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EDST 3000 Lesson Planning Template
Name:
Spenser White
Grade
level: 1st
Grade
Expected Duration of Lesson (hours,
minutes, days)
1-hour lesson, Day One of Weather Unit
Date
Lesson Topic/Title/Essential Question: Working with Weather
What are the different kinds of weather, how does weather help/harm us?
Standards/Benchmarks Addressed (use practicum district’s or Common Core curriculum standards
AND Discipline specific standards from relevant professional organization):
Source # Content Area Standard (write it out)
NGSS
(Next
Generation
Science
Standards)
K-ESS2-1 Weather and Climate Use and share observations of local
weather conditions to describe patterns
over time.
Common
Core
CCSS.ELA-
LITERACY.W.1.2
Writing Write informative/explanatory texts in
which they name a topic, supply some facts
about the topic, and provide some sense of
closure.
Common
Core
CCSS.ELA-
LITERACY.W.1.8
Writing With guidance and support from adults,
recall information from experiences or
gather information from provided sources
to answer a question.
*Note: The NGSS standards I found were written for grades K-2 as a group.
Lesson Objectives: Students will be able to:
1. Students will be able to describe the different kinds of weather.
2. Students will be able to identify seasonal and everyday weather patterns.
Academic Language Objective: Based on the language demands of this lesson, how does this lesson
develop student abilities to understand and/or produce the academic language (e.g. relevant genresi,
key vocabulary or phrases, and/or linguistic features of the relevant genre) that is part of this lesson?
Note Please see the appendix of your TPAC content level material for a list of genres, linguistic features,
connector words, and/or text organization specific to your field.
Language students will learn
From the book “Cloudy with a Chance of
Meatballs”
Language students need to already know
Basic weather patterns (sunny, rainy, foggy,
windy, cloudy)
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Prediction
This lesson allows students to present their prior
knowledge of weather vocabulary. No new
weather related information will be presented for
this lesson.
Conditions associated with weather (snow, sleet,
fog, rainbows, storms, etc).
Evaluation/Assessment: (Include Samples w criteria in Appendix)
Informal/Formative
Students contribution to class discussion of
“Weather Words” (See Appendix A) and teacher
observation will serve as an assessment because
it will allow me to see which students are
participating and who is not participating.
Formal/Summative
The student’s picture of their “Weather Word”
and accompanied writing will serve as the formal
assessment. Students must draw a colored picture
related to a “Weather Word” of their choice AND
complete the three-question writing prompt. (See
Appendix B for example)
Primary Instructional Model(s)
used
Concept Teaching
Materials and Equipment Needed:
“Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs” by Judi Barrett
Markers, crayons, or colored pencils
Large notepad (for taking class notes)
Sharpies (for writing down Weather Words)
Lined paper
Pencils
Step by Step Procedures:
Expected
time
frame
What are you teaching? What is the content? What is
happening? (include guiding questions and their
purposes)
Standard(s)
being met
Lesson
Opening
8-10
minutes
While students are working at a previous lesson, I will set
up the circle area by placing “Cloudy with a Chance of
Meatballs” in plain sight (to spark students attention),
place a large notepad and markers next to the chair,
prepare art materials for lesson near students work area.
When the students are finished with their previous
lesson, I will call them over to the “circle area” of the
classroom and read to them “Cloudy with a Chance of
Meatballs” by Judi Barrett. In order to gain students
attention, I would say “I am going to read this book to
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you, can anyone tell me what the title is?” *wait for
response* “Has anyone read this book or seen the
movie?” *wait for response* “Well while we are reading
this book, I want you to be on the lookout for different
weather patterns that we see in real life through the
book.”
Examples: Rain, tornado, etc.
While reading the book, I will periodically stop and ask
the class to describe what type of real-life weather
pattern is being shown in different parts of the book.
Transition 1-2
minute
Explain objective to students: For today’s lesson, we are
going to focus on different kinds of weather, what it looks
like, and how it both helps and harms people.
Body of
Lesson
(note
important
transitions)
8-10
minutes
1-2
minutes
25-30
minutes
1. I will ask the class “What is weather?”
a. Allow students to share their idea of what
weather is, then explain “Weather is the
state of the atmosphere (the sky), which
can change every day.”
i. Before explaining what weather is,
ask question (where does the
weather come from?), then lead
into explanation.
2. I will explain to students that we are going to
compose a class list of “Weather Words”: words
that come to mind when we think of the word
“weather”. Students will be asked to raise a quiet
hand to tell me a “Weather Word”, which I will
right down on the big notepad next to me. Allow
every child to have a chance to share a “Weather
Word”.
