Student Teacher: Ana M.

Rivera-Delgado
Grade Level: Kindergarten
Subjects: Mathematics/Science/Language Arts
Name of the Lesson: Weather Detectives
Standards:
Connecticut Core Science Curriculum Framework
K.3.a. Daily and seasonal weather conditions affect what we do, what we wear and how we
feel.
Common Core State Standards
CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.K.MD.B.3 Classify objects into given categories; count the
numbers of objects in each category and sort the categories by count.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.K.5.A Sort common objects into categories (e.g., shapes,
foods) to gain a sense of the concepts the categories represent.
Next Generation Science Standards
K-ESS2-1. Use and share observations of local weather conditions to describe
patterns over time.
Student Learning Objective:
Students will observe daily weather conditions and record data using a calendar. Students
will identify which articles of clothing are appropriate given their knowledge of general weather
patterns for each season.
Rationale for Objective:
The students have already learned the names of the seasons and can describe general
weather patterns for each season. For example, they know that it will most likely snow in the
winter, it is typically sunny in the summer, it usually rains more often in the spring, and days in
autumn are cooler than summer days. This lesson will prepare students to learn about
thermometers. The next lesson will introduce the students to temperature, the tools we use to
read the temperature, and how to record the temperature.
Instructional Model/Strategy:
This lesson will be taught to the students primarily as a whole group. There will be
different points at which the students will be able to work in pairs and independently. At the end
of the lesson we will have a whole class discussion that will prompt ideas and questions that will
be addressed in the next lesson.
Classroom Learning Environment Focus:
Concept development will be emphasized in this lesson because the students will be
building upon their knowledge of the concept of weather. The students will already have had
exposure to the weather word wall which features many of the weather words that will be used in
their conversations and pictures. It is also important to note that if there are other relevant words
that the students use in their conversations as a whole group or in pairs, like cold or warm, the
teacher should acknowledge these weather words and add them to the weather wall. The
discussion model will also be used because science lessons must include opportunities for
communication amongst peers about their finding, which is a twenty-first century skill. The
students will have opportunities to discuss their observations, discuss the kind of weather that

best fits their observation of the phenomenon occurring outdoors, then they will discuss which
articles of clothing are the most appropriate given the weather observed. More importantly, the
students will have time to explain their rationale and also ask questions and share ideas that can
be further examined in the next lesson.
Materials Needed:
One large monthly calendar
Weather cards:
o 31 stormy, 31 sunny, 31 cloudy, 31 partly cloudy, 31 rainy, 31 snowy
Weather word wall cards: stormy, sunny, cloudy, partly cloudy, rainy, snowy
Computer with internet
Projector and screen
5 large pieces of chart paper:
o 4 labeled for each of the four seasons: autumn, winter, spring, summer
o 1 labeled Temperature
One piece of white paper for each student
Crayons for each student
Picture of the forecast
Google Forms Weather Detectives Quiz
Initiation:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7UckUHeWXD0
Screen cast
Lesson Development:
After the teacher and students have finished morning meeting, the students should stay on
the rug for this science lesson. The teacher can explain that this is an extension of the calendar
portion of the morning meeting.
1. Post each piece of chart paper along a long or whiteboard and read the names of each
season to the class.
2. Go over the weather words on the word wall and ask students to describe each word
given what they learned in the previous lesson.
3. Write their descriptions or descriptive words on the corresponding chart paper for the
seasons. For example, all key ideas about autumn should be written on the chart paper
labeled autumn.
4. Play the video about the weather for the students.
5. Ask the students if they learned anything new about weather from this video.
6. Write any additional key ideas on the corresponding chart paper.
7. Group the class into pairs and ask each pair to go to the window and observe the
weather.
8. Each pair should go to a quiet place in the classroom and discuss their observations.
9. Give each student a piece of white paper and have each child draw a picture of the
weather they observed using crayons.
10. Play the screencast about appropriate articles of clothing for each season given the
weather patterns expected for each season.

11. Ask the students what they learned and noted from the video.
12. Write their answers and ideas on each corresponding chart paper.
13. Ask the students to move to a quiet place in the classroom and have the students draw
a person wearing the appropriate clothing for the weather given what was already
drawn on their paper.
14. After finishing their drawings they can take a quick formal assessment in the form of
an online quiz. Depending on the number of computers in the classroom, the quizzes
can be taken throughout the day. The quizzes should be taken independently and at
least by the end of the day so that the teacher can plan for instruction the following
day.
15. The students should all be called back to the rug as a class to discuss their drawings.
Students who feel comfortable enough to do so will voluntarily share their weather
observation, their picture, and their rationale for why the person in their picture was
dressed a certain way. For example, if a student drew a picture of a rainy day, the
picture should also include a person wearing rain boots or a rain coat or using an
umbrella.
16. After all of the students have shared their observations and drawings, the teacher can
conclude the lesson by showing students a picture of the forecast for the next day
which includes the numeric temperature.
17. Ask the children what the number means. If a student correctly responds by saying
that the number represents the temperature, ask the students what temperature might
mean and how we can find out what the temperature is.
18. Write down what their ideas are and reveal that they will be learning about
temperature the next day.
Daily Formative Assessment:
While working on our calendar and figuring out which weather sticker to post for each
day, I will be asking the students to explain their rationale for their answers. For example, if a
student chooses to claim that it is stormy outside I am looking for the student to argue that it is
stormy because they it is dark outside, it is raining and he or she hears thunder.
Differentiating Instruction:
This lesson is already differentiated for English language learners because the arts
provided these students with the opportunity to draw their ideas on paper and then try their best
to communicate these ideas orally with their peers. This is also a great opportunity for English
language learners to build upon their academic language and foster vocabulary growth by
allowing them to go back and label their pictures with the correct terminology. For example, if
the student draws a picture of a rainy day, the teacher can help the student label the rain, the
clouds, and other important features. The teacher and student(s) can also use the word wall to
label the pictures. This differentiation for English language learners is also beneficial for all
students because every student would benefit from labelling their pictures with science
terminology.
Assessment:
Students will describe daily weather conditions using words like sunny, cloudy, stormy,
rainy, and windy verbally. The students will also chart daily weather patterns on the classroom

calendar. Lastly, the students will make decisions as to which articles of clothing are appropriate
in varying weather conditions.
Closure:
After all of the students have shared their observations and drawings, the teacher can
conclude the lesson by showing students a picture of the forecast for the next day which includes
the numeric temperature. The teacher should ask the children what the number means. If a
student correctly responds by saying that the number represents the temperature, the teacher
should ask the students what temperature might mean and how we can find out what the
temperature is. After writing down their ideas on the chart paper the teacher can reveal that they
will be learning about temperature and thermometers the next day.