Brief Description

Students will use a website to track and observe the weather of other states or countries where they have friends or relatives living. This meets Arizona Science, Social Studies and Technology Standards. The students will then use the information that they have gathered to compare and contrast the weather in the state they live in to the weather of another state.

Standards and Frameworks

Technology Standards

• 1T-F2. Demonstrate functional operations of technology components
• 1T-F3. Use developmentally appropriate technology resources to access information and communicate electronically
• 5T-F1. Recognize electronic information sources

• 1SC-F3. Identify and record changes and patterns of changes in a familiar system
• 2SC-F2. Understand that scientific inquiry has produced much knowledge about the world, that much is still unknown, and that some things will always be unknown
• 6SC-F5. Identify major features of natural processes and forces that shape the earth’s surface, including weathering and volcanic activity
• 6SC-F6. Describe natural events and how humans are affected by them
• 6SC-F7. Measure and record changes in weather conditions
• 3SS-F1. Construct and interpret maps and other geographic tools, including the use of map elements to organize information about people, places, and environments
• 3SS-F2. Identify natural and human characteristics of places and how people interact with and modify their environment

Academic

• In the computer lab, the students will use a map to observe and track weather conditions in at least one different state or country for five consecutive days and record their information on a Data Collection Sheet, followed by the completion of the Weather Questionnaire.

• The students will access the website http://www.wunderground.com/, successfully locate their chosen city or town and record the current weather conditions.

Students will need to know:

• Basic keyboarding skills (how to locate home-row on the keyboard)
• How to locate the URL address bar and enter in a teacher given address

• Use of a computer with Aver Key (connected to a television monitor in the classroom) and Internet access to the website http://www.wunderground.com/
• Internet access for each student (Computer Lab, Library)
• “Where Are They?” handout
• Data Collection Sheet

Students with special needs will be accommodated by the following ways:

• SEI (Sheltered-English Immersion) students will have a class buddy to work with. SEI students may click on the picture of their state by locating it on the map instead of typing in the name. Then they may scroll down until they match the name of their town or city that is on their “Where Are They?” handout.
• Students with an IEP (Individualized Education Plan) will be given additional work time with in the computer lab.
• Gifted students will be asked to record more detailed information on their Data Collection Sheet (ex: the difference between the low and the high for each day, records for a particular day). Additionally, they may also choose to track another location as well.

One week before your lesson explain to the students that you are going to continue your study on weather. In order to learn more about the weather in other locations, we will be studying the weather in cities and towns where students have friends or family living.  Send home with each student a copy of the “Where Are They?” handout. They will return this to class with the information provided.

Day 1
In the Computer Lab (or other location where there is Internet access for each student, should take 20 minutes each day) have them access the website http://www.wunderground.com/ . The address can be copied and passed out to each student to verify accuracy. Using the “Where Are They?” handout that was previously passed out, have them correctly type in the name of their city or town at the top of the page labeled “Fast Forecast.” This will bring up the weather information for their city on that day. Have each student record the information on the “Data Collection Sheet" under Day 1 category.

Day 2- Day 5
Repeat this process for Day 2 through Day 5 recording the data collected.

Day 6
When all of the data has been recorded have the students answer the following questions:

• What was the highest temperature in your location and when did it occur?
• What was the lowest temperature in your location and when did it occur?
• How much rain did your location receive?
• Would you like to live in the town you tracked the weather for? Why or why not?

Assessment

Assessment for this lesson will begin through the displaying of the URL address for this website, http://www.wunderground.com/ . Once the students have correctly assessed this website, they will use their map to observe and track weather conditions in at least one different state or country for five consecutive days and record their information on a Data Collection Sheet. This will then be followed by the successful completion of the Weather Questionnaire.