Service Above Self

Leader: Ann Marie Jenkins

Others participating: Amanda Gabler

1. The weather element will consist of a weather station mounted inside the courtyard. The weather station will be hooked up to a computer in the school to monitor weather conditions using special software.
2. The educational aspects of the weather element meets the educational aspects/requirements of the grades K-4 BOCES Prioritized Curriculum(the written curriculum adopted by the Utica City School District to be used by teachers in grades K-4.) The following questions will be able to be answered after instruction and participation in activities has occurred.

Grade K
What are the 4 seasons?
What are the characteristics of each season?

Grade 1
What are the patterns of time?
Why do we study weather?

Grade 2
What is the earth’s revolution?
What causes the seasons on Earth?

Grade 3
How can you compare temperature information inside vs. outside?
How do environmental patterns affect us?

Grade 4
How does the movement of the Earth cause daily and seasonal changes?

Grade 5
How does the lithosphere, hydrosphere and atmosphere interact to create weather and climate?
How is solar energy transferred to the Earth?
How do clouds form and indicate weather conditions?
What are some weather instruments and how are they used to determine weather?
What is air pressure and how does it affect weather?

1. The teachers and students will use the weather element by using the courtyard to conduct experiments and make observations to be completed using their Learning-Focused Schools Science units(based on the content of the BOCES Science Prioritized Curriculum) and BOCES Science kits.
2. There is a relationship between the Weather element and the Astronomy element. Students will understand the relationship between the Earth’s rotation and revolution and the time of day and seasons. The students will also become aware of the relationship between the Weather element and Plant element due to the fact that plants need certain weather conditions to survive.
3. The weather station(Vantage Pro Plus) will be provided and installed by ??????? The computer needed to monitor weather needs 128 megs of memory and a cable up to 100 feet long which will run from the weather station to the computer. Consider setting up the weather computer in the computer lab to allow access to a greater number of students.
4. The resources needed to complete the element are the weather station, cable, software and computer.
5. The only maintenance required will be in terms of the actual weather station and computer.
6. No other issues seem to be at hand at this point.