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Grade 3. During the 15 lessons in this module, students learn why and how scientists measure weather. The module includes a teacher guide, 10 Student Activity Guides, 16 Smithsonian Science Stories student readers, and enough materials for 32 students to use 1 time.

Grade 3. During the 15 lessons in this module, students learn why and how scientists measure weather. They explore and use a thermometer, anemometer, wind vane, and rain gauge to measure the weather outside their school. They use past weather data to identify annual temperature patterns in their school's location. Students explore climates around the world and compare them to their school's location. Students identify problems caused by hazardous weather and use evidence to identify the type of weather that caused each problem. Students design and build a roof to protect from one type of hazardous weather: heavy precipitation. In the final science challenge, students analyze and interpret patterns in climate data to recommend the best time and location for a kids' soccer tournament.

This module includes a teacher guide, 10 reusable Student Activity Guides, 16 Smithsonian Science Stories student readers, and enough materials for 32 students to use 1 time.

Student Readers Available HERE

Next Generation Science Standards*
Performance Expectations

• 3-ESS2-1: Represent data in tables and graphical displays to describe typical weather conditions expected during a particular season.
• 3-ESS2-2: Obtain and combine information to describe climates in different regions of the world.
• 3-ESS3-1: Make a claim about the merit of a design solution that reduces the impacts of a weather-related hazard.
• 3-5-ETS1-1: Define a simple design problem reflecting a need or a want that includes specified criteria for success and constraints on materials, time, or cost.

Disciplinary Core Ideas
ESS2.D: Weather and Climate

• Scientists record patterns of the weather across different times and areas so that they can make predictions about what kind of weather might happen next.
• Climate describes a range of an area's typical weather conditions and the extent to which those conditions vary over years.

ESS3.B: Natural Hazards

• A variety of natural hazards result from natural processes. Humans cannot eliminate natural hazards but can take steps to reduce their impacts.

ETS1.A: Defining and Delimiting Engineering Problems

• Possible solutions to a problem are limited by available materials and resources (constraints). The success of a designed solution is determined by considering the desired features of a solution (criteria). Different proposals for solutions can be compared on the basis of how well each one meets the specified criteria for success or how well each takes the constraints into account.

ETS1.B: Developing Possible Solutions**

• Research on a problem should be carried out before beginning to design a solution. Testing a solution involves investigating how well it performs under a range of likely conditions.
• At whatever stage, communicating with peers about proposed solutions is an important part of the design process, and shared ideas can lead to improved designs.

ETS1.C: Optimizing the Design Solution**

• Different solutions need to be tested in order to determine which of them best solves the problem, given the criteria and the constraints.

**Indicates a DCI that is addressed in the module but not summatively assessed.

Science and Engineering Practices

• Defining problems
• Using mathematics and computational thinking
• Analyzing and interpreting data
• Obtaining, evaluating, and communicating information
• Constructing explanations
• Carrying out an investigation
• Designing solutionsv
• Engaging in argument from evidence
• Using models

Crosscutting Concepts

• Patterns
• Scale, proportion, and quantity
• Structure and function
• Cause and effect
• Stability and change

Common Core State Standards
ELA Connections

• Comprehension and collaboration (SL.3.1)v
• Comprehension and collaboration (SL.3.1.A)
• Comprehension and collaboration (SL.3.1.B)
• Comprehension and collaboration (SL.3.1.D)
• Comprehension and collaboration (SL.3.2)
• Presentation of knowledge and ideas (SL.3.4)
• Integration of knowledge and ideas (RI.3.7)
• Range of reading and level of text complexity (RI.3.10)
• Text types and purposes (W.3.1)
• Research to build and present knowledge (W.3.8)

Math Connections

• Solving problems involving measurement and estimation (3.MD.A.2)
• Represent and interpret data (3.MD.B.3)
• Represent and interpret data (3.MD.B.4)
• Develop understanding of fractions as numbers (3.NF.1)

Concepts and Practices Storyline
Focus Questions and Lesson Summaries
Focus Question 1: Why measure weather?
Lesson 1: Weather Instruments
Different tools can be used to measure different weather conditions.
Students ask questions about the structure and function of weather instruments in order to determine the function of the instrument.
Lesson 2: Measuring Weather
Weather conditions can vary from place to place.
Students carry out an investigation by measuring air temperature, wind speed and direction, and precipitation to determine if weather can vary over short distances.
Lesson 3: Predicting Weather
Scientists use weather measurements to predict the weather.
Students obtain and combine information about how meteorologists use data collected from weather tools to identify patterns and make predictions about future weather.
Lesson 4: Build an Anemometer
A tool can be designed that measures wind speed.
Students build anemometers and carry out an investigation to measure the speed of the same wind twice to test the consistency of the anemometer.
Focus Question 2: What does weather in the past tell us about weather in the future?
Lesson 5: High and Low
Average weather is calculated over many years.
Students represent data on temperature for the past five years in their school's location in a bar graph. They identify the pattern to construct an argument for the future temperature in their school's location.
Lesson 6: Travel Plans
Average weather is used to describe climate.
Students represent data on average temperature and precipitation over twelve months in their school's location in a bar graph. They identify the pattern to describe the likely weather conditions in their school's location.
Lesson 7: Around the World
There are five main types of climate in the world.
Students combine information from a map and text to describe differences between the climates in different places on Earth.
Lesson 8: North and South
Northern and Southern Hemisphere places with the same climate have opposite seasons.
Students combine information from cards and text to describe differences between seasons in different hemispheres of the Earth.
Focus Question 3: How does climate affect the way buildings are designed?
Lesson 9: Hazardous Weather
Hazardous weather can cause problems.
Students obtain and combine information about blizzards, hurricanes, and tornadoes in order to identify the cause of weather-related problems.
Lesson 10: Roof Research
Roofs can be designed that protect against weather hazards.
Student obtain information from text and from carrying out an investigation to learn about roof structures that will function to drain water during heavy precipitation.
Lesson 11: Design and Build a Roof
Engineering design is based on the criteria of the solution.
Students design and build a roof structured to withstand the effects of a climate with heavy precipitation.
Lesson 12: Test a Roof
A design needs to be tested to see how well it works.
Students use evidence from an investigation testing the function of a roof to make an argument about the merit of different roof designs to withstand a climate with heavy precipitation.
Science Challenge
Focus Question 4: How can climate and weather data help us plan a soccer tournament?
Lesson 13: Kids Cup Part 1
Climate and weather data can be used to predict future weather.
Students make a graph to show the pattern of temperature, precipitation, or hazardous weather for a city throughout the year.
Lesson 14: Kids Cup Part 2
Climate and weather data can be used to plan events.
Students analyze and interpret patterns in climate data to make a claim about which month would be best to host a kids' soccer tournament in a particular city.
Lesson 15: Kids Cup Part 3
Climate and weather data can be used to plan events.
Students use evidence based on climate data to agree or disagree with other students’ claims for the best time and location to host a kids' soccer tournament.

*Next Generation Science Standards® is a registered trademark of WestEd. 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.