The Sky: Weather, Sun, Moon and Stars - Grade One Digital Unit Study Guide

Written By Rachael Freed

“Praise the LORD from the heavens; praise him in the heights above.

Praise him, all his angels; praise him, all his heavenly hosts.

Praise him, sun and moon; praise him, all you shining stars. Praise him, you highest heavens

and you waters above the skies.” (Psalm 148: 1-4)

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Goals of the British Columbia Education Plan Our curriculum team is excited to bring you a summarized version of the new BCEd plan core goals (competencies), strategies and content. As we develop the kits we will be personalizing the content to suit your students’ need and interests. Big ideas and concepts will be the focus as well as curricular threads, inquiry learning (discovering how to ask the right questions based on who, how and why things occur, as opposed to what things occur), technology integration, and collaboration. First Peoples content will include the natural history/culture of our province and encourage our God given diversity. The kits are designed to help you gain a greater understanding of the following:

Biblical Worldview: We believe that every child in our school needs to hear the voice of God interwoven into

all of their curriculum. Therefore we will be striving to make sure that this goal is an overarching strategy.

Communication Competency: Involves imparting and exchanging information, experiences and ideas, to explore the

world around them, and to understand and effectively engage in the use of digital media.

Thinking Competency: Encompasses the knowledge, skills and processes we associate with intellectual

development. It is through their competency as thinkers that students take subject-specific concepts (ideas that interest them) and content, (topics that need to be covered to increase knowledge, and transform them into a new understanding to increase knowledge), and transform them into a new understanding. This includes specific thinking skills as well as how students are allowed to learn, make mistakes and

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grow from failure. Encompassed in this thinking is the ability to feel safe and comfortable so that students can explore their surroundings.

Creative Thinking Competency: Involves the ability to generate new ideas and concepts that have value to the individual

or others, and then develop these ideas and concepts from thought to reality. It requires a curiosity and a wondering reflection about God’s creation, with a desire to make something new and different from what they have read, seen or observed.

Critical Thinking Competency: Encompasses a set of abilities that students use to examine their own thinking and that

of others, and process information they receive through observation, experience, and various forms of communication.

Social Responsibility: Involves the ability and disposition to consider the interdependence of people with each

other and the natural environment; to contribute positively to one’s family, community, society, and the environment; to resolve problems peacefully; to empathize with others and appreciate their perspectives; and to create and maintain healthy relationships.

Personal and Social Competency: Is the set of abilities that relate to students' identity in the world, both as individuals and

as members of their community and society.

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Learning Strategies

In response to the goals set out by the BC Ministry of Education, HCOS has made it a priority to make use of the following learning strategies throughout our unit studies and courses. Biblical Worldview: Biblical worldview refers to the framework of ideas and beliefs through which a Christian individual, group or culture interprets the world and interacts with it. Individuals with a biblical worldview believe their primary reason for existence is to love and serve God. A Biblical worldview is based on the infallible Word of God. When you believe the Bible is true, then you allow it to be the foundation of your life. We believe that every student at HCOS needs to develop a worldview based on their Biblical thinking and beliefs. Inquiry-Based Learning/Mindset: Students with an inquiry mindset have a God-given curiosity; a desire to dream big, constantly challenge themselves, and a desire to research more for increased understanding and clarity. Students who actively inquire will scan their environments, generate good questions, try new approaches, observe and collect evidence, synthesize the information, draw conclusions, and generate new questions from their research.

Maker Education: The Maker Education Initiative’s mission is to create more opportunities for all young people to develop confidence, creativity, and interest in science, technology, engineering, math, art, and learning as a whole through making. This may be through STEAM – science, technology, engineering, art and mathematics. The “maker mindset” includes learning to use your imagination to make connections, use intuition, persist through difficult circumstances in learning, collaborate with other team members and community, and become disciplined learners. Maker education often involves an interdisciplinary approach, teaching science, math and art together. Here is an example. To learn more go to this page.

