Weather Lesson Plan: Earth’s Systems
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This lesson accompanies the BrainPOP topic Weather, and supports the standard of analyzing how the motions and complex interactions of air masses result in changes in weather conditions. Students demonstrate understanding through a variety of projects.
Step 1: ACTIVATE PRIOR KNOWLEDGE
Ask students:
- What is your favorite type of weather? Is this weather typical for where you live?
Step 2: BUILD KNOWLEDGE
- Read the description on the Weather topic page.
- Play the Movie, pausing to check for understanding.
- Have students read one of the three Related Reading articles. Partner them with someone who read a different article to share what they learned with each other.
Step 3: APPLY and ASSESS
Students take the Weather Challenge and Quiz, applying essential literacy skills while demonstrating what they learned about this topic.
Step 4: DEEPEN and EXTEND
Students express what they learned about weather while practicing essential literacy skills with one or more of the following activities. Differentiate by assigning ones that meet individual student needs.
- Make-a-Movie: Produce a news report that answers this question: What is the weather forecast for the next five days?
- Make-a-Map: Create a cause and effect map explaining how temperature, humidity, and air pressure affect weather patterns.
- Creative Coding: Code a newscast announcing an upcoming storm. Include details about how it will impact the weather.
- Primary Source Activity: Examine an 1860s weather map and cite evidence to answer the accompanying questions.
More to Explore
Wind Simulator: Change wind and air pressure to make weather patterns.
Weather Unit: Continue to build understanding around Earth’s systems with more BrainPOP topics.
Teacher Support Resources:
- Pause Point Overview: Video tutorial showing how Pause Points actively engage students to stop, think, and express ideas.
- Learning Activities Modifications: Strategies to meet ELL and other instructional and student needs.
- Learning Activities Support: Resources for best practices using BrainPOP.
