Pre-K and Kindergarten Lessons: Dressing for Weather

Young students don't always realize the importance of dressing appropriately for the weather. I had several children who believed they could magically change the weather, if they dressed for playing their favorite outdoor games.

Other children in our Southern California area just preferred to wear shorts and t-shirts year around, regardless of parental, or teacher instruction. We can overcome a student's appropriate-dress confusion with a personal weather clock, coinciding with a larger class weather board, for at-a-glance monitoring under any weather conditions.

Classroom Weather Board

1 white poster board

1 black permanent marker pen

1 set colorful marker pens or crayons

3 arrow-hands

3 brad tacks

1 package stickers with articles of clothing and weather related items such as umbrella, rain boots, and sunglasses.

On the white poster board draw 3 large circles, tracing around dinner plates or serving platters, using black permanent marking pen. Label the poster "How to Dress", then label the first circle "Cold Weather", the middle circle "Mild Weather", and the last circle "Hot Weather".

Weatherizing the Barometers

Inside the top of each circle print "Windy", but under the last "Hot Weather" circle print "Breeze" instead. At the bottom of each circle write "Winter Storm" inside "Cold Weather" circle, "Fog" in the "Mild Weather" circle, and "Summer Storm" in the "Hot Weather" circle.

Next label the "Cold Weather" circle in the far left position at (9 o'clock) "Snow" and at the 3 o'clock position "Rain", so that the "Cold Weather" barometer reads from the top going clockwise; windy, rain, winter storm, and snow. Then label the "Mild Weather" circle at the 9 o'clock position "Rain", and at the 3 o'clock position "Clouds".

The "Mild Weather" barometer should read from the top, moving clockwise, windy, clouds, fog, and rain. Next on the "Hot Weather" circle, label "Clouds" at the far left 9 o'clock position, and "Sunny" at the 3 o'clock position. The "Hot Weather" barometer should read from top, moving clockwise, breeze, sunny, summer storm, and clouds.

Weather Illustrations & Sticker Application

Inside each barometer draw windy-rippling streaks under "Wind" and "Breeze". Draw clouds under "Clouds", "Rain", and "Snow", with appropriate raindrops or snowflakes. Draw the sun with sunshine rays and wearing sunglasses under "Sunny"; and use your imagination for "Winter Storm", "Summer Storm", and "Fog".

Attach one arrow per barometer (using a brad tack) to alert students to upcoming weather conditions. Apply the stickers showing appropriate clothing and other necessary attire (snow hat and jacket, umbrella and boots, or sunglasses, etc.).

The appropriate clothing stickers should be placed beside, above, or below the targeted weather conditions. Your weather lesson plan can include students assisting you by applying the stickers, which will give them ideas for creating their own weather/clothing forecast clocks.

Personal Weather Clocks

Using paper plates (in place of poster board) have your students draw six equal pie-slice sections using crayons. Label each section around the outer paper-plate ridge; wind, sun, fog, clouds, rain, and snow.

Have your students illustrate the weather conditions for each section in crayon, and use appropriate weather-dressing stickers. Arrows can be attached by brad tacks, to point out weather alerts, and proper clothing for each.

Making personal weather clocks, showing appropriate clothing for children to wear under all weather conditions, will alert them to dress appropriately for inclement weather. Checking personal weather clocks against the classroom weather board will assure parents of your due diligence, while teaching important weather lessons to your young students.