Weather Patterns

In kindergarten, students work towards developing routines and practices that scientists use to investigate phenomena and solve problems. This page is an extract from lesson 5 where students build on their weather observation skills as they observe and record local weather data to analyze weather patterns in their geographic area. Students continue to collect weather data over several months as they move onto the next lessons to build on their weather patterns analysis.

Science Background for Teachers:

The teacher background provides teachers with an in-depth explanation of the scientific phenomena that students will investigate in this unit. The science background helps teachers understand the deeper “how” and “why” of the topic being explored. For this lesson, students build on their knowledge of weather by making simple observations of different weather conditions and then use their observations to look for patterns in the data over time. Looking for patterns is a key part of meteorology, which is the science of studying atmospheric patterns to predict the weather. Meteorologists analyze data from a variety of sources including local weather observers, weather balloons, weather stations, and satellites. There are nearly 10,000 surface weather stations around the world. As a result of all of these stations, more than one million weather-related observations and measurements are made every single day.

Supports Grade K

Science Lesson: Exploring Weather Patterns

In this lesson, students observe and record local weather data over several months to analyze weather patterns in their geographic area. They explore the concept that weather in one area usually follows a yearly pattern and that this pattern can be observed and recorded. Students review their understanding of different types of weather on Earth and discuss the importance of weather forecasting before they begin recording and analyzing local weather conditions over a substantial period of time. They will carry this understanding forward as they engage with phenomena hands-on as scientists in future lessons.

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Science Big Ideas

  • We can make predictions about the weather because of certain observable patterns.
  • Scientists study weather conditions over time to look for patterns that can be used to predict future weather events.
  • Weather forecasting is helpful to people so that they make plans according to the predicted upcoming weather

Sample Unit CTA-2
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Science Essential Questions

  • Why is it important to watch the weather?
  • Why is it important to record many days of weather conditions before we can identify patterns?
  • How does weather forecasting help people?

Common Science Misconceptions

Misconception: The seasons cause weather to change.

Fact: Seasons have specific weather patterns associated with them, but they aren’t the cause of the weather.  

Misconception: Snow and ice make it cold.

Fact: Snow and ice form when temperatures are low enough. In other words, cold weather causes snow and ice to form, not the other way around.

Science Vocabulary

Cattern : something that happens in a regular and repeated way

Lexile(R) Certified Non-Fiction Science Reading (Excerpt)

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Hands-on Science Activity

This mini-lesson is a hands-on exploration of weather patterns over a period of time in students’ geographical area. They explore terminology associated with observing weather and practice recording the weather on a daily basis. Over time, they extrapolate patterns from day to day and season to season data to draw conclusions about weather patterns in their area. This practice gives students a chance to act as real scientists who gather data and analyze patterns to make an evidence-based claim.

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Science Assessments

KnowAtom incorporates formative and summative assessments designed to make students thinking visible for deeper student-centered learning.

  • Vocabulary Check
  • Lab Checkpoints
  • Concept Check Assessment 
  • Concept Map Assessment 
  • And More...

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Science Standards

See How KnowAtom Aligns to NGSS Science Standards

Discover hands-on screens-off core science curriculum for student centered K-8 classrooms. KnowAtom supports classrooms with all hands-on materials, curriculum, and professional development to support mastery of the standards.

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Standards citation: NGSS Lead States. 2013. Next Generation Science Standards: For States, By States. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. Neither WestEd nor the lead states and partners that developed the Next Generation Science Standards were involved in the production of this product, and do not endorse it.

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