WEATHER AND

SEASONS
10 Unit Lessons

Sydney Horning

Table of Contents

Parent Letter.1
What are different kinds of weather?...........................................................................2
What is Spring?............................................................................................................4
What is Summer?.........................................................................................................5
What is Fall?................................................................................................................7
Webquest.9
Thunderstorms10
Clouds.12
Rain.14
Temperature.16
Snow....18

Parent Letter
Through hands on discoveries, your children will investigate these big ideas:
1. Seasons
2. Temperature
3. Weather
4. Creating their own works of art.
By meeting these big ideas, developed from the California State and Common Core
Standards, your children will broaden their academic knowledge and further their
development as a good citizen.
The unit project will challenge the childrens creativity and knowledge. Children will
create pictures and sentences on what they will learn about weather and seasons. All
materials will be supplied in class and at the completion of the unit we will have a Project
Night to showcase the classs weather journals. The date will be announced later in the
month with a formal invitation.
Keep an eye out for some of our weather artwork to be posted outside and in our
classroom towards the middle of May. I am excited to share this fun, thematic unit with
your children. Thank you for all you do to continue to support our Kindergarteners!

Best,
Miss Sydney

Sydney Horning
Earth Science lesson
Grade: Kindergarten
Topic: What are different kinds of weather?
Standards: K3b, K4e
Objectives: Students will learn what weather is by reading about it in their textbooks and
by listening to a song.
Language/Key Vocabulary: Weather- the state of the atmosphere at a place and time as
regards heat, dryness, sunshine, wind, rain
Assessment:
(Informal) Formative: I will take notes too see if my kids are getting the
information.
(Formal) Summative: I will have the students complete a true/false test.
Instructional Strategies and Learning Tasks
I. Anticipatory Set:
Motivation: Who can tell me what weather is? Play a song on different kinds of
weather.
Activate Prior Knowledge: What is the weather like today?
II. Instruction and Modeling: I will talk about how there are different forms of weather,
including rain, sun, snow etc. I will give the definition of weather. I will have the
students open their textbook and I will read pages 200-202 of What Your Kindergartner
Needs to Know Weather. I will ask the following questions: What does the sky look
like when it is warm and sunny out? What does it look like outside when it rains? I
will then have the students go outside to see what the weather is like at that moment.
III. Guided Practice: Draw a picture of what the weather is like in their weather journals.
IV. Closure: have the students write an exit card on what they will predict the weather
will look like tomorrow.
V. Independent Practice: For homework, I will have the students write a sentence on what
their favorite weather is and why.
VI. Differentiation Strategies: For homework, I will have the ELL students draw a picture
of their favorite weather instead of write a sentence.
VII. Instructional Resources and Materials:
1. Weather journal
2. Text book
3. Crayons or markers

True/False Test
1. Weather is the state of the atmosphere at a place and time as regards heat,
dryness, sunshine, wind, and rain.
2. A sunny sky is an example of the weather.

3. How you feel determines the weather.

Sydney Horning
Earth Science lesson
Grade: Kindergarten
Topic: What is spring?
Standards: K3b. K4e
Objectives: The students will learn what spring is by reading about it and by watching a
video.
Language/Key Vocabulary: Spring- the season after winter and before summer, in which
vegetation begins to appear, in the northern hemisphere from March to May and in the
southern hemisphere from September to November
Assessment:
(Informal) Formative: I will do coding.
(Formal) Summative: I will have the students raise their hand and tell me one
thing about spring.
Instructional Strategies and Learning Tasks
I. Anticipatory Set:
Motivation: Who knows what spring is? Who likes flowers? What season do
flowers grow in?
Activate Prior Knowledge: What is the weather like in spring?
II. Instruction and Modeling: I will read page 205-206 of What Your Kindergartner
Needs to Know Spring. I will play a video on YouTube on spring.
III. Guided Practice: Color what spring looks like in the weather journal.
IV. Closure: Turn to your partner and tell them one thing about spring.
V. Independent Practice: For homework, I will have the students write a sentence on one
fact about springtime.
VI. Differentiation Strategies: For homework, I will have the students color what spring
looks like.
VII. Instructional Resources and Materials:
1. Weather journal
2. Text book
3. Crayons or markers

