Fabulous Weather Day.(studying weather, Kensington Parkwood Elementary School)

Byline: Candice Marshall and H. Michael Mogil

Each year, first graders at Kensington Parkwood Elementary School in Kensington, Maryland, look forward to Fabulous Weather Day. After studying weather for three months, we celebrate what we have learned and stretch our thinking further into the weather world around us! Students learn how meteorologists collect data about the weather, how they study wind, temperature, precipitation, basic types/characteristics of clouds, and how they forecast. The project helps the students grow in their understanding of how the weather works and how it can affect their lives.

To make the unit even more meaningful and to answer the endless questions that it triggers, the first-grade team collaborated with a meteorologist (a.k.a. "Mr. Weather") who was well versed in science education. Together, we created an in-school field trip that serves as a culmination to the weather unit. We started small in the spring of 1999 and have now successfully held seven "Fabulous Weather Day" experiences. Mr. Weather and all the first-grade teachers are involved in the day's activities.

To allow students to explore and extend their thinking on weather topics, we present four different activity sessions: Sun and Clouds, Water Cycle, Wind, and Storms. This article offers an overview of the day, descriptions of the four sessions, and tips to make your own Fabulous Weather Day a success.

"Mr. Weather" in action on Fabulous Weather Day. Photographs courtesy of the authors

Preparing for Weather Day

Each first-grade teacher presents one of the day's sessions and gets one "free" session to walk around and observe the other sessions, especially Mr. Weather's session on Storms. We provide the teachers with an instruction packet for their session several weeks before the event. Each packet contains an overview of the session with a timeline, a materials list (including who is responsible for creating/bringing each item; Mr. Weather brings many of the materials), step-by-step directions for the session activities, and a list of helpful resources.

We also send home a request to parents for help. Having two or more extra adults per class aids in student management, allows the teacher and Mr. Weather to focus on leading the activity, and speeds session cleanup. Because they experience the program with their children, parent participation also builds support for future parental involvement. We ask some parents to make a special weather-related snack, which has ranged from hand-painted sun lollipops to cupcakes iced with rainbows. Make sure you check for…