which state of matter

Lesson Two: Properties of Matter

Classroom:Kindergarten Teacher: Mikayla Wilcox
Center:Properties of matter Number of Children: 12-15 students; 3-4 at each
station at a time

Rationale: Objectives/Standards:

Children will explore the different Students will explore physical examples of each
properties of each phase of matter by state of matter by manipulating the provided
observing and manipulating physical materials at each station and discussing their
examples of each one. Looking at and observations with peers and adults.
touching examples will help them to
understand the concept better, and having
common items that students recognize as
K-PS1-1(MA). Investigate and communicate the idea
the examples will also help them to
that different kinds of materials can be solid or liquid
connect the lesson to their own lives and depending on temperature.
experiences. That, along with the
hands-on aspect, will make the activity
engaging for many students.

Description: Materials/Environmental Arrangements:

This center-based lesson will include a ● Written instructions/reminders for each

station for each of the three phases of station with pictures (i.e. “no splashing”)
matter. The first station will be a water ● Water table
table filled with different kinds of ● Recycled bottles, containers, funnels, etc.
recycled containers, funnels and pipettes ● Balloons (regular and balloon animal
for children to explore how liquids flow balloons)
and take the shape of different containers. ● Pump
The next station will have balloons and a ● Blocks
pump for students to observe the presence ● Two tables set up for solid and gas stations
of a gas as it fills up the balloon and see ● Books about matter
how it fills up as much space as possible
regardless of the size or shape. The third (Stations will be spread out throughout the room
station will have a set of blocks of to reduce potential distractions from any given
different sizes and shapes as well as more station that students are at)
recycled containers. Here the students
can observe how the blocks hold their
shape and fit or don’t fit into the different
sized containers as well as stack on top of
one another. The last station will be set up
in the reading area where students will
find a variety of picture books related to
the lesson that they can explore on their
own or with their group.

Procedure (directions, observations, building background/vocabulary, questions):

Background/Vocabulary

“At the learning center there are a few different activities to represent the different phases of
matter that we learned about. At the water table, you will be exploring liquids. At the table
you will be blowing up different shaped balloons to learn about gases and you will find some
blocks that are going to be our solid. At the end of the table there are also some books about
the different phases of matter.”

Directions

“We are going to split up into groups shortly and each group will start at one of the stations.
When I tell you, we will all rotate to different stations until everyone gets a turn at each one!
When we are at a station we need to remember to keep our hands to ourselves and make sure
everyone gets a chance to participate. A teacher will be there in case you have questions or
need help. When you are at the water table I want you to try filling different containers and
move the water to different containers in different ways. I don’t want to see any splashing.
When you are working with the balloons try blowing up different kinds of balloons and talk to
your classmates about what you notice. Please do not pop the balloons. When you are playing
with the blocks I want you to try and fit the blocks into the different containers and see how
many you can fit and which ones work better and think about why that is. I also want
everyone to make sure that they look at the books because there are a lot of good examples in
there. I will call on whoever is being calm and quiet. When I call on you, you can choose
which center you would like to start at. I will be walking around to make sure everyone is
sharing and working.”

Guidance and Peer Interaction Strategies:

Any teachers in the room will be moving between stations in order to prevent messes, answer
questions, and provide any necessary support. They will also guide students learning by
asking students about their observations and asking students thought-provoking guiding
questions. They will also remind students to share the materials and encourage them to give
other students a turn at each station.

Planned Variations for Individuals or Assessment:

Groups:
The teacher(s) will be moving throughout and
● The teacher will provide breaks or observing at each station asking the students
additional time in between stations questions to guide their exploration. They will
to make sure all students have ask the students what they are observing and
time to transition. prompt them to make inferences as to why those
● The teacher can also put students things happen or what they show about that
who need more attention and particular phase of matter. Students’ responses
support in a smaller group and will indicate how well they understand the
check in with the group(s) different properties of each and if they are able to
occasionally to encourage make connections to the introductory lesson.
collaboration and discussion.
● Some students might also need to
be told about the lesson ahead of
time if they are uncomfortable
with changing routines
 Opportunities to Embed IEP
Goals/Objectives:
The activity is very hands-on and not
very heavy in reading so ELL students
should be able to fully participate in the
activity.
Family/School Connections:
Students will be asked to keep in mind what they
know about each phase of matter and look for
different examples at home. They can draw
pictures or bring things in if possible to share with
the class.

