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!"#$%&'$(%: kaLle Copper )%*+, .,/,012((3,%*$4"5 6,*'7,%: 1
sL
/Mandy SmlLh
.,##(" 64$0,: LxLreme WeaLher 8*$,: March 10, 2014
2&%%4'&0&9 :%,*: Sclence/WrlLlng ;#$49*$,+ 649,: 30 mlnuLes

SLandards ConnecLlon:
LLA 1.19: WlLh prompLlng and supporL, read lnformaLlonal LexLs approprlaLely complex
for Crade 1.
LLA 1.23: WrlLe lnformaLlve or explanaLory LexLs ln whlch Lhey name a Loplc, supply
some facLs abouL Lhe Loplc, and provlde some sense of closure.
LLA 1.29: arLlclpaLe ln shared research and wrlLlng pro[ecLs.

Learnlng Cb[ecLlves:
SLudenLs wlll ldenLlfy facLs abouL an asslgned exLreme weaLher condlLlon uslng grade
level lnformaLlve LexLs and prlor knowledge.
SLudenLs wlll presenL aL leasL one of Lhe exLreme weaLher facLs Lhey learn from Lhelr
research as parL of a group presenLaLlon.

LvaluaLlon of Learnlng Cb[ecLlves:
1he sLudenL wlll Lurn ln hls or her LxLreme WeaLher worksheeL wlLh 6 facLs perLalnlng Lo Lhelr
asslgned weaLher condlLlon. 1hey wlll Lhen presenL Lhelr flndlngs as parL of a group
presenLaLlon, durlng whlch Lhey wlll share aL leasL one of Lhe facLs Lhey conLrlbuLed. SLudenL
work wlll be assessed based on Lhe sLudenL's ablllLy Lo comprehend a non-flcLlon LexL and
produce flndlngs from Lhelr research. 1he Leacher wlll evaluaLe Lhe wrlLLen facLs as well as Lhelr
parLlclpaLlon ln Lhe group acLlvlLy.

LngagemenL:
1hroughouL Lhe weaLher unlL, sLudenLs wlll have been readlng non-flcLlon books abouL
weaLher as a parL of Lhelr unlL on non-flcLlon LexLs. 1he sLudenLs wlll use Lhese same
books Lo compleLe Lhls acLlvlLy.
1he Leacher wlll show Lhe 8raln op vldeo: !"#$%"& ()*"*#+%*. As Lhls ls a 8raln op vldeo
for grades 3-3, Lhe Leacher wlll sLop perlodlcally Lo dlscuss dlfferenL Loplcs addressed ln
Lhe vldeo.

Learnlng ueslgn
1. 1eachlng:
a. She wlll Lhen explaln LhaL Loday we wlll be dolng our own research Lo learn
abouL exLreme weaLher. She wlll say, We [usL waLched a vldeo LhaL had Lons of
facLs abouL dlfferenL klnds of exLreme weaLher. uo you Lhlnk LhaL Lhere were
researchers who found Lhe facLs ln order Lo puL LhaL vldeo LogeLher?" 1he
Leacher wlll walL for Lhe sLudenLs Lo respond.
b. l Lhlnk so Loo! WhaL Lhese researchers declded Lo do was glve you a llLLle blL of
lnformaLlon on a loL of dlfferenL klnds of weaLher. SomeLlmes LhaL can be really
helpful because you can geL lnformaLlon abouL a loL of dlfferenL klnds of weaLher
aL once. Powever, someLlmes we wanL Lo know more abouL [usL one klnd of
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weaLher. uoes anyone have a klnd of weaLher Lhey would be lnLeresLed ln
learnlng more abouL?" 1he Leacher wlll call on a few sLudenLs for a response.
c. So, we can see LhaL someLlmes we mlghL wanL some lnformaLlon abouL [usL one
Loplc. So, Loday you are all golng Lo geL Lo be researchers. ?ou wlll be asslgned a
group and one klnd of exLreme weaLher. l have already seL up sLaLlons for each
group around Lhe room. ?ou and your group are golng Lo be our experLs on LhaL
Lype of weaLher. l have books abouL each Lype of weaLher ready for you Lo use.
?ou and your group wlll read Lhrough some of Lhese books and flnd facLs abouL
your klnd of exLreme weaLher. ?ou wlll flrsL read Lhrough Lhe books on your own
and flll ouL your LxLreme WeaLher worksheeL. (1he Leacher wlll hold up Lhe
worksheeL for sLudenLs Lo see.) As you can see, you wlll puL 6 facLs on Lhls sheeL.
Cnce you have flnlshed Lhls, you wlll come LogeLher wlLh your group Lo Lalk
abouL whaL you have learned. See who learned Lhe same Lhlngs you dld, and
whaL klnds of Lhlngs oLhers learned. AL your sLaLlon you wlll flnd a posLer LhaL
you wlll creaLe and use Lo Leach your classmaLes abouL your asslgned exLreme
weaLher. As a group, you need Lo have aL leasL 10 facLs on your posLer. ?ou can
also draw plcLures or anyLhlng else you Lhlnk mlghL help your classmaLes
undersLand whaL you are Leachlng Lhem. ?ou can also add Lhlngs you already
knew abouL your weaLher. Maybe you've experlenced LhaL weaLher aL some
polnL, or you remember someLhlng you learned when !ames Spann came Lo vlslL.
use all you know Lo Leach us!"
d. 1he Leacher wlll conLlnue wlLh emphasls, When lL ls Llme for your group Lo
share, +"-. *#$/+0# )0 #.+ 1%2$3 4567 3"%#)-)3"#+. l wlll be llsLenlng for each
person Lo glve aL leasL one of Lhe facLs Lhey conLrlbuLed Lo Lhe research, buL all
facLs on Lhe posLer musL be presenLed. Ck, so now l wlll break you lnLo your
groups and you may geL Lo work! When l call your name, come geL your experL
badge and go Lo your sLaLlon."
2. CpporLunlLy for racLlce:
a. 1he Leacher wlll break sLudenLs lnLo mlxed-ablllLy groups, wlLh 4 sLudenLs per
group. 1here wlll be groups sLudylng hurrlcanes, Lornados, bllzzards, llghLnlng,
and floods.
b. 1he Leacher wlll polnL Lo Lhe locaLlon of each severe weaLher sLaLlon so sLudenLs
wlll know where Lo go once Lhey recelve Lhelr asslgnmenL.
c. 1he Leacher wlll pass ouL a badge Lo each sLudenL wlLh hls or her asslgned severe
weaLher on lL. lor example, a sLudenL ln Lhe llghLnlng group would have a badge
LhaL says, 8)1.#0)01 9:3+%#. She wlll Lhen dlrecL Lhem Lo Lhelr sLaLlon Lo begln
work.
d. SLudenLs wlll work as a group for abouL 30 mlnuLes, researchlng Lhelr asslgned
weaLher. She wlll clrcle Lhe room and asslsL sLudenLs as needed, guldlng Lhem Lo
helpful lnformaLlon or helplng Lhem decode LexLs LhaL Lhey are havlng Lrouble
wlLh.
e. AL Lhe end of Lhe work perlod, Lhe Leacher wlll call on groups one aL a Llme Lo
reLurn Lhelr books Lo Lhe bookshelf and come meeL on Lhe carpeL.
3. AssessmenL
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a. ln Lurn, each group wlll share Lhelr posLer wlLh Lhe class. 1he Leacher wlll
observe, maklng sure all sLudenLs parLlclpaLe.
b. 1he Leacher wlll say, Ck, now LhaL you are all experLs ln Lhe exLreme weaLher
you were asslgned, each group wlll share wlLh Lhe class."
c. 1he Leacher wlll call on each group one aL a Llme Lo share Lhelr research wlLh Lhe
group. She wlll use a checkllsL Lo ensure LhaL each sLudenL parLlclpaLes ln Lhe
group sharlng.