Sydney Horning
Earth Science lesson
Grade: Kindergarten
Topic: What is summer?
Standards: K3b, K4e
Objectives: The students will learn what summer is by reading about it in their books and
by doing a drawing activity.
Language/Key Vocabulary: Summer- the warmest season of the year, in the northern
hemisphere from June to August and in the southern hemisphere from December to
February.
Assessment:
(Informal) Formative: Coding
(Formal) Summative: True/false sheet
Instructional Strategies and Learning Tasks
I. Anticipatory Set:
Motivation: What is summer? Who likes to go to the beach?
Activate Prior Knowledge: What is the weather like in summer?
II. Instruction and Modeling: I will read page 207-208 of What Your Kindergartner
Needs to Know Summer. I will play a video on YouTube on summer. I will ask the
students what their favorite summer activity is.
III. Guided Practice: Draw a picture of their favorite summer activity.
IV. Closure: Share with a neighbor what you drew.
V. Independent Practice: For homework, write a sentence of what the summer weather
feels like.
VI. Differentiation Strategies: For homework, draw a picture of the summer weather.
VII. Instructional Resources and Materials:
1. Weather journal
2. Text book
3. Crayons or markers

True/False Test
1. Summer is the coldest season of the year.
2. Going to the beach is an example of an activity you do in summer.
3. In summer, it snows.

Sydney Horning
Earth Science lesson
Grade: Kindergarten
Topic: What is fall?
Standards: K3b
Objectives: The students will learn what fall is by reading about it in class.
Language/Key Vocabulary: Fall- the season of the year between summer and winter
Assessment:
(Informal) Formative: Coding
(Formal) Summative: Matching worksheet
Instructional Strategies and Learning Tasks
I. Anticipatory Set:
Motivation: Who knows what fall is? Halloween is in the fall.
Activate Prior Knowledge: Have you ever seen the leaves fall from the trees?
II. Instruction and Modeling: I will read page 209-210 of What Your Kindergartner
Needs to Know Fall. I will ask the students what happens to the leaves in the fall.
III. Guided Practice: Turn to a partner and tell them why you like or dislike the season
fall.
IV. Closure: I will have students write an exit card on what happens to the trees and
plants during the fall.
V. Independent Practice: For homework, draw a picture of what it looks like outside
when the season is fall. Write a sentence of a fact for fall.
VI. Differentiation Strategies: For homework, draw a picture of what it looks like outside
when the season is fall.
VII. Instructional Resources and Materials:
1. Weather journal
2. Text book
3. Crayons or markers

Matching Worksheet
Match the fact with the correct season.

1.
2.
3.
4.

Fall
Summer
Spring
Winter

1.
2.
3.
4.

This season is the hottest time of the year.

This season is the coldest time of the year.
Leaves fall from the trees during this season.
This is the time of the year where flowers bloom.

Sydney Horning
Earth Science lesson
Grade: Kindergarten
Webquest:
http://questgarden.com/115/09/4/101124141433/index.htm

Sydney Horning
Earth Science lesson
Grade: Kindergarten
Topic: What are Thunderstorms?
Standards: K3b
Objectives: Students will learn what thunderstorms are by reading about them in their
textbook and class discussion.
Language/Key Vocabulary: Lightning- streaks of light in the sky caused by static
electricity
Thunder- loud noises occurring after lightning
Thunderstorm- a weather event including lightning and thunder
Assessment:
(Informal) Formative: I will ask the students questions about thunderstorms.
(Formal) Summative: Multiple choice test
Instructional Strategies and Learning Tasks
I. Anticipatory Set:
Motivation: What is a thunderstorm?
Activate Prior Knowledge: Who has ever experienced a thunderstorm?
II. Instruction and Modeling: I will have students complete the weather journal and
record the current temperature on the graph. I will read page 262 of What Your
Kindergartner Needs to Know Storms. I will then ask students ,Raise your hand if you
have seen and heard a thunderstorm. If you like thunderstorms, put your thumb up. If you
do not like thunderstorms, put your thumb down. I will ask students why they like or do
not like thunderstorms. I will show the students the book Thunder Cake by Patricia
Polacco. I will then ask students to predict what the story will be about. I will read
Thunder Cake. I will ask, How did the little girl feel about storms at the beginning of the
story? How did she feel at the end? Why did her feelings change? I will ask students ,
What activity do you do during a thunderstorm?
III. Guided Practice: I will have students illustrate their own safe activity during a
thunderstorm in their weather journal.
IV. Closure: I will have students do an exit card of what they think is something that is
not safe to do during a thunderstorm.
V. Independent Practice: For homework, I will have students write two sentences of what
is a safe practice during a thunderstorm.

