CU 2.01Weather Observation and Chart
The child looks outside each day, names the weather, and records it on a class chart.
Presentation
- 1
Invite a small group to the window. Say: 'Let's look at the sky and see what the weather is today.'
- 2
Ask what they see: sun, clouds, rain, snow, wind in the trees.
- 3
Show the matching symbol card and name it: 'The sun is shining. The weather is sunny.'
- 4
Walk to the weather chart and place the symbol on today's day.
- 5
Show one or two other symbol cards and name them.
- 6
Assign the weather job to one child each day and repeat the routine.
- 7
At the end of the week, count how many days had each kind of weather.
Extensions, easiest to hardest
- Match clothing picture cards to weather cards (boots for snow, sun hat for sun)
- Read the outdoor thermometer: hot, warm, cool, cold, then numbers
- Make a monthly bar graph of weather days
- Compare this month's graph with the same month in another season
- Measure rain or snow with a clear gauge outside
Control of error
The sky itself: the child and a partner check the chart against what they see out the window.
Ready to move on when the child…
- Names the day's weather without prompting
- Places the correct symbol on the chart independently
- Explains a clothing choice based on the weather
Guide note
Utah has winter inversion days with poor air quality. Show children the air quality flag or color if the school uses one and explain why outdoor time may be shorter.