First Peoples Content: First Peoples content has been interwoven into every grade in the new BCEd plan. Aboriginal content is for all learners of all ages, and includes a healthy diversity of approaches. From learning about cultural traditions and schooling injustice, creative ways of storytelling, and good stewardship of land and resources, we

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can gather rich learning from the traditions of the people groups indigenous to BC. As Christians we can draw many similarities from their holistic thinking, and share how our beliefs and traditions might be similar or different.

HCOS Subscriptions

HCOS families have access to a wide variety of wonderful subscriptions which can be used to enhance student learning. Several of these subscriptions are used throughout the unit. Each year, a document containing the usernames and passwords for each subscription is sent to families. If you have not received this document please contact your child’s teacher.

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Big Ideas “Big ideas are statements that are central to one’s understanding in an area of learning.

A big idea is broad and abstract.” (CT) Big ideas represent the overarching theme of each unit. They contain references to the content and key questions students will be

investigating throughout the unit. Big ideas are often cross-curricular in nature. Similar themes can be found in many different subject areas within each grade-level.

Science

Observable patterns and cycles occur in the local sky and landscape. ● What kinds of patterns in the sky and landscape are you aware of?

● How do patterns and cycles in the sky and landscape affect living things?

Language Arts

● Language and stories can be a source of creativity and joy. ● Listening and speaking builds our understanding and helps us learn.

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Curricular Competencies “Competency represents the combined skills, processes, behaviours and habits of mind

that learners use to make sense of the world.” (CT)

Science

● Questioning and predicting ● Elaborations: Form and function: Form and function refer to something being

designed, structured or shaped in a way that will help it perform a certain function or functions. For example, the fins of fish help them propel themselves through the water. The human skeleton provides protection for organs, and support for muscles, and allows people to stand upright. Science recognizes this important relationship between form and function.

● Demonstrate curiosity and a sense of wonder about the world ● Observe objects and events in familiar contexts ● Ask questions about familiar objects and events ● Make simple predictions about familiar objects and events ● Make and record observations ● Safely manipulate materials to test ideas and predictions

Language Arts ● Begin to use sources of information and prior knowledge to make meaning ● Use age-appropriate reading, listening, and viewing behaviours and strategies to

make meaning from texts ● Engage actively as listeners, viewers, and readers, as appropriate, to develop

understanding of self, identity, and community ● Recognize the structure and elements of story ● Recognize the importance of story in personal, family, and community identity

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Content and Key Questions Content refers to the topics that will be investigated throughout the unit. The key

questions serve as a guide as you and your child explore the content. Throughout this unit the key questions will be the starting point for learning.

Science

● Content: Common objects in the sky

● Elaborations:

○ the appearance of the moon and stars at night

○ sunrise/set, moonrise/set

○ the sun and the moon are important in different cultures, with respect to

customs and traditions

○ oral history with Elder — origins and local stories related to Big Ideas

● Content: Aboriginal knowledge of the sky and landscape

● Content: Local patterns in events that occur on Earth and in the sky

● Elaborations:

○ the relationship of local weather to the four seasons in terms of

temperature, cloud cover, precipitation, and wind

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How to Use This Kit

The Ministry of Education is in the final stages of overhauling curriculum, learning strategies, and learning goals for students in the Province of British Columbia. This kit is designed with those goals in mind. On the next several pages you will discover the content that serves as the “bulk” of this kit. Rather than being divided by day, the unit plan uses the key questions detailed on page 8 to breakdown content, activities, and experiences. Each key question will have books to read from the HCS Overdrive E-Library, (if you do not have your client code & pin, please contact Shandra Wiebe at swiebe@onlineschool.ca ), videos to watch, and activities to share with your child. You will not be required to complete all activities listed under each key question, instead, you will be able to choose activities which most appeal to you and your child. Each key question featured in the unit will include recommendations on how many activities to complete in order to fully address the curriculum content and competencies. Finally, each activity will have icons (shown on pages 2 and 3) showing which goals of the BCEd Plan the activity addresses. **You are encouraged to choose varied activities to ensure all goals are being addressed. In order to fully meet the goals of this kit, it is important to read 10-15 of the recommended books, and watch 8-10 videos. It is important for you to complete one or two First People's activities as these are an integral part of the new learning standards.** Reading and discussing/watching and discussing the books and videos listed in this unit will consistently address the following goals of the BCEd Plan:

