OVERVIEW

Activity Overview:

Students are getting ready to make make observations about the weather for the next two weeks. To help with the observations, students will need to use different weather symbols to communicate what the weather is. Students will use a small computing device to follow simple algorithms to match a sky symbol. They will then write and test their own algorithms to predict the cloud cover for tomorrow.

Meta description

• Subject Area: Computer Science, Science
• Grade Level : K-2
• Computer Science Domains:
  • Algorithms and Programming
• Computer Science Principles:
  • Developing and Using Abstractions
• Materials:
  • Blue-Bots, Bee-Bots, or Code and Go Mouse
• Considerations:
  • Students will need to know how to use the computing device you choose for this lesson.

Lesson Plan

Overview

Students are getting ready to make make observations about the weather for the next two weeks. To help with the observations, students will need to use different weather symbols to communicate what the weather is. Students will use a small computing device to follow simple algorithms to match a sky symbol. They will then write and test their own algorithms to predict the cloud cover for tomorrow.

ASSESSMENT PRE/POST-TEST

See Appendix D of attached document.

OBJECTIVES

1. Identify and describe the seven major weather symbols.
2. Communicate what weather symbols should be used at five different points in the story ‘Storm is Coming.’
3. Use a Bee-Bot to follow and create algorithms to demonstrate knowledge of seven weather symbols.

CATCH/HOOK

Watch the video of the book ‘Storm is Coming’ by Heather Tekavec and Margaret Spengler and create a timeline of events to identify the weather symbol that would describe the timeline.

ACTIVITY INSTRUCTIONS

This lesson occurs at the beginning of the unit. It is intended to help students identify and describe the symbols that describe weather.

Supplements

Any items in this section are the property & under the license of their respective owners.

REVIEW

Students will create and follow their original algorithm to get the Bee-Bot to the weather symbol that shows the weather symbol for the farm after the storm.

STANDARDS