Free 4th Grade Weather And People Lesson Plan

Topic: Weather and People

Objectives & Outcomes

• To understand the elements of weather and their characteristics.
• To understand the factors affecting weather and their influence.
• To be able to forecast the weather and predict its effects on people.
• To understand the connections between weather and people.

Materials

• Diagrams or images of the different elements of weather (e.g. sun, clouds, rain, wind)
• Handouts with information on weather factors and their influence
• Weather forecast charts or calendars
• Materials for practice activities (e.g. craft supplies for making a weather doll, materials for making a weather poster)

Warm-up

• Review the different elements of weather and their characteristics (e.g. sun is bright and hot, clouds are white and fluffy, rain is wet and cold, wind is cool and feels good on your face).
• Ask the students to think about a time when they experienced each element of weather.
• Have a discussion about how the weather affected their day or their activities.

Direct Instruction

• Introduce the concept of weather forecasting and how it is used to help people plan their days.
• Show examples of different types of weather forecasts and discuss how they are made (e.g. using data from weather stations, using computers to model the weather).
• Explain how the different factors of weather can affect the weather forecast (e.g. high pressure means clear skies and cool temperatures, low pressure means cloudy skies and hot temperatures).
• Review the definitions of the terms used in weather forecasting (e.g. precipitation, wind speed, temperature).

Guided Practice

• Have students work in pairs to create a weather forecast for a specific location (e.g. their hometown or a fictional place).
• Give each pair a set of cards with different weather conditions (e.g. sunny, cloudy, rain, high wind, low wind, warm temperature, cool temperature) and have them use the cards to create a weather forecast for their chosen location.
• Have students present their weather forecasts to the class and discuss the different factors that affected their forecast.

Independent Practice

• Have students work in groups to create a mini-project on the impact of weather on people.
• Groups can choose a specific location and time of year to focus on, and can include both direct and indirect impacts of weather on people (e.g. a snowstorm may directly impact people by making roads impassable, but it may indirectly impact people by disrupting public transportation).
• Have students create a presentation (e.g. using poster board and markers, creating a PowerPoint presentation, or using a digital tool such as Animoto) to present their findings to the class.

Closure

• Review the main points from the lesson, including the different categories of weather and the factors that affect it.
• Ask students to share their thoughts on the importance of understanding and being prepared for different types of weather.

Assessment

• Observe the students during the small group and independent practice activities to assess their understanding of the concepts covered in the lesson.
• Have the students complete a quiz or worksheet to check their understanding of the material.