Coldren, Fitzkee, Liebl, Ouk, Ross, Smith

Integrated Research Project

Dr. Powers
496.91 M/W
Topic: Weather
Grade: 1st

Research Question:
What are the different types of weather, why do they occur, and how can they affect
communities?

Justification:

The topic of weather is particularly relevant for first grade, as weather affects the
everyday life of each of the students. Students will have the opportunity to explore the
ideas of the water cycle, precipitation, and natural disasters impacted by weather.
Weather can be integrated into many content areas such as Geography,
Mathematics, History, English Language Arts, Music, and Art. Within Geography, we
can ask the questions of, How does weather affect different areas of the world through
different natural disasters and how can that affect their community? What types of
effects do different climates and what weather regions experience? Throughout Math,
we can explore water collection while learning about the water cycle. In History, we can
research the most impactful natural disasters that were caused by weather. English
Language Arts will provide a background to the vocabulary we will use throughout our
curriculum. Art and Music can also be incorporated into the lessons through songs
about weather and images of weather created by students with various materials.
All learning is aligned with the PA Common Core standards. We first examine
which standards relate to each lesson plan, then we figure out how to expand these
ideas and incorporate different activities into the learning experiences for the students.
It is imperative that teachers gather a large amount of background knowledge
before teaching any lesson. Important background knowledge would include learning
about the weather that we experience in Lancaster County. For instance, looking at
annual rainfall, snowfall, and record temperatures during each season. Also, digging
deeper into the history of natural disasters like blizzards, earthquakes, tornadoes, etc. in
Lancaster County. Teachers will need to research the weather patterns in other
countries and regions of the United States if we connect the learning to geography. The
teachers will read through different resources like books, articles, videos, etc. to gather
thorough and well-rounded information to guide teaching. Finally, the teachers will
research history to gather background knowledge of major natural disasters in history.
The history can include the United States and other countries. For example, the Tohoku
tsunami that ravaged Japan in 2011 and the Tri-State tornado that swept through
Southeast Missouri, Southern Illinois, and Southwest Indiana in 1925. Additionally, the
teachers will look at primary documents that record different natural disasters. For

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 Coldren, Fitzkee, Liebl, Ouk, Ross, Smith
Integrated Research Project
Dr. Powers
496.91 M/W
instance, historical photographs of people in tornadoes; biographies of people who lived
through natural disasters; government documents that report what occurred during
natural disasters; statistical data that follows the aftermath of natural disasters.
This curriculum incorporates developmentally appropriate practice approaches
through the opportunities each child has to experience weather. There are parts of our
lessons that encourage total group participation, and allow all students to understand
the content. We are observing, documenting, and assessing the students while they are
learning. As we assess during the lesson, we will make minor changes in order to make
sure the students are using their higher-order thinking throughout. We are incorporating
family and community in our lessons to develop meaningful connections outside of the
classroom (Copple, 2012).
This topic will be particularly culturally relevant when geography is integrated into
learning. Students can learn about how there are different weather patterns/natural
disasters in certain countries and regions in America. For instance, Japan experiences
tsunamis; Peru experiences earthquakes; Indonesia has many volcanoes that are active
and risk eruptions. Furthermore, there are many different regions in America that
experience varying weather patterns. For example, the Midwest experiences frequent
tornadoes; the pacific northwest experiences wildfires; down south in America, there are
hurricanes. Finally, we can take a look at what weather patterns we experience locally.
We also plan to Incorporate families by creating natural disaster kits to keep under their
beds at home.

Reference:
Copple, Carol, and Sue Bredekamp. Developmentally Appropriate Practice in Early Childhood

Programs Serving Children from Birth through Age 8. 3rd ed., National Association for the Education of

Young Children, 2012.

Motivational Event:
Students will get the opportunity to go on a field trip to the Please Touch Museum
in Philadelphia to gain hands-on experience connecting to their unit on Weather.

Culminating Event:
The students will create their own project on weather to show off their knowledge
and present it at our weather fair.