3. When the list is full or students run out of words,
praise them for their list size.
Transition: I have a new job for you guys to do with this
list of words.
4. I will explain to students that they are going to
choose their favorite word on the list, and they
will have to draw a picture of that weather, and
write down on a piece of lined paper three things:
1. How does this weather help?
2. How does this weather harm?
K-ESS2-1
CCSS.ELA-
LITERACY.W.1.8
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3. What kinds of things and I do in this weather?
4. I will pull out my premade example of the
assignment, share it with the class, answer any
questions, and dismiss the students to their
tables.
5. Students will be given a piece of printer paper to
draw a picture and one piece of lined paper to
write their questions.
6. When students have completed both their
picture and their writing task, I will assign
students into groups of 4. In their groups,
students will share with their peers their pictures
and writing. The group will pick one person to
share their weather picture/writing with the class.
7. When students are done in small groups, I will call
the class back over to the circle area. Each
selected student from each group will share their
picture. I will ask students if any of them chose to
write about/draw a picture of the same weather
condition that the student presenting chose.
Students will quiet hands; I will create a tally sheet
and take tally marks for all the students who
chose various weather conditions.
a. Which students chose sun? Rain? Wind?
Snow? Storm? Etc.
8. When the tallies have been taken, the class will
decide which weather condition had the most
tallies, and which had the least. When finished,
students will hand in their pictures and writings to
me, and will be dismissed to their tables for the
next activity.
a. After class, hang up the writings/pictures
in a convenient classroom location. The
next day, before starting next weather
lesson, have students do “gallery walk” to
see all their peers work.
CCSS.ELA-
LITERACY.W.1.2
Lesson
Closure
3-5
minutes
1. When all students have presented their
information, we will tally up how many students
chose the same weather word, and see which
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weather word was the most popular in the class.
Students will be able to make predictions about
which word was the most popular.
2. Students will be asked to hand in their pictures
and writings to me, and then be dismissed to
clean up their tables and get ready for the next
lesson.
Classroom Management and Organizational
Considerations: Note any concerns about room
arrangement, behavioral expectations, possible
problematic behaviors, materials handling, significant
transitions.
There needs to be a smooth and accessible walkway
between the students desks and the circle area so that
all students can move from one area to the next
without problems. Possible problematic behavior would
be if children are fighting over art materials (who had
what first, who saw what first, etc), which should try to
be avoided by providing ample art materials of various
colors in large quantities for children to use. The
students are old enough to handle their own art
materials; if they want to use their personal materials,
they may do so, but I will provide a tube of crayons for
each table in case children do not have their own
materials.
Transitions between activities will need to be verbally
expressed; set a time limit for students: “5 minutes left
to finish your picture and writing.” “2 minutes left”, “1
minute left”, etc. Make sure kids are fully aware of the
time they are being given.
Expectations from Class: All students will participate in
writing/drawing activity, and present their information
to the class. If some children are too shy to speak by
themselves, I will help contribute to their presentation
of information to ease some anxiety for student in the
spotlight. Students will also be expected to pick up their
materials when asked.
Differentiation/Special Consideration: Describe
specific strategies designed to support students
with specific learning needs (varied learning
styles/preferences, exceptionalities/disabilities,
family situations, giftedness).
Kids can write as much or as little as able to, some
students could write one thing instead of three if
necessary. However, if some students are fully
capable of writing all three questions, they will be
expected to do so.
Jesse: Jesse is not able to maintain focus for very
long, so I will start out by giving him the task of
drawing his picture and writing only one of the
three writing prompts; he can pick which one he
wants. Stay close to his area at all times in case he
needs one-on-one attention.
Amber: Because Amber is able to write above
grade level, if the writing task presents itself as
too easy of a task and she finishes her assignment
early, I will resort to the Enrichment Activity
section of this lesson (See below).
Anna: Because Anna often confused her Spanish
and English phonics, I will make sure to make
picture cards that show pictures of various
weather conditions and write the English name
underneath it, and present them to her if need
be. I will have Anna sit with a group of
predominantly English speaking students so she
can work with her peers and learn the vocabulary
that way. If she needs individual assistance, I will
make sure to come over to her and have her talk
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out her thinking with me.
Angela: Angela has an anxiety disorder which
negatively impacts her writing abilities. If Angela
shows anxiety when presenting her weather word
with peers, I will have Angela present her weather
word either to a peer she trusts and is
comfortable speaking to, or to myself and count
that as her participation. She excels in art, so the
drawing portion of the lesson should not be a
problem for her.
