Morgan Lasota

Amy Belcastro
ED 457 A
03/04/15
Direct Lesson Plan
Students: 4th grade
Time: 1 hour
Materials: Barometer, weather map (1 copy for each student), Paper
and Pencil for journaling and recording
Concept/Skills: Predicting weather so that students will gain a deeper
understanding of the environment around them
Objectives: SWBAT observe, measure, and record simple weather
patterns by predicting and recording information in a science journal.
SWBAT recognize different types of cloud cover and what it means.
Open:
1. Anticipatory Set: (5 min) Capture students attention of
barometer and how it works by showing up in a lab coat with a
barometer in hand and weather maps for each student (if class has no
windows, go outside)
Focus- Barometric Pressure
Purpose- Students will understand how and why we use
barometers to measure barometric pressure and why it is important to
our environment

Body:
2. Input: Teacher will lead discussions in front of the class and
the students will also participate in group discussions. There will also
be hands on and visual learning with the actual barometer.
Provide Input/Modeling: I will prepare questions to ask the
group that will lead them to scientific thinking such as, Do you know
what a weather map is? What is a meteorologist? How do you think
meteorologists receive their information? I will also go over and define
the symbols found on a weather map. I will have them work in groups
first to see if anyone knows what those symbols stand for. I will then
show them an actual barometer and let them come up and look at it
and see if they can predict how it works.
Checking for Understanding: I will know if my students are
retaining my lesson by having them keep a science journal. I will ask
them to record answers to my questions periodically throughout the
lesson and walk around glancing at the responses I am getting. If they
are able to answer my in depth questions then I will know they are able
to move on. I will also have them discuss in small groups about their
responses in their science journals to give the students that arent
grasping the concept an opportunity to learn from their peers.

Guided Practice: This is where I will guide my students step by

step first making their prediction by giving them examples of accurate
predictions, then teach them to use a barometer properly and finally to
conclude and record their discoveries in their science notebook. I will
go through and explain the steps verbally while also showing them
using the barometer (on the projector if necessary) and then showing
them what that means exactly on the weather map. I will then proceed
to give them other situations to make predictions and find the
barometric pressure, according to weather maps.
Closure: I will inform the class that we will be taking and
recording the barometric pressure everyday to see how it changes and
all that it affects. This lesson is important to know so that they can
understand how the weather changes and what it does to the
environment we live in. This will turn into an everyday routine.
Independent Practice: Students will take worksheets home to
make further connections to how the weather works and in class we
will talk about it as an opener everyday when we take the barometric
pressure. This will help to make the unit more concrete because we will
continue it throughout the year. I will appoint students to be the official
reader of the barometer every morning and they will be able to read
and record the information and ask any questions they have.
Assessment: I will know if the students got this lesson because
they will record their information in their notebooks answering

questions that will tell if they know what a barometer is and why we
use these instruments. I will collect these journals at the end of the
lesson and be able to assess who understood what and I will see what
else we need to go over.
Easy for a Sub? YES!