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| Didax "Class Ideas" Newsletter Archive |
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There's a chill in the air as the season changes here in Massachusetts. Winter is right around the corner! With the hustle and bustle of the holiday season, I hope this issue of Class Ideas gives you a peaceful moment of reading and lightens your load with helpful classroom information.
This issue of Class Ideas is packed with seasonal Wintery ideas for your classroom. There is an article about seasons, downloadable activity pages and links to some great websites. And be sure not to miss this month's subscriber only special: reduced prices on fun educational products that make wonderful holiday gifts.
I hope you find this issue useful and informative. Please feel free to email me if you have any suggestions for future newsletters; I love to hear from you!
Anna Mullen, Editor |
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| Studying Weather, Climate and Seasons |
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 In most parts of the United States, winter brings obvious weather changes. Some look forward to cooler temperatures, while others look forward to feet of snow. This is a perfect time to use weather-related lessons in your classroom as students observe and experience these changes.
Weather as a topic in school opens up many interesting learning areas. Everyone experiences the weather and can recognize different types such as rainy, sunny, or windy.
Activities and Ideas
? Draw different types of weather and identify types of weather in literature, painting, etc. How is weather used to create mood by authors and artists?
? Recognize different climates and seasons (including hurricanes and tropical weather). Are the seasons the same all around the world? Does being in a different hemisphere affect which season it is? With a basketball and flashlight, show how the earth being tilted causes the seasons during its revolution around the sun (but the earth spinning on its own axis causes day and night). What is the climate like where you live, and which months fall into which seasons?
? Think of things that are affected by climate and season, such as sports, growing fruits and vegetables, tourism, etc.
? Look at weather information from all around the world, using the Internet. Look at different websites and discuss whether they are easy to use. Can you learn a few weather words from a different language?
? Create your own weather instruments. Windsocks are easy and fun to make, as are rain gauges. You can make a wind vane to find the direction of the wind. The Beaufort scale is a simple way to estimate wind speed. Research the Beaufort scale on the Internet.
? Take measurements and represent information. Think about how weather is shown on TV or in the newspapers. Is it simple to understand? Make your own descriptions about the weather.
? Identify the physical processes that create weather (such as evaporation, condensation and freezing). What happens to puddles? Why do we feel cool when we hop out of a pool when the wind is blowing? What are clouds made of? What things come out of clouds (such as rain, hail, snow, storms, tornadoes)?
? Map the weather. Look at a map of the United States and discuss how the weather varies in different areas. Use a blank United States map for each month, create a color code for different weather patterns and use the code to color in the maps to create a visual representation of weather changes. |
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| Downloadable Winter Activity Pages |
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| This month we've collected reproducible activities related to Winter and the seasons. The activities range in grade level, so simply flip through and choose the ones that are appropriate for your class. |
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| Educational Winter Internet Links |
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 Great Winter-themed information is just a click away. From learning about igloos and the Iditarod to a science experiment about the density of water, snow and ice, we are sure you'll find these fun sites packed with facts and activities your students will love. |
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| January Newsletter Theme: 100th Day of School |
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 The next issue of Class Ideas will explore the 100th Day of School with articles, teaching tips and other resources. Look forward to some innovative ways to celebrate the 100th Day! |
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