Download Weather__Water_Outline_ME

Suggested use of 2 Hour Class Day:
-15 min set-up
-15 min introduction
-4 Centers, 20 min. each
-15 min conclusion
ELF
Weather and Water
Mitchell Elementary ~ February 18, 2013
Introduction
Focus: Earth’s water is a finite resource that circulates from the land, lakes, rivers, and oceans to the air, and
back again, in a continuing cycle, called the Water Cycle. Water vapor forms clouds as part of the water cycle.
Winds carrying moisture-laden clouds bring ever-changing weather to all parts of Earth.
Opening/Closing Review Questions:
You may wish to ask some of the following questions to get students talking about weather and water:
 What is weather? (The conditions of the air around us at any time – temp., humidity, wind, precip., pressure)
 What causes weather? (The interactions of the sun, the air, water, and the Earth itself).
 What is wind? (Moving air).
 What causes wind? (Hot air rises, cool air sinks, resulting currents cause wind – also Earth’s rotation)
 How does wind affect erosion? (Blowing sand and dust “sand-blast” rocks and transport particles)
 How does wind affect weather? (Moves weather systems, impacts high and low pressure, etc.)
 What are clouds? (Water vapor condensing on dust) What makes up clouds? (Water droplets/ice crystals)
 Do all clouds look the same? (No) How can clouds help us predict the weather? (Different kinds of clouds
indicate different weather patterns)
 What do rain clouds look like? (Dark, tall w/ flat base – “cumulonimbus;” Grey overcast layer – “Nimbostratus”)
 What makes some clouds look dark? (Densely concentrated water drops)
 What is the difference between weather and climate? (Weather occurs at a point in time, Climate is the
overall weather conditions of a place over time.)
 What parts do the sun and gravity play in the water cycle? (The sun evaporates water, making the vapor rise.
It also heats the Earth most at equator and least at poles. Gravity causes water to fall and run down hill.)
 What happens to puddles? (They evaporate)
 Name some different forms of precipitation. (Rain, snow, sleet, hail, fog, frost, dew, etc.)
 Where is water found on or in the Earth? (Oceans, lakes, rivers, groundwater, glaciers, plants, skin, etc.)
 How does water affect plants and animals? (Required for life)
 What role does water play in erosion? (Transports and deposits rocks and dirt)
 Can we predict the weather? (Meteorologists make a career of it!)
 For more weather rhymes check: http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/education/primary/students/sayings.html.
Puppet Show HIGHLY Recommended – ALL Grades
There are 6 puppets for this show, plus a flag and a thunderhead. The show teaches
about the different kinds of clouds and their meanings for the weather. Afterwards, talk
about the features of the kinds of clouds presented (cumulous, stratus, cirrus and
cumulonimbus) as well as the weather rhymes that are introduced.
ELF File Box/Crate
 6 puppets, 2
props
 Theatre
2
For using this demonstration in the introduction you’ll need: (in the ELF Intro Box)
 Gallon jug filled with water (jug should be on ELF shelf)
 Clear plastic cup w/ ½ c. line marked “Fresh”
 Clear plastic cup marked “Frozen”
 Clear plastic cup marked “Human Use”
 Tablespoon and teaspoon
 Water cycle diagram from Center 3
Explain that all the water that we have now is all the water we’ve ever had, and all the water we ever will have on
Earth. It is recycled through the water cycle. A dinosaur once may have drunk the water you used to brush
your teeth this morning! Water becomes an even more precious resource as more people inhabit the Earth and
more uses are made of it.
But Ne’er a Drop to Drink: This demonstration helps students visualize how little of the Earth’s water supply is
fresh, and the amount of that supply that is available for our use. Fill a gallon jug with water. Tell students that
the jug represents all of the Earth’s water. Water covers about 70% (almost three quarters) of the Earth’s surface.
