INTRODUCTION to Gateways
A Word to the Teacher
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INTRODUC
Daily Observations and Descriptions__________________________________
Kindergarten students should observe and describe weather changes from day
to day and identify events that have repeating patterns, including seasons and
day and night. Weather observations and descriptions should be incorporated into
daily classroom instruction from the beginning of the school year. Weather will be
addressed formally in Unit 3: Earth Science, Part 1. The Weather Calendar and
Weather Symbols are provided on the Teacher Resource CD for use with or as your
classroom calendar. The Weather Wheel (Unit 3, RM 3) may also be used to make
day-to-day observations of the weather.
Sample Daily Weather Observations
During the first few months
of school, as a class, observe and describe the weather
and use the weather symbols to complete the weather calendar. Over time, allow
students to complete the weather calendar with their own illustrations. Save the
weather calendar from month to month to observe and compare the weather day to
day, month to month, and over seasons.
Students entering kindergarten may have limited experience in reading a
thermometer. However, at this time, kindergarten students need only learn to
identify whether the temperature displayed is hot or cold.
Y ou will need a classroom demonstration thermometer and a Celsius thermometer,
or access to the Internet, to make observations. A classroom demonstration
thermometer may be purchased from education supply catalogs or stores.
[Note: When using a classroom thermometer, adjust the red band to display the
temperature.]
Y ou may find daily temperature readings via the Internet or by placing a Celsius
thermometer outside in a shady location that receives good airflow.
Weather WheelWeather Wheel
The weather today isThe weather today is
partly cloudypartly cloudy
sunny
windy
rainy
snowy
cloudy
partly cloudy
Weather CalendarWeather Calendar
Monday Monday Tuesday Tuesday Wednesday Wednesday Thursday Thursday Friday Friday Saturday Saturday Sunday Sunday
1
15
3
17
2
16
4
18
5
19
8
22
29
10
24
31
9
23
30
11
25
12
26