It is our hope that our redesigned format will allow for flexibility, individual preference, and student-centered learning. When selecting activities to complete with your child we recommend selecting a variety of activities to ensure that you touch on each BCEd Plan goal throughout the unit. Most activities are designed to address multiple goals.

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Unit Guide

What kinds of patterns in the sky and landscape are you aware of?

Books to Read and Talk About (If the links do not open to the correct page, copy and paste the title of the book into the Overdrive search bar.): Twinkle Twinkle Little Star by Sylvia Long Things to Think About: What is a star? Why do you think people like looking at stars? How many stars do you think there are? The Moon Book by Layne de Marin Things to Think About: What do you know about the moon? Would you like to visit the moon? The Milky Way by Martha E. H. Rustad Things to Think About: What is the most amazing thing you learned about our galaxy? What would you like to know more about? Night Light: A Book About the Moon by Dana Meachen Rau Things to Think About: What do you know about the moon? Would you like to visit the moon? What is the most amazing thing you learned about the moon? What is something you would like to know more about? Stars, Stars, Stars by Bob Barner Things to Think About: What is a star? Why do you think people like looking at stars? How many stars do you think there are? Why is it Fall? by Sara L. Latta Things to Think About: What is your favourite thing to do when it is fall? What does fall smell like? Taste like? Feel like?

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Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs by Judi Barrett Things to Think About: What sort of crazy weather can you imagine? If it started raining something other than water, what would you like it to be? What would happen if it rained something other than water? All The Stars in the Sky: Native Stories from the Heavens by C.J. Taylor Things to Think About: Do you know any other stories about the stars? Who do we know created the stars? Why do you think God created stars in the sky? Would you like to visit outer space one day? How Things Came to Be: Inuit Stories of Creation by Rachel Qitsualik-Tinsley Things to Think About: Compare and contrast this story with the Biblical story of creation. Follow the Drinking Gourd by Jeanette Winter Things to Think About: How do the people in the story use the stars? Why was it important for them to travel at night? See if you can locate the Big Dipper in the night sky, it is often one of the easiest constellations to find. Beautiful Moon: A Child’s Prayer by Tonya Bolden Things to Think About: Who and what can you pray for each night before bed? Curious George Discovers the Sun by H.A. Rey Things to Think About: What does Curious George learn in the story? Did you know that we can create electricity using the power of the sun? Mooncakes by Loretta Seto Things to Think About: What holiday is being celebrated in the story? Why do you think the moon is important to people? Ways into Science: Seasons by Peter Riley Things to Think About: What causes the four seasons? Which season is your favourite? What happens in each of the four seasons? What is the weather like in fall, winter, summer, and spring? The Reason for Seasons by Gail Gibbons Things to Think About: What causes the four seasons? Which season is your favourite? What happens in each of the four seasons? Would you like it if it was only one season all of the time?

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Videos to Watch and Talk About: What is Weather? (BrainPop) (Stop the video when they begin talking about US weather). Temperature (BrainPopjr.) The Water Cycle (BrainPopjr.) Seasons (BrainPopjr.) Fall (Learn 360) Spring (Learn 360) The Moon (Learn 360) The Magic School Bus Gets Lost in Space (Discovery Education) Ping and Pong Learn about Earth and Space (Discovery Education) Ready, Set, Learn with Paz: Starry, Starry Night (Discovery Education) The Magic School Bus Sees Stars (Discovery Education) Exploring Space: What’s UP in Space (Learn 360) Mars: What’s UP in Space (Learn 360) Moon: What’s UP in Space (Learn 360) Earth: What’s UP in Space (Learn 360) The Outer Planets (Learn 360) The Amazing Universe (Learn 360) Franklin Stargazes (Learn 360) Earth, Sun, and Moon (Learn 360)

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Activities (Choose 8-10):

Observation/Art Activity: Purchase or borrow a telescope and spend time throughout the unit observing the night sky.