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 Coldren, Fitzkee, Liebl, Ouk, Ross, Smith
Integrated Research Project
Dr. Powers
496.91 M/W
Curriculum Web:

Calendar of Lessons:

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 Coldren, Fitzkee, Liebl, Ouk, Ross, Smith
Integrated Research Project
Dr. Powers
496.91 M/W
Curriculum Lesson Plans:

Alexis:
Lesson Plan
Grade: 1
Topic: Rain
Day 1 of 1: Rain

Objective:
Students will be able to explain what rain is, where it comes from, and why we need
rain. The students will watch a video, complete a graphic organizer, and do a science
experiment to see rain!

Standards:
​S.K-2.D.2.1.1 Identify weather variables (i.e., temperature, wind speed, wind direction,
and precipitation).

1A.DA.06 Collect and present the same data in various visual formats.

Materials:
1. Video of Rain: (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C46U2peEui8)
2. Graphic Organizer
3. Jar or Clear Glass
4. Shaving Cream
5. Droppers/Pipettes
6. Food Coloring
7. Water
8. Bowls
9. Pencil
10. Colored Pencils

Procedure:
Before: (15 Mins)
1. The teacher will have the video prepared and ready to watch for the students,
2. Next, the teacher will have the graphic organizer prepared for each student.
3. Lastly, the teacher will have the materials ready to go for the “Cloud In a Jar”
experiment.
4. The teacher will put the students in groups of four or five. The teacher will have
the jars set up, food coloring in bowls/cups, droppers, and shaving cream
ready to go.
5. The teacher will put on the video for the students to watch before doing the
graphic organizer.

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 Coldren, Fitzkee, Liebl, Ouk, Ross, Smith
Integrated Research Project
Dr. Powers
496.91 M/W

During: (25 Mins)

1. After watching the video, each student will have a graphic organizer to
complete. It will have an umbrella with raindrops and say “When it rains…” and
put describing words under the umbrella that they can see and/ or feel when it
rains. They will work independently on this, and then we will come together as
a group to share ideas.
2. After the graphic organizer, we will start our “Cloud in a Jar”. The teacher will
break the students into groups, and all of the materials will be sorted out and
ready to go for the students.
3. The students will have a glass filled with some water, the first thing is to put
shaving cream on top of the water until the top of the cup.
4. Next, the students will take the droppers and get food coloring to drop on top of
the shaving cream in the cup. The drops will slowly go through the “cloud” (
shaving cream) to the water, and watch in rain.

After: (20 Mins)

1. The class will use the board and write one word that they learned about rain.
2. Then, the teacher will have all of the students come together as a class and
have a class discussion about what word they wrote and why!

Assessment
1. The class will use their tablet/computer to play a game of Kahoot to review the
topic of rain!

Total: One Hour

Reflection

Allie:
Lesson Plan
Grade:1
Topic: Weather; Thunder and lightning
Day 2 of 3: Lightning

Objective:
SWBAT hypothesizes why lightning occurs, works with peers to measure the distance
away a storm is, and discovers how static electricity works.

Standard:
CC.1.4.2.H- Identify the topic and state an opinion

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 Coldren, Fitzkee, Liebl, Ouk, Ross, Smith
Integrated Research Project
Dr. Powers
496.91 M/W

CC1.4.2.I- Support opinion with reasons that include details connected to the opinion
CC.2.4.2.A.1 Measure and estimate lengths in standard units using appropriate tools.

Anticipatory Set:
SW close their eyes and put their head down on the desk.
TW will play the Thunderstorm simulator (
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fT2hTTfE1XM) for 2 minutes while the students
listen.
TW have the students conduct a free write on what they heard OR a Free draw
visually expressing what they believe was occurring, for 2 minutes.
SW then turn and share with their table mates
TW ask each group to come up with one wonder question about what they pictured or
heard.
SW share this aloud with the class.
(TW investigates and answers these questions throughout the lesson)

Modeled Practice:
TW read the story “What is Lightning” by Ellen Lawrence
TW says, “If you count the number of seconds between the flash of lightning and the
sound of thunder, and then divide by 5, you'll get the distance in miles to the
lightning:”(National Weather Service)
TW then passes out stopwatches to all of the students.
SW watches a one-minute clip of a thunderstorm and estimates how far away the
storm is.