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VI. Differentiation Strategies: For homework, I will have the ELL students draw a picture
of their favorite weather instead of write a sentence.
VII. Instructional Resources and Materials:
1. Weather Journal
2. Temperature graph
3. What Your Kindergartner Needs to Know by E.D. Hirsch, Jr.
4. Thunder Cake by Patricia Polacco
5. 1 piece of chart paper
6. Crayons or markers
Multiple Choice Test
1. What is a thunderstorm?
a. a weather event including lightning and thunder
b. streaks of light in the sky caused by static electricity
c. a TV show
2. What happens to the sky when there is a thunderstorm?
a. The sky looks sunny
b. The sky turns dark
c. The sky is filled with rainbows

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Sydney Horning
Earth Science lesson
Grade: Kindergarten
Topic: Clouds
Standards: K3b, K4d
Objectives: Students will learn about clouds by observing clouds outside.
Language/Key Vocabulary: Clouds- a visible mass in the air consisting of tiny drops of
water or bits of ice
Assessment:
(Informal) Formative: I will have the students do a game with each other where
they tell each other if a cloud could be any shape what shape would you want it to
be?
(Formal) Summative: Multiple choice test
Instructional Strategies and Learning Tasks
I. Anticipatory Set:
Motivation: Why are clouds? Do they all look the same or do they make different
shapes?
Activate Prior Knowledge: What do clouds look like? Do you like it when the
weather is cloudy?
II. Instruction and Modeling: I will read page 256 - 257 of What Your Kindergartner
Needs to Know Clear or Cloudy? I will have students look out the window or go
outside. My students will take a few minutes to watch the clouds. We will come back
inside. I will read It Looked Like Spilt Milk by Charles G. Shaw. I will ask the students
to describe the clouds they observed today.
III. Guided Practice: Have students tear white paper into small pieces. They will glue the
torn white paper on the blue paper to look like the clouds they observed today.
IV. Closure: I will have the students raise their hands and tell me what objects the clouds
reminded them of.

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V. Independent Practice: For homework, I will have the students write down and color on
a piece of paper what one cloud stood out to them while observing. Did your cloud look
like a horse? A face?
VI. Differentiation Strategies: For homework, I will have the ELL students draw a picture
of a regular cloud.
VII. Instructional Resources and Materials:
1. Weather Journal
2. Temperature graph
3. What Your Kindergartner Needs to Know by E.D. Hirsch, Jr.
4. It Looked Like Spilt Milk by Charles G. Shaw
5. 1 piece of white paper per student
6. 1 piece of blue construction paper per student
7. Glue

Multiple Choice Test

1. What is a cloud?
a. a marshmallow in the sky
b. a visible mass in the air consisting of tiny drops of water or bits of ice
c. something you sleep on
2. Where are clouds located?
a. In the sky
b. In your room
c. In your living room

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Sydney Horning
Earth Science lesson
Grade: Kindergarten
Topic: Rain
Standards: K3b, K4e
Objectives: The student will learn about rain by reading about rain in their textbook,
listening to a song, and by discussing what the weather looks like when it rains.
Language/Key Vocabulary: Rain- drops of water that fall to the earth
Water: a colorless, transparent, odorless, tasteless liquid that forms the seas, lakes, rivers,
and rain and is the basis of the fluids of living organisms.
Rainbow: an arch of colors formed in the sky in certain circumstances, caused by the
refraction and dispersion of the sun's light by rain or other water droplets in the
atmosphere.
Assessment:
(Informal) Formative: Have the students draw what a rainy day looks like in their
weather journals.
(Formal) Summative: Complete Appendix G. Students should complete the
sentence with what they like to do and dont like to do on a rainy day.
Instructional Strategies and Learning Tasks
I. Anticipatory Set:
Motivation: Who knows what rain is? Who has seen a rainy day? Who likes to
play and step into rain puddles?
Activate Prior Knowledge: What does it look like outside when it rains?
II. Instruction and Modeling: I will talk about how there are different forms of weather,
including rain. I will give the definition of rain, water, and rainbow. I will have the
students open their textbook and I will read pages 259 - 260 of What Your Kindergartner
Needs to Know Rain. I will ask the following questions: What does the sky look like
when it rains? What does a plant look like with out water? What does a healthy plant
look like? What else needs water or rain? I will then have the students go outside to
see what the weather is like at that moment.
III. Guided Practice: I will have the students come back inside and ask them if it is
raining. I will then have my students draw what a rainy day would look like in their
weather journals.

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IV. Closure: I will play the song Rain, Rain, Go Away. I will ask, What are some other
things you cannot do in the rain?
V. Independent Practice: For homework, I will have the students water a plant that they
have at home and write one or two sentences stating why the plant needs water.
VI. Differentiation Strategies: For homework, I will have the students water a plant that
they have at home and not write a sentence.
VII. Instructional Resources and Materials: crayons, markers, weather journal, and their
science text book.

