What students investigate

The first cards are about observing. Weather can change in one place, a thermometer measures air temperature, clouds do not always mean rain, and a wind vane points to where the wind comes from.

Then the pack moves to records and data. A weather journal stores observations with a time, a table lines up data in rows, a pictograph uses pictures and a key, and a bar graph shows amounts on one scale. Many years of records show seasonal averages, and repeated data reveals a usual pattern.

Who it is for

Weather Detectives is written for Grade 3 and is free. It is a strong opener for a weather unit and leads into Climate Regions, which compares usual weather in different parts of the world.

It also supports math work on reading tables and graphs, from using a pictograph's key to reading a bar graph's scale.

What students learn

11 learning ideas, one at a time. Each one is a silent animated Learn card, then Review and Mastery questions.

1. Weather can change at one place.
2. A thermometer measures the temperature of the air.
3. Clouds do not mean rain must fall.
4. A wind vane shows where wind comes from.
5. A record is a note of what you observed.
6. A weather journal stores observations with a time.
7. A table lines up weather data in rows.
8. A pictograph uses pictures to show counts.
9. A bar graph shows amounts on one scale.
10. Many years of records show seasonal averages.
11. Repeated data can show a usual weather pattern.

Science words in this pack

Each word is taught on its Learn card, then used again in Review and Mastery.

• weather
• observation
• temperature
• thermometer
• degree
• cloudy
• precipitation
• wind direction
• wind vane
• record
• weather journal
• data
• table
• pictograph
• key
• bar graph
• scale
• season
• typical
• average
• pattern
• usually

Inside the pack

How it works in class

• Learn. 11 silent whiteboard animations, one idea per card. No audio, so it works on a classroom screen or a quiet device.
• Review. 33 practice questions with feedback. Ideas a student misses come back.
• Mastery. 33 questions to show what each student knows on their own.
• Certificate. A student who finishes can print a certificate or save it as a PDF. It shows first-try Review and Mastery results and the ideas that needed a retry.

Standards connections

These cards support parts of the following NGSS performance expectations. They do not replace hands-on investigations.

• 3-ESS2-1 — core ideas

More in Science in Motion — Grade 3

• Plant Life Cycles Follow a seed as it grows and makes new seeds.
• Forces in Motion See how pushes and pulls change motion.
• Magnets & Invisible Forces See how magnets and static electricity act without touch.
• Climate Regions Compare typical temperatures and rainfall across world regions.
• Weather Hazards & Solutions Compare designs that can reduce weather damage.
• Animal Life Cycles Compare how butterflies, frogs, birds, and mammals grow.
• Inherited Traits & Environmental Effects Compare inherited traits and how surroundings affect living things.
• Fossils: Clues to Ancient Life & Places Read fossils to learn about ancient life and places.
• Animals Working Together See how animal groups find food and face danger.
• The Water Cycle Follow water as it moves between sky, land, and water.

About the Science in Motion — Grade 3 series