If you are teaching about weather this year and are looking for more weather lesson plans, you’ve come to the right place! Here you will find over 31 hands-on STEM weather activities for elementary and middle school.
With such a big hands-on element integral to STEM activities for kids, and since kids learn best with hands-on experiments, I always love bringing in weather STEM activities when learning about weather.
Kids will have a blast learning about the weather with these simple weather STEM challenges.
STEM Weather Activities for the Classroom
These weather STEM activities are perfect for your classroom! These STEM weather activities will teach kids everything they need to know about weather through science, technology, engineering, and math!
In no time, you and your kids will be able to answer the biggest weather questions and tell anyone how weather works.
Table of Contents
Weather STEM Lesson Topics
Studying weather can offer elementary students a rich array of learning opportunities that span across multiple disciplines. Here are some concepts that elementary kids can glean from studying weather:
Weather STEM Project Kits
Use these resources to go along with any weather STEM lesson to cover all aspects of weather and climate.Click on each image below to be taken to Amazon to learn more details about each weather STEM kit.
The Water Cycle
Understanding evaporation, condensation, precipitation, and collection.
Cloud Types
Identifying and differentiating between cumulus, stratus, cirrus, and nimbus clouds.
Weather Instruments
Learning about tools like thermometers, anemometers, barometers, and rain gauges.
Weather Patterns
Recognizing how high and low pressure systems affect the weather.
Factors Influencing Climate
Learning about latitude, altitude, ocean currents, and proximity to large bodies of water.
Graphing and Data Interpretation
Charting daily temperatures, precipitation amounts, or wind speeds.
Measurement
The Best Weather Related Toys
Here are some of the best weather related toys that your students or kids at home will love playing with all while learning about the weather to go along with any STEM weather activities you are doing at school!
What’s the Weather Stuffed Hand Puppets
Weather Glitter Squish Jellies
Educational Wooden Weatherboard for Kids
STEAM Powered Girls Weather Station
Using tools to measure temperature, wind speed, and rainfall.
Cause and Effect
Understanding how different factors like ocean currents or atmospheric conditions can influence weather patterns.
Predictions
Making predictions based on observed patterns or given data.
World Climates
Learning about the different climate zones (tropical, arid, temperate, etc.).
Geographical Influences
Observing how mountains, oceans, and other geographical features can affect local climates.
Impact on Daily Life
Realizing how weather affects what we wear, our activities, and even our mood.
Historical Context
Learning about significant weather events in history and their impacts on societies.
Sample Weather Lesson Plan
Here is a sample weather lesson plan structure that you can use to plug in any of the STEM weather activities from the list below!
This weather and climate lesson plan provides a framework that will work when creating any weather lesson plan for kids.
Modify the lesson based on students’ prior knowledge, available materials, and time constraints.
Incorporating real-life stories, experiences, or local weather events can make the lesson more relevant and engaging for the students.
Weather Books for Kids
Kids will love reading these weather themed books that will easily fit into any of your lesson plans on weather and meteorology lesson plans.
Weather STEM Activity Objective
By the end of this lesson, students will be able to identify and describe the characteristics of different types of severe weather conditions, understand basic safety measures for each, and demonstrate their knowledge through a group activity.
- Begin with a discussion: Ask students if they have ever experienced any severe weather conditions. Let a few students share their experiences.
- Show a video or pictures of different severe weather events (tornadoes, hurricanes, blizzards, thunderstorms, etc.) to engage students.
- Introduce the concept behind the weather STEM activity that the students will be completing.
- Define and describe each type of severe weather:
- Tornadoes: Funnel-shaped clouds that touch the ground.
- Hurricanes: Large storms with strong winds that form over the ocean.
- Blizzards: Heavy snowstorms with strong winds.
- Thunderstorms: Rainstorms with thunder and lightning.
- For each weather type, discuss its causes, main characteristics, and where it’s most commonly found.
- Share safety tips for each type of severe weather. For example, during a tornado, it’s safest to be in a basement or an interior room on the lowest floor.
Hands-On Weather STEM Activity
- Divide the students into small groups and explain the directions for how to to the STEM weather activity you picked.
- After the activity is completed, allow each group to present their activity results to the rest of the class.
- Discuss each representation and ensure that key concepts have been understood.
Assessment
Ensure each student has grasped the concept of the lesson by providing a worksheet or other follow-up materials to gauge student comprehension.
Weather Classroom Resources
These weather classroom resources about weather bring a whole new level of excitement and hands-on learning to the STEM classroom.
When you are teaching about weather, extreme weather lesson plans become much easier to do with these STEM weather activity resources.
Seasons & Weather Pattern Block Puzzle Set
Calendar and Weather Pocket Chart Kit
Investigating Everyday Phenomena, Weather Patterns Classroom Kit
STEM Weather Activities for Kids
Use these STEM weather activities to teach kids about the science behind weather patterns and where their weather comes from.
31 Weather STEM Challenges that will Blow You Away
Are you ready to embark on an educational journey that will spark curiosity and creativity in your students? Look no further! Our collection of weather STEM activities is here to bring sunshine into your classroom.
Imagine the excitement as your students explore the mysteries of tornadoes, hurricanes, blizzards, and thunderstorms through interactive activities. With our expertly crafted lesson plans, you can effortlessly guide your students through the world of weather while nurturing their scientific thinking.
Learn about how electricity is made in the air in this weather activity.
There are tons of fun ways to learn about ice in these experiments!
Try these snow science experiments and activities with kids this year when snow is on the ground. Kids will have a blast trying out these various snow activities and might never want to come in again!
Teach kids how temperature can affect weather and climate.
Learn how to make ice in seconds!
Design the most energy efficient window possible.
Kids can learn how even ice can burn under the right conditions.
Make a snow biome in a jar!
Learn about convection heat and how temperature movement can affect weather patterns.
Create a desert biome and learn about different climates.
Learn about how crystals are formed while making these pretty crystals.
Make your very own blizzard model in a jar.
Food coloring and shaving cream help demonstrate how clouds hold water.
So many fun rainbow themed STEM activities to try.
Make a volcano in the snow!
These shadow experiments can help kids learn about protection from severe weather conditions.
Make frost form right before your students' eyes.
There are so many fun things to learn about weather with these science discovery bottles.
Food coloring makes this rain activity colorful!
Show kids how to make frost using a can, ice, and salt.
If you have snow, here are some fun snow themed STEM weather activities!
Here are some science projects specific to weather!
Make a working vortex in a jar that looks just like a tornado.
Learn about cloud types with this STEAM project.
Learn math while forcasting the weather!
This hands-on Weather vs Climate activity is tons of fun for kids of all ages.
Check out my favorite weather lesson plans from Lesson Planet!
Students will program Ozobot to travel through the water cycle! Applying what they know about the water cycle, students will choose color codes to correspond with the four main stages of the water cycle.
Learn how to make a weather vane using recycled materials
Weather Shirts and Accessories for Teachers
Wear this adorable weather-themed gear while your students learning about weather!
What’s The Weather Like Inside Me Teacher T-Shirt
Rainbow Heart Acrylic Earrings
Sunshine Rainbow Teacher T-Shirt
No Rain No Flowers Teacher T-Shirt
It’s A Good Sunny Day To Learn Teacher T-Shirt
Calm Yourself The Storm Will Pass Teacher T-Shirt