ConLenL and 8esources:
non-flcLlon weaLher books on each Lype of severe weaLher
LxLreme WeaLher worksheeL (appendlx 2A)
o 1hls worksheeL was Laken from a weaLher unlL called ;+"#.+% )* ;)&/ creaLed
and sold by SLephanle SLewarL. 1hls unlL can be found aL:
hLLp://www.LeacherspayLeachers.com/roducL/WeaLher-ls-Wlld-unlL-WeaLher-
unlL-lor-1he-Common-Core-Classroom-336213
LxLreme WeaLher LxperL badges (appendlx 28)
o 1hese badges were Laken from a weaLher unlL called ;+"#.+% )* ;)&/ creaLed
and sold by SLephanle SLewarL. 1hls unlL can be found aL:
hLLp://www.LeacherspayLeachers.com/roducL/WeaLher-ls-Wlld-unlL-WeaLher-
unlL-lor-1he-Common-Core-Classroom-336213
Large posLers
Markers
8raln C! vldeo
o www.bralnpop.com
romeLhean board or pro[ecLor
AssessmenL checkllsL

lans for lndlvldual Learners and ulfferenLlaLlon SLraLegles:
<: 1hls sLudenL wlll be allowed Lo work wlLh her group, buL wlll only be requlred Lo flnd one facL
Lo wrlLe on her facL sheeL. She may Lhen palr up wlLh anoLher sLudenL Lo flnd some more facLs
and may parLlclpaLe ln maklng Lhe group posLer. As Lhls lesson does noL cover a 1
sL
grade
sclence sLandard, and she has her own readlng and wrlLlng lL goals, lL was an excellenL lesson
Lo allow her Lo be parL of Lhe classroom communlLy wlLhouL resLrlcLlon.

=> 1hls sLudenL wlll be glven a worksheeL LhaL has larger spaces for hlm Lo wrlLe hls facLs ln and
wlll only be requlred Lo wrlLe four facLs.

8ooks aL each sLaLlon wlll reflecL Lhe readlng levels of Lhe sLudenLs ln LhaL group. lor example,
Lhe groups wlLh sLrong readers ln Lhem wlll have books of hlgher readlng levels aL Lhelr sLaLlon.

8eflecLlon:
1he klds 8LALL? en[oyed Lhls lesson, and LhaL was so exclLlng Lo see. 1hey loved learnlng new
facLs abouL all Lhe neaL klnds of weaLher. As far as weaLher goes, Lhls lesson doesn'L really fall
under any 1
sL
grade weaLher sLandards, buL l was able Lo use weaLher as Lhe basls for some
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parLs of Lhelr non-flcLlon readlng and wrlLlng unlL. 1hls lesson helped me reallze how lmporLanL
lL ls Lo lncorporaLe Lhose cross-currlcular connecLlons and lnLegraLe sub[ecLs llke sclence and
soclal sLudles ln Lhls way. lL was dlfflculL Lo flnd grade-level, non-flcLlon LexLs LhaL were speclflc
Lo Lhese Loplcs, so l had Lo asslsL Lhem ln readlng some hlgher-level LexLs. ln Lhe fuLure l would
hope Lo Lrack down some more approprlaLe LexLs.

uaLa Analysls
All sLudenLs were able Lo compleLe Lhelr requlred number of facLs and share Lhelr requlred one
facL wlLh Lhe class.