Weather Clever Catch Ball

Grade Level:
4-6

Subject Areas:
science, Reading

Setting:
Classroom

Skills:
Observation, deductive
thinking

Prior Preparation: Inflate the
Weather Clever Catch Ball.
Review with your students the
weather facts that have been
part of your weather unit.

Vocabulary:
none

South Dakota Education
Standards for 4th grade:
Science
4.E.1.2
Reading
4.R.1.1; 4.R.1.2; 4.R.2.3; 4.R.5.1

Objective: Students will learn many aspects of weather by tossing and catching a weather ball.

Materials: Weather Clever Catch ball, answer list, timer and scorekeeper

Background: Eight billion people around the world tune into the weather forecast. Once we
hear the forecast, we then plan our daily activities.

In ancient history, weather forecasting was based solely upon observations of the sky. In 1634,
an Italian scientist, Evangelista Torricelli, invented the barometer. It measured air pressure and
was the beginning of the invention of several weather-measuring instruments. Weather
forecasting took a leap forward after WWI and then again upon the invention of computer.
Forecasting weather is now more advanced and safer than ever.

Procedure:
Two or more players toss the ball to each other, answering the problem underneath or closest
to their left thumb.

Each problem is numbered and enclosed in its own space, assuring the student will know
which problem to answer.

Refer to answer list for each problem's correct solution.

Select a timekeeper (or can be the teacher) if entire class is going to play. Allow 1 minute to
answer each question.

Line students up in 2 lines, facing each other and have students toss ball to the student facing
him/her. When both students have had a chance to answer a question, the ball gets passed to
the next pair. Play continues until all students have had an opportunity to answer a question.

Score can be kept on the board. The team that wins gets to be in charge of forecasting the
weather for the next week.

Extensions:
Have students play the games in the "Wild Weather Cards" pack included in the Wacky Weather
Trunks. All of these games re-enforce weather terminology and facts.

Invite a local meteorologist to your classroom to discuss his/her job.

Visit the Big Sioux Water Festival web site and do the Acid Rain activity.