Instructional

Designer: Michelle Nguyen

Unit Title: What’s the Weather? Audience: 3rd Grade Students

Subject Area: Science Topic: Measuring Weather Timeframe: 5 days

Stage 1: Desired Results
The student is expected to observe, measure, record, and compare day-to-day weather
changes in different locations at the same time that include air temperature, wind
direction, and precipitation 3.8 A

The student is expected to construct maps, graphic organizers, simple tables, charts, and
bar graphs using tools and current technology to organize, examine, and evaluate
measured data 3.2 C
The student is expected to analyze and interpret patterns in data to construct reasonable
explanations based on evidence from investigations 3.2 D
Understandings
Students will understand how to…
• Collect data using weather tools
• Interpret weather patterns
• Read a weather forecast

Essential Questions
• How does a meteorologist collect weather information?
• What tool is used to measure.. temperature, wind direction, precipitation?
• Does the amount of rainfall affect temperature?
• What symbol shows.. sunny, partly cloudy, cloudy, rain, snow, wind?
Knowledge (Students will know…) and Skills (Students will be able to…) to be Acquired
Students will know…
• Different tools are used to measure different weather conditions
• Weather can change hour to hour and day to day
• Various weather patterns (cooler temperatures after heavy rainfall, warmer
temperatures on sunny days vs. cloudy days, etc.)
• Symbols in a weather forecast
Students will be able to…
 • Measure and collect weather conditions throughout the course of one week
• Chart the data to create a weather forecast
• Interpret, explain, and talk about the weather

STAGE 2: ASSESSMENT EVIDENCE

• Performance Task(s): Record the weather for a week to create a weather forecast chart.
Students will act as a meteorologist and report the weather describing and talking about
last week’s weather (why the temp. increased or decreased, what type of clothes would be
best suited for a particular day, and what activity can be done that week).
• Performance Task Rubric:

Weather Report Video

Exceeds (100-90) Clear explanation and description of last week’s weather

forecast. Weather chart is neat and clear and matches
explanation– shows the forecast for a whole week with little
to no errors (temperature, precipitation, weather symbol, and
wind direction)

Proficient (89 – 80) Mostly clear explanation and description of last week’s
weather forecast. Weather chart is neat and clear and mostly
matches the explanation – chart shows the forecast for a
whole week with little to no errors (temperature,
precipitation, weather symbol, and wind direction)

Developing (79 – 70) Somewhat clear explanation and description of last week’s
weather forecast. Weather chart is somewhat neat, clear and
matches some of the explanation - shows the forecast for a
whole week with some errors (temperature, precipitation,
weather symbol, and wind direction)

Approaching (69 and below) Unclear or confusing explanation and description of weather
forecast. Weather chart is unclear and inaccurate. Does not
match explanation – weather chart does not show forecast for
the whole or has a considerable amount of errors

Other Evidence:
• Daily check of weather forecast data and symbols – temperature, wind direction, and
precipitation
• Script for weather report



STAGE 3: LEARNING EXPERIENCES and PLANNED PACING

• Key teaching and learning activities:

Monday • show brainpop jr. video on temperature

(https://jr.brainpop.com/math/measurement/temperature/)
Discuss - we have been being great meteorologist and talking about
what the weather feels like outside (hot, cold, rainy, warm, cool)
According to the video, what tool can be used to help us measure the
temperature? What unit do we measure temperature in? When the
temperature is higher, what does it feel like? When the temperature
is lower what does it feel like?
• Review how to measure with a ruler and talk about how
reading a thermometer is very similar to reading a
measurement on a ruler.
• Students will practice reading the temperature on a few
different thermometers
Discuss – When we talk about weather, do we only talk about
temperature? Do you think there are other tools that can be used to
measure precipitation? Wind direction?
• Intro and talk about cloud coverage, rain gauges, and wind
vanes
• Give students the weather forecast chart – class will go
outside to measure the temperature, (rain gauge will already
be outside), wind direction, and as a class we will talk about
cloud coverage
Today is guided – teacher will be helping students read the
thermometer, wind vane, and rain gauge. As the week continues,
students will be measuring on their own.
• Complete exit ticket on Seesaw

Tuesday • Review the weather tools that we looked at yesterday – talk

about what each tool measures
• Go outside to measure the weather – today the teacher is still
helping students read the thermometer, rain gauge, wind
vane, and have a class discussion about cloud coverage
• Students will be filling out Tuesday’s weather on the weather
chart
• When back inside – show students examples of weather
forecast – what do you notice?
• Point out the pictures/symbols on the weather forecast –
what do you think they mean? Do they tell us anything? –
 explain to students that each symbol means something
different
• Add symbols to weather chart
• Complete exit ticket on Seesaw

Wednesday • Go outside to measure the weather – today students are

mostly independent, teacher is only there to assist – add to
chart
• When students get back inside, show students 3 different
weekly forecast (one week where it rained a lot, one week
where it is mostly sunny, and another partly sunny or have a
mixture of rainy and sunny)
Discuss – (At the beginning you may need to guide discussion) What
do you notice in week 1? (rained all week, cloudy) what do you notice
in week 2? (sunny, clear skies) Week 3? (some days are cloudy, some
days are sunny) – Looking at all three weeks, what do you notice
about the temperature? (students should notice that the temperature
during the rainy week is lower than the sunny weeks) continue
discussion about how sometimes when it is rainy or cloudy we have
cooler temperatures.
• Tell students a story – This morning, I woke up so late I didn’t
have time to check the weather before getting dressed so I
had no idea what to wear! Good thing I decided to wear rain
boots and bring a jacket today. Why do you think I decided to
wear rainboots and bring a jacket today?
Discuss – talk about vocab word, prediction, and how the weather
sometimes shows up in patterns. Show the previous 3 weeks of
weather forecast again to help guide discussion
• how students a weather forecast where a day is missing – is
there a way to predict (make a guess) about what the weather
may be like on this day? What would you wear?
• Students will go into Seesaw to view different weather
forecasts and complete the assignment
• To close out, have students make a prediction about what
tomorrows weather will be like.

Thursday Today students will begin thinking about their weather forecast
video.
• Go outside to measure the weather – students will be
collecting their data independently and filling out their chart
on their own.
• Tell students – you have been working so hard measuring our
weather for the week, it’s time for you, as the meteorologist to
report the weather – before meteorologist go out in front of
the camera, they need to think about what they are going to
say so today we will be creating a script to help you be
prepared to create your video
 • Intro script – students will use the script to practice talking
about the weather using Seesaw (students should use this day
to get comfortable with reporting, we want students to use
the script if needed but also encourage them to be creative in
their reporting. As long as they have reported all the
information)

Friday • Go outside to record the weather for Friday. Students will be

using Seesaw to create video (students will be spending most
of their time on their own today making their final weather
chart and recording their video)

Weather Chart
Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday

Temp: Temp: Temp: Temp: Temp:
Precipitation: Precipitation:
Precipitation: Precipitation: Precipitation:

Wind Direction: Wind Direction: Wind Direction: Wind Direction: Wind Direction:

Script:

Hello, my name is _________________ and I am your meteorologist. On Monday you will see

______________ so I recommend wearing ________________. Tuesday will be _____________,

Wednesday __________ Thursday ____________ and Friday will be ________________ so if you’re

planning on doing something fun after school I recommend _________________. Stay,

(cool/warm/dry/hydrated) this week and don’t forget to come back next week for another

weather report with _____________!

Seesaw activities

Monday exit ticket

Tuesday exit ticket

Thursday exit ticket

Friday weather report video