Weather

Integrating Instructional Technology

Name: Janice Kane Date: 1/29/2016

Grade Level: 6 Length: (10 - 50 Minute Classes)

Topic: Weather

I. Objective:

Collaborating as a team, the 6th grade science teacher and the Technology Integration
Specialist/Teacher (Janice Kane) will integrate Instructional Software and STEM
projects into the existing Weather unit. This plan will be focused on the Tech
Integration portion of the Weather Unit.

Flipped Classroom Model - Students will be required to view videos prior to each class,
freeing up instructional time for exploration, investigation, and experimentation.

The objective of this lesson is for students to gain an understanding of:

1. What is weather?
2. What variables are used to describe weather?
3. How is weather related to the water cycle?

Technology Standards:
Creativity and Innovation: 1.a, 1.b, 1.c, 1.d;
Communication and Collaboration: 2.a, 2.b, 2.d;
Research and Information Fluency: 3.b, 3.d;
Critical thinking, Problem Solving, and Decision Making: 4.c

II. Preparation

Science Teacher: Introduce the weather concepts, facilitate group discussions and
experiments, guide students toward discovery of information to ensure science
standards, goals and CCSS are addressed.

Technology Integration Specialist: Locate Instructional Software resources, videos,

and STEM projects, to integrate into the existing weather curriculum. Provide technical
support and necessary technology equipment in support of the curriculum.

Purpose:

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 Weather
Integrating Instructional Technology

The purpose of this lesson is for the students to gain an understanding of the key
concepts involved in weather through a combination of traditional teaching and learning
methods, digital resources, and STEM projects.

Materials:

➔ Flipped Classroom Materials: Videos are listed for each concept.

➔ Google Apps for Education (GAFE): Students will need a GAFE account for
Docs, Blogger, email, Sheets, Presentation, Research Tools, Sharing Capability
for Group work, Google Classroom
➔ Instructional Software-
◆ Drill and Practice - The Weather Game (Note: Play with the volume off!)
◆ Tutorial - Treehouse Weather Kids
◆ Simulation - Interactive Weather Maker
◆ Instructional - National Geographic Kids - Wildest Weather
◆ Problem-solving - Storm Evader

III. Procedure

A. Motivate: Students form a connection to weather in their lives.

Brainstorm: How has weather affected your own life? How the Weather Affects
Our Mood

B. Lesson:

1. Expectations

1. Essential Questions1: Students will write reflections based on these essential

questions in order to develop their understanding of Weather.
a. How does weather affect you?
b. “How can wind be used to help predict the weather?”2
c. “How does wind change as a result of other factors such as pressure and
temperature?”3
1 (2012). Essential Questions | Scholastic.com. Retrieved January 30, 2016, from
http://www.scholastic.com/teachers/article/essential-questions.
2 (2014). Essential Questions | Wind and Weather - WeatherSTEM. Retrieved January 30, 2016, from
https://learn.weatherstem.com/modules/learn/lessons/40/03.html.
3 (2014). Essential Questions | Wind and Weather - WeatherSTEM. Retrieved January 30, 2016, from
https://learn.weatherstem.com/modules/learn/lessons/40/03.html.

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Integrating Instructional Technology

2. Videos - Students will be assigned videos as homework (accommodations will be

made if the student does not have access to resources at home).
3. Reflections - Students will reflect on videos and record experiments in their
science notebook (Blogger)
4. Wunderground 4- Students will check and chart local conditions.

5. What is Weather? 5
➔ STEM - Students will do STEM projects to support each Weather concept.
➔ Videos - Prior to the each class, the students will watch a video.
➔ Class-Group discussion-What is weather?
◆ Students-Brainstorm and discuss the types of weather, causes of
weather, tools used to measure/forecast weather
◆ Science Teacher-Facilitate the discussion-Record key words on the
board
6. Weather Concepts:
➔ Weather
◆ STEM - Build a Weather Station 6
◆ Video - Weather vs. Climate
➔ Air Temperature
◆ STEM - Turning the Air Upside Down7
◆ Video - Warm Air Rises
◆ Enrichment Question - Does air actually expand when heated?
What do you think of this explanation?8
➔ Air Pressure
◆ STEM - Make a barometer
◆ Video - Air Pressure
➔ Wind
◆ STEM - Puff-Mobile ; Make a Pinwheel9
◆ Video - Bill Nye - Wind

➔ Humidity & Relative Humidity

4 (2015). Stem, NC (27581) Forecast | Weather Underground. Retrieved January 30, 2016, from
http://www.wunderground.com/us/nc/stem.
5 (2004). Glossary - NOAA's National Weather Service. Retrieved January 30, 2016, from
http://www.weather.gov/glossary/.
6 (2007). Build a Weather Station - UEN. Retrieved January 30, 2016, from
http://www.uen.org/weather/station.shtml.
7 (2014). Turning the Air Upside Down - Activity - Teach Engineering. Retrieved January 30, 2016, from
https://www.teachengineering.org/view_activity.php?url=collection/cub_/activities/cub_air/
cub_air_lesson04_activity4.xml.
8 (2010). Why does air expand when you heat it, and why does hot air ... Retrieved January 30, 2016,
from http://www.nsta.org/publications/news/story.aspx?id=52428.
9 (2011). STEM-Works - Activities. Retrieved January 30, 2016, from http://stem-works.com/activities.

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Integrating Instructional Technology

◆ STEM - Build a Hygrometer10

◆ Video - What is Humidity
➔ Dew Point
◆ STEM - Why Do Some Drinks Sweat?11
◆ Video - Relative Humidity vs. Dew Point
➔ Clouds and Fog
◆ STEM - Make a Cloud12; Cloud in a Bottle
◆ Video - What is a Cloud; All About Clouds ; Cloud in Your Mouth;
➔ Precipitation -
◆ STEM - Rain Gauge13
◆ Video - What is Precipitation
➔ The Water Cycle
◆ STEM - Water Cycle in a Bag
◆ Video - Water Cycle
➔ Final Project: Create a Weather Forecast
◆ STEM - Predict and Report the Weather14

C. Follow-up activity: Independent Practice, Enrichment or Reinforcement:

● Video - Predicting the Weather

D. Evaluation:

Students will be evaluated throughout the unit based on their blog reflections, STEM
projects, and class interaction.

Lesson plan modified from:

(2002). LESSON PLAN OUTLINE. Retrieved January 30, 2016, from
http://www.geneseo.edu/~stuteach/lesplan.html.

10 (2010). How to Make a Hygrometer: Sling Psychrometer | Education ... Retrieved January 30, 2016,
from http://www.education.com/science-fair/article/earth-science_making-hygrometer/.
11 (2013). Why Do Some Drinks Sweat? | Wonderopolis. Retrieved January 30, 2016, from
http://wonderopolis.org/wonder/why-do-some-drinks-sweat/.
12 (2015). STEM-Works - Extreme Weather Activities - Make a Cloud!. Retrieved January 30, 2016, from
http://stem-works.com/subjects/5-extreme-weather/activities/571.
13 (2013). Rain Gauge Project - STEM-Works. Retrieved January 30, 2016, from
http://stem-works.com/external/activity/247.
14 (2015). STEM-Works - Extreme Weather Activities - Make a Cloud!. Retrieved January 30, 2016, from
http://stem-works.com/subjects/5-extreme-weather/activities/571.