Georgia S4E4.a
The Standard
Construct an explanation of how weather instruments (thermometer, rain gauge, barometer, wind vane, and anemometer) are used in gathering weather data and making forecasts.
Georgia Standards of Excellence for Science · Obtain, evaluate, and communicate information to predict weather events and infer weather patterns using weather charts/maps and collected weather data.
Teacher's field guide
What This Standard Means
What Students Need to Do
- Students identify what each weather instrument measures and how its readings are recorded. They use changes in temperature, rainfall, air pressure, wind direction, and wind speed to explain a forecast.
What Mastery Looks Like
- Students correctly match each instrument to its measurement. They combine several readings, such as falling air pressure and increasing wind speed, to predict likely weather and support their prediction.
Common Misconceptions
- Students often confuse an anemometer with a wind vane or think both measure wind speed. They may treat one reading as enough for a forecast or think a rain gauge predicts future rainfall.
How to Assess It
- Give students data showing falling pressure, rising wind speed, and dropping temperature. Ask them to name the instruments used and write a one-sentence forecast with evidence.
Lesson moves
Ways to Teach It
Set up stations with a thermometer, rain gauge, barometer, wind vane, and anemometer for students to observe, measure, and record data.
Ask students to write which two weather measurements would best help predict a storm and explain their choices.
Play a matching relay where teams pair instrument cards with measurement cards, units, sample readings, and forecast clues.
Compare the class weather data with a local forecast, then identify which measurements may have supported the meteorologist's prediction.
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Printable S4E4.a Worksheet
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