INTEGRATED UNIT: WEATHER – CYCLES AND SEASONS
Integrated Unit
Weather: Cycles and Seasons
Grade level: 3rd grade
Literature content
Bibliographic references
Title: Our Seasons
Author: Grace Lin & Ranida T. Mcknealy
Publishing Co: Charlesbridge Publishing, Location: Watertown, MA
Publishing Year: 2006
Summary: This book provides significant details on introducing the four seasons through four little guides: Ki-ki, Owen, Lily, and Owen. Each part of the book provides the whys and the hows of each season. All our seasons come with different weather attributes and familiar activities that can be done during that season.
Title: THE REASONS FOR THE SEASONS
Author: Gail Gibbons
Publishing Co: Holiday House, Location: New York, NY
Publishing Year: 1995
Summary: The Reason for the Season provides an explanation on how climate and the seasons are affected by the Earth’s orbit around the sun. Each season is broken down based on the location of the earth and the sun.
Title: Meteorologist
Author: Matt Mullins
Publishing Co: Cherry Lake Publishing, Location: Ann Arbor, MI
Publishing Year: 2011
Summary: The Meteorologist allows students the opportunity to gain a better understanding of what these cools scientist do. Each section provides a detail break down on the study of meteorology and the daily activities of these scientists do in the daily jobs.
Title: Martin’s Big Words
Author: Doreen Rappoort
Publishing Co: Hyperion Books for Children, Location: New York, NY
Publishing Year: 2007
Summary: Martin’s Big Words allow students the wonderful opportunity to see some of the many struggles and obstacles the African Americans were faced with during the Civil Rights Era. This book gives a chronological detail on the life of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
Title: What Will the Weather Be?
Author: Lynda Dewitt
Publishing Co: Harper Collins Publishers Location: New York, NY
Publishing Year: 1991
Summary: This book explains the different changes in the weather as well as how unpredictable weather can be. The illustration describes the many tools that are used to measure weather as well as providing supporting ideas on the role of a meteorologist.
Title: Down Comes the Rain
Author: Frankly Branley
Publishing Co: Harper Collins Publishing, Location: New York, NY
Publish Date: 1997
Summary: This book provides great detail about the water cycle and one of our greatest climates, rain. Throughout the book we discover the water cycle process along with the four steps included in the process
Title: W is for Wind
Author: Pat Michaels
Publisher Co: Sleeping Bear Press, Location: Chelsea, MI
Publishing Year: 2005
Summary: The weather alphabet is a descriptive collection of words to describe weather. Each word includes facts as well as illustrations that help describe an attribute of the weather. This can really help with identifying weather words vocabulary for the unit as well.
Title: Water, Water Everywhere
Author: Mark J Ravzon and Cynthia Overbeck Bix
Publishing Co: The Sierra Book Club
Publishing Year: 1994
Summary: This book provides detail information on the water cycle. It also expands on how important water is in our everyday lives as well as how it impacts the earth. Readings about the importance of the water cycle can bring awareness on how to protect our planet.
LITERATURE EXTENSION ACTVITIES
Martin’s Big Words Extension Activity #1 (Reading Comprehension - Sequence)
Reading Comprehension – After Reading the story, students would need to be able to identify the important parts in the Life of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. The technique that would be used is sequencing and making sure that the students are able to identify the chronological order of events that took place during the reading. Students would need to provide 5 to 7 events that took place throughout the story through written format and through their own illustrations.
Our Seasons Extension Activity #2 (Phonemic Awareness)
Students will take the list of vocabulary words given prior to reading the story. As you are reading, student should actively listen for their vocabulary words an how they are being used. After reading students will need to provide the number of syllables used in each vocabulary word. Student will then take 3x5 note cards writing the word on one and on the opposite provide the word broken down into syllables.
