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Summary and Objective
Students will understand how important weather forecasting was to the success and survival of the early American farmers. Students will also use some of the early forecasting methods like weather sayings and looking at the sky to see if they can predict the weather.
Teaching Plan
Step 1.
Ask students how we get our weather forecasts and information today. Who needs weather forecasts today? Also ask them who forecasts the weather.
Step 2.
Tell students that in the days of the early American farmers, they did not have TV, radio, satellites, computers, meteorologists, modern weather instruments (i.e. hygrometer, anamometer), etc. to predict the weather. In addition tell them how most early settlers were farmers and that in order to be a successful farmer you have to know the weather.
Step 3.
Ask students to create a list of possible ways in which the early settlers could have predicted the weather. Share with the class.
Step 4.
Introduce the idea of the weather sayings in additional websites listed as a means for early farmers to predict the weather. For example, "Red sky at night, sailor's delight. Red sky at morn, sailors be warned," "When bees stay close to the hive, rain is close by," or "Green Christmas, white Easter." The first two sayings are true, while the last one is not. Explain to students that some weather sayings are accurate predictors of weather, while others are nothing more than simple superstition. Tell students that another tool the early farmers used to forecast the weather and get weather sayings from were almanacs. Show students a current edition of the farmer's almanac and also allow them to explore the online almanac. Have students compare the modern versus the earlier edition and see if they identify any similarities or differences. Have students explore Edwin Nim's diary included with this activity. The diary demonstrated numerous farming chores, while pages in the almanac gave examples of chores organized by month to coincide with appropriate weather.
Step 5.
Explain to students that an even more important way in which early farmers predicted the weather was by observing the sky, especially cloud types. Show students a cloud chart that illustrates the different types of clouds and their associated weather. Have students become familiar with the different types of clouds. Tomie dePaola's The Cloud Book is an excellent resource for cloud types and associated weather. Also any weather books by Eric Sloane offer wonderful information and excellent illustrations (Look at the Sky, Folklore of American Weather, How You Can Forecast the Weather, For Spacious Skies, Book of Storms).
Step 6.
Follow Up Activity #1: Over the next several weeks bring students outside to observe the sky (preferably at the same time of day)and identify cloud types, and finally make predictions about what the upcoming weather will be like. See if the students' predictions match the actual weather conditions. Have students keep track of their observations and predictions in a weather journal or log.
Step 7.
Follow Up Activity #2: If possible have a local meteorologist, local amateur weather person/observer, or farmer come in to class to talk about forecasting the weather.
Step 8.
Follow Up Activity #3: Upon completing their weather journal/log, have students come up with a weather saying of their own (hopefully from something they have noticed from their weather observations.) Look at the sky youngster!
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