Introduction
If you were asked to describe the weather outside today, how would you
do it? Would you talk about the sky or the sun or the wind? What kinds
of words can best capture the changes that occur in the weather? When we
listen to a weatherman or meteorologist we depend on him/her to describe
the weather for us. Sometimes he/she uses maps with symbols on them to
demonstrate different weather conditions across the country.
Shared Book Literature Source
Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs, Judy Barrett.
In this creative and humorous story, the town of Chewandswallow
experiences some unusual weather. It rains soup and juice, snows mashed
potatoes, and blows storms of hamburgers. Truly, this tail makes life
delicious.
Other Materials Needed
- Landscape Picture Map
- Map Markers
Suggested Lesson
As part of a pre-reading activity, ask the children to preview a
videotape of a weather report, previously recorded by you. (If you are
unable to videotape a weather report, you might consider making an
audiotape, having the children listen for information.) Ask the children
to identify any specific terms that are used solely by weathermen. When
the tape is finished, invite the children to share terms by creating a
list on the chalkboard. Next, introduce the story to the children,
asking them to listen for additional terms that a weatherman might use
in a weather report.
In a shared book experience, read the story with the children to find
terms used by weathermen. Ask the children to create a second list of
weather terms on the chalkboard and to compare the second list of terms
with the first. The second list of terms will be based on the storyline.
The humorous twist of terms in the story clearly stands out as being
different. Yet, there is a common thread amidst the terminology.
Encourage the children to analyze the two lists to see exactly what it
is that makes the terms similar or different.
Show the Landscape Picture Map. Ask the children to refer to the
Landscape Picture map. Ask the children to create a weather report that
would fit the day pictured on the map. Using poster board, encourage the
children to use symbols to coincide with each of the terms used. For
example, if it seems top be a "clear" day with "sunshine" and a few
"clouds," the children might draw a symbol for the sunshine with a small
sun and put that up, or they might put small white patches to represent
the clouds, etc.
Group the children into smaller groups. Ask each of the groups to
create a weather report for the town of Chewandswallow. Use a calendar
and report the weather for a week. Ask one group to create a map, with
symbols on it. For example, if it were going to "rain gravy" on
Wednesday, the children might put brown raindrops next to the word
"Wednesday." If on Friday, there was going to be "pea soup fog" the
children might draw a small patch of pear green next to the word
"Friday." Ask another group of children to write a weather report that
would be used in conjunction with the map. Invite the children to
approach the activity as though it were being prepared for television.
Encourage the children to refer to the list on the chalkboard for ideas,
as it captures many of the phrases so cleverly used by the author. When
the children have finished, ask a third group of children to deliver the
weather report written by the other two groups. This can be videotaped,
if a camera is available. If it is videotaped, you can play the tape for
the class, asking them to edit it. If enough changes are offered, a
second taping might be made. If so, ask the students to compare both
tapes |