MATH CONTENT
Lesson Plan: What’s Your Temperature? (Part 1)
Objectives:
· Identify place value throughout measurement
· Create temperature Manipulative
· Identify and Define Temperature Vocabulary
Goals:
· Students will create Temperature Thermometers
· Solve Temperature problems using manipulative
· Define and Identify temperature Vocabulary
· Identify Temperature Scales
Materials:
ü Construction Paper ( 1 Red/ 2 White/1 Blue )
ü Safety Scissors
ü Temperature Problem Worksheets
ü Writing Utensils and Markers
ü 3
Procedure
Pre-requisites:
Students must be able to count by 2’s/5’s/10’s and be able to round to the nearest tenth for place value.
Opening – You can start with a controlled open discussion with these questions:
How weather is measured?
What do use to determine if something is hot or cold?
What is Temperature?
Start your lesson by defining Temperature Vocabulary and Temperature Scales: Temperature, Thermometer, Fahrenheit, Celsius, and Kelvin.
Activity #1 - Allow students to create vocabulary and temperature scales sheet (Temperature Scales sheet be in ONLY Fahrenheit and Celsius)
After vocabulary and Temperature Scales have been completed, begin discussing how temperature is measured using degrees. Provide your own Thermometer to allow students to begin observing how to measure temperature.
Activity #2 Have Students locate certain degree measurements as a whole and allow them to also answer Temperature Measurement hand out for practice. (Review mastery in concepts before moving to the next step)
Activity # 3 – Each student should be given 3 pieces of construction paper (red/ white / blue) and will construct there on Thermometer. Student will need a ruler as well as scissor to complete activity. You will provide students with instructions on how to created their own thermometer.
Assessment / Evaluation
Observe student while working on temperature worksheets to see if they able to identify the vocabulary as well as the Temperature Scale. Observe students as they are completing activity 3 to see students can complete activity with the written instructions.
Lesson Plan: Whats Your Temperature ( Part 2 )
Objectives:
o Identify Temperature Vocabulary
o Identify Temperature Scale
Goals:
· Solve Temperature Word problems using their Temperature Manipulative
Procedure:
Review objectives in Part 1 with students
Small Group Activity: Split students up into groups of 3
Each group will be given a list of 5 word problems that will need to be answered and completed. Students will be allowed use their resources as well as collaborate with their peers in their group.
Assessment/ Evaluation:
Students should be able to use manipulative properly and identify vocabulary and temperature scale questions.
Instructions for Creating your own Thermometer
1Draw the shape of a thermometer on a white piece ofconstruction paper. Make it 10 inches tall and 3 inches wide. The bottom part should be slightly round. Cut a slit just above the rounded bottom.
2Cut a strip of red construction paper and a strip of blue construction paper. Make the strips 8 inches tall and 1 inch wide. The red strip represents heat and the blue strip represents cold. Insert the strips through the slit at the bottom of the thermometer.
3Label the thermometer. Make eight marks on each side of the thermometer. Place an F---for Fahrenheit---on the top left, and a C---for Celsius---on the top right
ART CONTENT
Lesson Plan Title: In This Season ______…… What do you See???
Objectives:
· Identify and illustrate the attributes for one Season
Goals:
· Student will be able to identify and explain the different attributes and activities that are in each Season.
Materials
· Book: “Our Seasons”
· Colored tissue Paper
· Scissors
· Glue
· Construction Paper
· Writing and Color Utensils
Procedure:
Open activity with reading “Our Seasons” and after reading (as a group) allow students to list different attributes and activities that in our Four Seasons.
Activity
Students will pick their favorite Season and will create a picture using the some of the attributes in that season. Students should also include an activity that would be during the season. Each student will need create their season of choice using tissue paper. Students can use glue colors to help create their picture.
Assessment/Evaluation:
Students will present their picture and provide explanation on picture and the season of choice. Observe if students followed instructions and if student provided the correct attributes and activities in their picture.
Music, Drama, and Movement
Content
Water cycle song
**Sing to the tune of My darling clementine**
Evaporation
(Push Palms up)
Condensation
(Clasps hands together in the air)
Precipitation all around
(Wiggle fingers down like rain)
Accumulation
(Sweep arms in a circle in front of you like a body of water)
Evaporation
(Push palms up)
The water cycle goes round and round
(Make circles with arms)
Seasons by Fran Avni
Seasons turn like a big round ball
Winter and spring, summer fall.