As a group, pour ½ cup of the water from the gallon into the “Fresh” cup, explaining that this portion represents
how much of the Earth’s water is fresh water. What’s left in the gallon is the salt water in the oceans. Then, take
five tablespoons of water from the “Fresh” cup, and place it in the “Frozen” cup, noting that these spoonfuls
represents the amount of fresh water that is frozen in glaciers and polar ice caps. Point to the small quantity of
water left in the “Fresh” cup, and explain that this relatively small amount is represents the total supply of fresh
water available for use. Then, ask the students to think of all the ways in which we use fresh water. With each
idea they share, remove a teaspoon of water from the cup and place it into the “Human Use” cup. For older kids,
note that about 97% of all Earth’s water is salt water. Of the 3% of water that is fresh, more than 2% is ice and
less than 1% is fresh water. Included in that <1% of Earth’s total usable fresh water supply, are all lakes, streams,
ground water, water in soil, water vapor in the atmosphere, and water in plants and animals. (You could pull the
pie chart from Center 3 to discuss, though it is small.)
Talk about water pollution caused by some activities, and how the rate at which we use fresh water exceeds the
rate at which it is returned for use by the water cycle. Then, discuss why and how we can conserve the limited
amount of fresh water on Earth.
Take a few minutes to review the water cycle with students, covering evaporation, condensation, and
precipitation, before moving to the next activity. Use the diagrams from Center 3.
Centers:
There are five center options. Please select four centers (or five if you have the classroom time and parent
volunteers necessary). If you can only do four centers; we recommend that all classes do Center 3 (Water Cycle),
Center 4 (Wind), and Center 5 (Weather Watchers) and then choose one of Centers 1 and 2 (on clouds). [Note, if
you have only time for 4 centers, feel free to combine items from centers 1 and 2 – especially diagrams, etc.]
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Center 1: Cloud Maps & Cloud in a Bottle
Center 1 Bin
 Cloud Maps “A”
and “B”
 Cloud Map
Cloud Maps: Show the cloud map labeled “A” and ask the students to do the following:
Activity Facts
Identify/review the cardinal directions (N, S, E & W) and locate Colorado, Texas,
 Jet Stream
California, Mexico, Canada, and the Great Lakes. Then, ask them to identify on the map
Diagrams
which part of the country is covered by clouds. Where is it sunny on the map? Next, show
them map “B” taken a day later. Are the same places cloudy and sunny? Explain that air  Compass Rose
 Cloud Map
masses are constantly moving across the earth’s surface. This movement is influenced
Series 1-5
primarily by two things: 1) the sun, and 2) the rotation of the earth. The sun heats the air
at the equator more than at the North and South Poles. Because warm air rises and cool
 One 2-liter
air sinks (“convection”), at the equator, the air rises and flows north and south toward the
plastic bottle w/
poles. At the polar regions, the cooled air sinks and moves toward the equator. While this
lid per pair of
north-south air movement is taking place, there is also movement of the Earth – our planet
students
is rotating eastward. It is this combination – north-south air movement and eastward
 Instant Hot
planetary rotation – that causes air masses to move.
Water Carafe
(Share w/
Much of the weather over the US is directly influenced by the jet stream. This high-speed
Center 2 & 3)
band of wind travels up to 250 mph and encircles the Earth in great curving arcs at
 Construction
altitudes of 6-9 miles. Locations north of the jet stream are colder than locations south of
paper
it. The jet stream moves in sweeping loops thousands of miles long, hundreds of miles
 Cardboard
wide and one or two miles thick. As it moves, it steers the path of storm systems around
Matches
the globe.
 Laminated
diagram of four
Now show the students a set of weather maps labeled 1 – 5 on the back. Work as a group
ways clouds are
to determine the correct sequence of the maps. What clues did they use to come to their
formed
conclusions?
Books
Cloud in a Bottle: Begin with a brief discussion about clouds. Through evaporation and
 Cloud Cover
transpiration, water moves into the atmosphere. A cloud forms when moist, warm air cools  The Weather
below a critical temperature called the “dew point,” which is the temperature at which air is
Sky
“saturated” (cannot hold any more water vapor). The extra water vapor condenses on
particles in the air, like dust or ash (“condensation nuclei”) creating water droplets or ice
crystals that form clouds. It takes billions of these droplets to make a cloud. See
laminated diagram titled “There are four ways in which moist air can be lifted to form
clouds”.
Objective: To understand how clouds are formed, to learn about weather maps, and to
observe how weather patterns move across the country.
Before center rotations begin, someone from Center 1, 2, or 3 fill up and plug in the
“Instant Hot Water Carafe”– share with Center 2 & 3.Tell the students that they are going
to try and replicate the formation of a cloud. Students should work in pairs ~ give each pair
a bottle.
