Kendall Stevens

November 2017

Seasonal weather changes

Grade: 1st grade

Standards:

Objective 3: Compare and contrast seasonal weather changes.

a. Identify characteristics of the seasons of the year.

ILO-Objective 1 Generating Evidence: Using the processes of scientific investigation (i.e. framing

questions, designing investigations, conducting investigations, collecting data, drawing conclusions)

Objective: Students will be able to describe the characteristics of seasons and weather using their five senses.

Lesson purpose: This lesson is to help students see and understand that the changes in weather over the

seasons using their five senses.

Vocabulary: season(s), fall, summer, weather

Materials: graphic organizer, pencils, clip board,

Lesson length: 45- 50 minutes

Engage (5 minutes):

As the lesson begins I try to engage the class and assess their prior knowledge when they are seated in the

lounge. First I assess their knowledge and I say, "Please tell your partner everything you know about the

seasons." Now, I am predicting my students tell each other details about specific seasons like it snows in the

winter, and I am sure they know the names of all four seasons. But, it is important to allow them to share their

current knowledge with their peers, because it lets me know what they know. When I know what the students

know I can determine how much extra explanations I am going to need to provide throughout the lesson. In

addition, if I do have a student that knows a lot about the seasons I want to allow them to share, and I am
going to be sure to recognize them throughout the lesson. Students find it more meaningful when they learn

from their peers rather than when I tell them information.

Teacher Role Asks questions, assesses prior knowledge, provide information and instructions for the explore phase.

Student Role Gains interest, calls upon prior knowledge

Explore (20-35 minutes):

Tell the students we get to be scientists and explore our natural world outside today. Tell the students we will

be going on a weather walk as a class today. Set up the expectations that we are being scientists and not

playing outside. Review the five senses and have them and have them try to use all five senses minus taste

while we are outside on our weather walk as a class. While outside ask question like how does it feel outside

(temperature) or what do we see (leaves, people, birds, etc.)? While outside ask the students to think how

Fall or the current season we are in is different than summer

We will take a pencil, a graphic organizer, and a clipboard (white boards will work) to write on. We will sit on

the grass on the field and use our five senses and that we are only filling out the first half of the graphic

organizer that says fall. Tell the students to remember to use what they see, feel, hear, and smell while we

are outside sitting observing and to use those senses in their writing and coloring what they observed about

what season it is and how the weather is like in that season.

Next, once most of the students are done with the fall side of their graphic organizer have all the students

stop and freeze. Explain that the other side says summer. Tell the students once they finish the fall side they

move to the summer side and use what they remember/ prior knowledge about summer bring up the five

senses so they can think how it feels in the summer what it looks like etc. At this point give the students 5

more minutes to wrap up what they have left.

Teacher role Asks questions, makes open suggestions, questions and probe, provides feedback, assess

understanding
 Student role Explores resources/ materials, records observations

Explain (15):

This is the time in the lesson when I make sure all my students understand the ideas of what season we are in

and they can compare it to the season summer. I do this by engaging the students in partner sharing, and

they tell their partner what they recorded on their graphic organizer. After they share with their table/partner

we are going to share as a class and have students share what they found outside on our weather walk.

Teacher role Asks for clarification and evidence from students, Enhance and clarify, uses students experiences, provides

vocabulary

Students role Clarifies understanding and discoveries, shares for understanding, feedback,

Extend (5 minutes):

Have students check the weather at different times of day and in different seasons like winter and spring and

then compare it to the other seasons they have observed. Ask students how the weather changes and how

that can affect us and animals.

Teacher role Asks questions and pose new problems

Student role Applies new knowledge by preforming related task, asks questions

Evaluate (5 minutes):

I will be assessing and evaluating the whole lesson. From the question, I ask to the group discussion and think

pair shares. These are all tools that I am using to gage my students understanding. Lastly, I will use the

completed graphic organizer to assess if the students understood the content and objective. At the end of the
lesson the students will have the opportunity to share their findings with the class and have a class discussion

on what they found while being scientist outside observing the seasons and weather.

Teacher role Observe students, assess students graphic organizer

Student role Demonstrate understanding of a skill or process, evaluates their own progress and knowledge, answers

questions.

Accommodations:

ELL- Word bank with visuals so students can see a visual and connect it with the word form. Have

students work with a partner to help each other. Think pair shares so students can talk in a smaller

group setting. Students can draw instead of writing if they have a hard time writing.

SPED- Word bank with visuals so students can see a visual and connect it with the word form. Have

students work with a partner to help each other. Students can draw instead of writing if they have a

hard time writing.

Name: _________________________________ Date: _____________________________

Lets Compare Seasons

Fall Summer
Fall looks like______________________________
Summer looks like__________________________

Fall feels like___________________________

____________________________________________

_______________________________________
Summer feels like________________________

Fall sounds like_____________________________

____________________________________________

________________________________________