Any day outdoors
View Sequence overviewStudents will:
- discuss how symbols are used to communicate information.
- create symbols that represent weather.
- explore symbols used in newspaper and television weather information reports.
- discuss why people want to know about the weather.
- participate in ongoing observation, recording and discussion of daily weather conditions.
Students will represent their understanding as they:
- identify some characteristics of weather.
- identify symbols used to represent the characteristics of weather.
- observe and record the characteristics of weather.
In this lesson, assessment is formative.
Feedback might focus on:
- Are students able to use common words (cloudy, stormy, rain, sunny, and windy) to describe the weather?
- Are students able to recognise common symbols and describe what they mean?
- Are students able to describe how their behaviour might change in different weather conditions?
Whole class
Class science journal (digital or hard-copy)
Material to create a word wall
Demonstration copy of Symbols in my world Resource sheet
Demonstration copy of Weather symbols in forecasts Resource sheet
Optional: A video of a local weather report
Optional: Photographs of symbols used in everyday life or around the school
Optional: Clips of different weather sounds (rain, wind, thunder etc.)
Optional: Computer and appropriate software for students to draw symbols
Optional: The Peppa Pig episode ‘Weather Station’
Each student
Individual science journal (digital or hard-copy)
4 small pieces of paper, approximately 8 cm x 8 cm
Device that connects to the internet (may be shared between students)
Lesson
The Inquire phase allows students to cycle progressively and with increasing complexity through the key science ideas related to the core concepts. Each Inquire cycle is divided into three teaching and learning routines that allow students to systematically build their knowledge and skills in science and incorporate this into their current understanding of the world.
When designing a teaching sequence, it is important to consider the knowledge and skills that students will need in the final Act phase. Consider what the students already know and identify the steps that need to be taken to reach the level required. How could you facilitate students’ understanding at each step? What investigations could be designed to build the skills at each step?
Read more about using the LIA FrameworkRe-orient
Recall the previous lesson, focusing on the pictures students drew after the observation walk. Discuss what they drew, and why they choose to draw it that way. For example, if they drew the sun, they may have drawn a yellow/orange circle with 'light rays' coming out of it. This is a common symbol for the sun that students may have encountered before.
The Inquire phase allows students to cycle progressively and with increasing complexity through the key science ideas related to the core concepts. Each Inquire cycle is divided into three teaching and learning routines that allow students to systematically build their knowledge and skills in science and incorporate this into their current understanding of the world.
When designing a teaching sequence, it is important to consider the knowledge and skills that students will need in the final Act phase. Consider what the students already know and identify the steps that need to be taken to reach the level required. How could you facilitate students’ understanding at each step? What investigations could be designed to build the skills at each step?
Read more about using the LIA FrameworkIdentifying and constructing questions is the creative driver of the inquiry process. It allows students to explore what they know and how they know it. During the Inquire phase of the LIA Framework, the Question routine allows for past activities to be reviewed and to set the scene for the investigation that students will undertake. The use of effective questioning techniques can influence students’ view and interpretation of upcoming content, open them to exploration and link to their current interests and science capital.
When designing a teaching sequence, it is important to spend some time considering the mindset of students at the start of each Inquire phase. What do you want students to be thinking about, what do they already know and what is the best way for them to approach the task? What might tap into their curiosity?
Read more about using the LIA FrameworkSymbols and their meaning
Review the questions students asked about the weather in the Launch phase. Refer to a student question (if one has been asked) as a jumping off point for the following investigation about the way weather is recorded/forecast. For example: How do we write or draw to show what the weather is like? If students haven’t asked this question themselves, add it to the list of class questions and discuss that answering this question will be the centre of today’s investigation.
Discuss how, sometimes, pictures/symbols give us information and instructions.
Use the Symbols in my world Resource sheet to discuss what symbols are, what each symbol displayed means, and any other symbols students might know. You may need to introduce the word ‘symbol’ to students.
- What pictures/symbols have you seen that tell you information, or give you instructions?
- Can you describe them?
- Where do you see them?
- Why do we need these symbols?
- How are these symbols helpful?
Ask: What symbols might we use to tell people what the weather is like?
Recall student drawing and labels/descriptions from the previous lesson. Brainstorm words used to describe different types of weather and add them to the word wall. For example: rainy, snowy, frosty, cloudy, sunny, stormy, humid, windy.
Students draw four symbols for different types of weather, with each symbol on its own small piece of paper.