1. Take out the 2-liter bottle and pour in about 2 inches of hot water from the “Instant
Hot Water Carafe”. Seal the bottle tightly and shake vigorously for one minute to
distribute water molecules into the air. Water vapor in the air is the first
ingredient in making a cloud.
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2. Next, remove the cap from the bottle, and light a cardboard match near the bottle
opening (adults only!). Let the match burn for two seconds, and then drop it into the
bottle. Quickly recap the bottle, trapping the smoke inside. This helps add particles
to the air around which water droplets can condense. Cardboard matches create
more ash than wooden matches. Dust, ash or another particle in the air is the
second ingredient needed to make a cloud.
3. Set a piece of construction paper behind the bottle (can lay bottle on its side). Press
hard on the bottle for ten seconds. The bottle is strong, so don't be afraid to push
hard. Release, observe, and repeat, if necessary, until a cloud forms. When a cloud
has formed, ask the students to observe what happens as you squeeze the bottle
again, why? The cloud will disappear as you squeeze and reappear when you
release. The third ingredient in cloud formation is a drop in air pressure. The
squeeze represents warming that occurs in the atmosphere; the release represents
cooling that occurs as air rises in the atmosphere.
4. Unscrew the cap. You should see the cloud escape from the bottle. If not, give the
bottle a light squeeze.
Explanation: Water vapor, which is water in its invisible gas form, will condense into the
form of small cloud droplets with a drop in air pressure. Adding particles, like those in the
smoke from the match, enhances the process of water condensation, and squeezing and
releasing the bottle causes the air pressure to drop. This creates a cloud! (Review info
just learned in “Cloud Maps”).
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Center 2 Bin
For all age groups, begin with a brief discussion of clouds. What are clouds made of? Do  Clear, plastic
rectangular tank
all clouds look the same, or are they different shapes and sizes? Look at the cloud charts
(in ELF Closet)
and photos to help students point out differences among clouds. Explain that different
 Plastic cup
cloud types have different names and may form at different heights in the sky. Some
clouds can be 10 miles high. Others can grow to be 600 miles wide. Talk about how both  Red food
coloring
the amount of moisture in the air and the wind affect the formation of clouds. Review the
 Instant hot water
clouds from the puppet show and, using the charts and photos, identify the main types of
carafe
clouds. For second grade and older, as part of the discussion, you might touch on how
st
(Share w/ Centers
prefixes and suffixes give words added meaning (use Cloud Latin handout). For K-1 ,
1 and 3)
working toward correct pronunciation may be an appropriate goal. English scientist Luke
 Cooler
Howard first proposed the Latin terms and system to classify clouds in 1803. His ideas
(Share w/ Center 3)
have been expanded later by scientists and are still used:
 Spoon
1) Cumulus (l. “mass; heap”) – puffy or fluffy, low clouds (below 6,500 feet) often with flat  Thunderhead &
bottoms. They look most like cotton balls. When cumulus clouds form as mid-level clouds
Cold Fronts
(6,500 – 20,000 feet), they’re called “altocumulus” (“alto” is Latin for “high”). When they
Photos
form thunderheads, they’re called “cumulonimbus” (“nimbus” is Latin for “rain-making”).
FOR CRAFT:
Cumulonimbus clouds last a short time and signal quick-rising warm air over a small area.  Cloud charts
 Cloud photos
2) Stratus (l. “layered”) – Broad layers of clouds without distinct edges. Stratus clouds
 Cloud Latin
can blanket the sky in low, gray layers, sometimes for days. These cover the sky on
handout
“overcast” days. When stratus clouds form as mid-level clouds (6,500 – 20,000 feet),
 Cotton balls
they’re called “altostratus.” When they form heavy rain clouds, they’re called
 Poly-fil roll
“nimbostratus,” which bring a long, steady rainfall. Stratus clouds signal a large, moist air
 Blue paper
mass that rose slowly.
