Education Standards
Feeling Hot, Hot, Hot! - Grade K
Overview
Elementary school lessons utilize local phenomenon and are organized by grade level. By organizing instruction around local phenomenon, students are provided with a reason to learn shifting the focus from learning about a disconnected topic to figuring out why or how something happens. #Going 3D with GRC
Lesson - Weather
Student Science Performance
Phenomenon: We are hotter and sweatier after lunch recess than morning recess.
Gather:
1. Students investigate patterns in daily temperature.
2. Students measure the outside temperature 4 times a day for 4 days.
3. Students record the data on a data chart to make a model of changes in daily temperature.
(Teaching Suggestions: This lesson helps students focus on patterns. This is a good lesson to do in Q1 summer (whole group), Q2 fall (individual), Q3 winter (individual), and Q4 spring (individual). Get a digital thermometer that kids can read easily. There is a chart in Appendix B that you can modify the (1) times for your school day and (2) temperature for warmer/colder months).
Reason:
4. Students analyze the temperature data (1) daily and (2) at the end of the week to find patterns of change.
Class Discussion:
- What changes in temperature did you notice?
- What patterns did you see in our charts for the temperature?
- Why does it get warmer during the day and cooler at night?
- What do you predict the temperature will be tomorrow early morning? mid-morning? mid-day? end of the day?
(Teaching Suggestions: Focus students on the pattern that the sun warms the land during the day and the temperature warms up during the day and cools off during the night when the sun is not shining. CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.K.CC.C.6 Consider using greater than/less than to describe temperature changes.)
Communicate Reasoning:
5. Students communicate by speaking about the typical daily weather patterns.
(Teaching Suggestions: In small groups (pairs, buddy buzzing, elbow partners, etc.) use a piece of paper or google document to write student names and explanations/arguments for patterns of temperature change. Discuss via the whole group to come up with an agreed-upon explanation/argument.)
*See attached document below for full lesson.
Additional Lessons can be found at #Going 3D with GRC (Gathering, Reasoning and Communicating). Original authors were: Jonathan Kissida and Joyce Larson