MY CLOUD OBSERVATION BOOK

S'COOL Lesson Plan: 4 Weeks

Grade Level: First English

Estimate time: 15 minutes daily cloud observation - 30 min. for edit, revise and publish.

Learnings Outcome: Students will plan and conduct weather investigation.

National Standars: 

• Standard A: Science as inquiry.
• Standard D: Earth and Space Science.  

Virginia Standars of Learning: Science and English

• Science K 1. The student will demonstrate an understanding of scientific reasoning, logic and the nature of science by planning and conducting investigation. 
• Science 1.1 The student will demonstrate an understanding of scientific reasoning, logic and the nature of science by planning and conducting investigations. 
• Science 1.7 The student will investigate and understand weather and seasonal changes.
• English 1. The student will continue to demostrate growth in the use of oral language.
• English 1.1 The student will expand understanding and use the world meaning.
• English 1.2 The student will print legibly.
• English. 1.3 The student will demonstrate an understanding of oral language estructure. 
• English 2. The student will use oral communication skills.
• English 2.1 The student will write cohesively for a variety of purposes.    

Prerequisite: It's helpful if students have previously done "cloud watching" at very basic level.

Vocabulary:

• S'COOL words previously learned: Wether, clouds, cirrus, stratus, cumulus,...

Materials:

• Paper sheet
• Colors
• Pencil
• iPad
• Internet

Procedure:  

1. Share the S'COOL website, give a brief introduction, let the children know they are going to become part of a club of scientist.
2. Before going outside make predictions about what type of clouds students will see.
3. Students can write - draw  what they see in "My Cloud Observation Book".
4. Compere, contrast predictions and observations. Discussions questions: How does weather/cloudiness affect clothing choices?
5. Using a cloud chart, review clouds names.
6.   Compare class observations, complete the S'COOL Report Form, send to the website.

 Sample rubric:

A= Book includes 3 complete sentences and a picture.
B= Book includes 2 complete sentences and a picture.
C= Book includes 1 complete sentence and a picture.
D= Incomplete Book: no sentence or pictures.

CLOUDS POEMS

S'COOL Lesson Plan: 4 Weeks

Grade Level: First English

Estimate time: 30 minutes for writing lesson for poem - 30 min. for edit, revise and publish.

Learnings Outcome: Students will write a poem about clouds.

National Standars: Standard A: Science as inquiry.

Virginia Standars of Learning: Science and English

• Science K 1. The student will demonstrate an understanding of scientific reasoning, logic and the nature of science by planning and conducting investigation. 
• English 1. The student will continue to demostrate growth in the use of oral language.
• English 1.1 The student will expand understanding and use the world meaning.
• English 1.2 The student will print legibly.
• English. 1.3 The student will demonstrate an understanding of oral language estructure. 
• English 2. The student will use oral communication skills.
• English 2.1 The student will write cohesively for a variety of purposes.    

Prerequisite: It's helpful if students have previously done "cloud watching" at very basic level.

Vocabulary:

• Feelings and sensations wordsa
• S'cool words previously learned. 

Materials:

• Paper sheet
• Colors
• Pencil

Procedure:  

1. Review describing word list and what students learned last day from their cloud observation book. 
2. Tell the students that they will be working on a poem. The poem is called a cinquain. This poem has special rules. Go over the rule with them:

line #1= 1 word (noun) 

line #2= 2 adjetives (feelings)  

line #3=3 Actions words (verbs) 

line #4=4 words that express feelings or sensations related with word in line 1 

line #5=1 a noun related with the word in line 1     

Rain

white and soft

falls, splashes and love 

My happy, calm, great soul  

wets my hart.

WORKING FOR NASA

Mexican Students Make 100,000 th Observation

The Project:

Is about research that involves teams of scientists collaborating across continents, that through the internet send information collected in "on field" observations which is then validated by NASA with Terra Satellite's data to complement the NASA  CERES (Clouds and Earth's Radiant Energy System). 

IPB students from Estado de México make observations like a NASA scientist. 

We've been doing the reports since 2011.