This is an effective activity for students

who struggle to focus for long periods of
time as it is very hands-on and involves
rotating to different activities.

Lesson Three: Changing Temperatures

Teacher: Mikayla Wilcox

Grade Level: Kindergarten

Curriculum Area(s): Physical Science and Earth and Space Sciences

Rational:

After the students have an understanding of what matter is and the three different states of
matter, they need to learn how materials can change from one phase of matter to another. This
will introduce students to the idea of naturally occurring processes where something changes
from one form to another. It is also important for them to understand that the sun heats up
materials on the Earth’s surface and causes certain materials to change. This concept will serve
as a building block for future learning, as it is a crucial part of processes in nature. In this
activity, students will be able to see the process of a change in phase of matter and use their own
experiences to make connections to these processes that they see every day. During this activity,
students will have the opportunity to practice making observations and use a combination of
background knowledge and critical thinking to make predictions.

Massachusetts Curriculum Framework:

K-PS1-1(MA). Investigate and communicate the idea that different kinds of materials can be
solid or liquid depending on temperature.
Clarification Statements:
· Materials chosen must exhibit solid and liquid states in a reasonable temperature range
for kindergarten students (e.g., 0–80°F), such as water, crayons, or glue sticks.
· Only a qualitative description of temperature, such as hot, warm, and cool, is expected.
 K-PS3-1. Make observations to determine that sunlight warms materials on Earth’s surface.
Clarification Statements:
· Examples of materials on Earth’s surface could include sand, soil, rocks, and water.
· Measures of temperature should be limited to relative measures such as warmer/cooler.

Objective(s):

Children will be able to draw and explain that matter, specifically water, changes from a
state of solid to liquid or vice versa at different temperatures.

Children will be able to explain that sunlight warms water and other materials on the
earth’s surface.

Assessment of Student Learning:

The teacher will assess students’ understanding of how temperature affects phases of matter
through their drawings on their observation sheets as well as their participation in the class
discussion. Students will draw what they observe at the beginning and end of the activity as well
as what they predict it will look like in between. The class will discuss their observations as a
group at each stage of the lesson where the teacher will record student responses.

Methodology:

Students will draw on their own knowledge of the process of freezing and melting during the
introduction to the activity, which will then be related back to the different kinds of matter that
they learned about in the previous lessons. Students will then have the opportunity to watch
these processes of matter changing in two different activities and will be asked to draw and
discuss predictions and observations that they make in their science notebooks.

Key Vocabulary:

● Observe/observation
● Melt
● Freeze
● Warmer
● Colder
● Temperature

Materials:
● Frozen water bottle
● Package of ice pops
● Freezer/cooler
● Ice cube tray {maybe a fun shape}
 ● Journals/science notebooks
● Sharpie
● Copy of “Drop: An Adventure Through the Water Cycle” by Emily Kate Moon

Learning Activities: including introduction, transition, and closure

Introduction:
“We’ve been working really hard today and I’m getting really thirsty. I think I need to drink
some water before we start our next activity today. (pull out frozen water bottle) Oh no! My
water turned into ice and now I can’t drink it. I guess I’ll just have to throw it in the trash. (wait
for students to object, but if they don’t, ask them if they think you should throw it out/prompt
them until they tell you that it will melt) So you’re saying that even though this is ice right now,
it will change from a liquid back to a solid later? So I can drink it? Huh. Why is that? How is it
going to change back? Does anyone have any ideas? (call on a few students, hopefully they say
something about melting and/or the ice getting warm) You’re right! When the ice gets warm it
melts and when it melts, it changes from a solid to a liquid. That’s what we’re going to be
exploring today! One importsnt part of our activity will be making observations. Observing is a
super important part of beign a scientist! When you observe something, that means you look very
carefully at something so you can notice clues or anything interesting that you think might be
important.”

