Lesson and Lab Ideas for 4th Grade Weather

1. Keep a class weather chart of the temperature, barometer reading, humidity, cloud type, precipitation. Much of this information can be graphed to show change over time. Ask students to analyze this data and determine what their prediction is for the next day’s weather. Do this regularly as students learn more about how the tools and processes of weather work. In doing this, students cover many of the indicators in the standard.

2. Build weather tools. As you have students build the tools, process with them how these tools work and why they are important for weather prediction. Use the materials on weather tools handed out in SETS class to inform your discussions.

3. Students design a weather report format and record each other forecasting the weather. Each team takes a different day. Compare student forecasts to professional forecasts. Keep a chart of outcomes and lead a discussion as to why professional forecasts might be more accurate.

4. Observe clouds and have students keep photos or pictures they have drawn of different cloud types. Discuss the relative height of different types of clouds. Students will need to memorize the names and relative heights of different cloud types.

5. Create a cloud in a jar to show how particles in the air help in cloud formation. An inquiry approach to this might be to ask students what types of particles they might find in the air and challenge them to create a cloud in a bottle using their best guess particle. Some choices might be dust, smoke, leaf bits, or other tiny particles.

6. Challenge students to come up with a demonstration that shows that air is a substance, it takes up space, moves from one place to another, and can be measured. Discuss the different ways we measure air such as its temperature, speed and direction of movement, humidity, and density.

7. Create a table with data on different types of weather which includes degrees of severity. (Examples below – note this isn’t every weather type you could list, nor the only way you could design your table.)

Type of Weather / Mild / Moderate / Severe
rain / shower, drizzle / rainstorm / thunderstorm
snow / snow flurries / snowstorm / blizzard
no rain / a few days of no rain / several weeks of little rain / months or years of little rain

8. Lead a discussion of how weather affects our lives and how it affects the world around us. Include how knowing what the weather is likely to be can mitigate these effects.

Videos you might like to use:

Note: many videos, including the Bill Nye series and the Magic School Bus are only available from UIMC+ eMedia. You can reach them through your UEN page. If you don’t have a UEN page, you can get on easily by visiting UEN.org. Follow the links to create your page. The UIMC+ eMedia link is at the bottom of your personal page.

Weather (UIMC+ eMedia)

Weather on the Move (Digital Science Online through your UEN page)

Weather Around Us (Digital Science Online through your UEN page)

Bill Nye Wind (UIMC+ eMedia)

Bill Nye Storms (UIMC+ eMedia)

Bill Nye Water Cycle (a good review and good information about how the water cycle is driven by weather and the sun’s heat.) (UIMC+ eMedia)