The Best of The MAILBOX Theme Series
Save time and energy planning thematic units with this comprehensive resource. We ve searched the 1991 1997 issues of The Mailbox and Teacher s Helper magazines to find the best ideas for you to use when teaching a thematic unit on weather. Included in this book are favorite units from the magazines, single ideas to extend a unit, and a variety of reproducible activities. Pick and choose from these activities to develop your own complete unit or to simply enhance your current lesson plans. You re sure to find everything you need right here in this book to begin a creative and integrated storm of learning. Editors: Kimberly Fields Sharon Murphy Artist: Kimberly Richard Cover Artist: Kimberly Richard www.themailbox.com 1999 by THE EDUCATION CENTER, INC. All rights reserved. ISBN10 #1-56234-306-8 ISBN13 #978-156234-306-4 Except as provided for herein, no part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or storing in any information storage and retrieval system or electronic online bulletin board, without prior written permission from The Education Center, Inc. Permission is given to the original purchaser to reproduce patterns and reproducibles for individual classroom use only and not for resale or distribution. Reproduction for an entire school or school system is prohibited. Please direct written inquiries to The Education Center, Inc., P.O. Box 9753, Greensboro, NC 27429-0753. The Education Center, The Mailbox, Teacher s Helper, and the mailbox/post/grass logo are registered trademarks of The Education Center, Inc. All other brand or product names are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective companies. Manufactured in the United States 10 9 8 7 6 5
Wild About Weather! Here s your chance to do more than just talk about the weather! Dip into this weather-wise collection of hands-on activities and discover a whirlwind of teaching success. And that s a forecast you can count on! Hats Off To Weather! Introduce your weather unit with this hats-on approach! In a large shopping bag, place an assortment of hats such as a rain hat, a stocking cap, a straw hat, a baseball cap, and a sun visor. Gather students around you, then remove one hat from the bag and place it on your head. Ask students to describe what the weather might be if a person chose to wear this hat. Retrieve another hat from the bag and place it on the head of a youngster. Ask students to describe the type(s) of weather this hat might be worn in. Continue in this manner until all of the hats are being worn. Ask students if they think weather forecasters or meteorologists predict the weather by observing the hats that people wear. Record your youngsters thoughts about how weather is predicted on a large raindrop cutout and display the cutout for future reference. Then collect the hats and start observing the weather! Paula L. Diekhoff, Warsaw, IN Background For The Teacher Weather is the condition of the air that blankets our earth. It is shaped by four ingredients : the sun, the earth, the air, and water. These ingredients work together to make it hot or cold, cloudy or clear, windy or calm. They may produce rain, snow, sleet, or hail. One universal aspect of weather is that it affects everyone. The type of clothing that we wear each day, how we spend our leisure time, and even our moods are tied into the weather. Weather also has a tremendous impact on farming, industry, transportation, communication, construction, and sometimes, our very survival. A Writing Forecast Your youngsters writing skills can weather any storm with this colossal collection of journal writing topics. For added writing motivation, have each youngster design his own theme-shaped writing journal! Lost In The Fog The Raindrop That Was Afraid To Fall The Day There Was No Weather The Little Lost Cloud Trapped Inside A Raindrop! My Pet Tornado Silly Snow The Day It Rained Bats And Frogs The Wind That Was A Bully The Unforgettable Forecast A Flurry Of Creative Expression Many people believe that weather affects the behavior of animals and humans. Give your youngsters an opportunity to express their creative interpretations of different types of weather. If desired, play a recording of classical background music and have each youngster hold a crepepaper streamer as she moves around the room, interpreting various weather conditions such as a cold wind, a thunderstorm, a hurricane, a flurry of snowflakes, a bolt of lightning, a gusty wind, a downpour of rain, a warm spring breeze, and a sunny day. Be sure to join in on the fun yourself!
Name Just The Facts, Please! Weather: Fact/opinion Decide if each sentence is a fact or an opinion. Cut out the strips. Glue the strips on the weather chart. Facts About The Weather Opinions About The Weather Bonus Box: What do you think is the best thing about studying the weather? Write your opinion on the back of this sheet. The Education Center, Inc. Weather Primary TEC3195 Everyone feels sad when it rains. Lightning is very dangerous. Summer weather is the best weather. Water evaporates more quickly in the sun. A foggy night is scary. A tornado can cause a lot of damage. Snowflakes are beautiful. The weather affects how people dress. Forecasting the weather is fun. There are many different kinds of clouds.
Name Weather Bloopers How weather-wise are you? Cross out the weather word in each sentence that doesn t make sense. Write the correct weather word in the cloud. Use the answer bank. Weather vocabulary 1. A prediction about the weather is called a weather observation. 2. The atmosphere warms the earth. 3. During a storm you might see lightning and hear snowflakes. 4. When water freezes, it changes to fog. 5. Cirrus, stratus, and cumulus are types of frost. 6. A thermometer is an instrument for measuring rainfall. 7. Moving air is called snow. 8. A person who studies weather is called a barometer. 9. Hail is a cloud that touches the ground. 10. After the rain shower a colorful hurricane filled the sky. 11. Water freezes more rapidly in the sun. 12. Sleet, wind, hail, and snow are all kinds of precipitation. Word Bank clouds evaporates sun Fog forecast ice temperature rain wind meteorologist thunder rainbow Bonus Box: What is your favorite kind of weather? On the back of this sheet, draw and color a picture of yourself doing what you like to do most in your favorite kind of weather. The Education Center, Inc. Weather Primary TEC3195 Note To Teacher: Use this activity with How Weather-Wise Are You? on page 5.