Weathermen in action

This kit is about weather forecasts that are made by collecting as much data as possible about the current state of the atmosphere (particularly the temperature, humidity and wind) and understanding the atmospheric processes (through meteorology) to determine how the atmosphere evolves in the future. Through these actions and research, students research different types of weather in different countries, study climate change and learn how to collect and analyse information about climate change. Moreover, they learn how to forecast, observe and explain the weather changes in their own words.

Objectives

• To improve communication, decision making and problem-solving skills • To practice and develop citizenship competences • To develop ICT and foreign language skills • To improve researching and exploring skills • To explore how the weather is formed and how it is forecasted

Introduction of partners

Padlet: Students (8-14) introduce themselves and write about their hobbies in a few sentences. Students from the other classes choose one of the descriptions and comment on it by asking more questions or “liking” certain descriptions. Also, the students can use voki.com introducing themselves vocally then pinning it on the padlet. Forum: Students introduce themselves and the kind of weather they enjoy the most in a forum. Teachers start the introduction forum threads under the titles describing different kinds of weather (rainy, windy, sunny, stormy) and each student writes a short introduction under the thread choosing his/her favourite weather type. Students can also add a picture which he/she took representing the weather (just a small touch, if you like it?). This is so that different international student groups can be formed. Tool: Padlet Voki

Orientation

1.Weather proverbs: Long before people could make forecasts, they developed proverbs based on their observations of the sky, animals and nature. Many of the traditional sayings they used, called proverbs, are surprisingly accurate. Try out some old-fashioned forecasting that still works today! The students research online and add to the linoit three sayings/proverbs about the weather and weather forecasts in English. For example. “If birds fly high, it will be rain”, “Clear moon, frost soon”, “Rainbow in the morning gives fair warning” etc. Then, students comment if there are different or similar proverbs in their native language and can mention the differences and similarities. 2. Interactive map: Students add information about the weather and climate in their country on the map using tripline. This will help them to see the partner countries` geography and locations and also explore the weather and climate across all partner countries. Tools: linoit tripline

Collaboration

1.Collaborative book: in international teams, students create a phrase list (when each student adds a word) that will help them to describe and forecast, for example: humidity, change of rain etc. Next, students organise an online meeting (each group separately) where they create dialogues using these words and phrases and decide how to design their online book page. Students can also create a weather icon list with their explanations. There is a lot of information about the different symbols for weather forecasting. This activity helps them to read weather map symbols and to answer the questions:” What do weather symbols mean?”, “What is the symbol for snow (rain, wind etc.)?” After the meeting, each group will draft their page for the book and the ebook will be then created with the contributions from all groups. 2. Interview: in international teams, students prepare questions together that they would like to ask about the weather and climate in general. Then, every country organises a meeting with the weatherman or a specialist in this sphere in their country. If possible, students can also go and visit the meteorological centre in their city/region. It can be an online or onsite meeting where the students interview the weatherman on how to forecast the weather, why there is more/less rain in some places or why temperature rises. 3.Visit: If it is possible, the teachers can organise a visit to the meteorological service which is the close to the school. Students explore the following: What is meteorological service?, What do they do?, What is the difference between weather and climate? and learn more about weather forecasting, technology and methods. 4. Observation chart: Students create a daily weather observation chart. Each partner class observes the weather in their region and adds their information to the chart. They can also edit and make changes on it. Throughout one week (decided amongst the patterns), each country adds their information about the weather in their country/region/city and compare the different weather conditions according to the area they live and the different climates e.g. Mediterranean, desert, continental etc. 5. YouTube channel: The students act as weathermen to predict the weather forecast in different parts of the partner countries using a weather map and everything which they have learnt during the project. They film this and upload them to TwinSpace. Teachers can create an unlisted YouTube channel- “We are the Weathermen” and add these videos to the channel. Tool: Collaborative questions : google doc Video creation: Kizoa Ebook- madmagz /a>

Evaluation & Assessment

Quiz: in collaborative teams, students create and play a Kahoot game where each group prepares different questions about the different topics they have studied: weather terminology, geography, climate issues in the country and the weather in different partner countries. In an online event all students will play the online game that their peers have created. Interview: Students share their thoughts on the project. They interview each other asking their opinions about the project: “What have they studied?” “Why is it important?”, “How can they do this?” Survey: Students and teachers complete a survey where they are asked about the results of the project. “What are the results of the project?”, “What was the most interesting part of the project and why?”, “Which ICT tool have you learnt to use?”, “Which tool did you enjoy using the most?”, “Which activity was the most interesting and why?”, “What have you learnt by completing these activities?”, “Would you like to participate in eTwinning projects again?” etc. They are also asked “List one new thing you have learnt in the project, one surprising fact you have learnt about weather forecasting and one surprising fact you have learnt about your weather and climate.” Tools: kahoot docs.google

Follow up

Documentation: - The initial project plan along with a project task list should be published in a separate activity page created in the TwinSpace. - Separate activity pages should be created for each one of the activities of the project. They should include a short description of the activity and the final products. - Any communication that takes place in the chat room, the forum, or during a live session should be documented. All this material should be displayed in the appropriate activity pages. - Teachers and students should regularly update the Project Journal on the TwinSpace. Dissemination: 1. Online event: The Founders create an onsite event in eTwinning portal and invite all partners in their contacts to the event. The promotional posters, links and photos are added to the “Files” section of the event to disseminate the results of the project. The “Forum” can be used to discuss the activities of the project and to answer the questions too. 2. The information about the project, the ebook, summary of the interview and all digital outputs of the project will be added to the school websites 3. A meeting for school staff: Students organise a meeting for the parents and the school to introduce the project to a wider audience. They present their posters, maps, and YouTube channel to show what they did during the project, what they have learnt and explored. 4. eTwinning corner: The partners create a school eTwinning project board in every school to disseminate the project. It can be eTwinning corner where all resources and material will be shared with their peers and school staff. Tools: youtube facebook

Additional information

Age from:

8
Age to:

14
Difficulty:

Easy

Additional information

School subjects

Vocational subjects

Key competences