First Peoples Activity: Read the story “Spring Defeats Winter” to your child. Take time to discuss the symbolism. How is winter represented? How is spring represented? Talk about how the movement of the earth around the sun causes the seasons to change. Read Genesis 1 from your favourite children’s Bible. Talk about How God created the world and everything in it, including the seasons.

Brainstorming/Art Activity: Divide a large piece of paper into four squares. Poster board works well. Write Winter, Spring, Summer, or Fall in the four squares. Brainstorm a list of words that remind your child of each season. Write the words in the squares. Talk about what you see, hear, smell, and taste when you think about each season. Once you have filled words in each square. Use tempera or acrylic paint and have your child paint a fall tree, winter tree, spring tree and summer tree in the appropriate square.

First Peoples Activity: Watch the Ojibway creation story, Turtle Island, created by the Pic River First Nation in Ontario. Take time to focus on the details contained in the story. Explain to your child that many different First People groups have creation stories, they have similarities and differences. Take time to answer any questions your child may have. Now, read your favourite version of the Biblical creation story found in Genesis together. Spend time comparing and contrasting the two stories. What is similar? What is different? Have your child use finger paints to create an image of what they think creation looked like in the beginning.

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Technology Time: Download Stellarium (for free) to create a planetarium at home.

Night Sky Activity: Try making your own constellation jar. You can copy some of the constellation patterns found here. View your constellations in a dark room, consider telling stories and eating popcorn.

Scale Model of the Solar System: Follow the instructions on page 4 (26) or 6 (28) of this document from the Astronomy Society to create a scale model of our solar system using toilet paper. Keep in mind that Pluto has been demoted to dwarf planet status and is no longer considered a part of the solar system. It can still be fun to show the distance of Pluto as it is on the far edge of our solar system.

First Peoples Activity: Read the Haida legend Why There is Day and Night. After you have read the legend. Encourage your child to use their imagination to create their own legend about day and night. Scribe their words into story format, and have them create illustrations to accompany their legend. If you prefer, try using Storybird, a wonderful digital storybook creator.

Moon Viewing Activity: Take time over a four-five week period to view the moon. Each night that you see the moon (two or three times each week works well), take time to have your child carefully draw a picture of what it looks like. This is your data set. After the weeks have passed. Sit down and take a look at your drawings. Discuss the following questions:

● Did the Moon change? How? Over what time? Is there a pattern?

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● Was there any-point where the sky was clear, but we could not see the moon? ● Does the Moon make its own light? ● Why is the Moon bright? ● Why do think the Moon “changed shape”?

Watch Moon from BrainPopjr. Then, follow the instructions on page three of this document to make the phases of the moon using Oreo cookies. Use this visual calendar to take a peek at the phases of the moon for any month 1951 until now.

First Peoples Activity: Listen to the story Why Coyote Howls: A Star Story (stay tuned at the end of the story for interesting information about constellations). As your child listens to the story, encourage them to close their eyes and imagine images and scenes from the story. What do the animals use the stones to create? Have you ever seen star pictures? Have you ever heard the word constellation before? A constellation is a group of stars that appears to form a pattern or picture like Orion the Great Hunter, Leo the Lion, or Taurus the Bull. Most of the constellation names we know came from the ancient Middle Eastern, Greek, and Roman cultures. Throughout the year we see different constellations. The Earth’s orbit around the sun means that in the summer we are looking at a different part of the night sky than we are looking at in the winter. Follow the instructions here to create a constellation viewer. You might have fun learning to sing this (very silly) constellation song.

Hopping Around the Solar System: Try this fun activity, Hopping Around the Solar System, from the Lunar and Planetary Institute This activity works best in a large yard, field or playground.

