Weather Wonder Workshop: Upcycled Instruments for Climate Study
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Weather Wonder Workshop: Upcycled Instruments for Climate Study

Grade 3EnglishScienceTechnology1 days
The Weather Wonder Workshop is a third-grade project challenging students to design and create functional weather instruments using recycled materials to better understand and measure climate changes. Through inquiry-driven activities, students learn about weather patterns, the importance of weather instruments, and the impact of climate change. They document their process, engage in scientific investigations by collecting and analyzing data, and develop presentations to showcase their findings, fostering creativity, problem-solving, and environmental awareness.
Weather InstrumentsRecycled MaterialsClimate ChangeScientific InquiryEnvironmental AwarenessProblem-Solving
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Inquiry Framework

Question Framework

Driving Question

The overarching question that guides the entire project.How can we design and create functional weather measuring instruments from waste materials to better understand and measure climate changes?

Essential Questions

Supporting questions that break down major concepts.
  • What is weather and how can we measure it?
  • How do different weather conditions affect our environment and daily life?
  • What are climate change and its effects on our planet?
  • How can we creatively use waste materials to build weather instruments?
  • How do weather measuring instruments work and why are they important in understanding climate change?

Standards & Learning Goals

Learning Goals

By the end of this project, students will be able to:
  • Students will be able to design and create functional weather measuring instruments using recycled materials, enhancing creativity and problem-solving skills.
  • Students will understand and describe basic weather patterns and instruments used for measuring different aspects of weather.
  • Students will build an understanding of climate change and its impact on the environment and society.
  • Students will develop communication skills by documenting and presenting their project findings on weather instruments and climate effects.
  • Students will utilize critical thinking to evaluate the effectiveness of their weather instruments and reflect on the design process.

Next Generation Science Standards

3-PS2-1
Primary
Plan and conduct an investigation to provide evidence of the effects of balanced and unbalanced forces on the motion of an object.Reason: Students will use waste materials to design and create weather instruments, which involves understanding forces and motion in assembling and testing their functionality.
3-5-ETS1-1
Primary
Define a simple design problem reflecting a need or a want that includes specified criteria for success and constraints on materials, time, or cost.Reason: The project requires students to design weather instruments from waste, meeting specific criteria and constraints.
3-PS2-4
Secondary
Define a simple design problem that can be solved through the development of an object, tool, process, or system.Reason: Encompasses the design and testing of weather instruments to solve the problem of measuring climate changes using waste materials.

Common Core Standards

ELA-Literacy.W.3.2
Secondary
Write informative/explanatory texts to examine a topic and convey ideas and information clearly.Reason: Students will document the construction process and findings from their weather instruments to convey their understanding of climate effects.
SL.3.5
Supporting
Create engaging audio recordings of stories or poems that demonstrate fluid reading at an understandable pace; add visual displays when appropriate to emphasize or enhance certain facts or details.Reason: Students may create presentations or recordings to describe their instruments and how they help understand weather and climate change.

Entry Events

Events that will be used to introduce the project to students

Weather Detective Adventure

Launch a detective-themed quest where students gather clues about local weather patterns and climate effects using handmade instruments. This narrative-driven challenge encourages active exploration and scientific inquiry into real-world climates.
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Portfolio Activities

Portfolio Activities

These activities progressively build towards your learning goals, with each submission contributing to the student's final portfolio.
Activity 1

Weather Explorer's Notebook

Students will create a personalized notebook to document observations, thoughts, and findings about weather patterns and instruments. This activity serves as an initial exploration into weather and climate, allowing students to lay the foundation for deeper inquiry and understanding.

Steps

Here is some basic scaffolding to help students complete the activity.
1. Introduce the concept of weather patterns and instruments through a class discussion.
2. Provide materials for students to create their notebooks, such as construction paper and recycled materials.
3. Guide students to make entries about local weather observations and questions they have about weather.

Final Product

What students will submit as the final product of the activityA personalized weather explorer's notebook documenting initial observations and thoughts.

Alignment

How this activity aligns with the learning objectives & standards3-PS2-1 and ELA-Literacy.W.3.2 as it involves investigating weather patterns and writing informative texts.
Activity 2

DIY Weather Instruments Workshop

Students will design and build simple weather instruments using waste materials. They will explore the principles behind each instrument and how it can measure different elements of weather, fostering an understanding of science and creativity in reusing waste.

Steps

Here is some basic scaffolding to help students complete the activity.
1. Research different types of weather instruments and their functions.
2. Select waste materials to use for constructing a specific weather instrument.
3. Build the instrument following guided instructions, testing its functionality.

Final Product

What students will submit as the final product of the activityA functional weather instrument made from recycled materials, such as a rain gauge or a wind vane.

Alignment

How this activity aligns with the learning objectives & standards3-5-ETS1-1 and 3-PS2-4 as it involves solving problems through designing and developing instruments.
Activity 3

Climate Impact Investigation

Using their handmade weather instruments, students will collect data over a set period to analyze local weather patterns and discuss potential climate impacts. This investigation allows them to connect their hands-on work with real-world applications.

