KUTZTOWN UNIVERSITY

ELEMENTARY EDUCATION DEPARTMENT

LESSON PLAN FORMAT

Teacher Candidate:

Alix Landes and Katie Loughran

Cooperating Teacher:
Group Size:

22

Date: 4/3/2015

Coop. Initials
Allotted Time 50 min

Subject or Topic: Science: Weather Instruments

Grade Level 1st

Section

STANDARD:
3.3.1.A5: Become familiar with weather instruments. Collect, describe, and record basic
information about weather over time.
I. Performance Objectives (Learning Outcomes):
A. The first grade students will identify and describe weather instruments by
making creating their own weather instruments
B. The first grade students will analyze and describe weather data over a time by
graphing data and discussing the results.
II. Instructional Materials
A. Envelopes
B. Matching cards
C. Book (The Magic School Bus- Wet All Over)
D. Pre- made labeled graph templates
E. Internet access
F. Poster board
G. Chart paper
H. Plastic water bottles
I. Water
J. Rubbing alcohol
K. Straws
L. Modeling clay
M. Food coloring
N. Tape
O. Ruler
P. Markers
Q. Stones/ pebbles
R. Plates
S. Pencils and erasers

T.
U.
V.
W.

Pen cap
Hole puncher
Plastic cups
1 straight pin

III. Subject Matter/Content (prerequisite skills, key vocabulary, big idea, outline of
additional content)
A. Prerequisite skills
1. The students need to know about the different types of precipitation,
clouds, and storms.
B. Key Vocabulary
1. Thermometer: A tool that measure temperature
2. Wind Vane: A tool that measures the direction the wind is blowing
3. Rain Gauge: A tool that measures the amount of rain that has fallen
over a time period
4. Anemometer: A tool that measures the speed of wind.
5. Meteorology: The study of atmosphere used for weather forecasting.
Scientists who study this are called meteorologists.
C. Big Idea
1. What are the different types of weather instruments and how are they
used.
D. Additional content
1. No additional content
IV. Implementation
A. Introduction
1. The teacher will begin with a review of all the storms learned
yesterday since there will be a quiz at the end of this lesson on
storms and weather instruments.
http://exchange.smarttech.com/details.html?id=4b5625fc-535c-4e7a8bc1-6ab9bdad5d01
2. The teacher will start the lesson by reading the book, What Will the
Weather Be? By: Lynda DeWitt. Before the teacher reads, she will
tell her students to pay attention on how they determine the weather.
3. The teacher will then have a discussion about the book highlighting
the new information. They will chart everything they learned from
the book and brainstorm other things they know that meteorologists
use or do to determine the weather.
B. Development
1. The teacher will tell the students that today we are going to learn
about the different weather instruments. She will tell them that
meteorologists use these instruments when determining the weather.
We are going to be meteorologists for the day!
2. The teacher will have the students do an activity as a pre-assessment
to see how much they already know about the different weather

instruments. The students will be given an envelope filled with

picture cards of a weather instrument and cards that say what it
measures and a picture of the type of weather it is used for. The
students will dump out all the cards in the envelope and match them
up on what they think is correct. They will do this activity
independently. The teacher will walk around to monitor and see what
the students already know. (see attached) (performance
assessment) (formative assessment)
a. The teacher will number the cards, making the two cards that
match have the same number. After the students matched
them up, they can check the numbers to see if they are
correct.
b. The teacher will also use a rubric to assess the students on
this activity.
3. Next the teacher will use a SMARTboard lesson to teach the
different instruments. As the teacher is going through the lesson, the
students will fill in a guided notes sheet to go in their science
journals. (see attached) http://express.smarttech.com/?
url=http://exchangedownloads.smarttech.com/public/content/ac/ac07
8a3c-1b70-4bee-8deb-11b02fb8e12c/Patriots%20TV%20Weather
%20Tools%20PBL.notebook#
4. Then the teacher will play a weather instruments song to reinforce
all the instruments the students just learned.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kBfaAN_tWW4
5. The students will create their own weather instrument. Each table
will make a different weather instrument. The teacher will randomly
select which table makes what instrument. The teacher will assist
each table and give assistance when needed.
a. One table will make a thermometer and have all the materials
needed on their table.
i. They will fill one fourth of the water bottle with
water using a measuring cup. They also need to
put equal amount of rubbing alcohol which the
teacher will assist them with.
ii. Then the students will add a few drops of food
coloring to the bottle
iii. Next, the students will put the straw in the bottle
without it touching the bottom
iv. The students will then use modeling clay to
cover the top of the bottle to keep the straw in
place.
v. Then the students will hold the bottom of the
bottle and watch the mixture move up through
the straw.
b. Another table will create their own rain gauge and have
all the materials needed on their table.