Independent Practice:
TW pair up students with their 10 o’clock partners
TW give each student pair, a florescent light bulb, and a balloon
SW rub the balloon on their head for 15-30 seconds
TW turn the lights off in the room
SW make a prediction as to what will happen and share it with their partner
SW hold their balloon to the end of a fluorescent light bulb
SW describe talking with their partner and taking turns lighting up the bulb, verbally
through volunteering SW express why they think the reaction occurred
TW describe the concept of Static Electricity and why it occurs.

Formative Assessments:
TW will collect quickdraws and quick writes.

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 Coldren, Fitzkee, Liebl, Ouk, Ross, Smith
Integrated Research Project
Dr. Powers
496.91 M/W

Reflection:

Materials:
Balloons
Fluorescent light bulbs
Thunder simulator: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fT2hTTfE1XM
Book:
https://www.google.com/books/edition/What_is_Lightning/L2iTDwAAQBAJ?hl=en&gb
pv=0
Paper
Pencils

Reference: https://www.weather.gov/safety/lightning-science-thunder

Carrie:
Lesson Plan
Grade: 1
Topic: Water Cycle
Day 1 of 3: Water Cycle

Objective:
Students will be able to explain the process of the water cycle and describe the
stages in the water cycle.

Standards:
4.2 1.A Explain the path water takes as it moves through the water cycle.

Materials:
Construction paper
Crayons/markers
Cotton balls
Water Cycle terms worksheet
Sticky notes

Procedure:
Anticipatory Set: (20 Minutes)

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 Coldren, Fitzkee, Liebl, Ouk, Ross, Smith
Integrated Research Project
Dr. Powers
496.91 M/W

SW participate in a Think, Pair, Share.

Displayed on the board will be terms such as: evaporation, condensation,
precipitation, surface water, water vapor, sun
TSW takes time individually to think about the terms and process what they know and
how these terms relate to the water cycle.
TSW discuss with their partner how these terms relate to the water cycle.
Finally, as a whole group SW share how these terms relate to the water cycle and will
think of any questions they might have. This information will be organized on a KWL
chart.
TTW read ALL THE WATER IN THE WORLD by George Ella Lyon

Independent Practice: (30 Minutes)

TSW watch a BrainPOP Jr. Water Cycle Video to grasp a better understanding of the
water cycle.
TTW provides table groups with materials to create a water cycle display.
SW creates a scene with the sun, clouds, and a water source.
SW cut label terms and glue them onto their paper to accurately label: evaporation,
condensation, precipitation, and collection

Formative Assessment: (20 Minutes)

Using SeeSaw SW completes a formative assessment to demonstrate understanding
of the water cycle. The activity will be a match game of key terms and definitions.
SW Share one thing they learned about the water cycle on a sticky note and paste the
sticky note on the last column of the KWL chart.
As a whole group we will review the sticky notes to wrap up our understanding of the
water cycle.

Delanie:
Lesson Plan
Grade: 1
Topic: Clouds
Day 1 of 1: Clouds

Objective:
Students will be able to hypothesize and understand how clouds form in the sky with
peers, understand what a cloud is, differentiate between various types of clouds, and
discover what weather patterns clouds can produce.

Standards:
3.1.1.C4 - Distinguish between scientific fact and opinion; ask questions about
objects, organisms, and events; understand that all scientific investigations involve

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 Coldren, Fitzkee, Liebl, Ouk, Ross, Smith
Integrated Research Project
Dr. Powers
496.91 M/W

asking and answering questions and comparing the answer with what is already
known.

3.2.1.A5 - Constancy and change. Recognize that everything is made of matter.