Steps

Here is some basic scaffolding to help students complete the activity.
1. Establish a schedule to use the instruments to record weather data daily.
2. Organize the collected data into charts and graphs.
3. Identify patterns and discuss possible implications for climate change in a group.

Final Product

What students will submit as the final product of the activityA data-driven report on local weather patterns with visual presentations of findings.

Alignment

How this activity aligns with the learning objectives & standards3-PS2-1 and 3-PS2-4 since it includes investigation of weather effects and understanding climate impacts.
Activity 4

Weather Warriors: Presentation & Advocacy

Students will create an audio-visual presentation or recording to showcase their weather instruments and findings. This final step encourages students to communicate their learning and advocate for environmental awareness creatively.

Steps

Here is some basic scaffolding to help students complete the activity.
1. Structure a presentation outlining the project process and findings.
2. Create engaging audio recordings to describe the weather instruments and their significance.
3. Incorporate visual displays into the presentation to highlight key points.

Final Product

What students will submit as the final product of the activityAn audio-visual presentation that effectively communicates the project's outcomes and enhances understanding of climate issues.

Alignment

How this activity aligns with the learning objectives & standardsSL.3.5 and ELA-Literacy.W.3.2 as it involves creating presentations and writing informative explanations.
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Rubric & Reflection

Portfolio Rubric

Grading criteria for assessing the overall project portfolio

Weather Wonder Workshop Evaluation

Category 1

Scientific Inquiry

Assessment of students' ability to research, plan, and conduct investigations using weather instruments.
Criterion 1

Research and Understanding

Evaluates understanding of weather instruments and climate concepts.

Exemplary
4 Points

Displays comprehensive understanding of weather instruments and how they measure climate changes. Explains concepts with clarity and depth.

Proficient
3 Points

Shows thorough understanding of weather instruments with clear explanations. Connects concepts effectively to climate changes.

Developing
2 Points

Shows basic understanding of weather instruments with partial explanations. Attempts to connect concepts to climate understanding.

Beginning
1 Points

Demonstrates minimal understanding of weather instruments and struggles to explain concepts. Shows limited connection to climate understanding.

Criterion 2

Data Collection and Analysis

Evaluates the process of collecting and analyzing weather data using designed instruments.

Exemplary
4 Points

Collects and meticulously analyzes weather data, demonstrating insightful interpretations. Identifies patterns with explicit implications for climate change.

Proficient
3 Points

Collects and analyzes weather data effectively. Identifies patterns and discusses general implications for climate change.

Developing
2 Points

Collects weather data with some analysis. Identifies some patterns but struggles to discuss climate change implications.

Beginning
1 Points

Collects limited weather data with minimal analysis. Shows difficulty in identifying patterns related to climate change.

Category 2

Creative Problem-Solving

Assessment of students' ability to creatively use waste materials to design functional weather instruments.
Criterion 1

Design and Innovation

Evaluates creativity and innovation in designing weather instruments from recycled materials.

Exemplary
4 Points

Develops highly innovative and functional weather instruments with exceptional creativity using waste materials.

Proficient
3 Points

Designs functional and creative weather instruments using waste materials. Shows clear innovation in design.

Developing
2 Points

Designs basic weather instruments using waste materials. Shows some innovation but limited functionality.

Beginning
1 Points

Struggles to design functional weather instruments. Shows minimal creativity in using waste materials.

Category 3

Communication and Presentation

Assessment of students' ability to document and communicate their project findings effectively.
Criterion 1

Documentation and Presentation

Evaluates clarity and creativity in documenting and presenting findings.

Exemplary
4 Points

Produces highly engaging and clear presentations with creative audio-visual elements. Presents findings with depth and insight.

Proficient
3 Points

Creates clear and engaging presentations with effective audio-visual elements. Presents findings clearly.

Developing
2 Points

Produces somewhat clear presentations with some audio-visual elements. Presents findings with partial clarity.

Beginning
1 Points

Produces unclear presentations with limited audio-visual elements. Struggles to clearly present findings.

Reflection Prompts

End-of-project reflection questions to get students to think about their learning
Question 1

Reflect on the process of designing and creating a weather instrument from waste materials. What challenges did you face, and how did you overcome them?

Text
Required
Question 2

On a scale from 1 to 5, how confident do you feel about your ability to explain how weather instruments can be made from recycled materials and their importance in studying climate change?

Scale
Required
Question 3

Which weather instrument did you find most interesting to learn about and why?

Text
Optional
Question 4

Reflect on the data you collected using your weather instruments. How did it help you understand local weather patterns and potential climate impacts?

Text
Required
Question 5

Rate your overall satisfaction with the Weather Wonder Workshop project and its activities.

Scale
Required
Question 6

In what ways has this project changed your perspective on using waste materials creatively?

Text
Optional