Transition:
“Ok, now we’re going to do an activity that has two different parts. Who here likes ice pops?
(hold up unfrozen ice pops) Well unfortunately these aren’t very icy right now, but we are going
to change that. Does anyone have any ideas about how we can do that? (allow students to
respond) Those are some great ideas! I have a cooler here that we can put them in, but we’ll
keep one ice pop out so that we can look at the difference. Now, I’m going to pass one out to
each of you. When you get it I want you to quietly sit in your seat and move around your ice pop
in your hands and observe how it looks and feels.”

While students draw their observations in their journals, the teacher will have them come
up in small groups to write their names on the ice pops with the sharpie before putting
them in the freezer/cooler. Then they will ask students questions about their observations
and predictions and record their responses for the class to see.

“For the next part of the activity I have these fun shaped ice cubes that I have been keeping in the
cooler that we are going to bring outside. I want everyone to bring their journals and writing tool
outside with them. Once we get outside you’re each going to get a partner. Each group will get
an ice cube and a piece of chalk. I want you and your partner to find a sunny spot on the
pavement and you’re going to set down your ice cube and then write your names with the chalk
near your ice cube.”

● Students will draw their observations again before returning to the classroom. Once the
class is back inside, they will talk about their predictions for the ice pops and the ice
cubes. The teacher will ask guiding questions like ‘Why do you think that might happen?’
‘What do you think might cause that?’ ‘Do you agree or disagree?’, etc. Afterwords,
students will observe the end results and make their final drawings.
● The ice cubes shouldn’t take long to melt, but the ice pops will need more time to freeze,
so the teacher can read “Drop: An Adventure Through the Water Cycle”

Closure:
“Can we have some volunteers raise their hands and share some of their observations? (call on a
few students to share) Nice work, those were some great observations. It seems like a lot of us
noticed some similar things. Raise your hand if you noticed your ice cube got smaller. What
happened to the ice? It didn’t just disappear right? No, it turned into what? (call on students until
they say either ‘water’ or ‘liquid’) Right it turned into a liquid. Why did it turn into a liquid?
(allos for responses) Right! It got warm. That’s how matter changes! When you change the
temperature you can change the state of matter, but some things need a much bigger change than
other things. We can turn any solid into a liquid if we make it hot enough, even rocks! That’s
what lava is! So what made the ice warmer? (call on students until someone says the sun) Right,
the sun! The sun heats up the water and all sorts of other things on the earth and that’s important
for a lot of things that happen in nature! Good work everyone.”

Pacing:
This lesson will most likely take around an hour with the introduction and waiting for the ice to
melt. The ice pops will most likely need more time to freeze and will be revisited a bit later.
The ice cubes may also be revisited later to see the final results.

Questions:
What causes matter to change?

What happens when liquids get cold?

What happens when solids get warm?

Accomodations:
Some students may need some additional support while making observations and can be offered
a picture bank or more specific questions about what they see if they are struggling to come up
with them. There is also a lot of waiting and watching involved in this activity which might
make it hard for some students to stay focused so they will be able to walk around outside.
This activity mostly involves watching and drawing so ELL students will be able to participate
fully. I will also have images to illustrate the different changes that matter goes through as I talk
about them during the closing of the lesson. I will also provide them additional visual aides with
labels if necessary.

Lesson Four: What Kind of Weather?

Teacher: Mikayla Wilcox

Grade Level: Kindergarten

Curriculum Area(s): Physical Science and Earth and Space Sciences

Rational:

Students experience weather every day—whether they’re playing in the snow, jumping in rain
puddles, or hiding from the sun under a shady tree. Exploring weather with students and building
on their previous experiences helps them understand the different kinds of weather that they
experience all the time. Weather is an important part of living on Earth. Observing weather can
give us clues that help us know how to dress for the day, plan activities, or prepare for a storm. In
this lesson, students will observe, identify, and describe different types of local weather. They
will investigate different factors of weather including changes in temperature that cause changes
in the different states of matter that they’ve been learning about so far.

