This is an end of the year culminating project . Students will work on their own or in pairs to create a house that will help their family to survive the climate of a randomly chosen location. Students will use their knowledge or ecosystems, heating and cooling, and weather prediction and tracking to determine the proper supplies that will be needed to build a house for survival. The project will include weather research, house build planning, creating a mock-up, and presentation to the class. The project will conclude with a video detailing what they would change after collaboration with the class.

This resource accompanies our Rethink 5th Grade Science course. It includes ideas for use, ways to support exceptional children, ways to extend learning, digital resources and tools, tips for supporting English Language Learners and students with visual and hearing impairments. There are also ideas for offline learning. 

In this activity, students explore cloud formation and precipitation by observing and recording weather data, as well as setting up a "cloud chamber" to observe evaporated water vapor as it condenses and precipitates.

This resource includes a page of images for each cloud type and four simple hands-on activities. In "Heat Up, Rise Up," students will create a basic thermometer from a straw and investigate the temperature differences as air expands and contracts. In "Rise Above It All," students will model cloud formation by observing how hot water/air rises through cold water/air. In "How Wet is the Air?" students will explore relative humidity. In "How Cold is Enough?" students will continue to investigate cloud formation by inducing condensation on a container of water.

In this project activity, students learn about different types of clouds and determine which type of cloud is most commonly overhead in their area over a period of four weeks.

Students set up a school weather station to collect data on local weather conditions, disseminate local weather conditions to the school and surrounding community, and conduct a research study to see what they can learn by collecting weather data over a period of time.

The North Carolina Museum of Natural Science created this resource as part of an online workshop series, but you are welcome to use or modify it for your classroom. It includes a video and written directions for creating nature journals and tips for incorporating them into your classroom. For information on taking any the Nature Neighborhood online workshops for CEUs or EE credit, visit: https://naturalsciences.org/learn/educators/online-workshops.

Students will begin to analyze the weather data collected from Lesson 1. Students will be able to identify cold and warm fronts and low and high air pressure systems. This lesson was developed by Manda Stiegel as part of their completion of the North Carolina Global Educator Digital Badge program. This lesson plan has been vetted at the local and state level for standards alignment, Global Education focus, and content accuracy.

Students will use data collected from the first lesson to determine the seasons of their cities that they are following. This lesson was developed by Manda Stiegel as part of their completion of the North Carolina Global Educator Digital Badge program. This lesson plan has been vetted at the local and state level for standards alignment, Global Education focus, and content accuracy.

Students will begin to collect weather data from cities across North America. This lesson was developed by Manda Stiegel as part of their completion of the North Carolina Global Educator Digital Badge program. This lesson plan has been vetted at the local and state level for standards alignment, Global Education focus, and content accuracy.

In this activity, students build an anemometer and then measure wind speed in areas of differing topography to study how natural and man-made topography affect wind speed.

In this activity students will learn how to measure the direction and speed of wind.

In this lesson, students will create a log book to keep track of daily weather observations.

This course was created by the Rethink Education Content Development Team. This course is aligned to the NC Standards for 5th Grade Science. 

This course was created by the Rethink Education Content Development Team. This course is aligned to the NC Standards for 5th Grade Science.

In this video, students learn that weather is a condition of the outside area at any time or place, and it is constantly changing. The climate, on the other hand, gives the big picture, or what the weather is like over a long period of time.

In this virtual resource, students will predict the weather using wind direction and cloud charts.

The wakelet site features videos demonstrating hands-on activities for students to complete at school in small, socially-distanced settings. Activities may also be adapted for at-home learning. Some activities incorporate an outdoor component, acknowledging the need to balance screen time with green time to support mental health. Tips for taking your students outside can be found here: https://education.eol.org/cnc_materials/TipsForTeachingOutside.pdf

This project-based learning unit is a great opportunity to bring relevance to the students while learning about severe weather prediction and prevention, maps, graphs, coordinate planes, and informational reading. Students will plan and execute an emergency plan and kit to be used in case of severe weather in their community with their own families.

This nonfiction article, written for elementary students, discusses the unique characteristics of the North and South poles. The student article is available as a text-only document, illustrated book, and electronic book. Related lesson plans are included for teacher use.