Weather Patterns engages students in exploring daily, weekly, and seasonal weather and how weather occurs in patterns that can be used to plan activities. Students learn about severe weather conditions and how to collect information related to severe weather. Students will investigate what types of severe weather may occur in their area and how people communicate warnings related to severe weather. Students then develop plans to prepare for severe weather emergencies.

Students’ earliest understanding of weather might be from being told, “It is nice enough to go outside,” or, “It’s too rainy today to play outside.” In the unit Weather Patterns students will start by learning the role of the sun, sunlight, and shade on Earth’s surface and different materials. Students will act as engineers to define a problem and brainstorm solutions related to needing more shade. Students will observe temperatures and other weather conditions with the goal of learning to establish patterns based on the data they observe. Students will build on establishing patterns to learn how to interpret seasonal patterns and how those patterns are used to report the weather.

Scientists, including weather scientists observe, analyze, and study atmospheric processes and changing weather patterns in the natural world to answer scientific questions. This series of lessons incorporates learning goals that support scientific principles and practices, such as analyzing and interpreting data, recognizing cause and effect, and planning and carrying out investigations. In addition, students learn about engineering designs that help prepare for severe weather.