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Lesson Plan

Weather Forecasting by ECSDM

Subject

Math, Science & Technology, Science (NYS P-12)

Grade Levels

Intermediate, 8th Grade

Description

The students will be looking at weather forecasts for their local region using several different media outlets. The students will be looking at the accuracy of each forecast as well as which of the different media outlets is consistently most accurate.

Duration

Four 5-10 minute segments during parts of four regular class periods

Learning Objectives

The learner will be able to

Cognitive –

Identify places to find weather forecasts
Summarize the type of information given in a weather forecast.
Identify the best source of weather forecasts

Affective –

Offer opinions as to which weather forecast source is most accurate.
Communicate with teacher attentively.

Psychomotor –

Create a table for taking down forecasted and actual weather data.
Draw data on a weather map for each day of the week.

Materials

Overhead, computer, television, internet, newspapers (15), lab worksheets.

Weekly Weather Chart.doc

Step-By-Step Procedure

Capture Attention and Motivate – Do Now - Day One

Where does a weather forecast come from?
What factors might be involved in a weather forecast?

Day One - Newspapers

The teacher will ask the above questions.
The students will respond that you might want to know about temperature, precipitation, cloud cover, winds and wind direction as well as several other characteristics.
The teacher will say that they will be looking at these factors as well as determining which types of sources make for the best weather forecasts.
The teacher will have the students go back to lab stations and fill out the chart in the lab form for the forecast for Day One using the Times Hearld Record
The teacher will bring the students together and talk to them about the forecast.
The teacher will then tell the students that their homework is to find out the actual tonight using the news or some other outlet (ex. Internet)
The teacher will go over the students' information on air masses done from Friday.
The teacher will have the students then work on the rest of the front's information on the worksheet to go over it on Day Two.

Capture Attention and Motivate – Do Now - Day Two

What did you get for the actual from last night?
Was this an accurate forecast?

Day Two - Weather Channel On-line

The teacher will ask the above questions.
The students will respond that it was probably a good, but not great, forecast.
The teacher will ask why it might not be perfect.
The teacher will accept appropriate student answers, and will discuss the fact that the Hudson valley is a large region for the paper to cover with an accurate forecast.
The teacher will have the students look at the computer projection of the weather channel on-line web site. The students will take down information on the weather for Day Three as given on-line.
The teacher will point out that the forecast is for Montgomery, NY.
The teacher will then tell the students that their homework is to find out the actual tonight using the news or some other outlet (ex. Internet)
The teacher will go over the students' information on the rest of the air masses information done from Day One.
The teacher will have the students then work on front's information on the worksheet to go over it on Day Three.

Capture Attention and Motivate – Do Now – Day Three

What did you get for the actual from last night?
Was this an accurate forecast?

Day Three – Channel Four News from NYC

The teacher will ask the above questions.
The students will respond that it was probably a pretty great forecast.
The teacher will ask why it might be almost perfect.
The teacher will accept appropriate student answers, and will discuss the fact that Montgomery is a much smaller region than the Hudson Valley, and it focuses in the weather forecast.
The teacher will have the students watch a tape of the Channel Four news from the previous night.
The students will take down the information for the television program.
The teacher will bring the students together and talk to them about the forecast.
The teacher will then tell the students that their homework is to find out the actual tonight using the news or some other outlet (ex. Internet)
The teacher will go over the students' information on fronts done from Day 2.
The teacher will have the students then look at and label worksheets on fronts and different types of weather map symbols.

Capture Attention and Motivate – Do Now – Day Four

What did you get for the actual from last night?
Was this an accurate forecast?

Day Four - Newspapers

The teacher will ask the above questions.
The students will respond that it was probably not a good forecast.
The teacher will ask why it might be so far off.
The teacher will accept appropriate student answers, and will discuss the fact that New York is 60 to 70 miles away from Middletown.
The teacher will point out the forecast is for a city far away from Middletown.
The teacher will have the students watch a current Local on the 8s from the Weather Channel television station.
The students will take down the information for a current day and a current, update forecast for that day.
The teacher will bring the students together and talk to them about the forecast.
The teacher will then tell the students that their homework is to find out the actual tonight using the news or some other outlet (ex. Internet)
The students will have a quiz on weather this day.
The students will review the information from the Weather Channel and start a lab on this information during the next class.