Fizzing Jupiter Science Experiment: Try this fun fizzing Jupiter science experiment from Fun-A-Day. You will need baking soda, liquid watercolours, water, vinegar and eye drops. Then watch Jupiter from Learn 360.

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Planetary Orbit Activity: Try this fun, simple activity to demonstrate how planets move around the sun. You will need a small blue ball, a pie plate, and orange or yellow playdough or clay.

Model Solar System Project: Create an amazing solar system in a shoebox with your

child. You will need a large shoe box, black acrylic paint, a white paint pen (or regular white paint and a thin brush), different sized styrofoam balls, bamboo skewers, various colours of paints (orange, yellow, red, blue, green, silver and gold), gold paper, quick dry kids clay, a large needle, beading thread, a glue gun, tape and black paper. This project will take several days to complete. During the time you are working on your solar system, I highly recommend some of the solar system videos recommended throughout the unit. I suggest using a black sharpie to label each of the planets in your solar system.

Solar System Fun: Make the solar system out of food for a yummy, and educational, afternoon snack.

Research/Maker Activity: HCOS has a wonderful subscription, PebbleGo, designed to assist emergent readers as they begin to develop research skills. As a continuation for learning about the solar system, ask your child to choose one planet they would like to learn more about, their favourite planet. Use PebbleGo to research the planet and find three-four interesting facts. Help your child to record the facts. Have your child create a model of the planet. You could use clay, Styrofoam, papier-Mache, or a simple drawing or painting. Attach the interesting facts you learned about the planet to your model, have your child share what they have learned with a friend or family member. You may

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use the PebbleGo iPad app to do your research or print off the research page and do by hand.

Why are There Craters on the Moon? An Activity: Discover why there are craters on the moon by trying this fun experiment. You will need 4 cups of flour, ½ cup of baby oil, small pebbles or rocks, and a round cake pan. Mix the flour and baby oil together well to make. Put the mixture into your cake pan so that it lays relatively flat. Have your child stand at different heights and drop pebbles and rocks into the pan. Take time to observe the craters they create. Explain to your child that the craters on the moon are created by large rocks (asteroids or meteorites) colliding with its surface. Earth has an atmosphere that protects it from most asteroids and meteorites, it causes them to burn up before they hit us. The moon does not have an atmosphere.

How do patterns and cycles in the sky and landscape affect living things?

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Books to Read and Talk About (If the links do not open to the correct page, copy and paste the title of the book into the Overdrive search bar.): Special Gifts of Summer: Celebrations by Dandi Mackall Things to Think About: What do you like best about summer? What does summer taste like? Smell like? Feel like? What are your favourite things to do in the summer? The Fantastic Gifts of Fall by Dandi Mackall Things to Think About: What do you like best about fall? What does fall taste like? Smell like? Feel like? What are your favourite things to do in the fall? Super Gifts of Spring: Easter By Dandi Mackall Things to Think About: What do you like best about winter? What does winter taste like? Smell like? Feel like? What are your favourite things to do in the winter? Winter Bees and Other Poems of the Cold by Joyce Sidman Things to Think About: What happens to bees in the winter? Can you name any animals that hibernate? Can you name any animals that migrate? What are some of the things that happen to animals who stay where it is cold (dogs and cats grow a thicker coat etc.). The Snowy Day by Ezra Jack Keats Things to Think About: Do you like it when it snows? Why? What is snow made of? What do you like to do in the snow? Winter Trees by Carole Gerber Things to Think About: What happens to trees in winter? How do trees look in the spring? How do they look in the summer? How do trees look in the fall? Fall Weather, Cooler Temperatures by Martha E. H. Rustad Things to Think About: What kind of weather do you like the best? Why?

