LESSON PLAN by Rachel Brown
Lesson: Climate of Indiana
Length 25 minutes
Age or Grade Intended: 4th grade
Academic Standard(s): History 4.3.7 Explain the effect of the Earth/sun relationship on the
climate of Indiana
Performance Objectives: Given a worksheet, students will answer the questions about the Earth
and suns effect on Indiana’s Climate with 80% accuracy.
Assessment: The students will be assessed through a pre-test and a post-test worksheet.
Advanced Preparation by Teacher:
Prepare worksheet
Prepare Giant Vocab Words – used by teacher while explaining terms and decorated by students
Prepare Worksheet for Assessment
Gather materials: Flashlight, Globe, Giant Vocab words
Procedure:
Introduction/Motivation:
Begin with a discussion about the weather (this will vary depending on the day)
Question: Why does the weather change? Why do we have seasons? Have you ever wondered why
it is so cold in the winter? Or so hot in the Summer? (Blooms: Knowledge)
Step-by-Step Plan:
Using giant vocab words, go through discussion about Indiana’s climate, seasons, and
precipitation.(Gardner: Verbal-linguistic) Each time a vocabulary word comes up, a vocab word
will go up on the board. The vocab words will be discussed and as a class, we will add a picture to
each word to remind the students what that word means. (Gardener: Visual)
We will then discuss what causes the seasons. We will talk about the tilt, rotation and orbit of the
earth around the sun. This will be discussed first, and then demonstrated with a flashlight and a
globe. Finally, the students will see a video to reinforce the process.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DuiQvPLWziQ&feature=related
What is the difference between weather and climate? (Analysis)
Compare the weather in the winter to the weather in the summer. (Analysis)
Please demonstrate with the globe how the earth orbits around the sun. (application)
How long does it take the earth to make one rotation? (Knowledge)
How long does it take for the earth to orbit around the sun? (Knowledge)
Explain to me why we have seasons. (Comprehension)
Students will fill out a worksheet as their posttest.
Closure: The type of weather and temperatures that we have here in Indiana affects many
things. Can you think of anything that it would affect? Do all plants grow here in Indiana? Can all
animals live here? We will find out more about Indiana’s climate and maybe we will discover
these answers.
Adaptations/Enrichment:
Adaptation: Give the test orally to student with reading difficulties.
Enrichment: Have student make a picture of how the sun orbits around the earth.
Reflection:
If I taught this lesson again, I would have a set of vocab cards for each student to draw on rather
than one class set so that more students are involved.
I would allow more time for the lesson because it took me longer to teach than I expected.
I would also use a lantern rather than a flashlight because it shines in all directions, which is more
similar to the sun.
Name_______________________________
The kind of weather a place has over a long period of time is its ________________________
A) Weather
B) Seasons
C) Climate
D) Temperature
Indiana’s four seasons are
1._____________________________
2.______________________________
3._____________________________
4.______________________________
Precipitation includes ________________
A) Rain
B) Sleet
C) Hail
D) Rain, Sleet, Snow, and Hail
The Earth revolves around the sun in ____________________
A) 1 day
B) 1 month
C) 1 year
The Earth makes one full rotation in ___________________
A) 1 day
B) 1 month
C) 1 year
Name_______________________________
The kind of weather a place has over a long period of time is its ________________________
A) Weather
B) Seasons
C) Climate
D) Temperature
Indiana’s four seasons are
1._____________________________
2.______________________________
3._____________________________
4.______________________________
Precipitation includes ________________
A) Rain
B) Sleet
C) Hail
D) Rain Sleet and Hail
__________________ are funnel shaped, spinning windstorms that destroy everything in their
path.
A drought is when there is _____________________ rainfall?
(too little/too much)
How long does it take for the earth to orbit around the sun? ______________________________
One day is equal to how many rotations of the earth? ___________________________________