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K–12 teaching and learning · from the UNC School of Education

El Niño: More Than Just Hot Air?

http://www.nationalgeographic.com/xpeditions/lessons/07/gk2/seaselnino.html

A lesson plan for Grades K–2 Social Studies and Science

Provider: National Geographic

About this resource

Appropriate grades
K–2
Provider
National Geographic

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In this Xpeditions lesson, young students are introduced to the El Niño phenomenon by doing a brief experiment and looking at pictures of El Niño, including some pictures drawn by kindergarten and first grade students who experienced an El Niño season. They then draw their own pictures and write about how El Niño might affect their area.

North Carolina Curriculum Alignment

Social Studies (2003)

Grade 1

  • Goal 5: The learner will express geographic concepts in real life situations.
    • Objective 5.02: Investigate key features of maps.
    • Objective 5.03: Use geographic terminology and tools to create representations of the earth's physical and human features through simple maps, models, and pictures.
    • Objective 5.06: Compare and contrast geographic features of places within various communities.

Grade 2

  • Goal 5: The learner will understand the relationship between people and geography in various communities.
    • Objective 5.01: Define geography and use geographic terms to describe landforms, bodies of water, weather, and climate.
    • Objective 5.05: Interpret maps, charts, and pictures of locations.

Kindergarten

  • Goal 5: The learner will express basic geographic concepts in real life situations.
    • Objective 5.02: Create and interpret simple maps, models, and drawings of the home, school, and other environments.
    • Objective 5.04: Recognize and explain seasonal changes of the environment.

Science (2005)

Grade 2

  • Goal 2: The learner will conduct investigations and use appropriate tools to build an understanding of the changes in weather.
    • Objective 2.01: Investigate and describe how moving air interacts with objects.
    • Objective 2.02: Observe the force of air pressure pushing on objects.
    • Objective 2.03: Describe weather using quantitative measures of:
      • Temperature.
      • Wind direction.
      • Wind speed.
      • Precipitation.
    • Objective 2.04: Identify and use common tools to measure weather:
      • Wind vane and anemometer.
      • Thermometer.
      • Rain gauge.

Kindergarten

  • Goal 2: The learner will make observations and build an understanding of weather concepts.
    • Objective 2.02: Identify different weather features including:
      • Precipitation.
      • Wind.
      • Temperature.
      • Cloud cover
    • Objective 2.03: Identify types of precipitation, changes in wind, force, direction and sky conditions.
    • Objective 2.04: Observe and determine the effects of weather on human activities.
    • Objective 2.05: Use common tools to measure weather.