Weather and Seasons

Year Level

Year 3

Duration

55 minutes

Class size

30 students

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Curriculum Alignment

Australian Curriculum Version 9 - Languages Learning Area

• Strand: Communicating
• Substrand: Interacting
• Content Descriptor:
  • Create and present informative and imaginative spoken, written and multimodal texts using formulaic expressions, simple sentences and modelled textual conventions (AC9L[S]-4C05)
• Substrand: Understanding (interpreting and analysing)
  • Locate and respond to key information related to familiar content obtained from spoken, written and multimodal texts, e.g. weather reports and descriptions of seasons (AC9L[S]-4C03)
• General Capabilities: Literacy and Intercultural Understanding

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Learning Objectives

By the end of this lesson, students will be able to:

1. Understand and use vocabulary related to weather and seasons in the target language.
2. Describe weather conditions using simple phrases and sentences.
3. Compare weather and seasons in different regions where the language is spoken.
4. Engage confidently in short oral and written tasks about weather and seasons.
5. Create a short informative presentation describing weather conditions using modelled language structures.

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Resources

• Flashcards with weather vocabulary (e.g., sunny, rainy, cloudy, cold, hot) and seasons (summer, winter, autumn, spring)
• Visual images/posters showing different weather and season scenes from countries/regions where the language is spoken
• Audio recordings of simple weather reports/phrases in the target language
• Whiteboard and markers
• Worksheets with fill-in-the-blank weather sentences
• Digital devices (optional) for multimodal presentations
• World map/globe to locate countries/regions

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Lesson Outline

Time	Activity	Description	Alignment
0–5 min	Introduction	Greet students. Briefly review last lesson’s content on seasons or weather vocabulary. Introduce lesson topic: expressing weather and seasons. Use visual aids to activate prior knowledge.	AC9L[S]-4C03, AC9L[S]-4C05
5–15 min	Vocabulary Presentation	Introduce targeted weather and season vocabulary using flashcards and images. Pronounce each word clearly and have students repeat. Incorporate mime or gestures for meaning. Include culturally relevant examples from target language regions (e.g., monsoon season in some countries).	AC9L[S]-4C05_E1, AC9L[S]-4C03_E10
15–25 min	Listening and Comprehension	Play an audio recording of a simple weather report in the target language. Provide a transcript or visuals with key phrases highlighted. Guide students to identify weather conditions mentioned. Ask comprehension questions (e.g., “What is the weather today?” “Is it hot or cold?”)	AC9L[S]-4C03, AC9L[S]-4C05
25–35 min	Speaking Practice	In pairs or small groups, students use modelled sentence starters (e.g., “Today it is…” “In summer, it is usually…”) to describe weather in different regions. Teacher circulates to provide scaffolding and correct pronunciation.	AC9L[S]-4C05_E6, AC9L[S]-4C05
35–45 min	Creative Expression Activity	Students create a simple multimodal poster or digital slide about weather and seasons in a selected region where the language is spoken. They write captions using new vocabulary and modelled structures, with images or drawings.	AC9L[S]-4C05_E9, AC9L[S]-4C05
45–53 min	Class Presentation	Volunteers present their weather posters or slides to the class, using modelled language. Teacher facilitates peer questions and positive feedback.	AC9L[S]-4C05
53–55 min	Conclusion and Reflection	Recap key vocabulary and phrases. Ask students what new words or phrases they liked best. Assign a simple home task: write a sentence about weather today in the target language or draw a season picture with labelled vocabulary.	AC9L[S]-4C05

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Assessment and Feedback

• Formative Assessment:
  • Monitor students' participation in speaking activities with prompts and sentence starters to support use of vocabulary and correct sentence structure.
  • Observe comprehension during listening and question-answer sessions.
  • Review the informative posters/slides created for appropriate vocabulary and phrases.
• Feedback:
  • Provide immediate verbal feedback during activities, encouraging correct pronunciation and use of expressions.
  • Use peer feedback during presentations with sentence frames like “I like your description because…” or “Can you tell me more about…?”

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Differentiation Strategies

• For learners needing support: Provide additional pictorial cues and sentence frames; pair with a more confident peer. Use gestures and visuals heavily.
• For advanced learners: Challenge to add detail to their descriptions or inquire about cultural differences in weather between regions. Encourage creating a short dialogue about weather forecasts.

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Cultural Connection

Highlight differences in seasons or weather between Australia and countries/regions where the language is spoken, fostering intercultural understanding. For example, discuss winter in the Southern Hemisphere versus the Northern Hemisphere and associated activities.

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Teacher Reflection

• Were students able to confidently use weather vocabulary in sentences?
• Did the multimodal poster activity engage different learning styles?
• What language structures need more reinforcement in upcoming lessons?
• How effectively did the cultural comparisons enhance student interest?

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This lesson plan is designed to engage Year 3 students in developing practical language skills around a familiar and meaningful topic, aligned with Australian Curriculum Version 9 Languages content descriptions and elaborations, promoting both language and intercultural capabilities.