Weather and Climate Lesson Plan
Ashley Wallace, Craig Chabut, & JD Keller
EDFON420 (Independent Study EDEL491.001s)
2.7.2007
Lesson Objective: Students will be able to examine and compare elements of Australian weather and climate conditions to those in Indiana.
IN Standard: Standard 3 - Students observe changes of Earth and the sky. They continue to explore the concepts of energy and motion.
IN Indicator:3.3.5Give examples of how change, such as weather patterns, is a continual process occurring on Earth.
* This standard is identified as a Third grade standard but closely relates to the topic we are researching.
Materials/Media: Instructional aids needed to teach
Motivation:The teacher allows students to explore the Australia Centre website to generate interest in the country of Australia. The teacher then tells the students that they will be watching a video prepared by BallState students that discusses Australian weather and climate.
Procedure:
New Information/skill:
- Overview of Australian weather and climate
- Seasons
- Temperatures and Conversions
- Comparison to Indiana weather and climate
- Ozone and Sun Protection
Modeling:Students will watch the video on Australian weather and climate.
Ideas for Guided Practice:
- Venn diagram comparing weather in Australia to weather in Indiana – Diagram could be done with an overhead, worksheet, dry erase board – See attachment for our rough draft.
- Temperature Game –The Teacher gives students a temperature in degrees Celsius and asks students to act how this temperature would feel (hot, mild, cold). For example, if the teacher gives 50 degrees C some students would predict a cool or mild temperature when in reality this is well over 100 degrees F. To obtain the Fahrenheit temperature students would have to do the conversion. A similar game could be played going from F to C.
- After the students watch the movie they are all asked to think of a question or fact that’s answer is related to weather in Australia, Indiana, or both. One at a time students read questions aloud while the other students decided the answer by moving to an area in the classroom designated as one of the three answers.