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Sydney Horning
Earth Science lesson
Grade: Kindergarten
Topic: What is temperature?
Standards: K3b. K3c
Objectives: Students will learn what temperature is, and conclude which temperatures are
warm and which are cool by observing the class thermometer.
Language/Key Vocabulary: Temperature- the degree of hotness or coldness of a body or
environment; hot, warm, cool or cold
Thermometer- an instrument used to measure the temperature
Assessment:
(Informal) Formative: I would keep score of the students and take notes next to
their names whether I think they are getting it or not.
(Formal) Summative: I will have a true/false worksheet for the kids with
questions on temperature.
Instructional Strategies and Learning Tasks
I. Anticipatory Set:
Motivation: Who knows what temperature is?
Activate Prior Knowledge: Who likes to be in a room where there is air
conditioning? Does your house have a heater?
II. Instruction and Modeling: I will discuss todays weather and have the children
illustrate the weather in the Weather Journal. I will read page 256 of What Your
Kindergartner Needs to Know Temperature. I will introduce the thermometer
positioned outside. I will show students how to read the thermometer. I will write where
students can see (on the white board). I will discuss the meaning of the degree symbol. I
will display the temperature graph. I will show students how to place one finger on day
one, another finger on the other hand on the line closest to todays temperature.
III. Guided Practice: I will have the students color the boxes up to the correct line for
todays temperature. Using the thermometer, students will show different temperatures by
coloring with the red wet erase marker. I will ask if it is a hot, warm, cool or cold
temperature. Students will practice mathematics by adding and subtracting on the
thermometer to tell if the temperature is rising or falling.

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IV. Closure: I will have the student write in their weather journal what clothes they would
wear for each temperature and have them share with a partner next to them.
V. Independent Practice: For homework, I will have the students bring to class the next
day an outfit they would wear on a hot, summer day.
VI. Differentiation Strategies: For homework, I will have the students bring to class the
next day shoes they would wear on a rainy day.
VII. Instructional Resources and Materials:
1. Weather Journal
2. What Your Kindergartner Needs to Know by E.D. Hirsch, Jr.
3. Thermometer positioned outside
4. Temperature Graph -1 for each student
5. Thermometer Paper - 1 copy only
6. Red wet erase marker
7. Crayons or markers

True/False Test
1. Temperature is the degree of hotness or coldness of a body or environment; hot,
warm, cool or cold.
2. You can take the temperature of your body.
3. Temperature is only cold, not hot.

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Sydney Horning
Earth Science lesson
Grade: Kindergarten
Topic: Snow
Standards: K3b
Objectives: Students will learn about snow and estimate and observe the temperature of
ice by using a thermometer.
Language/Key Vocabulary: Snow- frozen particles of water that fall to the earth
Snowflake-a flake of snow, especially a feathery ice crystal, typically displaying delicate
sixfold symmetry.
blizzard- a severe snowstorm with high winds and low visibility.
Assessment:
(Informal) Formative: I will play the song Do You Want to Build a Snowman for
the children. I will ask them to tell me what season allows one to build a
snowman and play in the snow.
(Formal) Summative: I will have a worksheet for the students to fill out. They will
match what picture goes with what season.
Instructional Strategies and Learning Tasks
I. Anticipatory Set:
Motivation: Who has ever seen snow? Has anyone built a snowman before? Who
has seen the movie Frozen?
Activate Prior Knowledge: Does it snow where we live (San Diego)?
II. Instruction and Modeling: I will read page 260 of What Your Kindergartner Needs to
Know Snow to my students. I will ask students, Does our area see a lot of snow? How
often do we see a blizzard? How cold does the temperature need to be to freeze water?
Have students estimate the temperature water needs to reach. Then, use a thermometer to
test tap water, refrigerated water, and ice. I will record the temperatures on the board.
III. Guided Practice: Have the students read I Am Snow by Jean Marzollo. The students
will list the activities in the story that can only be performed in the snow.

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IV. Closure: Tell a partner what temperature it needs to be to snow outside.

V. Independent Practice: For homework, I will have the students draw a picture of what a
snowy day looks like and have them explain what season snow occurs.
VI. Differentiation Strategies: For homework, I will have the students draw a picture of a
sunny day.
VII. Instructional Resources and Materials:
1.Weather Journal
2. Temperature graph
3. What Your Kindergartner Needs to Know by E.D. Hirsch, Jr.
4. I Am Snow by Jean Marzollo
5. 3 thermometers
6. Ice in a container
7. Refrigerated water in a container 8. tap water in a container
9. 1 piece of blue construction paper per student
10. Crayons or markers
11. Boom box
12. Frozen Soundtrack

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Worksheet
1.
2.
3.
4.

20

Summer
Spring
Winter
Fall