Duration: 1 hour

Materials:
● Clipboards
● Blank papers
● Pencils
● Cardboard tube "cloud catchers"
● Whiteboard
● Whiteboard markers
● Shapes in the Sky: A Book About Clouds by Josepha Sherman and illustrated
by Omarr Wesley.
● Scientific Observation sheets (for experiment)
● Mason jars
● Water (warm)
● Ice cubes
● Hair spray
● Worksheet with cloud vocabulary terms
● Glue
● Cotton balls
● Photographs of clouds in sky

Anticipatory Set (15mins):

The teacher will announce to students that they get to be weather scientists (aka
meteorologists) today.
Students will get a clipboard, paper, pencil, and cardboard tube "cloud catcher" (paper
towel roll).
Students will follow the procedure for going outside on the nature quest.
Students will find a spot to sit or stand and observe the sky with their cardboard tube.
The students will be tasked with documenting one observation in writing and/or
drawing.
The teacher will ask students: What do you notice about the sky? What do the clouds
look like? What shapes do the clouds look like? What words can we use to describe
the clouds? What direction are the clouds moving in? What do you think clouds are
made of?
Once students head back inside, we will gather onto the carpet to engage in a
list-group-label discussion on the whiteboard.
The teacher will write the word "Clouds" and students will share all the words that
come to mind that could be categorized under that label.

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 Coldren, Fitzkee, Liebl, Ouk, Ross, Smith
Integrated Research Project
Dr. Powers
496.91 M/W

Modeled Practice (25 mins):

The teacher will read Shapes in the Sky: A Book About Clouds by Josepha Sherman
and illustrated by Omarr Wesley.
The teacher and students will discuss the different types of clouds they saw in the
book and different types of weather they produce.
The teacher will introduce that students will work in table groups to make their own
clouds.
Teacher will give students one scientific observation sheet per group.
Students will hypothesize, observe, and form conclusions.
Students will work in table groups to produce their own clouds.
Students will pour warm water into a mason jar and swirl it around.
Then, students will place a lid upside down on top of the mason jar with ice cubes on
top.
The students will quickly remove the lid from the top when they are ready for their
cloud.
Teacher will spray hairspray inside the jar and place the lid back on top.
Students can remove the lid as they watch their cloud escape.
Each group will share one thing they hypothesized, observed, and concluded from the
experiment.

Independent Practice (20mins):

The students will work independently to create their own cloud book.
They will each receive a worksheet with four different cloud vocabulary words (and
words to describe the clouds).
Students will match and glue the clouds they create.
Students will use cotton balls to create different shapes of clouds.
The students will be provided with photographs of real clouds in the sky for reference
as they complete their cloud books.
After students are completed, they will meet with their 9am partner to share a cool fact
they learned today and their favorite type of cloud (think-pair-share).

Assessment:
Teacher will collect students' observations from the experiments, look at their cloud
books, and gather a formative assessment at the end via think-pair-share.

Reflection:

Jordan:
Lesson Plan
Grade: 1
Topic: Weather, Wind
Day 1 of 3: Wind, What is Wind?

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 Coldren, Fitzkee, Liebl, Ouk, Ross, Smith
Integrated Research Project
Dr. Powers
496.91 M/W

Objections:
Students will be able to explain what wind is and how it affects our
environment.
Standards:
1. S.K-2.D.2.1.1 Identify weather variables (i.e., temperature, wind speed, wind
direction, and precipitation).
Materials
● Notebooks
● Pencils
● 8 giant pieces of paper
● Markers
● "The Windy Day" by Anna Milbourne
● Clipboards with lined paper
● Chalk
● Colored pencils
● Quick-Draw paper
Duration: 1 hour

Procedure:
Before(15 min):
1. Teacher will begin the lesson by putting the question on the board “What is
wind?”
2. Teacher will tell students to get out their notebooks and pencils. Teacher will
then tell students that they have 3 minutes to think of as many words as they
can that will answer the question on the board.
3. Once students finish, the teacher will then put students in groups of four to do a
list-group-label. One a giant piece of paper students will take their words and
put them in groups that make sense to them. They can use different markers to
show which words are in what groups. The teacher will walk around to help
students. (5 minutes).
4. When every group's list-group-label is finished, students will walk around each
table to look at each other's work. Then each group will quickly explain their
groups and the words that they put. (5 minutes).
5. To finish the activity, students will discuss what they think wind is.
During (25)
1. Teacher will gather students in the reading corner. Teacher will explain to
students that to further explain what wind is and how it affects the environment,
together they will read "The Windy Day" by Anna Milbourne. Students will have
their clipboards, pencils, and list paper.
2. After listening to the story, students will make a list of characteristics of wind,
and what the wind does.
3. Students will then get into groups of four and share their lists with each other.
4. Each group will have a chance to share with the whole class something they
found interesting on someone else's lists.

