Thematic Unit Plan

Topic- Weather
Grade Level- first grade
Name- Emily Bedard
Brief Overview of the Unit:
Students will learn about the weather and seasons through math, science, reading,
and social studies lessons. Students will make observations each day about the weather
and record them in an observation notebook. In this unit students will ask their own
questions, record their own data, and discover answers across four content areas.
Essential Question(s):
Reading: What do good readers do? What do they do when they do not understand?
Math: What information do I need to solve a subtraction problem?
Social Studies: Why is it important to learn about past events?
Science: What can I learn from observing the natural world around me?
MONDAY
Reading
Materials

Large paper
crayons
markers
Cloudy with a
Chance of
Meatballs
Pencil
paper
staples
observation
notebooks
ipad
(modification)

Common Core Standards:

RL 1.7 Use illustrations and details in a story to
describe its characters, setting, or events.
Student Objectives:
Students Will:
1. Listen to weather stories.
2. Recognize different kinds of weather.
3. Discuss weather vocabulary

Procedure:
1. Teacher will cut out and post a large paper cloud.
2. Teacher will make observation notebooks for each
student. Use several sheets of paper that have a
few lines for writing on the bottom and space for
drawing a picture on the top. Add a cover sheet with
a cloud. The students can write "Weather" in the
cloud.
3. Have students sit on carpet, teacher will read aloud
Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs by Judi
Barrett which is located on the table next to the
teacher chair at the carpet.
4. Ask students to Brainstorm weather words they
heard in the story. Ask students to first talk with a
partner about their ideas and then call on them one
at a time to share their ideas. Write the description
words they come up with on the large paper cloud.
5. Students will go back to their desks and individually
draw a picture of a weather scene that wouldnt
happen in real life from the story. Students will write
three of the weather words the class brainstormed
from the cloud poster to describe their picture.
Students will have 25 minutes to complete this.

Math
Materials
Observation
notebooks
pencil
markers
bar graph
weather
worksheet.

Accommodations/ Modifications:
Students who are overwhelmed by group settings
will be allowed to listen to the story from a chair
near their desk.
If students cant write or draw they will be allowed to
use an ipad to complete their assignment.
Assessment:
Observe if students are able to come up with
sufficient weather words during think-pair-share
The teacher will check each students observation
notebook to see if they understood the lesson.
Common Core Standards:
1.MD.C.4 Represent and interpret data
Student Objectives:
Students will use a graph to interpret weather.
Procedure:
Students will be given a worksheet with a bar graph
that shows information about the weather from the
week before. Twenty copies of the worksheet are
located on the upper left hand corner of my desk.
The bar graph will show: how many sunny days
there were, how many rainy days there were, and
how many cloudy days there were.
The students will complete this worksheet. They will
answer the questions
o How many sunny days were there last
week?
o How many rainy days were there last week?
o How many cloudy days were there last
week?
As a class we will discuss the weather we
experienced this previous weekend (Saturday and
Sunday)
In our observation journals (the same one from the
reading lesson) we will create a new page where as
a class we create a bar graph for the weather we
observe this week.
In order to observe the weather for the day,
students will go outside for 2 minutes. Students will
exit through the classroom door and stay within 10
feet of the classroom door.
Accommodations/ Modifications:
Students who are unable to draw their own bar
graph will receive a handout of a bar graph
worksheet. Students will only have to record data

Science
Materials
See math lesson

Social Studies
Materials
see math lesson

Multiple Intelligences

instead of creating a bar graph and recording data.

