
In this engaging weather science class, students will explore various aspects of weather, including its causes, the influence of location on weather patterns, and how meteorologists monitor and predict weather conditions. They will create their own weather instruments, maintain a detailed weather journal, learn to use the National Weather Service website to compare global weather data, and interpret weather maps. Students will also develop their own real-time weather maps. By analyzing data from their weather journals, they will identify patterns that meteorologists utilize for accurate weather predictions. Each student will receive a personalized welcome message at the start of the course and is encouraged to communicate weekly with the teacher regarding any questions, discoveries, or project photos. Teacher response time is guaranteed within 24 hours.
Students will understand how scientists collect and analyze data to predict future outcomes. Students will explore how the Sun influences the weather through the water cycle. They will make a water cycle model with common household materials. They will also begin a weather journal, which they will keep throughout the class, and analyze patterns based on what they are learning each week. This week, students will explore the different forms of precipitation and what conditions cause each of them to occur. They will make a rain gauge (or snow gauge depending on season) to monitor precipitation at their home, and continue their weather journals. Week three will focus on how the Sun causes wind through heating and cooling of the atmosphere. Students will make wind vanes and anemometers to measure wind in their area, and explore live weather data from the National Weather Service. This week students will learn what humidity is and how it affects the weather around us. They will make a hygrometer and learn to predict how the air "feels" when humidity is low or high. A complete supply list may be found at https://drive.google.com/file/d/1_XfisX6wqXAVAEdfqUtN-hEz6eJ943E5/view?usp=sharing
I have been sharing my love of science and math and STEM with elementary students in public schools for over 28 years. I served most of that time in the classroom and then moved into Instructional Coaching to help other teachers improve their practice in those areas. I have a Bachelor of Fine Arts and a Master of Education in Curriculum and Instruction.
Classes with Ms. Susan are fun, engaging, and hands on, with an inquiry approach in everything we do. My goal is to latch on to the natural curiosity children have about the world around them and use that to explore science, engineering, and math concepts in a rich and meaningful way. I believe in teaching in ways that children learn, using strategies and activities that foster a love of learning. As a retired teacher, I am not bound by district or state policies and I am able to use fun, creative lessons to instill the academics that children need to master, not the ones they need to pass state assessments.
One of my favorite quotes from Carl Sagan sums up my approach to science education - "Science is a way of thinking much more than it is a body of knowledge." In Ms. Susan's Super Science and Math classes, students will be challenged to think!