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Animals in Fall -Preparing for Winter by Martha E. H. Rustad Things to Think About: How do animals prepare for fall? Which animals hibernate? Which animals migrate? Fall Harvest Bringing in Food by Martha E. H. Rustad Things to Think About: Have you ever visited a farm? What jobs do people have on a farm? What would happen if we didn’t have farms? Do you have a favourite fall food? Videos to Watch and Talk About: Magical Mother Nature: The Four Seasons (Discovery Education) The Four Seasons (Discovery Education) Winter (BrainPopjr.) . Fall (BrainPopjr.) Summer (BrainPopjr.) Spring (BrainPopjr.) Franklin and His Night Friend (Learn 360) Bears for All Seasons: The Berenstain Bears (Learn 360) Franklin the Weather Turtle (Learn 360) Come a Tide: Reading Rainbow (Learn 360) (Focuses on weather events) Clouds (Learn 360) Day and Night (Learn 360) An Alphabet of Weather (Learn 360)

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Activities (Choose 8-10):

Science Experiment: Conduct the Blubber Glove Experiment from Steve Spangler Science! You will need two large zip-loc bags, shortening, spoon, duct tape, water, ice cubes, and a bucket. This amazing experiment illustrates the features God gave arctic/ocean animals to help them survive in freezing cold temperatures. Read Psalm 8 together and give thanks to God for all that He has created.

First Peoples Activity: Read the Haida creation story. Take time to compare and contrast this creation story with the Biblical story of creation.

Language Arts Connections: Write and illustrate a story about what you think it would be like to travel to another planet. Consider using the Storybird application or the Book Creator App.

Art Activity: Follow the instructions found here to make gorgeous foil etching space art. You will need cardboard, tin foil, tape, black tempera or acrylic paint, liquid dish soap, a paint brush, and a popsicle stick. Read Psalm 104. Talk about how God created the heavens and the earth.

First Peoples Activity: The Northern Lights, also known as aurora borealis, play a very important role in the lives of Inuit people. In the early winter when it is very dark and the sun hardly shines, Inuit people play soccer under the light of the stars. According to Inuit legends, the souls of loved ones also enjoy playing soccer--they can be seen running across the sky in aurora borealis. You can read an Ojibwa legend about the Northern Lights here. Watch Aurora Borealis from Discovery Education. Then, use black construction paper and paints in green, purple, red, pink and blue to paint your own

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aurora borealis. You may wish to see whether your local library has the wonderful book, Northern Lights: the Soccer Trails by Canadian author Michael Kusugak.

Language Arts Connections: As you learn about the solar system, most children will begin to have a favourite planet. Use the name of their favourite planet to create an acrostic poem. You may wish to use the acrostic poem maker from Readwritethink.

Science Experiment: Hibernating bear vs. awake bear. You will need 2 empty jars with lids, and butter at room temperature. Label one jar “hibernating bear” and the other jar “awake bear.” Place a good dollop of butter in each jar. Explain to your child that the butter represents all of the food the bear ate before winter and the energy he is storing. Now, take turns shaking the awake bear jar (aggressively if need be). The butter will splatter and smear all around the jar. Explain that bears use their fat stores all winter long to help them survive the cold winter when very little food is available. If a bear was to be awake and running around during the winter, it would use up all of its fat stores and energy. How does God provide animals with what they need to survive in different environments? Read the Creation story in Genesis, what does God think about His creation in the beginning? Use Pebblego or Explora to research hibernation.

Language Arts Connections: Share the Our Very Own Star storybook about the sun with your child. Your child may enjoy colouring the pictures in the book. Afterward, watch The Sun from Brainpopjr.

Movement of Earth and Moon Activity: Follow the instructions from Enchanted Learning to create an excellent model demonstrating how the earth and moon move around the sun.

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Art/Science Activity: Make an animal winter habitat poster (scroll down on the page to find examples). You will need construction paper, crayons, markers, scissors, glue, and cotton balls, and the print-outs provided on the website. What features did God give animals to help them survive?