Students who are overwhelmed by transition or who
are unable to physically withstand temperature
change will be able to observe weather from
classroom window instead of going outside.
Assessment:
Teacher will assess weather bar graph worksheet
for correctness.
Teacher will observe student work on the creation of
a bar graph in their observation notebook.
Ohios New Learning Standards:
Observe and ask questions about the natural
environment;
Student Objectives:
Students will observe daily weather.
Procedure:
See math lesson
Accommodations/ Modifications:
See math lesson
Assessment:
See math lesson
Ohios New Learning Standards:
Historical thinking and skills: Time can be divided
into categories.
Student Objectives:
Students will observe and record data on weather in
the past, present, and future.
Procedure:
Students will keep a bar graph of weather that
happened over the weekend and throughout the
week.
Accommodations/ Modifications:
see math lesson
Assessment:
See math lesson

Verbal/Linguistic ___
Visual/Spatial ___
Logical/ Mathematical ___
Bodily/ Kinesthetic ___

Musical/ Rhythmic ___

Intrapersonal ___
Interpersonal ___
Naturalistic ___

TUESDAY

Reading
Materials
observation
notebooks

Common Core Standards:

RI 1.1 Ask and answer questions about key details in
a text
Student Objectives:

markers
smart board
pencil

Math
Materials

Students will listen to a song about weather.

Students will ask questions about weather.
Students will use key details from a text to answer
questions.
Procedure:
Students will listen to and watch this musical video
on the smart board about weather to help them think
about different types of weather.
https://search.yahoo.com/yhs/search;_ylt=A0LEVjcru
ytW1BMAOfEnnIlQ;_ylc=X1MDMTM1MTE5NTY4Nw
RfcgMyBGZyA3locy1tb3ppbGxhLTAwMgRncHJpZA
NrNmQ2NG1BaFFEaXp5eEIzZzlmLm9BBG5fcnNsd
AMwBG5fc3VnZwM0BG9yaWdpbgNzZWFyY2gueW
Fob28uY29tBHBvcwMwBHBxc3RyAwRwcXN0cmwD
BHFzdHJsAzIyBHF1ZXJ5A3dlYXRoZXIgbGlnaHRua
W5nIHNvbmcEdF9zdG1wAzE0NDU3MDY1NDQ-?
p=weather+lightning+song&fr2=sb-topsearch&hspart=mozilla&hsimp=yhs-002
Students will listen to it twice and will be allowed to
dance and sing along to it the second time they view
it.
Students will think pair share with the person sitting
next to them about the types of weather they saw in
the video for 3 minutes.
Teacher will pass out Observation Notebooks to the
students. Students will write down two questions they
have about weather down in their journals.
Teacher will read Weather Words and what they
Mean by Gail Gibbons to the students.
Students will use the information they gained from
the book to answer their own questions in their
journal. students will have 30 minutes to complete
this.
Accommodations/ Modifications:
Students who cant write can type their questions on
a laptop
Students who are overwhelmed by singing and
dancing will be allowed to observe instead of
participate
Assessment:
Teacher will observe discussion during think pair
share.
Teacher will read over students answers in
observation notebooks.
Common Core Standards:
1.OA.A2- represent and solve problems involving
addition and subtraction.

pencil
raindrop
manipulates
glue sticks
observation
notebooks
smart board

Science
Materials

solve word problems that call for addition of

three whole numbers whose sum is less than
or equal to 20.
Student Objectives:
Students will use addition to solve word problems.
Students will use manipulates to help them solve
math equations.
Procedure:
Teacher will pass out a handful of raindrop
manipulates to each student. (manipulates are made
out of blue construction paper and are located in a
basket on the top right hand corner of teacher desk).
Teacher will type the following questions and put
them on the smart board for the students to see.
o If 5 raindrops already fell on Marthas head.
While she was walking to the store, 10 more
fell on her heard. While Martha was walking
to her car 3 more raindrops fell on her head.
How many raindrops fell on Marthas head in
total?
o If there were 3 raindrops in a bucket and then
7 more raindrops fall into the bucket, and 4
more raindrops drip from Toms head into the
bucket how many raindrops total landed in
the bucket?
Teacher will show students an example of how to
complete the word problems using manipulates.
Students will be given their observation notebooks.
Students will use their observation notebooks and
the manipulates provided to solve the word
problems.
Students will figure out the equations that go with
each word problem and glue the appropriate amount
of raindrop manipulates under the equation. Students
will have 30 minutes to complete this.
o

