Weather and Energy
Science • Year kindergarten • 32 • 14 students • Created with AI following Aligned with Common Core State Standards
Teaching Instructions
Science Activities/Investigations for the Week Bundle 2, Scope 3: Weather Hazards • Elaborate: Science Today – Watch It! • Evaluate (Bundle 2, Scope 3: Weather Hazards): CER Writing Prompt Bundle 2, Scope 4: Energy from the Sun • Engage: Investigative Phenomena • Engage: Accessing Prior Knowledge ELABORATE: Science Today -Watch It! Preparation • Read the teacher facilitation notes. • Watch the video. • Create a teacher exemplar. • Print and organize the materials needed for the activity. Facilitation • Project the video for students to watch. Show the video twice. • Pause at different points throughout the video to scaffold the completion of the activity handout. • Allow students to share their response with the whole class. Create and post an anchor chart to capture student responses. Formative Assessment • Use a kid-watching tool to capture anecdotal notes of students’ responses. • Print out one of the questions from the Open-Ended Response Assessment to provide to students as an Exit Ticket. EVALUATE (Scope 3: Weather Hazards): Claim-Evidence-Reasoning (CER) [Standard addressed: K-ESS3-2] Preparation • Create a teacher exemplar. • Create a kid-watching tool to capture student responses on the CER. Facilitation/Formative Assessment • In small groups, students complete the Claim-Evidence. • While some students are completing the Claim-Evidence, provide the other students with the Concept Attainment Quiz Handout to complete individually. Scope 4: Energy from the Sun ENGAGE: Investigative Phenomena Preparation • Watch the video. • Read the teacher facilitation notes. • Print and organize the materials needed for the activity. • Jot down any questions to ask students after the video OR use the questions provided in the teacher facilitation notes to generate a whole class discussion. Facilitation • Project the Investigative Phenomena video for students to watch. Show the video twice. • Ask students to share what they noticed and/or wondered while watching the video. • Create and post a See, Think, Wonder to chart student responses. • Create a driving question board on chart paper. o Driving Question: How does sunlight affect different types of surfaces on Earth? • Allow students time to generate possible answers to the question. • Record student responses on chart paper under the driving question. ENGAGE: Accessing Prior Knowledge Preparation • Read the teacher facilitation notes. • Print materials to provide to each student or table group. Facilitation • Project the student handout on the board. • Read the activity to students. • Allow an opportunity for each student to share their responses. • Chart their responses on the board. Formative Assessment Use a kid-watching tool to take anecdotal notes on students’ observations, questions, and engagement. These notes will inform your next steps for guiding student thinking and inquiry. Graphic Organizer • Create and post an anchor chart of the Graphic Organizer. • Post the anchor chart in the classroom. • After each learning experience, discuss what students have learned and add their thoughts to the anchor chart. • Allow students to refer to the anchor chart when completing formative assessments
Grade
4th Grade
Duration
32 Minutes
Class Size
14 Students
Standards Addressed
NGSS: K-ESS3-2
Analyze and interpret data to determine how weather hazards affect people.
Common Core ELA:
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.4.2
Write informative/explanatory texts to examine a topic and convey ideas clearly.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.4.1
Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions.
Learning Objectives ("I Can" Statements)
- I can identify different weather hazards and explain how they affect people.
- I can use a Claim-Evidence-Reasoning framework to explain what I learned about weather hazards.
- I can observe and describe how sunlight affects different surfaces on Earth.
- I can share my observations and questions during class discussions.
Materials Needed
- Projector/Smartboard
- Video clip on Weather Hazards (prepared by teacher following guidelines)
- Video clip on Energy from the Sun
- Science Today - Watch It! Activity Handouts (one per student)
- CER Writing Prompt Handouts
- Concept Attainment Quiz Handouts
- Chart paper & markers for anchor charts (See, Think, Wonder and Driving Question boards)
- Kid-watching anecdotal note sheets for teacher use
- Graphic Organizer anchor chart printed and visible
Lesson Structure & Timing
1. Introduction & Engage: Weather Hazards Video (7 minutes)
- Preparation: Teacher cues video and organizes handouts.
- Activity: Show Weather Hazards video two times.
- Pause at key points to scaffold responses on Science Today worksheet.
- Students share one observation or question aloud.
- Teacher charts responses on anchor chart.
Differentiation:
- Provide sentence starters for students needing writing support:
"I noticed that..."
"I wonder why..." - Pair discussion for shy students before whole group sharing.
2. Evaluate: Claim-Evidence-Reasoning (CER) Writing Prompt (7 minutes)
- Preparation: Teacher exemplifies one CER response related to weather hazards.
- Activity: Students form small groups (3-4) to complete Claim and Evidence portions on CER handout.
- While some groups work on CER, others complete the Concept Attainment Quiz independently.
Differentiation:
- Assign roles within groups (recorder, reader) to support participation.
- Provide sentence frames for constructing claims and citing evidence.
3. Engage: Energy from the Sun Investigative Phenomena (7 minutes)
- Preparation: Teacher cues energy video and prepares “See, Think, Wonder” chart.
- Activity: Show Investigative Phenomena video twice.
- Facilitate whole-class sharing about observations and questions.
- Post student responses on chart paper under See, Think, Wonder columns.
- Write Driving Question, “How does sunlight affect different types of surfaces on Earth?” on a separate chart.
- Record student-generated hypotheses or ideas under this question.
Differentiation:
- Provide sentence starters for observations: "I see...", "I think...", "I wonder..."
- Encourage ELL or struggling students to draw or use gestures to express ideas.
4. Engage: Accessing Prior Knowledge (6 minutes)
- Preparation: Teacher projects student handout on board.
- Activity: Read prompts aloud, guiding students through the activity.
- Each student or table group shares responses.
- Teacher charts key points on board.
- Teacher uses a kid-watching tool to capture informal notes on student engagement and misconceptions.
Differentiation:
- Allow students to answer verbally, in drawing, or short writing depending on ability.
- For students needing extra support, prompt with direct questions.
5. Wrap-up & Formative Assessment: Exit Ticket (5 minutes)
- Activity: Distribute one open-ended question from the Open-Ended Response Assessment.
- Students independently write or dictate a response related to weather hazards or energy from the sun.
- Collect exit tickets for assessment and next-step planning.
Assessment
- Formative: Anecdotal notes from kid-watching tool during each phase (observations, questions, participation).
- Written: CER handouts, Concept Attainment Quiz, and Exit Tickets will provide evidence of understanding.
Anchor Charts
- Science Today Response Chart (Weather Hazards)
- See, Think, Wonder Chart (Energy from the Sun)
- Driving Question Board: “How does sunlight affect different types of surfaces on Earth?”
- Graphic Organizer visible at all times for reference.
Differentiation Summary
| Learner Needs | Strategies |
|---|---|
| English Language Learners (ELLs) | Sentence starters; paired peer discussions; use of visuals and gestures |
| Students with IEPs | Roles in group activities; alternative ways to respond (drawing, verbal, short writing) |
| Gifted Students | Encourage generating additional questions; provide extension prompts for deeper inquiry |
| Shy/Reserved Students | Think-pair-share before whole group; nonverbal response options like drawings or gestures |
| All learners | Use of anchor charts and graphic organizers for continuous support |
Teacher Reflection Tips
- After lesson, review anecdotal notes to identify common misconceptions.
- Adjust next lesson to address misconceptions or extend learning.
- Consider adding a hands-on experiment with different materials and sunlight for next class to deepen inquiry.
This tightly paced, student-centered lesson supports engagement, formative evaluation, and inquiry while meeting NGSS and Common Core standards for fourth grade science and literacy integration.
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