Group together students’ drawings for each type of weather. Examine each group in turn and discuss the similarities and differences in the symbols that the students have drawn.
You might need to further group the drawings in each category. For example, for ‘rainy’ some students might have drawn a cloud, some might have drawn rain drops, and others an umbrella or raincoat.
- What weather type do these symbols represent?
- How are they the same? How are they different?
- How do they relate to the weather type being described?
- Which of these symbols could be used to describe today’s weather?
Optional: Students recreate these weather symbols in their science journals.
Weather and forecasts
Weather forecasts provide us with a range of information to help us plan our daily lives, and sometimes warn us of danger.
Weather influences the decisions we make each day about the clothes we wear and the activities we engage in. It also affects industries such as horticulture, farming, fishing and tourism. Predicting long-term patterns of drought, flood and rainfall is very important to our economy and lifestyle, especially in Australia, the driest inhabited continent on Earth. Weather forecasts provide us with a range of information to help us plan our daily lives, and sometimes warn us of danger from extreme weather conditions.
For people living in areas prone to storms, cyclones or floods, knowledge of the weather can mean the difference between life and death. A very important part of meteorology (the science of studying the atmosphere and predicting the weather) is recording atmospheric data over long periods. Meteorologists use this data to detect patterns in the weather and climate trends. Long-term records not only enable scientists to know about the past, but also help them to better predict weather patterns in the future. The equipment they use to do this includes:
- thermometers to measure air temperature.
- barometers to measure air pressure.
- anemometers to measure wind speed.
- hygrometers to measure air humidity (how much moisture (water vapour) is in the air).
- weather radars to detect approaching rainfall.
- weather satellites to monitor cloud cover, surface temperatures of land and sea and other data about the atmosphere.
Powerful supercomputers enable meteorologists to predict the weather. These computers help to analyse the enormous quantity of data meteorologists collect about temperature, pressure and wind speeds at many locations.
Weather influences the decisions we make each day about the clothes we wear and the activities we engage in. It also affects industries such as horticulture, farming, fishing and tourism. Predicting long-term patterns of drought, flood and rainfall is very important to our economy and lifestyle, especially in Australia, the driest inhabited continent on Earth. Weather forecasts provide us with a range of information to help us plan our daily lives, and sometimes warn us of danger from extreme weather conditions.
For people living in areas prone to storms, cyclones or floods, knowledge of the weather can mean the difference between life and death. A very important part of meteorology (the science of studying the atmosphere and predicting the weather) is recording atmospheric data over long periods. Meteorologists use this data to detect patterns in the weather and climate trends. Long-term records not only enable scientists to know about the past, but also help them to better predict weather patterns in the future. The equipment they use to do this includes:
- thermometers to measure air temperature.
- barometers to measure air pressure.
- anemometers to measure wind speed.
- hygrometers to measure air humidity (how much moisture (water vapour) is in the air).
- weather radars to detect approaching rainfall.
- weather satellites to monitor cloud cover, surface temperatures of land and sea and other data about the atmosphere.
Powerful supercomputers enable meteorologists to predict the weather. These computers help to analyse the enormous quantity of data meteorologists collect about temperature, pressure and wind speeds at many locations.
Representational challenge
By drawing their own symbols and comparing with others, students come to understand the importance of having common symbols.
In this step, students draw their own symbols to represent the weather. This supports them to understand the need to have common symbols in context.
By grouping the symbols you might find some students have drawn clouds to indicate 'cloudy' weather, but also to indicate 'rainy' weather, or wavy lines to represent 'windy' weather or flooding. Discussing the potential problems this ambiguity might cause, and comparing similarities and differences between symbols, will better prepare students to explore and understand the symbols commonly used in official weather reports.
In this step, students draw their own symbols to represent the weather. This supports them to understand the need to have common symbols in context.
By grouping the symbols you might find some students have drawn clouds to indicate 'cloudy' weather, but also to indicate 'rainy' weather, or wavy lines to represent 'windy' weather or flooding. Discussing the potential problems this ambiguity might cause, and comparing similarities and differences between symbols, will better prepare students to explore and understand the symbols commonly used in official weather reports.
The Inquire phase allows students to cycle progressively and with increasing complexity through the key science ideas related to the core concepts. Each Inquire cycle is divided into three teaching and learning routines that allow students to systematically build their knowledge and skills in science and incorporate this into their current understanding of the world.