Accommodations/ Modifications:
Students that struggles with this math concept will
work in a small group with the teacher
Assessment:
Teacher will collect and assess observation
notebooks.
Teacher will observe students as they complete
activity.
Common Core Standards:
Student Objectives:
Procedure:

Accommodations/ Modifications:
Assessment:
Social Studies
Materials

Multiple Intelligences

Common Core Standards:

Student Objectives:
Procedure:
Accommodations/ Modifications:
Assessment:
Verbal/Linguistic ___
Visual/Spatial ___
Logical/ Mathematical ___
Bodily/ Kinesthetic ___

Musical/ Rhythmic ___

Intrapersonal ___
Interpersonal ___
Naturalistic ___

WEDNESDAY

Reading
Materials
Tornadoes by
Gail Gibbons
Observation
notebooks
pencil
Picture of
tornadoes

Common Core Standards:

W.1.1. Write an opinion piece in which they
introduce the topic or name the book they are
writing about, state an opinion, supply a reason for
opinion, and provide some sense of closer.
Student Objectives:
Students will write a paragraph.
Students will write about their opinion.
Students will communicate with peers about their
feelings.
Procedure:
Teacher will show students pictures of tornados to
activate prior knowledge. Pictures are located on top
right hand corner of my desk.
Teacher will gather students on the carpet and read
Tornadoes by Gail Gibbons aloud to the class.
Teacher will prompt students with questions about
the pictures and events in the book and how the
events and pictures made them feel.
Students will go back to their seats and be given
their observation journals.
Students will write a paragraph about whether they
liked or disliked the book and why. Students will be
asked to use examples from the book to support
their answers.
Once students have completed their paragraphs,
they will get in groups of four (their seat partners)
and share what they wrote.
Accommodations/ Modifications:
Students who have difficulty in writing will be
allowed to give their answers orally.
Assessment:
Teacher will observe student discussion.

Math
Materials
Ipads
pencils
clock worksheet
smart board

Science
Materials

Students will collect observation notebooks and

assess paragraphs.
Common Core Standards:
1.MD.B.3 Measurement and data
o Tell and write time in hours and half-hours
using analog and digital clocks.
Student Objectives:
Students will work with a partner to accomplish a
task.
Student will review concepts of telling time.
Procedure:
Teacher will draw on students previous knowledge
of telling time through class discussion. (teacher
would discuss the hour and minute hand of a clock,
the concept of a half hour, etc) (this lesson would
take place after students already have a base
knowledge of telling time)
Students would be given clock worksheet which is
located on the top left-hand corner of teacher desk.
(this worksheet would have images of an analog
and digital clock)
Students would work in pairs with an ipad. Students
would use the ipad and open the weather app.
Teacher would generate questions regarding the
weather and times for day and type them on the
smart board for students to read. Some questions
would include:
o At what time will it start raining today?
o At what time will the sun set today?
o At what time will it start raining today?
Teacher will demonstrate a sample answer to a
question using an enlarged clock worksheet on the
smart board.
Students will complete clock worksheet.
Accommodations/ Modifications:
Students who get overwhelmed by this activity will
be allowed to take a 2 minute walk down the hall
after they complete the first activity.
Assessment:
Teacher will observe students as they complete
clock worksheet.
Teacher will collect and assess clock worksheet for
correctness.
Common Core Standards:
Student Objectives:

Procedure:
Accommodations/ Modifications:
Assessment:
Social Studies
Materials
see reading
lesson

Multiple Intelligences

Ohios New Learning Standards:

Photographs, letters, artifacts and books can be
used to learn about the past
Student Objectives:
See reading lesson
Procedure:
See reading lesson
Accommodations/ Modifications:
See reading lesson
Assessment:
See reading lesson

