Delta Science Reader WWeathereather ForecastingForecasting Delta Science Readers are nonfiction student books that provide science background and support the experiences of hands-on activities. Every Delta Science Reader has three main sections: Think About . , People in Science, and Did You Know? Be sure to preview the reader Overview Chart on page 4, the reader itself, and the teaching suggestions on the following pages. This information will help you determine how to plan your schedule for reader selections and activity sessions. Reading for information is a key literacy skill. Use the following ideas as appropriate for your teaching style and the needs of your students. The After Reading section includes an assessment and writing links. VERVIEW Students will O understand the main factors that cause The Delta Science Reader Weather weather and produce weather changes Forecasting introduces students to the learn about the various instruments for world of weather forecasting and to the measuring weather data, instruments, and science that make forecasting accurate. Students will explore identify some of the elements of severe the six main weather factors—temperature, weather, and distinguish between weather air pressure, wind, humidity, precipitation, and climate and cloudiness—as well as discover the discuss the function of nonfiction text difference between weather and climate. elements such as the table of contents, The book also contains a biographical headings, tables, captions, and glossary sketch of tornado expert Tetsuya Theodore Fujita and information about two other kinds interpret photographs and graphics— of weather scientists: climatologists and diagrams, illustrations, weather maps— hurricane hunters. Students will find out to answer questions how a weather satellite works and how complete a KWL chart to track new different types of winds get their names. knowledge delta science modules Weather Forecasting 103 © Delta Education LLC. All rights reserved. Permission to reprint for classroom use only. READING IN THE EFORE READING CONTENT AREA SKILLS B Build Background • Compare and contrast a variety of weather instruments Access students’ prior knowledge of • Classify weather data weather forecasting by displaying the book • Understand cause and effect and inviting students to share what they relationships in weather conditions know about the topic from their personal experiences and hands-on science • Think critically about why and how explorations. weather forecasting affects daily life •Preview and predict what the text will Most students have probably seen weather be about forecasters on television or heard weather •Make predictions about outcomes reports on the radio. Discuss how they • Skim and scan text think weather forecasters gather the information they need to accurately predict • Set a purpose for reading the weather. Many students may suggest •Draw conclusions about how something that weather reporters use computers to will work based on prior knowledge help them. Ask: What types of information •Interpret graphic devices do the computers tell weather reporters? • Summarize and restate information (Students may mention wind speed and direction, temperature, precipitation, cloudiness, or humidity.) Let students know that all of these things—and more— NONFICTION TEXT ELEMENTS are part of weather forecasting. Explain that they will be learning much more about Weather Forecasting contains a table the weather. of contents, headings, photographs, illustrations, diagrams, labels, captions, Begin a KWL chart by recording any facts or maps, map keys, tables, boldfaced terms, ideas that students have about weather and a glossary. forecasting in the K column. Ask students to maintain their own charts as they read. CONTENT VOCABULARY K W L + What What What What The following terms are introduced in I Know IWant I Learned I Want to to Know Explore context and defined in the glossary: Further air mass, air pressure, anemometer, atmosphere, barometer, cirrus cloud, climate, cold front, convection, cumulus cloud, evaporate, forecast, front, global warming, humidity, hurricane, hygrometer, isobar, local winds, meteorologist, nimbus cloud, occluded front, precipitation, prevailing winds, rain gauge, relative humidity, stationary front, station model, stratus cloud, surface map, tornado, troposphere, warm front, water cycle, weather, weather balloon, weather map, weather station, wind vane. 104 delta science reader © Delta Education LLC. All rights reserved. Preview the Book instruments forecasting Invite students to scan the pages of Weather Forecasting. Explain that scanning is a way of meteorology looking ahead at the important parts of a air book before reading it. When they scan, they pressure should check the table of contents and the weather headings, look briefly at the graphics, quickly factors read the captions, notice the boldfaced terms, temperature and see what types of questions might be precipitation asked. Remind students that scanning is an wind important way to preview what they are going humidity cloudiness to read. It introduces them to the ideas they will be reading about. A concept web for meteorology. Call attention to the various nonfiction text elements and discuss how they can help Set a Purpose students organize and understand what they read. For example, ask: How do the headings Discuss with students what they might in the table of contents help you know what expect to find out when they read the book, you will learn about? What predictions can based on their preview. Encourage them to you make about what you are going to read use the questions on their KWL charts to set based on the photographs and illustrations? an overall purpose for reading. Explain that the words in boldface type are important words related to weather forecasting. Point out that these words are GUIDE THE READING defined in the glossary. Choose one word Preview the book yourself to determine the and have students find its definition in the amount of guidance you will need to give for glossary. each section. Depending on your schedule and the needs of your class, you may wish to After the preview, ask: What questions do consider the following options: you have about weather forecasting that you hope this book will answer? Have them • Whole Group Reading Read the book write these questions in their KWL charts. aloud with a group or the whole class. They may also wish to include the headings Encourage students to ask questions and that are in the form of questions. Remind make comments. Pause as necessary to them that they will be completing their charts clarify and assess understanding. after they finish their reading. • Shared Reading Have students form Preview the Vocabulary pairs or small groups and read the book together. Pause students after each text You may wish to preview some of the section to clarify as needed and to discuss vocabulary words before reading, rather than any questions that arise or have been waiting to introduce them in the context of answered. New questions can be added the book. Possibilities include a word wall, to the KWL chart. vocabulary cards, sentence strips, or a concept web. • Independent Reading Some students may be ready to read independently. Have them For example, let students work in small groups rejoin the class for discussion of the book. to develop webs for weather forecasting terms, Check understanding by asking students to like the one shown here for meteorology. explain in their words what they read. delta science modules Weather Forecasting 105 © Delta Education LLC. All rights reserved. Tips for Reading have to work inside or outside; to decide whether to wear a coat or not; • If you spread the reading out over to make travel plans; to predict several days, begin each session by whether there will be a drought; to reviewing the previous day’s reading prepare for a storm.) and previewing what will be read in the upcoming session. • After reading page 2, be sure that students understand all of the science • Check and assess understanding concepts. To assess comprehension, after each section by having students ask, In what layer of the atmosphere paraphrase in their own words what they does weather occur? (troposphere) have read. Encourage students to take What causes change in the weather? turns in this process. (movement of air masses) What is the study of weather called? (meteorology) • Begin each text section by reading or having a volunteer read aloud the • Have students make inferences based heading. Discuss what students expect on their reading. Ask, How would a to learn, based on the heading. Have scientist know if another planet, such students examine any illustrations or as Venus, had weather? (Scientists graphics and read accompanying could find out whether the planet was captions or labels. surrounded by an atmosphere. A planet that has no atmosphere would have • Help students locate context clues to no weather.) the meanings of words in boldfaced type. Remind them that these words •As students look at the atmospheric are defined in the glossary. labels in the illustration, ask, What do each of the words have in common? • As appropriate, model reading strategies (The words all end in -sphere.) Ask if students may find helpful for nonfiction: anyone knows what the word sphere adjust reading rate, ask questions, means. (round) If necessary, explain that paraphrase, reread, visualize. the atmosphere is like a multi-layered blanket of air around the earth.