Learning About the Weather and Welcome to Spring

Hello again everyone! Here is another update for you. 

Each year we move into the spring season with a discussion of weather predicting, weather instruments, and the water cycle.  Also, as we live in the mid-west, we talk a lot about weather safety!  We read many, many books about weather and refer to ourselves as "meteorologists" which is a BIG word for 1st grade kiddos, but they love it!

We begin learning weather words and all about weather instruments.  Next, we delved into the water cycle and created our own versions.  We also watched a Magic School Bus video pertaining to this topic.

Along with this we learned about various types of clouds and how they are used to predict the weather.  We read "The Cloud Book" by Tomie De Paola and then created a visual display of four types of clouds.

We also discussed the term "precipitation" and the various forms.  Then, the kiddos made a diagram.

While discussing severe weather and weather safety I always love to introduce the book, "Thunder Cake" by Patricia Polacco.  If you aren't familiar, it is a story about a grandmother teaching her granddaughter how to make "thunder cake" and in the process she also helps to calm the fears about the approaching storm.  It is also a great book for comparing/contrasting times long ago with today.

We also read many other books about severe weather.   

This led us into the spring season!  We used our five senses to write some spring poems after reading a couple of great books.

We also got out "real" rulers and measured some flowers!

Well, I have tried to cover just a few of the many, many activities we accomplished in learning about the weather and the beginning of a new spring season.  As this has been a long post I will end for now.  Next time I will update you on some special events that took place in April and May.  Bye for now and thanks for sticking with me until the end!