In Like a Lion, Out Like a Lamb

Incorporate a weather activity into your March lessons to test the famous March saying. Brainstorm with students what aspects of weather determine its ferocity or calmness.

After listing things like temperature extremes and precipitation types and wind speeds, draw a calendar grid on the chalkboard or large sheet of paper, then each day, make notes regarding the weather variables. Review from week to week, then do a final observation at the end of the month.

Students can make graphs, vote each day a “lion” day or “lamb” day (using stickers or coloring with markers), write a short story about March including weather elements, have a meteorologist visit the classroom, or correspond with other classrooms via the internet to compare weather information with them. Save your calendar for next year, and you can make comparisons from year to year.

Weather Resources:

  • You might visit The Weather Dude to stock up on his books and CDs, but his website is also fantastic all by itself. Learn all about different weather conditions and seasons.
  • NOAA – National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration has sections devoted to kids and teachers. Their Cool Sites for Everyone includes links to past weather. In case you didn’t track your area’s weather activity last March, they did.
  • Tracking March weather may open the door to some research on global climate change, too.