Weather: Unit Overview

Differentiation is the name of the game in this unit on weather. I start with words, lots of words. The unit introduces quite a bit of vocabulary, especially for English Language Learners, so words are key. After gathering words from one of the best weather stories ever written, students use their words to create a weather dictionary or fantastical weather story. This adds a bit of writing to the unit. Then we transition to expressing understanding about weather through coding a weather event using Scratch, Jr. If that were not enough fun, the unit wraps up by “playing with clouds” to paint the water cycle (using shaving cream). The water cycle (aka shaving cream) lesson is one of the children’s all-time favorites and it has an added benefit of getting the tables spotlessly clean at the same time! This unit has bits of literature, writing, art, and technology all bundled up into one. I hope you find it as enjoyable as my students and I do.