 Completed
Sample of
3) Cirrus (l. “curl”) -- white, wispy, thin clouds that form high in the sky (20,000 feet or
Cottonball
higher), where the air is so cold that water vapor freezes into ice crystals. A nickname for
Clouds
these clouds is “mares’ tails.” When high cirrus clouds are spread broadly throughout the
FROM
sky in layers, they’re called “cirrostratus.” When they form somewhat puffy high clouds,
CLASSROOM:
they’re called “cirrocumulus” (nicknamed “mackerel sky”).
 Glue
Based on this discussion, ask students what they think “stratocumulus” clouds might look  Markers
 Colored Pencils
like? These are low thick layers of gray, puffy clouds (see photos).
Center 2: Swirling Masses/Cotton Ball Clouds
SWIRLING MASSES (2nd – 4th Grades)
Objective: To demonstrate how convection currents cause thunderstorms to form.
Begin with a brief discussion of cloud types, as outlined above. You might give particular
focus to the cumulonimbus (thunderhead) cloud. Then, tell students that they will use
water to simulate how air movement makes thunderstorms form. Review briefly basic
properties of air, as learned in the previous ELF unit. Is all air the same temperature?
Does the temperature of air alter how it behaves? Which is heavier: warm air or cold air?
Remind students that warm air rises and expands because it is less dense (lighter) than
cold air. Describe how movement of “air masses” with varying temperatures affects
weather. Which holds more water vapor: warm air or cold air? (Warm air, so water vapor
condenses to form clouds as it rises to higher, where temperature is colder). What
happens to weather when a warm air mass and a cold air mass come together?
Books
 Clouds (Bauer)
 What do You
See in a Cloud
(Fowler)
 The Kids’ Book
of Clouds & Sky
(Staub)
 DK Guide to
Weather
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Let’s see:
Before center rotations begin, someone from Center 1, 2, or 3 fill up and plug in the
“Instant Hot Water Carafe”– share with Center 1 & 3. Essential for volunteer to bring in
COLORED ICE– share cooler w/ Center 3. To begin the experiment, ask students to fill the
rectangular tank two-thirds full with “lukewarm” water (from the tap), and let the water
settle for a minute. Then, have them gently place two blue (or green) ice cubes (cubes
must be supplied by volunteer – cupcake/muffin pans work best for this) in the water at
one end of the tank. Keep the rest of the colored ice cubes in the cooler for other
rotations. Next, pour about ½ cup of hot water from the thermal carafe into the plastic cup,
add about four drops of red food coloring to it, and mix with spoon. Then, gently,
s-l-o-w-l-y pour the colored hot water into the tank at the opposite end from the ice, trying
not to disturb the still water. Ask the group to observe what happens, get down at the level
of the tank for best observation. Use large white paper or bin lid as a background. Where
does the cold blue (or green) water go? What happens to the warmer red water?
Students can sketch their observations using colored markers or crayons. The warm
water should rise while the cold water sinks. Ask students to imagine that the colored
water represents air masses coming together, which would behave like the water. Which
color is the warm air mass (red), and which is the cold air mass (blue/green)? Empty the
tank between rotations.
Classroom
 Tap water
 Paper towels
Books
 Weather,
Banqueri (pp.
22-23)
 Scholastic Atlas
of Weather (pp.
15, 21, 26 – 29)
 Flash, Crash
Rumble and
Roll, Branley
VOLUNTEER
MUST BRING IN
ICE!!
Explanation: When a warm air mass and a cold air mass come together, the warm air
rises while the cold air fills in below. This process creates circular “convection” currents.
A body of warm air is forced to rise by an approaching cold front (mountains also cause
warm air to rise, which is why we often see afternoon thunderstorms in the Rockies). As
the warm, unstable air rises higher, the water vapor it contains condenses (higher
atmosphere is cooler, so air can hold less water vapor). As the vapor condenses, cumulus
clouds form. A strong, persistent updraft of warm, moist air can reach speeds up to 90
MPH, so thunderheads can form relatively quickly. As condensation occurs in the updraft,
more heat is released, which helps the thunderhead grow. When a cumulus cloud grows
to 30,000 feet, it becomes a cumulonimbus or thunderhead (show photos). The increased
density of the water vapor in the cloud is what makes it look dark. Then, as the moisture in
the air reaches its saturation point, water droplets come together and fall as rain, and a
cold downdraft forms.
