Fourth Grade

Weather Unit

Created by

Christy Korkan, Fourth Grade Teacher

Lynn Gagnon,

Library, Media and Information Specialist

for

All fourth grade teachers of weather and media specialists who have access to computer labs, along with the good people at ILILE and Kent State University.

Media Lesson #1

Ohio Standards Connections:

Fourth Grade

Earth and Space Sciences

Benchmark D: Analyze weather and changes that occur over a period of time.

Indicator 4: Learn to describe weather by measurable quantities such as temperature, wind direction, wind speed, precipitation, and barometric pressure.

Library Media Guidelines

Information Literacy

Benchmark D:

Describe types of information: facts, opinions, primary/secondary sources; and formats of information: number, text, sound, visual, multimedia; and use information for a purpose.

Technology Literacy

Benchmark B

Use the Internet to find, use and evaluate information.

Media Literacy

Benchmark A

Comprehend that media communications deliver information and messages for personal and various other purposes.

Media Weather Lesson #1 Summary:

Procedures

1. Students will utilize a computer lab with internet access.

2. Students will gather data daily from a primary resource weather website.

3. Students will record data in a chart.

4. Students will compare data collected by sophisticated weather instruments from a primary resource to daily personal weather observations.

1. Media Teacher will guide students through an internet primary resource for weather.

2. Classroom Teacher will monitor students as they record daily weather events, from the primary resource and from personal observation.

3. Media and Classroom Teacher will evaluate students’ completion of assigned data collection.

Students may share computers with a partner for this activity.

Purpose

Classroom

1. Learn to describe weather by measurable quantities such as temperature, wind direction, wind speed, precipitation, and barometric pressure. (Grade 4 Earth and Space Sciences Benchmark D, Indicator #4)

Library Media

1. Describe types of information: facts, opinions, primary/secondary sources; and formats of information: number, text, sound, visual, multimedia; and use information for a purpose. (Library Media Guidelines, Information Literacy, Benchmark D)
2. Use the Internet to find, use and evaluate information. (Library Media Guidelines, Technology Literacy, Benchmark B)
3. Comprehend that media communications deliver information and messages for personal and various other purposes. (Library Media Guidelines, Media Literacy, Benchmark A)

Estimated Duration: Students will have 30 minutes to complete this lesson.

Students will utilize skills from this lesson to monitor and record daily weather in measurable quantities such as temperature, wind direction, wind speed, precipitation, and barometric pressure, as well as personal observation.

Commentary: Due to understaffing, Media Classes in our school are limited to 30 minutes every other week. The pre-assessment of media lessons is affected by this time limitation. Daily utilization of computers to obtain data will be facilitated by classroom teacher and take place in the classroom, or in the media center.

Pre-Assessment: Pre-Assessment will be limited to class discussion. Discussion will include the following questions:

1. What do you use to look for weather information? Students may say that they look at the newspaper or the Weather Channel on television for weather information.

2. What is the Weather Channel’s source for daily weather information? What is the newspaper’s source for daily weather information? Discuss primary/secondary sources. Discuss the option of going to the Internet to access the NOAA and the National Weather Service. Describe the function of the NOAA and the National Weather Service as a primary resource that uses sophisticated instruments to record weather events.

3. What source do you think will have the most accurate weather information? NOAA and the National Weather Service

4. What source would you use to find daily weather data in measurable quantities such as temperature, wind direction, wind speed, precipitation, and barometric pressure? NOAA and the National Weather Service.

5. Where can you find access to the NOAA and the National Weather Service 24/7? The NOAA and the National Weather Service has a website. http://www.noaa.gov

Scoring Guidelines: Library Teacher will judge, based on discussion above, that students understand the following:

1. The NOAA and the National Weather Service is a Primary Source for weather information.

2. The NOAA and the National Weather Service is available on the Internet 24/7.

3. The NOAA and the National Weather Service records weather events as they happen, and is a source to locate weather data, including temperature, wind direction, wind speed, precipitation, and barometric pressure.

Post-Assessment: Students will utilize the NOAA and the National Weather Service website to keep a daily chart of daily weather by measurable quantities such as temperature, wind direction, wind speed, precipitation, and barometric pressure. Note: On NOAA website, students must click on subcategory “2-day history” to find precipitation amounts.

Scoring Guidelines: Scoring will be in the form of a rubric that tracks the students’ progress in recording primary resource data and personal observation.

Instructional Procedures:

1. Students will attend media class in computer lab equipped with internet access.

2. Media Teacher will conduct pre-assessment and display chart students will be expected to complete.

3. Students may work with a partner, but will fill out their own weather chart.

4. Students will gain access to the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration Homepage. http://www.noaa.gov

5. Media Teacher will guide students to evaluate this site for signs of excellence. Teacher will point out the following areas in website:

a. Author

b. Title

c. Date Produced

d. Special Features

i. Image maps

ii. Current local weather

iii. NOAA for kids

iv. Cricket Converter

e. Available resources

6. Media Teacher will guide students to navigate site to find information to complete chart.

7. Classroom teacher will pass out chart and give instruction about recording daily weather events.

Differentiated Instructional Support: Students may obtain extra credit IF they can find a cricket! There is a cricket chirp converter that predicts the temperature linked to the El Paso NOAA and the National Weather Service Prediction website!

File Path: NOAA and the National Weather Service Predictions El Paso>temperature conversion>cricket chirp converter

http://www.srh.noaa.gov/elp/wxcalc/wxcalc.shtml

Extension: Students may explore NOAA for kids at home.

NOAA Education has designed a page that links kids to resources that provide fun activities for kids K-5 to explore the planet they live on!

http://www.education.noaa.gov/sweather.html

Interdisciplinary Connections: This media lesson is integrated with the Fourth Grade Earth and Space Sciences Curriculum.

Materials and Resources:

For teachers	Computer Lab with Internet Access NOAA website: http://www.noaa.gov Grading Rubric
For students	Computer Lab with Internet Access Chart for making personal weather observations -- OPINION Chart for Describing Weather in Measurable Quantities Over a Period of 5 days – FACTS FROM PRIMARY SOURCE DATA. Daily access to NOAA homepage. Access to Cricket Chirp Converter website for extra credit http://www.srh.noaa.gov/elp/wxcalc/wxcalc.shtml

Key Vocabulary: Temperature, Wind Direction, Wind Speed, Barometric Pressure, Precipitation

Technology Connections: Students will use a computer with internet access every day for five days to collect weather data from government site.

Research Connections: Students will use the internet to gather and record data.

Attachments

1. Chart for Describing Weather in Measurable Ways.

2. Chart for making personal weather observations

3. Evaluation Rubric

4. Alignment of Media Guidelines to 4^th Grade Earth and Space Sciences.

5. Overview of Unit.