Creating a Weather Station a fourth grade class project

1
Creating a Weather Stationa fourth grade class
project
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Created by Tara Vinton Last edited 2/26/04
2
Table of Contents

• Standards
• Objectives
• Content
• Assessment
• References

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Next
Created by Tara Vinton Last edited 2/26/04
3
Standards

• This lesson meets the following Virginia
  Science Standards of Learning
• 4.1 The student will plan and conduct
  investigations in which
• (e) appropriate metric measures are used to
  collect, record, and report data
• (f) data are displayed using bar graphs
• (g) numerical data that are contradictory or
  unusual in experimental results are
  recognized
• (h) predictions are made based on data from bar
  graphs
• 4.6 The student will investigate and understand
  how weather
• conditions and phenomena occur and can be
  predicted. Key concepts
  include
• (a) weather measurements and meteorological
  tools
• (air pressure - barometer, wind speed -
  anemometer,
• rainfall rain gauge, and temperature
  thermometer)

4
Objectives

• Given the necessary directions and materials,
  students will be able to construct either a
  barometer, anemometer, or rain gauge.
• Using the homemade barometers, anemometers,
  and rain gauges, the students will be able to
  record qualitative weather measurements with
  relative accuracy.
• Using the newspaper, students will be able to
  record quantitative measurements about the
  weather conditions of the day before with one
  hundred percent accuracy. (students will be
  recording the daily high and low temperatures,
  air pressure, wind speed, and rainfall)
• Using two weeks worth of weather data collected
  from the newspaper, students will be able to
  produce bar graphs with ninety percent accuracy.
• Using the weather information collected from the
  homemade equipment and the weather information
  collected from the newspaper, students will
  compare the data and explain at least two reasons
  for possible discrepancies.

5
Content

• About the Lesson
• This lesson gives students a chance to create
  their own weather station. The students will
  learn what barometers, anemometers, and rain
  gauges measure, as they construct these
  instruments and collect qualitative weather
  information from them. The students will also
  collect daily weather data from the newspaper.
  The quantitative measurements recorded from the
  newspaper will expose children to the standard
  units of weather measurement. This also gives the
  teacher an opportunity to discuss what real
  barometers, anemometers, rain gauges and
  thermometers look like and how they work.
• After two weeks of collecting the data,
  students will compare their own weather
  measurements with those in the newspaper. The
  students will need to think about why there maybe
  discrepancies between the measurements. Finally
  using the weather data from the newspaper,
  students can construct a total of four bar graphs
  one for temperature, air pressure, rainfall, and
  wind speed. On each of these graphs a weather
  feature is measured on the y-axis and the days
  are plotted on the x-axis. Once the graphs are
  completed, the teacher can discuss patterns
  observed in the graphs and explain how observing
  these patterns can help meteorologists forecast
  future weather.

6
Content

• Ideas for the lesson
• Before the lesson the teacher may brainstorm
  with the students by asking them to list all the
  things they know about weather. Then the teacher
  will look for ways to connect these brainstormed
  ideas into the lesson.
• The teacher my want to divide the class into
  three groups, each group will construct either a
  barometer, anemometer, or rain gauge. This will
  save time and confusion. The directions for
  making barometers, anemometers and rain gauges
  can be found on the Solution Site web site -
  click here.
• Each day the teacher may want only half the
  class to take readings from their homemade
  instruments while the other half looks in the
  newspaper. After both groups have collected
  their information, they can share it with one
  another. This saves time and promotes positive
  social interaction.
• After studying patterns in the bar graphs, the
  teacher may ask the students to predict the next
  days weather. Students will need to explain why
  they chose their prediction. The prediction can
  be evaluated based on the logic of the students
  reasoning.

7
Assessment

• The teacher may assess the students work
  throughout the lesson. At the end of the unit, a
  quiz may be developed to evaluate the childrens
  overall understandings. Here are some suggested
  ideas for the quiz.
• Each student will be given a copy of the daily
  weather information as it is reported in the
  newspaper. Independently, the students will
  identify the high and low temperature, wind
  speed, air pressure, and rainfall. (all weather
  measurements should be identified and labeled
  with the correct units.)
• Then the students will be asked to identify the
  weather instruments used to collect each piece of
  weather data. (For example 75o F is a
  temperature measurement, thermometers are used to
  measure temperature)
• Lastly, students may be given several bar graphs
  presenting weather data collected over a few
  months. Students will be asked questions which
  require them to interrupt the information, to
  identify patterns, and to make logical
  predictions.

8
References

• The concept for this lesson plan was developed
  based on some of the weather units outlined on
  the Solution Site web site. Many specific ideas
  for this lesson were adapted from a lesson plan
  called Weathering with Your Own Instruments,
  written by Linda Work, Ruth Potts, and Peggy
  Grantham and posted on the Solution Site.
• Other related web sites
• Weather Forecasting - an online meteorology
  guide
• Web Weather for Kids website designed for kids
  to learn about weather

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Created by Tara Vinton Last edited 2/26/04