In this project, students use the Internet to research weather conditions in the United States and abroad, then record information on charts and graphs. They learn about different weather conditions and write predictions. As a culminating activity, students create a scrapbook of interesting weather stories to share with classmates and parents.

This project was adapted to meet the needs of special education students with physical and language limitions as well as different grade levels in one class.
Charting the Weather includes traditional classroom activities as well as Internet resources, to successfully meet the needs of a diverse population with different abilities.

Objectives:

Students will:

1. Conduct non-experimental research using print and electronic information, such as journals, the weather channel and the Internet.

2. Collect and record data for analysis.

3. Learn about weather conditions.

4. Listen, speak, read, and write for information and understanding.

Web site:

http://weather.com

Day One:

Words to Describe Weather

Background: To infuse the use of the Internet in the study of researching weather.

Objectives: Students will be able to:

•  identify, pronounce and write the vocabulary for weather conditions

•  speak about weather conditions

•  formulate and respond to questions about the weather

•  use the Internet as a source to find out about weather conditions and record information

•  track the local temperature for five days

Materials:

•  Computer with Internet access

•  Pictures showing different weather conditions

•  Worksheets 1 and 2

Procedure:

•  Using pictures of weather (http://weather.com) elicit vocabulary describing different types of weather. Look out the window and describe the weather today using as many of the elicited vocabulary words as you can.

•  Elicit correct response to each picture by asking the question: What kind of weather is this.

•  Have small groups work on the Internet (http://weather.com) to find the weather prediction for today and tomorrow.

4. Find the high and low temperatures for the five boroughs.

Evaluation:

Students complete Worksheets 1 and 2.

Weather of United States Cities

Objectives: Students will be able to:

•  use the Internet to find high and low temperatures for cities (http://weather.com)

•  identify a state in which each city is located

•  locate U.S. states and their neighboring states

•  graph the high temperature for two cities for a week

Materials:

•  Computer with Internet access

•  Worksheets 3 and 4

•  Chart of U.S. cities and states

Procedure:

•  Use the Internet (http://weather.com) to locate weather.

•  Explain weather maps.

•  Distribute handouts. Find chart of U.S. cities and map of U.S.

•  Locate cities listed in handout.

•  Write high and low temperatures for each city.

•  Use the U.S. chart to identify the state in which each city is located.

•  Use the map of the United States, locate the states and cities listed.

•  Identify one neighboring state.

Evaluation:

Students complete handout. Which city has the warmest temperature today?

Which city has the coldest temperature today?

Additional Work:

Distribute Worksheet 4. Students use a crayon to record the low temperature of two cities.

Weather in Cities Abroad

Objectives: Students will be able to:

•  use the Internet to find high and low temperatures for cities abroad

•  identify and locate the country in which each city is located

•  identify the continent on which each country is located

•  identify and locate the closest body of water to each city

Materials:

•  Computer with Internet access

•  Worksheets 5 and 6

•  Chart of cities and countries abroad

Procedure:

•  Use the Internet (http://weather.com) to locate weather.

•  Review weather maps.

•  Distribute handout and chart of cities abroad. Find cities listed on handout on http://weather.com.

•  Locate cities listed in handout.

•  Write high and low temperatures for each city.

•  Use the Cities Abroad chart to identify the country in which each city is located.

•  Use the globe or world map to locate the country and identify on which continent the country is found.

•  Locate the closest body of water.

Evaluation:

Students complete handout. What are the high and low temperatures of the city abroad that you would like to visit?

Additional Work:

Using Worksheet 6, track the temperature of two cities abroad.

Weather Scrapbook

Objectives: Students will be able to:

•  use the Internet to find weather stories to construct a scrapbook.

•  Create a cover for their scrapbook

•  Write a summary of the weather story

Materials:

•  Computer with Internet access

•  construction paper and fasteners

•  printer

Procedure:

•  Use the Internet to locate weather stories.

•  Inform students that they are going to create a weather scrapbook of interesting weather stories.

•  Have students print out weather stories that interest them. They will summarize the information for each article.

•  Have students draw their cover page and include a scrapbook name at the top.

5. Place cover on top of 10 articles and summaries. Use fasteners to bind them.

Evaluation:

Students complete scrapbook and describe them with a name.

Additional Work:

Email one of your summaries to a friend or parent.

• Students will access, generate, process, and transfer information using appropriate technologies.
• Students will use scientific inquiry to construct explanations for natural phenomena
• Students will interpret data represented in charts and graphs
• Students will gather and interpret information from electronic sources - eg web pages.