When designing a teaching sequence, it is important to consider the knowledge and skills that students will need in the final Act phase. Consider what the students already know and identify the steps that need to be taken to reach the level required. How could you facilitate students’ understanding at each step? What investigations could be designed to build the skills at each step?
Read more about using the LIA FrameworkThe Investigate routine provides students with an opportunity to explore the key ideas of science, to plan and conduct an investigation, and to gather and record data. The investigations are designed to systematically develop content knowledge and skills through increasingly complex processes of structured inquiry, guided inquiry and open inquiry approaches. Students are encouraged to process data to identify trends and patterns and link them to the real-world context of the teaching sequence.
When designing a teaching sequence, consider the diagnostic assessment (Launch phase) that identified the alternative conceptions that students held. Are there activities that challenge these ideas and provide openings for discussion? What content knowledge and skills do students need to be able to complete the final (Act phase) task? How could you systematically build these through the investigation routines? Are there opportunities to build students’ understanding and skills in the science inquiry processes through the successive investigations?
Read more about using the LIA FrameworkExploring weather symbols
Invite students to explore weather information reports from websites (WillyWeather or Bureau of Meteorology) to learn about the symbols used.
Allow students time to explore a weather app or website with a partner, discussing the symbols that have been used and other things they notice.
Discuss what students noticed about the symbols used in the weather app/website, the similarities and differences between the symbols used there and the ones they drew, and anything else they noticed.
- What is the same about the symbols used on the app, and the ones we drew? What is different?
- How do the symbols relate to the weather type?
- What other information did you notice?
- Students might have noticed the numbers that indicate temperature, possible colours (blue or red) to indicate high or low temperatures, or hourly updates for the expected weather for the day. Discuss each thing they have noticed.
- Which symbols gives us the ‘best’ information about the weather type?
- For example, raindrops or a cloud with raindrops, would be the most appropriate for rain, because it represents what happens. A cloud is ambiguous because it can be cloudy without rain, and umbrellas are often used on sunny occasions to provide shade.
As a class, agree on a symbol to represent each weather type for the rest of the teaching sequence. Draw and label the selected symbols in the class science journal. You might also include a drawing of each symbol next to the appropriate word on the word wall, and/or ask students to draw and label these symbols in their individual science journals.
Optional: Watch a television weather report. After viewing the report discuss:
- the types of weather reported.
- how it might have been different from place to place.
- why the weather might be different across Australia.
- comparisons between First Nations calendars from different parts of Australia.
The Inquire phase allows students to cycle progressively and with increasing complexity through the key science ideas related to the core concepts. Each Inquire cycle is divided into three teaching and learning routines that allow students to systematically build their knowledge and skills in science and incorporate this into their current understanding of the world.
When designing a teaching sequence, it is important to consider the knowledge and skills that students will need in the final Act phase. Consider what the students already know and identify the steps that need to be taken to reach the level required. How could you facilitate students’ understanding at each step? What investigations could be designed to build the skills at each step?
Read more about using the LIA FrameworkFollowing an investigation, the Integrate routine provides time and space for data to be evaluated and insights to be synthesized. It reveals new insights, consolidates and refines representations, generalises context and broadens students’ perspectives. It allows student thinking to become visible and opens formative feedback opportunities. It may also lead to further questions being asked, allowing the Inquire phase to start again.
When designing a teaching sequence, consider the diagnostic assessment that was undertaken during the Launch phase. Consider if alternative conceptions could be used as a jumping off point to discussions. How could students represent their learning in a way that would support formative feedback opportunities? Could small summative assessment occur at different stages in the teaching sequence?
Read more about using the LIA FrameworkWhat do we already know about the weather?
Discuss why people would want to know about the weather, what weather information is useful, and the kind of information weather reports provide. Link to the discussion in the Launch phase about how some activities are impacted by the weather.
- Why do people want to know about the weather?
- What information do people want to get from weather reports?
- Do weather reports give us helpful information?
- Why do you think they use symbols?
- Information can be gathered ‘at-a-glance’, you don’t have to be able to read etc.
- Why would it be helpful to know what the weather might be if you were planning a day at the beach, or a camping holiday etc.?
The Inquire phase allows students to cycle progressively and with increasing complexity through the key science ideas related to the core concepts. Each Inquire cycle is divided into three teaching and learning routines that allow students to systematically build their knowledge and skills in science and incorporate this into their current understanding of the world.
