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Weekly Lesson Plans (Weather Unit)






This week was one of those odd weeks where I happened to be out for three days. Despite some typical "sub behavior" things seemed to go pretty well as far as using the notebooks.

Monday

Lesson plan focus was introducing students to different type of severe weather and related safety tips. Students read and discussed a left hand sheet that I had glued into their books before I left. They were encouraged to discuss their own encounters with severe weather. My sub, whom I spoke to before I left, brought in newspaper articles of Hurricane Hugo and was able to contribute to the discussion. For the right hand assignment students had to pull a safety tip out of a bag (I had put together 27 or so that I found on the internet covering lightning, hurricanes, and tornadoes) they had to share the tip they pulled, discuss why it was a good safety tip, and then a draw a poster that went with the tip on the right hand side of their book.

Tuesday

Lesson focus was comparing and contrasting hurricanes and tornadoes. Students read and highlighted information on the left hand side and filled in a venn diagram on the right hand side on their own, using the information they had read on the left. If done they could finish poster from yesterday or complete a weather word search I had put together using a free online weather word search online.


Wednesday

Students watched a Tornadoes video, which actually they were getting into (two classes did not get to finish it and were begging to finish it this week). I came back the next day and during my review they were talking about super cells and the Enhanced Fujita Scale (all learned from the video).

Thursday

I put together a PowerPoint review of severe weather, safety tips, hurricanes vs. tornadoes, and weather tools and went over it with students. I had them show me their safety posters and their venn diagrams (so I knew which classes needed some extra time to finish). I had them set up their weather bingo boards (see earlier post on the subject), which we won't play until closer to the end of the unit when all vocabulary has been introduced but it was a "low impact" activity that required some focus (and most importantly quiet :)

Friday

Students took a quiz after which was "make up day" for all classes. I really try to start and end the week with all three of my science classes on the same page so to speak. My first class (which has a longer time with me then the other three) is completely caught up. They will cut out their BINGO cards and glue in their books. I have a hurricane video they will watch. The second class is the one that needs some "extra love" they need to finish up their weather accordion books from last week and do their BINGO cards. The third class also needs to finish their weather accordion books and cut and paste their BINGO cards in the notebook. If I am very very lucky everyone will be caught up today and we can start the water cycle next week.
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tammy.cruz said…
Love the notebooks! I teach Esl & they are good b/c they are visual and hands-on. Where do we get the printable resources that we see in the notebooks. I am teaching a summer school unit specifically on weather/water cycle. Liked the flip tab water cycle especially. THANKS!
June 3, 2011 at 11:50 PM
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