Verbal/Linguistic ___
Visual/Spatial ___
Logical/ Mathematical ___
Bodily/ Kinesthetic ___

Musical/ Rhythmic ___

Intrapersonal ___
Interpersonal ___
Naturalistic ___

THURSDAY
Reading
Materials
various
how-to
books
observat
ion
noteboo
k
pencil

Common Core Standards:

W.1.7 research to build and present knowledge
o participate in shared research and writing projects
(e.g. explore a number of how-to books on a given
topic and use them to write a sequence of
instructions.
Student Objectives:
Students will read a How To book of their choice.
Students will watch a How-To make a snowflake video.
Students will use knowledge to write a set of Instructions
about making paper snowflakes.
Procedure:
Students will have their math lesson before their reading
lesson today.
Students will be allowed to choose a How-To book from the
reading cart located next to the smart board.
Students will read selected How-To book silently to
themselves.
Students will think about the video they watched in their
math lesson.
Students will write in their observation notebooks
instructions on how to make a paper snowflake. Students
will use the vocabulary they learned from their math lesson
in their instructions.
Accommodations/ Modifications:
Students who have difficulty writing will be allowed to give

their answers orally.

Math
Materials

Observa
tion
noteboo
ks
pencil
white
paper
smart
board
vocabul
ary
checklist
glue
scissors

Assessment:
Teacher will assess instructions student write in their
observation notebooks.
Common Core Standards:
1.G.A.3 Reason with shapes and their attributes.
o partition circles and rectangles into two and four
equal shares, describe the shares using the words
halves, fourths, and quarters, and use the phrases
half of, fourth of, and quarter of.
Student Objectives:
Student will use the vocabulary halves, fourths, and
quarters.
Students will create a snowflake.
Students will share information with a peer.
Procedure:
Teacher will explain concepts of halves and fourths to
students through demonstration of folding a piece of paper.
Teacher will use the following questions to prompt answers
from students:
o If I fold my paper 1 time, I have folded my paper in
___? (half)
o If I fold my paper two times I have folded my paper
into four ____? (quarters)
Teacher will play this link on the smart board
https://search.yahoo.com/yhs/search?
p=how+to+make+a+paper+snow+flake+video&ei=UTF8&hspart=mozilla&hsimp=yhs-002
Students will direct their attention to a how to make a paper
snowflake youtube video on the smart board.
Teacher will demonstrate how to make a paper snowflake to
students using math vocabulary.
Students will create their own paper snowflakes.
Students will be given a Vocabulary checklist. This checklist
is located on the left handed side of my desk.
Students will get into groups of four and each student will
explain how they made their snowflake using math
vocabulary. Students will listen to their peers and put a
checkmark next to vocabulary words they hear.
Students will be given their observation notebooks.
Students will glue their snowflakes into their observation
notebooks.
Accommodations/ Modifications:
Students who have problems with fine motor skills will be
able to work with a partner to make their snowflake.
Assessment:

Science
Materials
see
math
lesson

Teacher will collect and view vocabulary checklists.

Teacher will observe students as they explain how they
made their snowflake.
Ohios New Learning Standards
communicate about observations, investigations, and
explanations
review and ask questions about the observations and
explanations of others.
Student Objectives
see math lesson
Procedure:
see math lesson
Accommodations/ Modifications:
see math lesson
Assessment:
see math lesson

Social Studies
Materials

Multiple
Intelligences

Common Core Standards:

Student Objectives:
Procedure:
Accommodations/ Modifications:
Assessment:
Verbal/Linguistic ___
Visual/Spatial ___
Logical/ Mathematical ___
Bodily/ Kinesthetic ___

Musical/ Rhythmic ___

Intrapersonal ___
Interpersonal ___
Naturalistic ___

FRIDAY
Reading
Materials

glue
observation
notebooks
laptop
seasonal
information books

Common Core Standards:

W 1.6 with guidance and support from adults, use a
variety of digital tools to produce and publish
writing, including in collaboration with peers.
Student Objectives:
Students will use technology
Students will collaborate with peers
Students will create a google document
Students will research a topic
Procedure:
Students will work in their seating groups.
Teacher will assign topics to groups. (The red table
will be Summer, the blue table will be Spring, the
green table will be Winter, the purple table will be
Fall.)
Students will use provided informational books and
prior knowledge to come up with 1 fact about their
season.

