Brief Description

Our present unit of study is the weather.  Through class discussions, I found that many of my students are not aware of the differences in weather around the world or even in the United States.  Through this activity students will investigate weather phenomenon both locally as well as in countries around the world.  This will also heighten student awareness of the use of maps and the effect of the weather on different environments.

Standards and Frameworks

Technology Standards

• 5T-F1. Recognize electronic information sources

• W-F4. Gather, organize and accurately, clearly and sequentially report information gained from personal observations and experiences such as science experiments, field trips and classroom visitors
• LS-F1. Use effective vocabulary and logical organization to relate or summarize ideas, events and other information
• VP-F4. Interpret visual clues in graphs, tables and charts that enhance the comprehension of text
• 3SS-F2. Identify natural and human characteristics of places and how people interact with and modify their environment, with emphasis on weather
• 6SC-F7. Measure and record changes in weather conditions
• R-F3. Use reading comprehension strategies such as drawing conclusions, summarizing, making predictions, identifying cause and effect, and differentiating fiction from nonfiction

Academic

• Students will summarize and convey weather information to others.
• Students will discuss and compare weather in different parts of the world.
• After working with the Real Time Data, students will be able to make weather observations by looking at the sky.
• Students will understand that weather conditions can and do change during each day.
• Students will understand that weather varies depending on your location.
• Students will compare and contrast the weather conditions in our location with the weather in a country of their choice.
• Students will identify and use symbols, the compass rose, and cardinal directions to locate their country on the map.
• Students will measure distance on a map.
• Students will identify how people interact with and modify their environment, with emphasis on the weather.
• Students will identify potential sources of information about the weather (e.g., video or cassette tapes, Web pages, CD-ROMs)

• Students will access, interpret, and compare weather reports using Real Time data from Internet sites including Weather Underground at: http://www.wunderground.com/US/  or  The Weather Channel at: http://www.weather.com
• Students will identify potential sources of information about the weather (e.g., video or cassette tapes, Web pages, CD-ROMs)
• Students will locate information in a resource selected by the teacher.

• Students must be comfortable using the mouse.
• They must be familiar with the Internet and able to follow verbal or written directions to find the correct URL.

• Record sheet
• Computer
• Computer lab (helpful)
• Timer or clock

General

• Technology projects are routine in our class so all students feel more comfortable with technology activities.
• Students will have collected weather data as a homework assignment to help familiarize themselves with the terminology.
• When individual work is to be completed in the lab, direction sheets are available for each student.
• A rubric is used to assess which enables all students to progress toward higher-level production
• Students will complete a self-assessment sheet of their final product.

• A direction sheet is placed at the center.  When individual work is to be completed in the lab, direction sheets are available for each student.
• Although each student will complete their own record sheet, students will be paired to work together on the same country. (Students decide on the country)
• When students are working individually in the lab, they will be seated in an arrangement so that students needing some help are placed by students that are familiar with the program.  They may choose to sit with their partner as well.

• Students will be asked if anyone is familiar with the Internet and if so, they will be set up as the experts for other students to go to for help.
• More advanced students will be asked to look up information at more than one URL and compare the findings.
• Students that complete their data collection early may help another student.
• Students will be allowed to investigate other factors affected by the weather in their country. They will be asked to share the information with the class.

1. We have been working on a unit studying weather.  Students should look through books and become familiar with vocabulary associated with weather.
2. Students will collect data about the weather choosing different states to report their data on.  They are able to use any media available to them including newspapers, T.V., radio etc.
3. There will be a class discussion and comparison of data from the different states.
4. Teacher will go through a thorough demonstration of using the Internet and different weather sites.  Teacher will demonstrate 2 different sites and class will compare the data that they are able to collect from each site.
5. Students will choose a partner.  Together they will choose a country of their choice.
6. An instruction sheet will be posted at the computer center including the sites used above.
7. A data collection sheet will be handed out titled Comparing the Weather (1).
8. Each student will complete an individual sheet even though they will be working in pairs.  Students will use a timer to allow equal time on the computer.
9. Teacher will include this information on an instruction sheet for students to use during their computer lab time.
10. Every student will be expected to record data on their sheets in class each day for a week.
11. Teacher must allow time for students to find their information.  Computer Lab time is a good time to accomplish this activity in a very short time.
12. At the end of a week, students will “report” their findings.  A class discussion will follow comparing their data.
13. The students will complete an individual assessment sheet.  They will compare their sheet with their partner!!

• Data Collection sheet will be turned in to be graded.
• Anecdotal records will be kept while the students are working to document procedures completed and on task behavior.
• Each student will fill out a self-assessment sheet as well.