And Now for the Weather Report

Lesson Plan

Overview

The students will research the climate and forecast the weather for all the national sites depicted on the 2011 America the Beautiful Quarters^® Program coins.

Objectives

The student, given the locations of the national sites on the 2011 quarters, will create and perform a weather forecast for the 5 sites.  The students will research to collect weather and climate data; represent data using maps, tables, and graphs; and create a weather forecast.  Students will use climate data from the national sites as a primary source for predicting the weather.

Summary

• Describe the America the Beautiful Quarters Program for background information.  The program is described at www.usmint.gov/mint_programs/atb/.  Tell the students that the back of a coin is called the reverse, and "obverse" is another name for the front.  With the students, examine each of the five 2011 quarter designs.  Locate each of the 2011 sites on a class map.  Answer any student questions.
• Point out that weather affects us all.  Meteorologists often use maps, charts, tables, and graphs when they do their weather forecasts.  A climatological forecast is a forecast that is based on a location's climate data or average weather.
• Ask the students to research and record climate and weather data related to the 2011 national sites over several days.  Have them pick three of the sites and present this data as a weather report in a format they choose from the Project Guide.

Assessment

Use the worksheets and the rubric in the "And Now for the Weather Report" Project Guide to evaluate student understanding and to see whether they have met the lesson objectives.

Differentiated Learning

• Have the students work in groups or do a smaller number of sites.
• Model creating a weather report using climate data from another site.

Connection to www.usmint.gov/kids

• Have the students learn more about weather and preparing for severe weather using the District of Columbia and U.S. Territories Quarters Program "Weather Alert!" lesson plan based on the US Virgin Islands quarter for grades 4 through 6 at http://www.usmint.gov/kids/teachers/lessonplans/dcTerritories/0406-usvi.pdf.
• Have the students learn more about using graphs to represent data using the Teacher Feature "Canal Connection" at http://www.usmint.gov/kids/teachers/features/2007/06.cfm.

Print Me

Worksheets associated with this lesson plan

• And Now for the Weather
• Weather Report Cloud Chart
• And Now for the Weather Report Project Guide

Objectives

You will learn about climate and weather for the five national sites featured on the 2011 America the Beautiful Quarters^® Program coins, including:

• Types of clouds possible
• Type of precipitation probable
• Range of temperatures

Step-By-Step Directions

1. After your teacher introduces your class to the America the Beautiful Quarters Program designs for 2011, locate the sites on a map.  Check out the America the Beautiful Quarters Program National Site Register to find out which national site in your state or U.S. territory was selected for the program.
2. Check out the designs for the 2011 quarters, which you will be using for this project.  Research the information on the climate for the quarters' national sites using the NPS Web sites.  Complete the "And Now for the Weather" worksheet.
3. Research the main types of clouds and the weather each type is associated with.  Complete the "Weather Report Cloud Chart" worksheet.
4. Download the "And Now for the Weather Report" Project Guide.  Decide in which format you want to present your weather forecast.  Read the rubric to see what information the teacher will be looking for in your forecast.
5. Create your forecast and present it to the class.
6. Complete your rubric.

Standards

Math

National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (www.nctm.org)

• Data Analysis and Probability:  Formulate questions that can be addressed with data and collect, organize, and display relevant data to answer them.

Geography

National Council for Geographic Educations (http://www.ncge.org/)

• Standard 9: "The characteristics and spatial distribution of ecosystems on Earth's surface"
• Standard 15: "How physical systems affect human systems"

Technology

International Society for Technology in Education (www.iste.org)

• Research and Information Fluency:  Students apply digital tools to gather, evaluate, and use information.

Science

• Earth and Space Science (http://www.nsta.org/)
• Structure of the Earth System

Side Box

Time

Two to Three 45- to 60-minute sessions

Materials List

• And Now for the Weather (worksheet)
• Weather Report Cloud Chart (worksheet)
• And Now for the Weather Report Project Guide
• Images of the five 2011 quarters

Keywords

• Reverse
• Obverse
• Climate
• Weather
• Forecast
• Climatological forecast
• Maps
• Graphs
• Charts
• Clouds
• Precipitation
• Temperature

Helpful Hints

• Explain that climate is the long-term weather and gives us clues to the daily weather for an area.
• Note that location, clouds, precipitation, winds, and temperature are all included in a weather forecast.
• Supply examples of graphs and charts that represent different types of information, especially regarding weather and climate.

Student Side Box

What You Need

• "Print Me" worksheets
• Links to Web sites

Related Materials

• And Now for the Weather (worksheet)
• Weather Report Cloud Chart (worksheet)
• And Now for the Weather Report Project Guide

Related Links

• National Park Service:  www.nps.gov
• Gettysburg National Military Park (PA):  http://www.nps.gov/gett/index.htm
• Glacier National Park (MT):  http://www.nps.gov/glac/index.htm
• Olympic National Park (WA):  http://www.nps.gov/olym/
• Vicksburg National Military Park (MS):  http://www.nps.gov/vick/index.htm
• Chickasaw National Recreation Area (OK):  http://www.nps.gov/chic/index.htm
• National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration:  http://www.noaa.gov/
• NOAA Climate Services:  http://www.climate.gov/#climateWatch