This simulation shows only how the air masses of different temperatures would move as
they meet. It cannot show the resulting formation of the cumulonimbus cloud at the point
where the two masses meet and convection currents occur (the demo is already water!).
COTTONBALL CLOUDS (Kindergarten – 1st or 2nd Grade)
Objective: To learn the appearance of different kinds of clouds
Students will use cotton, glue, and colored paper to create pictures of the main
classifications of clouds. Draw a vertical and horizontal line to bisect the colored paper
into four quadrants. Let students create a different kind of cloud in three of the boxes by
gluing cotton shapes. They can use pictures and charts for guidance. Cotton balls work
well for cumulus; rolled cotton for stratus clouds; and stretched, wispy cotton (balls or roll)
for cirrus clouds. In the fourth box each student can make a favorite cloud, or invent and
name an imaginary cloud. Black marker or pencil can help darken cotton for nimbostratus
or cumulonimbus clouds. Help young children to label their cloud creations.
Ask the teacher
where this takehome project
should be stored
while it dries.
7
Center 3: Water Cycle & Incredible Ice
Objective: To learn about characteristics of water and nature of the water cycle.
Review from the intro: explain that all the water that we have now is all the water
we’ve ever had, and all the water we ever will have on Earth. It is recycled through
the water cycle. Water becomes an even more precious resource as more people
inhabit the Earth and more uses are made of it. Talk about water pollution caused by
some activities, and how the rate at which we use fresh water exceeds the rate at
which it is returned for use by the water cycle. Then, discuss why and how we can
conserve the limited amount of fresh water on Earth (Discuss Pie Chart). Also
review the water cycle with students, covering evaporation, condensation, and
precipitation… Use the diagram.
Mini Water Cycle: This activity simulates the water cycle. Before center rotations
begin, someone from Center 1, 2, or 3 fill up and plug in the “Instant Hot Water
Carafe”– share with Center 1 & 2. Fill a cup half way or more with steaming hot
water. Quickly seal plastic wrap over the cup (use a rubber band to secure it). Ask
the children what steam is made of and where it fits into the water cycle (it is water
vapor – evaporation). Then, place ice cubes on top of the plastic wrap. Ask for
observations. Warm water vapor hits the cooler plastic and forms condensation
(just as water vapor, as it cools high in the air, condenses around floating particles
into droplets to form clouds). The drops on the plastic wrap join together to make
bigger drops. Then, when they are heavy enough, the water drops fall back down
into the cup as precipitation (like rain). Maybe students could take turns pointing to
the portion of the water cycle diagram that corresponds with each process they
observe in the cup model. To get larger drops, maybe leave it set up while you do
“Sink That Ice.” Make a new Mini Water Cycle for EACH rotation.
Sink That Incredible Ice: Students can work in pairs. Take the ice cubes used
above (or get fresh ones), and put them in an empty cup. Fill another cup with tap
water and let students take turns pouring water into the cup, trying to sink the ice.
Quickly, they will discover that they cannot keep the ice at the bottom because ice
floats. Use poster diagram. Water in its solid ice form is lighter than liquid water
(which is the opposite of other substances, where solid forms are heavier and denser
than liquids). When liquids other than water cool, their molecules squeeze together
more tightly, and they become denser. Water also becomes denser as it cools, but
only until its temperature hits 39.2º Fahrenheit. Once the water temperature dips
below 39.2º F, its molecules begin to spread out again. So, when water freezes to
ice, it is less dense than liquid water – so, ice is lighter than liquid water, and floats!
While many students may already know this of basic property of water, they may not
have thought about the overall implications of it for the continuation of the water cycle
and life on Earth. What would happen if ice were heavier than water and would
sink to the bottom of the ocean? There, the sun’s rays could not reach the ice
to melt it. Eventually, ice would build up until only a thin layer of water
remained above the surface of the ice. The water cycle would come to a halt,
and life on Earth would end.
You could move the items
from the intro demo over
to Center 3 to review…
Center 3 Bin
 Water Cycle
Diagrams
 Pie Chart showing
Distribution of the
World’s Water
 Diagram of the
“magic” temp of water
 Clear cups
 Plastic Wrap
 Instant Hot Water
Carafe
(Share w/ Centers
1 and 2)
 Water cycle charts
 Plastic cups
 Rubber Bands
VOLUNTEER MUST
BRING IN ICE CUBES!