Math
Materials

observation
notebooks
ipads
whiteboard with
marker
pencil

1.
2.
3.
4.

Teacher will hand out 1 laptop to every group.

Each group member will type their 1 fact in a class
google document.
Teacher will print out 20 copies of the class season
fact sheet and give one to each student.
Students will paste their season fact sheet in their
observation notebook.
Accommodations/ Modifications:
Students who get overwhelmed with group work will
be given their own laptop and will be allowed to
work by himself.
Assessment:
Teacher will observe during activity
Teacher will give a quiz. Students will write down a
fact they learned about fall, winter, spring, and
summer.
Common Core Standards:
1.NBT.C.4 numbers and operations in base ten
o use place value understanding and
properties of operations to add and subtract.
Student Objectives:
Students will add and subtract temperatures
Students will research information
Students will work collaboratively
Procedure:
Students will work in assigned seated groups.
Students will be given one laptop to research
temperatures in different states.
Students will be given their observation notebooks
Teacher will demonstrate how to find temperatures
on the Ipad by finding the temperature in New York
City and Los Angeles
Students will research and record the current
temperatures in
Orlando, Florida
Boston, Massachusetts
Austin, Texas
Steubenville, Ohio
Students will record temperatures in their
observation notebooks.
Teacher will demonstrate subtracting the
temperature in New York from the temperature in
Los Angeles on the whiteboard.
Students will use subtraction to find the
temperature degree difference.
Students will record answers in their observation

Science
Materials
See reading
lesson

Social Studies
Materials
see math lesson

Multiple Intelligences

notebooks.
When entire class has answered students will all
stand up, switch seats with someone, and explain
to their partner how they got their answers
Accommodations/ Modifications:
Students struggling with concepts will work with a
peer tutor
Students will be given breaks as needed.
Assessment:
Teachers will assess work completed in observation
notebooks
Teacher will observe students as they work and as
they explain to a peer how they got their answer.
Common Core Standards:
Employ simple equipment and tools to gather data
Student Objectives:
See reading lesson
Procedure:
See reading lesson
Accommodations/ Modifications:
see reading lesson
Assessment:
see reading lesson
Common Core Standards:
Maps can be used to locate and identify places
Student Objectives:
See Math lesson
Procedure:
See math lesson
Accommodations/ Modifications:
See math lesson
Assessment:
See math lesson

Verbal/Linguistic ___
Visual/Spatial ___
Logical/ Mathematical ___
Bodily/ Kinesthetic ___

Musical/ Rhythmic ___

Intrapersonal ___
Interpersonal ___
Naturalistic ___

Reflection:
The next time I teach this theme unit there is a lot I would do differently. Students were
sometimes overwhelmed when they received a new activity to do everyday. Students
often felt rushed and like they didn't have enough time to complete an assignment in the
amount of time I allotted. Next time I do this unit I will either
1. Give students more than one class period to complete each assignment

2. Change my activity so they do the same thing everyday but concepts build on each
other
One thing that was great about having so many different assignments is that students
were constantly engaged. I hit on many multiple intelligences which catered to the needs
of all of my students. I loved that many of these activities fostered teamwork and helping
each other learn. Overall, students observation notebooks came out great! Many
students asked if they could take their notebooks home so they could complete them.
Ever since we did the lesson where we looked up the weather on the weather app
students ask if we can do it every day. I have incorporated looking up the weather on the
weather app into our morning meaning as a result of this unit. The students appear to
have loved the activities and I was very impressed with the work they did get done.