Seasons turn like a big round ring
Summer and fall, winter spring
First come green buds then comes grass
Green leaves turn brown
Fall comes fast
Winter snows soon turn to rain
Green buds spring out once again
Seasons come and seasons go
Watch the grass and flowers grow
winter, spring, summer, fall
And everything's growing throughout it all
DRAMATIC PLAY
For this particular content I would incorporate a drama center in my classroom for my students. Since we are studying about the weather what better to study!!! This section would consist of a daily activity in this unit. Each Day a group of students will be the meteorologist for the day. We would create our very own news room with weather wall. Students will have to opportunity to be the news caster for that segment and provide the class with an update on today’s weather and what activities should be done in this kind of weather. We would also research the weather for that day and set handcrafted thermometers to that temperature.
Social Studies Content
Lesson Plan Title: Dream Clouds
Objective:
· Learn and Identify assigned vocabulary words
· Explain the importance the “I have A Dream “speech by Dr. Martin Luther King
· Create A Dream Cloud
Goals:
· Students will be able explain the importance of Dr King’s “ I have A Dream “ Speech
· Identify and define vocabulary
· Create A dream cloud
Materials:
· Goodie Bags with treats
· Smiley Face Stickers
· Construction Paper
· Glue Sticks
· Map Colors/ Makers/ Crayons
· Book – “ Martin’s Big Words
Procedure
Open lesson up with a game:
Game Activity:
The teacher will ask students who have only Blue eyes to come and pick a treat. Continue to pick random items the only a portion of students may be wearing or providing a physical feature. (Article of clothing or hair color ,etc.) . Only the first group should receive a goodie bag. Groups that follow after can receive a sticker or nothing at all. (You have one group of students that did not receive anything at all)
Discuss -
ü Ask questions on how students were feeling at the time of being picked.
ü Was it fair for the first group to get treat and the last group received nothing?
ü How does that make you feel?
After your class discussion re-aloud “Martin’s Big Word’s
Dream Cloud Activity
Discuss vocabulary terms and their meanings: Segregation / Civil Rights / Equality. This will give you the opportunity to briefly discuss diversity and civil rights. Explain the life of Dr. King and how his dreams became reality.
Students will receive a sheet of construction paper , hand full of cotton balls , paper clouds. Each student will create their own dream cloud. Students will create a 3-dimensional cloud. On the cloud, students will list dream cloud and students will write some of the goals and or dreams. These should be listed as rain drops. Try to have students describe their aspirations or dreams into one word. Explain to the students that most dreams start as aclouds but the more work hard we can cause the goals to watered and grow.
Assessment/ Evaluation
Allow each student share what they have listed one their dream clouds. Observe and evaluate their response on diversity and vocabulary.
SCIENCE CONTENT
Lesson Plan Title: Let’s Make It Rain (Water Cycle Demonstration)
Objectives:
v Investigate the water cycle
v Identity 4 steps to the Water Cycle process
Goal:
v Provide a brief and clear demonstration to represent Rain in the water cycle.
Materials
ü Clear plastic Jar With Lid
ü Hot water
ü Food Coloring
ü Shaving Cream
Procedure
Discuss and define the four steps to the water cycle
Ø Evaporation
Ø Precipitation
Ø Condensation
Ø Accumulation
Demonstration
Pour hot water into jar, filling jar up 1/3rd of the way
Spray shaving cream on top of water (you should two layers: Shaving and water)
Add Several Drops of food coloring (this will stimulate the shaving cream to dissolve)
Things to look for:
Steam rising from the warm water (forming clouds: condensation)
Drops of food color form and dropping into the water (precipitation)
Assessment/ Evaluation Students will write observation on the condensation step of the water cycle based on what seen during the experiment. You will assess the explanation to determine if students can identify with parts of the water cycle.
INDEPENDENT CENTER