Weather Patterns (Math Connections): Print a weather graph. You may wish to use the weather graph throughout the entire unit, or you may choose to make a new weather graph each month. Graphing is a wonderful activity as it relates strongly to math concepts being addressed in kindergarten and first grade, and it provides students with an opportunity to observe patterns in our world. Hang the graph in a conspicuous place. Each morning look outside and discuss the weather, then, colour the appropriate square on the graph. For the most interesting results, use a different colour of crayon for each type of weather. Remember, on some days it may be both rainy and foggy, or snowy and sunny etc. Your child may notice a pattern in the weather. Talk about the relationship between the weather and the time of year. Do you think the pattern would be different in the spring or summer?

Tornado in a Bottle Experiment: Follow the instructions from World for Learning to create a tornado in a bottle. You will need two 2-litre plastic pop bottles, duct tape, water, and food colouring if desired.

Lightning Experiment: Follow the instructions from Learn-Play-Imagine to create lightning! You will need an aluminium tray, a pencil with an eraser, wool cloth, a styrofoam plate, and a thumbtack. You can also try a second lightning experiment from Learn-Play-Imagine using a balloon and a metal spoon.

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Hot and Cold Air Experiment: This wonderful experiment uses a plastic bottle and balloons to demonstrate the effects of hot and cold air. You will need a plastic bottle (pop or water), a metal bowl, a balloon, water, and ice.

Create a Cloud in a Bottle: Follow the instructions here to create an amazing cloud in a bottle! You will need a plastic pop bottle with a lid, water, and matches. After conducting the experiment watch Water Cycle from BrainPopjr.

Create a Hurricane in a Bowl: Watch The Magic School Bus Kicks up a Storm. Then, follow the instructions here to create a hurricane in a bowl. You will need a large round bowl of water (glass works best), a spoon, and food colouring. Afterward, use Create-A-Cane from the National Hurricane Center (first graders will need adult assistance with this website).

Weather Game: Print and play the What’s the Weather game!

Cloud Binoculars: Watch Clouds from Learn 360. Then, make these cute cloud finder binoculars from Bugsy and Buddy. Spend time outside looking for clouds.

Paint a Thunderstorm: Follow the instructions from Bugsy and Buddy to paint a thunderstorm. You will need black and white tempera paint, paint brushes, white art paper, construction paper (blue and yellow), scissors, and liquid glue.

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Make it Rain Experiment: Read the story of Noah’s ark from Genesis 6. Talk about what all that rain would have looked like, felt like, smelled like etc. What does your child know about rain? Make Rain! You will need a saucepan, water, ice cubes, oven mitts, and an adult.

1. Boil water in a saucepan 2. Use oven mitts to protect your hands, hold a tray of ice above the steam 3. Drops will begin to fall like rain from the tray! 4. Discuss with your child why this is? (The cold surface of the ice cube tray cools

the steam from the boiling water, changing it back in liquid form. Rain!)

Make a Rain Gauge: Follow the instructions from the Royal Meteorological Society to build your own rain gauge. You will need a 2 litre plastic soda or water bottle, an exacto knife, and a measuring cup. The instructions here may also be helpful.

Weather in a Jar: Follow the excellent instructions here to create weather in a jar. You will need a large plastic jar (a peanut butter jar would work well), water, a thermometer, dirt, grass seed, an egg carton, and sunshine. This activity involves observation over a period of time and is well worth conducting.

Create a DIY Thermometer: Follow the instructions here to create a DIY thermometer! You will need an empty glass bottle, water, rubbing alcohol, food colouring, a clear straw, modeling clay, and a marker. The results of this experiment are very interesting.

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Bibliography

In Our Own Words: Bringing Authentic First Peoples Content to the K-3 Classroom. (n.d.). Retrieved January 19, 2016, from http://aboriginal.sd34.bc.ca/sites/default/files/In-Our-Own-Words-final-Apr-16-web_0.pdf Stars: Balancing Western and First Nations Concepts. (n.d.). Retrieved January 19, 2016, from https://www.stf.sk.ca/portal.jsp?Sy3uQUnbK9L2RmSZs02CjV/LfyjbyjsxsNShHbYdnbi4=F

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