Springfield College

Lesson Plan Template

Teacher: John Laviolette
Date: November 2015
Subject: Science Weather
Grade Level: 4th Grade
Title of Lesson: #1 Ingredients of Weather
Lesson Length: 2 classes
40 minutes each
Overview of the Lesson
Lesson Summary:
HOOK: Students will be presented with a short video of weather events.
ACTIVATOR: Students will be independently write an answer to the question on the
board, What is weather?
THINK, PAIR, SHARE: Students will discuss their answer with their partner and groups
will share out;
MINI- LESSON: Discuss how the factors of atmosphere that surrounds the earth, the
energy from the sun(in the form of heat), the amount of water in the air and the
movement of the Earth (rotation/revolution) all combine to affect our weather and
climate. These factors are like the ingredients in a cake, we need all of them for
weather to take place- or for the cake to come out right.
INDEPENDENT WORK: Students will complete the graphic organizer on Ingredients of
Weather
SUMMARY- Ticket to Leave: Students will write the definition of weather- re-answering
the original question, What is weather?
Massachusetts Framework Standards:
3-5 E.S. #6 Explain how air temperature, moisture, wind speed and direction, and precipitation make up the
weather in a particular place and time.
3-5 E.S. #7 Distinguish among the various forms of precipitation (rain, snow, sleet, and hail), making
connections to the weather in a particular place and time.
3-5 E.S. #9 Differentiate between weather and climate.
Language Standards
RI.3. Explain events, procedures, ideas, or concepts in a historical, scientific, or technical text, including what happened and why, based on specific
information in the text.
W.1. Write opinion pieces on topics or texts, supporting a point of view with reasons and information.
a. Introduce a topic or text clearly, state an opinion,
RF4. Read with sufficient accuracy and fluency to support comprehension.
a. Read grade-level text with purpose and understanding.
SL.1. Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacher-led) with diverse partners on grade 4 topics
and texts, building on others ideas and expressing their own clearly.
L.1. Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar and usage when writing or speaking.

Lesson Objectives: The students will be able to.. describe orally,

graphically or through written means: what weather is and list some simple
types of weather events I will be able to explain what weather through written, oral
or graphical means list types of weather and understand that it changes daily and that
climate is the pattern of weather that happens in a region over a long period of time.
the state of the air and atmosphere at a particular time and place
Materials/Equipment to be Used in Teaching the Lesson:
Video or pictures displayed on elmo, graphic organizer, paper, whiteboard

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Lesson Plan Template
Enduring Understandings:
Big Ideas: The students will understand that weather is the state or condition of
the air and atmosphere at a particular time and place
Climate is the weather pattern or average weather for a region that is measured
over long periods of time.

Concepts: Things that affect weather, temperature and moisture;

How the changes of state of water tie in to the weather ie: the water cycle;

Essential Questions:
How can weather far away from Springfield affect our everyday lives?
Why does weather change from day to day?
What are some ways we can prepare for weather?
Content
Factual Content: There is a combination of factors that leads to our daily weather.
The atmosphere that surrounds the earth, the energy from the sun, the amount of
water in the air and the rotation/revolution of the earth all combine to affect our
weather and climate. Weather is the condition of the air at a particular place and time,
changes daily, and may have extremes. Climate is the weather pattern or average
weather for a region that is measured over long periods of time.
Vocabulary:
Tier 1:
Weather, rain, snow, wind,
Tier 2:
Precipitation, hurricane, tornado, climate, rotation, revolution, heat energy, water
vapor, humidity
Tier 3:
atmosphere
Critical Thinking Skills (Reading, Writing, Speech, Listening)
Listening- Students will be given the opportunity to hear the vocabulary words and to
their peers in Think, Pair Share
Writing- Students will write the answer to the Think, Pair, Share question and in their
graphic organizers
Speech-Students will discuss the question with each other
Reading- Students can read the vocabulary words written on the whiteboard
Assessments (Performance Tasks/Tests/Quizzes Formative/Summative,
Informal/Formal)
Ticket to Leave: Students will write the definition of weather- re-answering the
original question, What is weather?
Tell about an Ingredient of weather.

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Lesson Plan Template

Action/Instructional Procedures
Procedures: For each procedure, list the teacher or student actions (with accommodations and modifications) as
well as the anticipated amount of time it will take to accomplish each task.

Anticipatory Set: (hook) 1 minute Video of 30 foot snows being cleared on a Japanese roadway

Step One: Hand out graphic organizers, and present students with the question: What is weather?

Step Two: Think Pair, Share. Allow students 30 seconds to 1 minute Think time. Students should then
discuss with a partner what they think weather is and write down their thoughts. After 2 minutes, groups
will share out with the class.
Step Three: Present the definition of weather.( weather is the state or condition of the air and
atmosphere at a particular time and place)
Discuss the difference between weather events (storms, rain, snow etc, and the actual definition of
weather to clear up misconceptions.)

Step Four: The Weather Ingredients to be entered into the graphic organizer. Italicized information is
to be written along with any pictures or diagrams.
o 1. Atmosphere. Hand out an M&M to each student (check for dietary restrictions beforehand).
The atmosphere is a thin layer of gasses that surround the Earth, similar to the candy shell
surrounding the chocolate. (Allow students to bite the candy in half to see this) The atmosphere
is where weather takes place.
o 2. Heat Energy from the Sun. Ask students what the candy they ate will give them. Guide to the
answer energy. Explain that weather needs energy to happen and it gets it from the sun in the
form of heat- The sun affects the temperature on Earth.
o 3. Amount of Water Vapor in the Atmosphere aka Humidity. As we learned in our States of
Matter unit, water vapor may condense into liquid water which gives us our precipitation. It is
part of the water cycle.
o 4. Movement of the Earth. Rotation of the Earth moves our weather form place to place and
causes the jet stream. The revolution of the Earth around the sun causes the four seasons.

All other steps:

Closure: As a Ticket to Leave, have students list one ingredient and write one sentence about it, or,
answer What is Weather?

Homework/Extension Activities: Watch the local weather forecast and write down any vocabulary words
you hear.

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Lesson Plan Template
GRAPHIC ORGANIZER NEXT PAGE

The Ingredients
of Weather:
What makes
weather happen
Science
- Ingredients
of Weather
NAME________________________________________________DATE_____________
The first ingredient of weather is

The second ingredient of weather is

________________________.

_______________________.

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Lesson Plan Template
The third ingredient of weather is

The fourth ingredient of weather is

_________________________.

______________________.

WEATHER IS