What Is Weather?
Information About This Unit
Description of Learning Unit:
This unit is meant to introduce children to weather. They will learn about different types of weather, climate, storms, and weather instruments. Some lessons require you to read to them, but there are also videos and hands-on activities. This unit is designed to last about one week, depending on how often you teach science.
List of Objectives:
- Learn and understand what falls under the category of weather.
- Learn how we measure and predict weather.
- Learn and understand what a climate is.
List of Materials and Supplies Needed for This Pathway:
- A cylindrical cardboard oatmeal box
- Construction paper (blue and white)
- Red and white crepe paper streamers
- Glue
- String
- Scissors
- Hole punch
- Straight-sided glass container, such as a a bottle for olives
- Scissors
- Clear cellophane, or plastic sandwich bag
- Tape
- Basic printer supplies
- A rainy day
- A clear glass
- Warm water
- Ice
- Metal dish (a pie pan will work well too)
- Small piece of wool fabric
- Styrofoam plate
- Aluminum pie pan
- Pencil with new eraser
- 1 thumbtack
- Flashlight
- 2-liter soda bottle
- Milk
- Water
Links to Free Learning Material
Links to Online Lessons:
| Understanding Weather | (no rating) |
This site provides an explanation for why we have weather and is designed to teach children what weather is in an easy to understand way.
| Temperature | (no rating) |
This interactive web page provides brief descriptions of temperature, wind chill, and heat index. It also has calculators for all three factors of weather that kids can play with to learn more and other temperature activities.
| Rain and Floods | (no rating) |
This site contains an abundance of information and images about rain and floods. This can provide a great learning resource for teaching kids about how rain forms, what causes it, and how it's measured and predicted.
| Winter Storms | (no rating) |
This site provides a wealth of information for teaching children about winter storms, covering snow, blizzards, sleet, and more.
| Weather Instruments | (no rating) |
Teach your kids about weather instruments. This site explains the different instruments used to measure weather.
Reference Websites:
| Precipitation Map | (no rating) |
This site allows you to check the precipitation forecast for any given area.
Hands-On Projects and Activities:
| Wind Sock Activity | (no rating) |
This site gives detailed directions for making a wind sock, which can be used to help your child learn about measuring wind strength and understanding wind direction.
| Rain Gage | (no rating) |
Rain clouds are made up of droplets of water so small there are billions of them in a single cloud. How much rain falls during a shower, or a day, week or month? You can find out by measuring it with a rain gage.
| Cloud in a Glass | (no rating) |
Perform this simple experiment to discover how clouds are formed.
| Make Your Own Lightning | (no rating) |
Create lightning with this fun and safe experiment.
| Make a Blue Sky | (no rating) |
Making your own blue sky is easy!
Learning Tools (worksheets, drills, printables, online games, tests, etc.):
| Make Your Own Weather | (no rating) |
This fun interactive weather-making game allows kids to play with temperature and humidity to create their own weather.
| Wind Direction | (no rating) |
This fun interactive site helps teach children about wind direction by clicking on various directions: N, E, S, and W.
| Wind Force | (no rating) |
Use this interactive site to help your child see and understand the differences in wind force.
| Precipitation | (no rating) |
This cute interactive site helps explain the different forms of precipitation in an easy to understand way.
| Sunshine | (no rating) |
This interactive learning tool shows children how sunshine affects temperature and our actions throughout the day.
| Visibility | (no rating) |
What is visibility and how does weather affect it? Use this interactive site with your children to help explain what visibility means.
| Clouds | (no rating) |
Use this interactive tool to teach your child about the different types of clouds and their names. There is a fun game at the end as well.
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Free Online Video:
| Stormy Weather | (no rating) |
View interesting photos of stormy weather.
| Predicting Weather Video | (no rating) |
Learn how scientists use satellites to predict weather.
| Predict the Weather by Reading Clouds | (no rating) |
Learn how to predict the weather by reading clouds.
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Free Online Audio: 
Free E-Books (and classics available in most libraries):