i. The teacher will give the students a plastic

bottle with the top already cut off. The bottle
will be labeled like a ruler on the side.
ii. The students can place some stones in the bottle.
iii. Then the students will take the top of the bottle
that was cut off and put in upside down. They
will tape it to the bottle the teacher may need to
help with this.
iv. Then the students will look at the bottle and find
the line. The students will pour water up to that
line.
c. The next table will create their own wind vane using the
materials given to them on their table.
i. The students will be given an arrow to cut out of
poster board or thicker paper. After they cut the
arrow out the students will tape on side of it to
one side of a pen cap.
ii. The students will then make a ball with the
modeling clay. They will then put the clay ball
on a paper plate in order to place the pencil
eraser side down into the clay so it can stand up
iii. Next, the students will set the pen cap on the
pencil point so the arrow can move freely. The
teacher might need to assist the students with
this step.
iv. Lastly, the students will label the plate north,
south, east, and west.
d. The last table will create their own anemometer using
the materials on their table.
i. The students will be given four small size
plastic cups with one hole punched in each
about one half below the rim. The fifth cup will
have four equally below the rim and one hole in
the center of the bottom of the cup.
ii. The students will color the bottom of one of the
four cups with a permanent marker.
iii. Next the students will push a straw through the
hole of one of the cups. Then fold the end of the
straw inside and tape it to the inside of the cup
on the opposite side of the hole.
iv. With the cup attached, push the straw through
two of the holes in the fifth cup and attach
another cup to the opposite end. It is important
the students make sure the cup openings are
facing opposite directions. The teacher may

need to help with this step so they can get the

hang of it so they can do it for the other steps.
v. The students will repeat the previous step with
the two other cups.
vi. The teacher will help the students push the pin
through the straws and the bottom of the cup
into the eraser of the pencil.
vii. The students will make a ball out of modeling
clay and place it on a plate. Then they will stick
the pencil into the clay so it can stand up.
6. After each table makes an instrument, each table will be given data
from one week. This data would be from the same instrument they
made (formative assessment)
a. The students will also be given a graph with the x and y axis
already labeled. (see attached)
b. The students will work together to create the graph on chart
paper.
c. The teacher will walk around as they are working and assist
them if needed.
d. Then the teacher will put all the graphs on the board and they
will discuss and interpret each graph.
7. The teacher will do a quick review on the material learned. Then the
students will complete a quiz that covers the weather instruments
and storms which was taught in the previous lesson. (see attached)
C. Closure
1. To wrap up the lesson, the teacher will review the weather
instruments one more time to stress how they are used to determine
the weather.
2. The teacher will tell the students to look for these instruments on a
daily basis. The teacher will explain that these instruments are talked
about on the news every day.
3. The teacher will have the students share something they learned
together or an interesting fact they did not know before.
D. Accommodations/Differentiation
1. To accommodate Jimmy who has ADHD, the teacher will make sure
Jimmy is sitting close to the SMARTboard so he is able to focus and
pay attention without getting distracted. The teacher will allow him
to take breaks when he needs or stand up and walk around.
2. All students will be able to take a break for a couple minutes
3. All students will get a copy of the notes

E. Assessment/Evaluation Plan
1. Formative
a) The teacher will use a checklist to assess if they remembered what
they learned about storms during the quick storms review.
2. Summative
a) The students will take a quiz at the end of this lesson that covers the
weather instruments learned today and the material on storms learned
yesterday.

V. Reflective Response
A. Report of Student Performance in Terms of Stated Objectives (Reflection on
student performance written after lesson is taught, includes remediation for
students who fail to meet acceptable level of achievement)
Remediation Plan
B. Personal Reflection (Questions written before lesson is taught. Reflective
answers to question recorded after lesson is taught)
1. How could this lesson be improved?
2. Are the students appropriately reflecting in their journal?
3. After the completion of the lesson are the students able to restate and
identify what they just learned?
VI. Resources (in APA format)
http://www.weatherwizkids.com/weather-forecasting.htm (content)
http://www.sciencekids.co.nz/sciencefacts/careers/meteorologist.html (content)
http://www.weatherwizkids.com/weather-experiments.htm (instruments activity)
https://www.teacherspayteachers.com (guided note sheet)
http://exchange.smarttech.com/details.html?id=4b5625fc-535c-4e7a-8bc16ab9bdad5d01 (storms quick review)
http://express.smarttech.com/?
url=http://exchangedownloads.smarttech.com/public/content/ac/ac078a3c-1b70-4bee8deb-11b02fb8e12c/Patriots%20TV%20Weather%20Tools%20PBL.notebook#
(presentation on weather instruments)
http://www.wunderground.com/history/airport/KRDG/2015/4/7/DailyHistory.html?
req_city=Kutztown&req_state=PA&req_statename=Pennsylvania&reqdb.zip=19530&r
eqdb.magic=1&reqdb.wmo=99999&MR=1 (weather data)

DeWitt, L., & Croll, C. (1991). What will the weather be? New York: HarperCollins.