When designing a teaching sequence, it is important to consider the knowledge and skills that students will need in the final Act phase. Consider what the students already know and identify the steps that need to be taken to reach the level required. How could you facilitate students’ understanding at each step? What investigations could be designed to build the skills at each step?
Read more about using the LIA FrameworkThe Investigate routine provides students with an opportunity to explore the key ideas of science, to plan and conduct an investigation, and to gather and record data. The investigations are designed to systematically develop content knowledge and skills through increasingly complex processes of structured inquiry, guided inquiry and open inquiry approaches. Students are encouraged to process data to identify trends and patterns and link them to the real-world context of the teaching sequence.
When designing a teaching sequence, consider the diagnostic assessment (Launch phase) that identified the alternative conceptions that students held. Are there activities that challenge these ideas and provide openings for discussion? What content knowledge and skills do students need to be able to complete the final (Act phase) task? How could you systematically build these through the investigation routines? Are there opportunities to build students’ understanding and skills in the science inquiry processes through the successive investigations?
Read more about using the LIA FrameworkWatching the weather (ongoing)
Explain that students are going to become ‘weather watchers’: the class will regularly observe the weather and compile its own weather report table. An example table has been included below, but should be customised to suit the days and times when your class will make their observations.
Introduce the recording table and symbols that your class will be using. Discuss the purpose and features of a table: we use a table to organise information. It has a title, columns with headings and information organised under each heading.
Explain that at the selected time on the selected days, the class will go outside to observe what the weather is like. These observations will be recorded in the table.
Take students outside for their first observation and model the first entry, using the weather symbols that were agreed on earlier in the lesson.
Discuss that the ‘Daily review’ section will be completed after the second observation of the day as the class recounts what happened with the weather for each day.
Over the following days
As you lead discussion about each day’s weather and record the daily summary, discuss the types of clothing and activities that might be suitable for those particular weather conditions. Suggest that this will help with the planning for the picnic/other event (what clothes to wear for the different conditions).
You might like to have dolls and a range of seasonal clothing and accessories so students can adjust their clothing and accessories to suit daily weather conditions.
Optional: Students keep individual records in their science journals. Using a copy of the recording table they might use photocopied versions of the class weather symbols or draw their own.
The Inquire phase allows students to cycle progressively and with increasing complexity through the key science ideas related to the core concepts. Each Inquire cycle is divided into three teaching and learning routines that allow students to systematically build their knowledge and skills in science and incorporate this into their current understanding of the world.
When designing a teaching sequence, it is important to consider the knowledge and skills that students will need in the final Act phase. Consider what the students already know and identify the steps that need to be taken to reach the level required. How could you facilitate students’ understanding at each step? What investigations could be designed to build the skills at each step?
Read more about using the LIA FrameworkFollowing an investigation, the Integrate routine provides time and space for data to be evaluated and insights to be synthesized. It reveals new insights, consolidates and refines representations, generalises context and broadens students’ perspectives. It allows student thinking to become visible and opens formative feedback opportunities. It may also lead to further questions being asked, allowing the Inquire phase to start again.
When designing a teaching sequence, consider the diagnostic assessment that was undertaken during the Launch phase. Consider if alternative conceptions could be used as a jumping off point to discussions. How could students represent their learning in a way that would support formative feedback opportunities? Could small summative assessment occur at different stages in the teaching sequence?
Read more about using the LIA FrameworkReview and add to students’ questions
Review the students’ question page in the class science journal and add any new questions students might have.
Optional: Watch the Peppa Pig episode ‘Weather Station’.
Reflect on the lesson
You might:
- add to/review the class word wall.
- review the agreed upon weather symbols and what they mean.
- make predictions about tomorrow's weather.
Links to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Histories and Cultures
Some First Nations peoples use symbols in art to represent weather phenomena.
Some First Nations peoples use symbols in art to represent weather phenomena. There are some common symbols used in First Nations art across the world. Consult your local Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community members for specific information for your area.
Explore Indigenous symbols used for weather phenomena, such as rainbows, rain, clouds, and lightning.
Use Indigenous symbols for weather phenomena on the weather watch table.
Some First Nations peoples use symbols in art to represent weather phenomena. There are some common symbols used in First Nations art across the world. Consult your local Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community members for specific information for your area.
Explore Indigenous symbols used for weather phenomena, such as rainbows, rain, clouds, and lightning.
Use Indigenous symbols for weather phenomena on the weather watch table.