The Air Up There

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Students chart weather conditions and determine the average temperature over the course of a school week.

OBJECTIVE
Students Will:

1. Observe and record weather conditions.
2. Learn how to determine a mean/average number.
3. Calculate the average weather temperature over a 5-day period.

MATERIALS

1. Clothing/Props appropriate for your current climate
2. Chart Paper or chalkboard
3. Markers
4. 20-30 cubes per group
5. Containers to hold the cubes
6. Weather Watcher (PDF) from The Big Book of Reproducible Graphic Organizers
7. Index Cards

SET UP AND PREPARE

1. Gather appropriate clothing to wear that represents your current climate. If you would like to engage students even further, wear something that is directly opposite. For example, don sunglasses, a beach hat, shorts, and sandals if it is chilly outside.
2. Determine how you will access your weather conditions and daily temperatures during the 5-day observation period. You can access this information on the Internet or arrange to have a local newspaper brought to school. If desired, you may wish to choose 5 students who will be responsible for sharing the daily weather condition and temperature with the class over the next five days.
3. Divide class into groups of 2-4 for mean/average activity.
4. For each group, prepare separate containers of 20-30 cubes for mean/average activity.
5. Copy the Weather Watcher printable for each student.
6. Make a transparency of the Weather Watcher printable.
7. After all 5 temperatures have been recorded, write these temperatures on 5 different index cards.

REPRODUCIBLES

1. Weather Watcher (PDF)
   

DIRECTIONS
I recommend beginning this lesson on a Monday so that you have five consecutive days to record weather observations.

Days 1-5

Step 1: Dress in your weather “costume” and props prior to the students entering the classroom. As they file in, allow them to react to your clothing.

Step 2: Begin by exaggerating how cold/hot it is outside. Allow students to respond to your interpretation of the weather or misinterpretation, if you are being humorous. Encourage them to talk about the current climate and that of the previous week, asking them to support their observations. Record their vocabulary on the board or chart paper as they discuss the weather outside. Lead them to use the following terms, when appropriate: temperature, sunny, windy, rainy, snowy, cloudy, partly cloudy, meteorologist, etc. Accept all responses.

Step 3: Share with the students that they will become meteorologists over the next several days as they observe the weather conditions. Share the Weather Watcher transparency with the students and read the various weather conditions displayed on the chart: Sunny, Windy, Rainy, Snowy, Cloudy, Partly Cloudy. Explain that they will be using this chart to track weather conditions and record daily temperatures for the next five days.

Step 4: Model this process. Distribute the Weather Watcher printable to each student. Ask student helper to obtain your current climate and temperature either on the Internet, newspaper, or other source. He/she records information on the Weather Watcher transparency, as students do the same on their copy.

Step 5: Repeat the process through Day 5.

Continue Day 5

Step 1: Inform students that today they will learn how to determine the weekly average temperature using the data they collected during the past week.

Step 2: Organize students into small groups and distribute a basket of cubes to each. Emphasize the importance of teamwork and following step-by-step directions as you guide them through the activity. Repeat the following steps several times to ensure that all students have the opportunity to follow along.

Step 3: Instruct groups to make two unequal stacks of cubes. They do not have to use all of the cubes.

Step 4: Count the number of cubes in each stack.

Step 5: Combine the two stacks into one big stack.

Step 6: Divide the stack into two smaller stacks that contain the same number in each stack. Count the number in each stack. This number is the mean or the average.

Step 7: Repeat the activity using more than two different stacks of cubes. Check for understanding.

Step 8: In whole group setting, display the completed Weather Watcher transparency. Challenge students to use their completed Weather Watcher printable to determine the mean/average temperature over the last five days.

Step 9: Ask students to tell you the lowest recorded temperature. Select a student to hold the index card with that temperature. Next, ask students to tell you the highest temperature recorded. Select a student to hold that card opposite the other student.

Step 10: Explain to students that placing the lowest and highest recorded temperatures at opposite ends will help us determine the mean or average temperature for the week. Distribute the remaining temperatures on index cards in random order to selected students. Have these students stand in ascending order between the lowest and highest temperatures (students holding the cards). When all are in line, check that they are in the correct order.

Step 11: Ask the two students at either end of the line to take two big steps forward. Next, ask those on the ends of the remaining line to step forward. Continue until one student remains. Explain that this is the mean or average temperature.

SUPPORTING ALL LEARNERS
Pair struggling students with helpers when determining your small groups.

LESSON EXTENSION

1. Extend the activity by transferring the recorded information to a bar graph
2. Chorally read the following poem during the 5-day observation period:

Zero Degrees
by Betsy Franco

Your cheeks,
your nose,
your fingers,
your toes
all feel it the most
when the temperature goes
to zero degrees
or somewhere
below.

ASSESS STUDENTS
Teacher Observation: Observe students’ ability to record daily weather conditions and temperatures as well as determining mean/averages.

ASSIGNMENTS

1. Complete Weather Watcher chart.
2. Participate in a mean/average activity.

HOME CONNECTION
Instruct students to determine the mean/average of 3 sporting event scores from their local newspaper.

EVALUATE THE LESSON

1. Were students able to collect and record weather data?
2. Did the students demonstrate a basic understanding of determining mean/average?

Operation Weather Station
Students compare data they obtain from a working weather station to actual weather information from newspapers or online sources.

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