Classroom
 Water
Books
 The Water Cycle
(Nelson)
 Water, Water
Everywhere (Berger)
 MSB Wet All Over
(Cole)
 Did a Dinosaur Drink
this Water? (Wells)
 Learning About the
Water Cycle with
Graphic Organizers
(Nadeau)
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Center 4: Blowing in the Wind
Objectives: To experiment with determining wind direction and wind speed, and to learn
how wind affects weather.
In this center, students will examine methods of measuring wind speed and direction.
First, they will use a flag & fan to determine wind direction. Second, they will examine two
methods of determining wind speed.
Wind Direction: Have the students hold their flags in front of the electric fan to see how it
orients with respect to wind direction. They may have to find just the right spot to get
consistent results (it won’t work if held too close to the fan).
Using a compass rose to illustrate, explain that winds are named by the direction from
which they blow (e.g., a wind blowing from the north is called a north wind). Fair weather
usually comes with a west wind. Stormy weather comes from an east wind. Ask the
children if they would expect a north wind to bring colder or warmer weather (cooler).
Center 4 Bin:
 Electric Fan
 Flag
 Compass Rose
 Compass
 Paper plates
 Mini Dixie Cups
 Push-pins
 Paint sticks
 Beaufort Wind
Scale
 Stapler
 Markers
Books on Wind
 Feel the Wind,
Dorros
 Can You See
the Wind?,
Fowler
An anemometer is an instrument that measures wind speed. Students can make a simple  Wind and Air
anemometer with a paper plate, 4 cups, a push-pin, and a paint stick. Assist students as
Pressure,
needed to staple** four cups near the edge of a paper plate with the openings of the cups
Rodgers and
in the following pattern:
Streluk
 Wind, Bauer
Wind Speed: Set up a fan on a table. Hold a small flag in front of it. Have students
observe what happens to the flag when the fan is set at different speeds. Now discuss the
Beaufort Wind Force Scale. Explain what they might observe as the wind speed
increases. What else might they observe outside that could tell them about wind speed?
Students could color in or somehow otherwise
distinguish ONE cup on the anemometer to track the
speed it spins.
Then, press a push-pin through the middle of the plate to attach it to a paint stick. Leave
enough space for the plate to spin freely (pull the pin out ½way to allow it to spin).
**Students should mark one cup on their anemometer so that it is visibly different from the
others (easier if done before it’s stapled on). Have them hold their anemometers in front of
the fan and find a position where the anemometer will spin. The number of times the
marked cup spins per minute indicates the speed of the wind.
If students finish early, they can look at the books, or go outside to test anemometers, or
decorate their anemometer. Make sure to have them put their instrument in their take
home backpack!
Ask the teacher
where the best place
to put this take
home project is.
9
Center 5: Weather Watchers (Outside Observations)
Objectives: To evaluate temperature, wind speed, wind direction, and cloud types
outdoors, and to use this information to make predictions about the weather.
Ahead of time, set up the following outside stations, use chalk to mark borders for each
station: At station 1, place the thermometer. At station 2, place the wind vane, a set of
compasses, and soap bubble container/blower. At station 3, put a copy of the Beaufort
Wind Force Scale and the anemometer. At station 4, provide a simple cloud identification
chart. Take the students outside. Discuss the cues they might use to predict tomorrow’s
weather. Review the Weather Balloon Launch day and the laminated GAUS Handout.
With younger students, work as a group. Older students can work individually with
clipboards to fill out the Weather Watcher sheet.
Station 1: TEMPERATURE: (use thermometer)
 Let each student view the thermometer and explain that it measures how hot or cold
the air is in degrees (older kids can talk about Celsius and Fahrenheit measures)
 Is the thermometer in the shade or the sunlight – how will that affect the reading?
 Discuss that cold air sinks and warm air rises and how that changes air temperature.
 Talk about changing seasons and Earth’s tilt on its axis as it impacts air temperature.
Station 2: WIND DIRECTION: (use compasses, wind vane and/or bubbles)
 Review the use of a compass as covered in ELF earlier this year.
 What is the main direction of the wind from the wind vane? Students can blow
bubbles to determine wind direction. (If wind speed is low, bubbles may work better).