Diversity/Cultural Considerations: For example, does
your lesson include multiple perspectives? Does it
provide a bridge between students’ home cultures and
the content? If you have English language learners,
what SDAIE strategies are you using?
In order to provide my ELL students with an optimal
learning experience, I have designed this lesson to be
Cooperative and Interactive to coincide with the SDAIE
instruction types. The cooperation and interaction will
come when students are asked to split into groups,
share their weather words and their writings on their
word, and decide who should share their word with the
class. This will give my ELL students a chance to see
their peers who are English speakers talk in the correct
context and give them a chance ot practice speaking
English with their own weather word. In addition, one
of the things I will do for my students prior to
presenting this lesson is I will create “picture cards” for
my ELL and special needs students. These cards will
have pictures of different weather conditions on them,
with the word in English and Spanish underneath the
picture. This will allow the ELL students to make visual
connections between the picture, their understanding
of the word in their first language, and the English
name. If there is a student/some students that speak
languages other than Spanish, I will create picture cards
for those kids in their first language.
At the end of this lesson, I will hang these cards in a
visible spot for all students to view when
needed/wanted. If there are a number of Spanish
speaking students, I will look up the names of weather
conditions in Spanish (not all, but some) and teach the
Enrichment Activity: What activities will you use
if some/all students finish early and/or master the
presented content easily? Why will you use these
as enrichment activities? How do these activities:
a) extend student learning? b) Reinforce ideas or
skills? c) Introduce the next topic?
For my students who finish the drawing/writing
lesson early, I will assign them the task of drawing
a separate picture that show 2 weather
conditions that we can see happening at the same
time (sun/rain, wind/snow, etc). I will sit down
with these students and help them brainstorm
what two weather conditions can be happening at
the same time, and what they would look like.
Talk about the weather words, and discuss if
certain weather conditions would really happen if
another was taking place (Would it be sunny if it
was snowing? Would it be windy if it was raining?)
This activity would make students think critically
about weather and if it really is possible to have
2 conditions happening at once.
Another way to extend student learning is to
teach the students sign language, and teach them
the signs for the weather conditions listed on the
Weather Words list.
In order to introduce a lesson for the next day of
the curriculum, I could ask the students to think
about how the weather is made, and what has to
happen for different conditions to take place.
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students the weather names in Spanish during our
circle time.
Rationale/Reflection: Why is this teaching model appropriate for this lesson? How does it fit with the
curriculum? Indicate how specific research/theory guided your selection of specific strategies and
materials to help your students develop the factual knowledge, conceptual understandings, and skills
needed to meet learning objectives. Cite sources.
Weather is a concept term that has a broad definition and many branches with unique circumstances
and characteristics. I chose to use this model because it allowed for me to include my students in the
teaching aspect of the lesson, and it was a lesson that could be used either as a one-time thing, or as
an introduction to a whole unit on weather. This lesson does challenge students to think about past
observations of weather and bring that into their activity. If students finish their drawing and writing
lesson early and are given the enrichment activity, it allows them to critically think about two weather
conditions that can be seen at once. During an EDST 3000 class, we learned that the big question of
concept teaching is “What is the bigger idea I want my students to learn about?”, and what I want my
students to learn from this activity is that there are so many different kinds of weather, all of which
have their benefits and their disadvantages.
According to the textbook “Learning to Teach” by Richard Arends, Jerome Bruner stated that children
conceptualize information through three different stages: “learning by doing (enactive mode), learning
by forming mental images (iconic mode), and learning through a series of abstract symbols and
representations (symbolic mode)” (Arends, 331). In this lesson, children are utilizing all three stages;
they are using the enactive mode by participating in the formation of “weather words”, they are using
iconic mode by thinking about what their weather word looks like before they draw a picture, and they
are using symbolic mode by drawing and writing out their knowledge of specific weather words.
Children are also being asked to present examples of weather during the discussion of weather words.
This lesson plan stems from a Direct Presentation lesson from the concept teaching model. I am
presenting the topic of weather before starting any activities, discussing with students what weather
is, and then asking them to provide their own examples of what weather is.
Additional Sources:
http://fun-in-first.blogspot.com/2011/03/weather.html
*My whole idea for generating a weather lesson came from this source. On this lesson plan, the author
also used Weather Words as an introduction to her unit.
Note: I came up with the idea of reading “Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs” as well as
drawing/writing about a weather word and presenting it.
