Grade Level:

       4

Science
Technology
Language Arts
Reading

                 Students will explore thunderstorms while completing an Internet Scavenger Hunt and writing activity.

Duration of Lesson:

                 60 minutes

Materials:

book –Thunder Cake by Patricia Polacco-Interactive Book
overhead Projector
two balloons for each child
a paper bag for each child
a dark area
several computers with Internet accessibility

Technology Tools/ Courseware:
 

computers with Internet access
overhead Projector

Teacher Notes:

               The second activity may be loud for students who are sensitive to noise.

Procedures:

               1.  Review information about clouds.
               2.  Show students the book Thunder Cake by Patricia Polacco
               3. Ask students to predict what the book is about.
               3. Students will listen to the story Thunder Cake by Patricia Polacco
               4.  Have a class discussion about how a thunderstorm forms .
               5.  Teacher will list ideas on the overhead.
               6.  Students will be placed in pairs to do a hands-on activity.
               7.  Ask the following question: What causes lightning?
               8.  Discuss.
               9.  Students will rub balloons on their clothes in a dark area and then hold them side by side.
              10  Ask the following question:  What happened?
              11.  Discuss.
              12. What causes thunder?
              13.  Discuss
              14.  Students will get into their small groups and conduct a scavenger hunt.
              15.  They will rotate to several computer stations and access bookmarks.
              16.  Each computer will have a question to answer before moving on to the next computer with a different link.
              17.  The following questions will be asked:

FEMA FOR KIDS: THUNDER What are three important safety tips?
Weather & Kids - Thunderstorms  What is the difference between a watch and warning?
Thunderstorms, lightning and hail How can you figure the distance of lightning  from you?
All about lightning - Before a Storm What will lightning probably hit first?

 
       18. Students will use the information they have gathered to write a page paper about thunderstorms
 
       Extra activity-
       Lightning Relay:        Divide students into two teams.  Each team holds hands. Send the “Lightning shock”
or she runs to the beginning of the line.  Keep this going until the last person has made
it to the head of the line.  The team that completes this relay first, wins.

Modifications:

Some students may require shortened written assignment.
Some students may need to be paired with a student who knows how to use the Internet.

Enrichment Activities:

Students will research safety during a thunderstorms.
Students will be given the prompt: "What should you do in a thunderstorm?" or
      "I was on my way to David’s birthday party when dark clouds started to cover the sky…"

Evaluation/Assessment:

Checklist on centers
Rubric on paper

West Virginia Standards

     WV- SC.3.3.2    Use models as representations of real things.
     WV-RLA.3.2.12 Write correctly formed sentences.
     WV-RLA.4.1.10  Determine a purpose for reading across the curriculum.
     WV-TEC.4.3.1   Use a word processing program to create and format a document

Technology Standard
      Standard 2: Knows the characteristics and uses of computer software programs

Language Arts Standard
Writing
      Standard 1: Uses the general skills and strategies of the writing process

Science Standard
 Earth and Space Sciences
      Standard 1: Understands atmospheric processes and the water cycle
                          Level I (Grade K-2)

Reading
      Standard 5: Uses the general skills and strategies of the reading process
 

    Books

Scholastic-Weather
Lightning by Stephen Kramer
Lightning by Seymore Simon
Eye of the Storm by Warren Kramer

Components of Thunderstorms
Lightning The Shocking Story
FEMA FOR KIDS: THUNDER
Weather & Kids - Thunderstorms
Thunderstorms, lightning and hail
All about lightning - Before a Storm

Authors:

Rachelle Bennett
Brenda Conley
Kim Sheets

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