In this unit, students’ observations and activities expand their awareness of weather, its features, and its effects on their daily lives. Their experiences introduce them to the following concepts, skills, and attitudes.

• Weather changes from day to day and week to week.
• Features of weather include cloud cover, precipitation, wind, and temperature.
• Tools used to measure different features of weather include wind scales, thermometers, and rain gauges.
• Meteorologists are scientists who study, observe, and record information about the weather and who use that information to forecast the weather.
• Weather affects the decisions people make about the clothing they will wear and about their outside activities.

• Observing the weather by using the senses.
• Discussing and recording information about weather features.
• Using simple tools to estimate wind speed and measure temperature and rainfall.
• Observing differences in types of clouds.
• Conducting experiments and drawing conclusions about appropriate clothing for different types of weather.
• Organizing weather data on graphs and long-term data collection charts.
• Interpreting and summarizing long-term weather data.

Attitudes

• Increasing awareness of weather.
• Appreciating how weather affects daily life.
• Recognizing that measurements and long-term records are useful and help us learn more about weather.