Remember the vane points into the wind and wind direction is named by the direction
from which it comes.
 Is there another wind vane or a flag (the school flag pole) that confirms that direction?
 What features of the environment (landscape/buildings) could affect wind in this area?
What places might be protected from the wind today?
 What might the wind direction tell us about the weather forecast? Generally, north
winds bring cold weather, south winds bring warm weather, west winds bring fair
weather, and east winds bring storms.
Station 3: WIND SPEED: (use anemometer and Beaufort Scale)
 Observe the movement of branches, leaves, trees, smoke, flags, etc. and compare
them to the Beaufort Wind Force Scale.
 What is the speed of the wind according to the Beaufort Wind Force Scale? What
signs of wind in action help to determine this?
 Point out that strong wind may forecast a change in the weather.
 If the wind is strong, students can observe the anemometer.
Station 4: CLOUDS (use cloud charts)
 Have children look at the clouds and describe them.
 What kinds of clouds can be seen?
 Are they moving? Which way? (use a compass to determine which direction)
 Is this the same as the wind direction found at Station 2?
 What type of weather might these clouds bring? (Cumulus clouds usually are a sign of
fair weather. Stratus clouds may produce drizzle. Nimbostratus clouds bring rain or
snow. Cumulonimbus clouds mean thunderstorms. Cirrus clouds may indicate rain in
2 – 3 days. Cirrocumulus (“mackerel sky”) clouds usually are followed by a storm.)
Center Five is continued on the next page…
Center 5 Bin:
 Thermometer
 Wind Vane
 Bubble soap with
blower
 Compasses
 Beaufort Wind
Force Scale
 Simple
anemometer
 Cloud Poster
 Chalk
K-1st Grades
 Leader has
clipboard with
blank Weather
Watcher sheet to
fill-out as group.
2nd – 4th Grades:
 Weather Watcher
sheets (one for
each student, be
sure to put name
on and send
home for ELF
advertising!)
 Laminated
Weather Watcher
sheets and dry
erase markers
 Pencils
 Clipboards
10
CENTER 5 FINAL QUESTION:
Ask the students to predict tomorrow’s weather from their observations. See if the group
can reach a consensus based on their readings. A possible closing is to have each group
share their predictions with the class, write them on the white board, and see whose
predictions come true tomorrow!
If you have extra time, students can look for water outside. They can use the “Where’s the
Water Scavenger Hunt” sheet (In the ELF File Box). If there is no water to be found, they
can imagine where there might be water if it had rained recently. Talk about evaporation,
condensation and precipitation in the water cycle.
Wrap – up Options:
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Review the water cycle and how precious our water is from opening.
Compare Weather Forecasts: Let the groups compare and contrast their predictions
on tomorrow’s weather based on their work in Center 6.
Share Creative Clouds: Let kids present to the class the imaginary “cotton ball
clouds” they created in Center 2.
Have a Sharing Circle: Kids can sit in a circle, pass around an anemometer (or
some other item from the unit) and, as they hold it, complete the sentence:
“Something new I learned about weather or water today is ___________.”
Sing a Song: Sing “The Water Cycle” song as a round (in the ELF File Crate). 
Enjoy a Cloud Snack: Recipe for Blue Jell-O/Cool Whip creations that look like
clouds in the sky are available on the PTA website ELF Link as well as other recipes
and ideas. If you have some great, creative idea – please share it at
[email protected] and we’ll get it on the website or out to the coordinators.
Could do craft from
Center 2 (cotton ball
clouds) or 4
(anemometer) as a
large group for
conclusion.
Materials:
For your classroom you will need:
1.One ELF Intro Bin (Conclusion, Puppet Show, Books, Demonstration materials)
2. Gallon Jug
3. ELF Puppet Theatre
4. Center 1 Bin
5. Center 2 Bin
6. Center 3 Bin
7. Center 4 Bin
8. Center 5 Bin
9. BRING IN: Snacks, if applicable.
10. BRING IN: Ice! Colored ice from muffin/cupcake tins for Center 2 and ice cubes for Center 3.
Please note: There is one more box in the ELF closet. It has extra supplies should we run out. Also please email us
if we’re out of anything or if anything needs our attention: [email protected].