Third Grade Thematic Unit Lesson Plan Guide

Lesson Title: Weather: Wind

Grade: 3rd
Teacher: Samantha Branz

Time Required: 50 min

Standard(s)-Common Core State Standard (CCSS):

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.3.3 Describe characters in a story (e.g., their traits,

motivations, or feelings) and explain how their actions contribute to the sequence of
events.

Science-Grade Level Content Expectations (GLCE)

S.IA.03.11 Summarize information from charts and graphs to answer scientific questions.

Language Arts Objective: The learner will be able to (LWBAT)

The LWBAT define myth and continue and finish writing their own wind creation myth.

Content Objective What concept (science, social studies, math) do you want the children to
know and/or be able to do at the end of the lesson?

The LWBAT identify the temperature, wind speed, and precipitation values on a standard

weather forecast.
The LWBAT recall what causes the wind and how it works through the use of vocabulary
learned in class.

Assessment (Be sure this assessment is measurable and links to the stated standard and learning
objective.):
Key Vocabulary (Academic/Content)
Air Pressure The weight of air pressing down on earth. Air
pressure can change from place to place, and this causes air to
move, flowing from areas of high pressure toward areas of low
pressure. Its the same as barometric pressure.
Meteorologist A scientist who studies and predicts the
weather. Meteorologists use sophisticated equipment, like
Doppler radar and supercomputers, but they also rely on oldfashioned sky watching.
Myth a story created long ago by people in a culture to
explain their surroundings.
Precipitation any form of water falling from the sky, like rain,
snow, hail, or a mixture.

Materials
Notebooks
student

per

Word Wall Folder 1

per student
Weather by The Nature
Company, Its in the
Wind p. 10-11
Weather:
Frequently
Asked Questions by
Valerie Wyatt, Weather
Myths p. 32-33

Weather It describes the condition of the air at a particular

time and place. Weather also tells how the air moves (wind) and
describes anything it might be carrying such as rain, snow or
clouds. Thunder, lightning, rainbows, haze and other special
events are all part of weather.
Wind The movement of air relative to the surface of the earth.
Its considered to be severe if 58 m.p.h. or greater. Hurricane
winds are 74 mph or greater and the highest tornado winds are
about 318 m.p.h.

Balloons one for each

student and the teacher

Anticipatory Set (Getting Started): (How am I going to get their attention? How am I going to
link it to their previous knowledge/backgrounds? How will I state the learning objective for the
students?)
1. Last Thursday we learned how to read a weather forecast and what a myth is.
2. Lets start by reviewing how to read a weather forecast. Today we have weather forecasts
from a different website than last time. These predictions look a little different but they
have the same information. We will still be looking for the precipitation, or rain fall; the
wind speed and direction; and the temperature now and the high and low temperatures for
the day.
3. You will be a meteorologist again and read the weather to your partner.
Lesson Sequence: (How will you teach this lesson? Be specific enough that anyone could use
your lesson plan to teach this lesson. Choose appropriate headings for each section of your
lesson using items from the Activity Menu or others you need.)
Weather: Wind
1. Lets read Where does the Wind Come From? While we read and discuss the wind, we
will be filling out a worksheet to help us remember some of the things we learn.
2. I noticed that our reading begins with an example of a myth, but lets get back to that
later.
3. I brought some balloons with me today so we can see how air pressure affects wind.
(Blow up a balloon) Now, inside my balloon there is a lot of air pressure. Air pressure is
the weight of the air pushing against something. In the case of my balloon here, the air
inside is pushing against the sides of the balloon. I put so much air into the balloon that
the air inside is trying to burst out through the balloon. This is a high pressure
environment.
4. In our reading, we read that high pressure makes the air travel to low air pressure. Here is
a good example of this. There are fifty clowns getting ready to go to the party. They are

standing outside in the driveway of Slappy the Clowns house. Outside they are all spread
out and have their own space. This is what I would call a low pressure environment. They
are all ready to go to the party now but they only have one car. One! So the clowns decide
to stuff themselves into the tiny car together. Now all of the clowns are stuffed into the
tiny car and they closed the doors. There isnt any room to move and barely room to
breathe. This represents the high pressure environment. The clowns are like the air in this
balloon.
5. Lets make a prediction really quickly. Write in your science writing journal about what
you think will happen when the clowns open the car doors. What do you think will
happen when I let the air out of the balloon? Share your predictions.
6. Now lets see what really happens. (Let the balloon go.) The air did just as it said it would
in the reading. The air moved from the high pressure inside the balloon to the low
pressure out here in the room. Now, you try. Please do not let go of your balloon; we
arent trying to disturb the other groups here today.
7. Look back at the first page of your handout. The picture shows us more about how wind
is created. Not only does the high pressure air move to an area of lower pressure, the air
rises and falls. The air gets heated by the sun and then rises. It gets colder the higher in
the air it goes and once it gets cold enough, it sinks. The sun heats the air unevenly,
though, so wind isnt the same all the time. It moves all over the Earth.
Myth
8. Now that we learned a little more about how the wind works, lets go back to the top of
our worksheet and read the first sentence again. We just read about how people used to
think about the weather in Japan before we knew exactly how the wind works. They
made up a myth about the weather.
9. Read Weather Myths from Weather by The Nature Company.
a. Lets highlight all the examples we can find of a myth from this reading. How
many did we find? (about 7)
10. Remember that myths are invented by people to explain something. They arent real
explanations or science. Keep this in mind when we write our myths again today. Your
stories about how people thought the wind blew can be completely make-believe.
Exploring/Extending: (What are the directions for the extension activities? Be specific.)
Weather: Wind

1. Answer the questions about temperature, wind speed, and precipitation in Marquette, MI
and Honolulu, HI.
2. Work on the worksheet while we discuss how the wind is made in class.
Myth
1. Continue writing your myth about how the wind came to be.
Closure: (How will you review the focus of this lesson?)
1. We will be referring back to our weather forecast and myth writing throughout our unit.
Adaptations for Diverse and Special Needs: (What types of adaptions might be needed for
students with special needs or cultural differences?)

Name _____________________________

Weather Forecast Worksheet

You are a meteorologist! Tell your partner what the weather is like in Marquette,
MI. Your partner will then tell you what the weather forecast is like in Honolulu,
Hawaii. Write down the forecast as it is told to you by your partner below.

Temperature now: ____________

High Temperature for today: ____________
Low Temperature for today: ___________
Precipitation (rain fall) amount for today: ____________
Wind Speed: ___________
Wind Direction: ____________

Name _____________________________

How Does the Wind Work?

As we read please answer the following questions.

1. Air pressure is ____________________________________

________________________________________________.
2. Air flows from _____________ air pressure to ____________ air
pressure.
3. The ___________ heats up the Earth ___________________.
4. Hot air ___________________. Cold air _______________.
5. ________________ is created when air moves from the high
pressure area to the low pressure area.