Massachusetts Curriculum Framework:

K-PS1-1(MA). Investigate and communicate the idea that different kinds of materials can be
solid or liquid depending on temperature.
Clarification Statements:
· Materials chosen must exhibit solid and liquid states in a reasonable temperature range
for kindergarten students (e.g., 0–80°F), such as water, crayons, or glue sticks.
· Only a qualitative description of temperature, such as hot, warm, and cool, is expected.
 Kindergarten 8. With guidance and support from adults, recall information from
experiences or gather information from provided sources to answer a question.

Objective(s):

Students will observe the weather and describe what kinds of clothes are appropriate for
different kinds of weather.

Students will be able to explain how different temperatures affect the type of weather and
relate it to what they learned about different types of matter.

Assessment of Student Learning:

This lesson is largely discussion-based and will rely on student participation. The teacher will
assess students’ understanding of the lesson based on their responses during discussion of their
observations. The teacher will also assess student learning based on the discussion during the
reading of “What Will the Weather Be Like Today?” when students will be identifying
appropriate clothing for the different local weather patterns. The teacher will also evaluate
student responses and connections during the closing of the lesson when talking about how
changes in matter, which they learned about in previous lessons, are related.

Methodology:

Key Vocabulary:

● Weather
● Temperature
● Sunn(y)
● Wind(y)
● Rain(y)
● Snow(y)
● Cloud(y)
● Storm(y)

Materials:
● Copy of “What Will the Weather Be Like Today?” by Paul Rogers.
● Chart paper or whiteboard
● Marker/writing utensil
● Pictures of different weather (physical or virtual)

Learning Activities: including introduction, transition, and closure

Introduction:
“Who here likes rainy days? (give students time to answer) Sometimes it makes us sad when it
rains, right, but there are so many fun things you can do on rainy days too! Can anyone think of
some fun things about rain? (let students give examples) Yeah! I love to splash in puddles and
cuddle up inside and read a good book when it’s raining. Rain is also super important for
helping the plants grow and keeping our oceans, lakes, and rivers, full. And when it’s really cold,
what might we get instead of rain? (allow students to respond) Yeah snow! Snow is another kind
of weather. Can anyone think of some fun things we can do when it snows? (give some time for
answers) Awesome! I love all of those answers! So today we’re going to keep working on those
observation skills we’ve been practicing because we’re going to be observing weather! We
already talked about rain and snow. What are some other kinds of weather we might see around
here?”
The teacher will take students outside to observe the weather. The teacher will ask
students questions to draw their attention to different aspects of the weather like
temperature, wind, clouds, etc.

Transition:
The class will return inside the classroom and have a quick discussion about all of their
observations. The teacher will read aloud the book, “What Will the Weather Be Like Today?” by
Paul Rogers. The teacher will pause at different points while reading to draw students’ attention
to the clothing the people are wearing and the different kinds of weather. The teacher will ask
guiding questions about the text such as, "What type of clothing are these people wearing? Why
do you think they are wearing that?"

The teacher will display the sentence frame, "They are wearing ____ because ____, " and allow
time for students to ‘turn and talk’ with their peers.

The teacher will lead the group in making a class weather chart using chart paper or the
whiteboard. The teacher will ask students to think of different kinds of weather and record their
responses on the chart. (they can refer back to the book or their observations from outside).

Closure:
“Wow! Look at all of those different kinds of weather! We have hot weather and cold weather
and warm weather in between; a lot of different temperatures. Hmmm… we talked about some
different temperatures before when we were observing our ice cubes and ice pops. I wonder if
that has anything to do with some of the different kinds of weather. What do you think?” (allow
students to respond)

● The teacher will connect the changing states of matter to the rain and snow, by talking
about relative temperature and ask students to predict what type of precipitation would
 fall at different relative temperatures. ( ask “What’s rain made of? What is snow made
of?” What do we know happens when a liquid such as water gets really cold?)

Pacing:
This lesson will most likely take about 40 minutes

Questions:
What are some different kinds of weather?

How do we dress for different kinds of weather?

Where do we see different types of matter in weather?

Accomodations:

Some students can discuss their observations one on one with a teacher. They can also listen to
the book and/or participate in the discussions in smaller groups with a teacher if they have
trouble maintaining focus, participating in a large group setting, or need more support with
explaining their ideas. The teacher can also provide additional sentence starters like the one
included above.