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 Coldren, Fitzkee, Liebl, Ouk, Ross, Smith
Integrated Research Project
Dr. Powers
496.91 M/W

After (20min):
1. To finish the lesson students will first do a chalkboard splash. Teacher again
wrote the question “What is wind?” on the chalkboard. Teacher will instruct
students to write a phrase or word on the chalkboard answering the question.
But the answer must come from what they learned and not what they wrote
before.
2. Then students will complete a quick draw that shows a picture of wind effecting
something in the environment. The drawing can be from the story we read or
another idea they have. There must be enough detail on the drawing for there
to be no explanation about it.
3. Students will share their quick draw at their table groups. Teacher will then take
pictures of the chalkboard and collect the quick draws.
Assessments
Teacher will be consistently monitoring students to make sure they are understanding
and on task. Teacher will collect the giant list-group-label paper from each table with
the childrens names on it. Teacher will collect the list the children made when reading
the story. Teacher will take pictures of chalkboard splash to make sure students
understood the objectives. Teacher will also collect quick draws from students.
Teacher will have many assessments to make sure students are understanding the
content.

Reflection

Ryan:
Lesson Plan
Grade:1
Topic: Weather; Snow
Day 1 of 1 Formation, Positives, and Negatives

Objective:
1. Students will understand the formation of snow through a snowmaking
activity and read aloud.
2. After a video, students will discuss the effects of snow on our society
and if they are positive or negative.

Standards:
1. S.K-2.D.2.1.1 Identify weather variables (temp., wind speed, wind
direction and precipitation).
2. S.K-2.D.2.1.2 Identify how weather conditions affect daily life.

Materials:
1. Wax paper- covers desk
2. 1/4 cup White hair conditioner

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 Coldren, Fitzkee, Liebl, Ouk, Ross, Smith
Integrated Research Project
Dr. Powers
496.91 M/W

3. 1.5 cups Baking soda

4. Glitter- glistening effect
5. Essential oils- for seasonal smells
6. Book on snow- “Blizzard” by Elizabeth Raum
7. Snow video- “What is a blizzard”- youtube
8. Figurines for snow

Procedure:
Before: (15 minutes)
1. The teacher will have a piece of wax paper attached to each student's
desk, for easy cleanup of the activity.
2. The teacher will give the students a verbal prompt about their feelings
about snow. The students can simply raise their hands in response.
(snowmen, snowball fights, snow angels, no school)
3. The teacher will then read a book on the formation of snow and where it
comes from.

During: (25 minutes)

1. Students will receive pre-measured amounts of ingredients.
2. The students will then mix the ingredients (conditioner and baking soda)
together, making the “fake snow.” The students can add glitter or
essential oils for effect.
3. They can use this snow to build little snowmen or use figurines to
accessorize a setting.
After: (20 minutes)
1. Students will watch a video that documents what snow does to our
society and shows them massive snowfalls.
2. Students discuss how snow affects them, their parents, teachers, the
roads, etc.

Total 1 hour

Reflection:

Assessment:

Jello Earthquake Experiment Rubric:

Category 0 - Not Yet 1 - Fair 2 - Average 3 - Exceed

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 Coldren, Fitzkee, Liebl, Ouk, Ross, Smith
Integrated Research Project
Dr. Powers
496.91 M/W

Collaborate
within group

Describe
causes of an
earthquake

Identify which
structure can
withstand an
earthquake

Describe an
emergency
plan

Draw or write
predictions,
observations,
and
conclusions

Compare and
contrast the
effectiveness
of materials

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