This is a very hands-on activity with little reading or writing so ELL students will be able to fully
participate. There will be a lot of visual representations of the weather to support student
understanding.

Lesson Five: Weather Tools

Classroom: Kindergarten Teacher: Mikayla Wilcox

Center: Weather Tools Dramatic Play Number of Children: 3-4 at a time

Rationale:
Taking measurements is an important
aspect of science and students will learn
about different kinds of tools that are used
to measure weather. They will also be
able to connect what they’ve learned
about water and the water cycle to things
that they have experienced. Many of
them will have seen weather reports on
TV and this center will give them the
opportunity to act that out. They will also
learn how to dress for different kinds of
weather and make connections and apply
what they have been learning in their
everyday lives.
Description:
This center will be a dramatic play area
where children can use real tools that are
used to measure different aspects of the
weather (i.e. thermometer, rain gauge,
wind vane, wind sock). There will also be
a large printed out weather map with
pictures like what they would see a
weather reporter use on the news (most
likely simplified) along with pointers.
There will be a place for students to hang
up magnets or images with velcro that
show different kinds of weather (i.e.
sunny, rainy, cloudy) This center will
also include a selection of clothes for
students to dress up in that are appropriate
for different kinds of weather.
Objectives/Standards:
Students will be able to name several different
weather measuring tools (e.g. thermometer, rain
gauge, wind vane) and explain what the tools are
used for.
K-ESS2-1. Use and share quantitative observations of
local weather conditions to describe patterns over time.
Clarification Statements:
· Examples of quantitative observations could include
numbers of sunny, windy, and rainy days in a month,
and relative temperature.
· Quantitative observations should be limited to whole
numbers.
Materials/Environmental Arrangements:
● Images of the weather tools and pictures of
how to use them posted on the wall
● Thermometer
● Rain gauge
● Wind vane/wind sock
● Weather map like what they use on the
news on the wall
● Pointers
● Magnets/pictures with velcro of different
weather conditions for students to hang up
● Outfits for different kinds of weather
(raincoat and boots, flip flops and sunhat,
etc.)
● Pictures of how to dress for different kinds
of weather
● Lamp
● Fan
Procedure (directions, observations, building background/vocabulary, questions):

“If everyone will look over at our dramatic play area, you might see some interesting new
objects. Those are measurement tools that can be used to measure different kinds of weather.
There is a thermometer, which is used to measure temperature, a rain gauge which is used to
measure how much rain has fallen, and a wind vane which tells you which direction the wind
is moving in. We will put the rain gauge outside the window so we can check on it after it
rains. With the thermometer, I want you to try putting it in the light and in the shade and see
what happens. With the wind vane try blowing on it or putting it in front of the fan. You can
also report what you measure like the weatherman on the news. You can use the map and the
pointers and all of the different pictures of weather. There are also a bunch of dress up clothes
so when you hear what the “weatherman” says about the weather, you can pick out which
clothes you think you should put on. We can have three or four friends over in the dramatic
play area at a time.”

Guidance and Peer Interaction Strategies:

Students will be able to participate in imaginative play together and take turns pretending to
be the weather reporter and dressing up. The teacher will also be there occasionally checking
in and asking guiding questions.

Opportunities to Embedded IEP Assessment:

Goals/Objectives:
This is a very inclusive center because it
is largely imaginative and hands-on, but
there will be a teacher to assist students
with using the tools correctly and picking
out appropriate dress-up clothes. There
will also be labeled images of each of the
tools on the wall as well as pictures
indicating how to use them as a reminder
for students.
The teacher will observe students while they use
the dramatic play center to make sure that
students are using the tools correctly and
respectfully. The teacher will also ask students
questions about what kinds of clothes they are
putting on for the weather and what kind of
weather they are reporting about and what that
means.
 Resources

States of Matter. (n.d.). Retrieved from

http://www.proteacher.org/c/935_States_of_Matter.html.

G. (2021, February 7). What Is Weather? | Lesson Plan. PBS LearningMedia.

https://mass.pbslearningmedia.org/resource/buac17-k2-sci-ess-lpwhatweather/wh

at-is-weather/