Weather and Kids

Weather and Kids is an educational resource for South Carolina educators. This software package was created by meteorologist Ken Aucion and is sponsored by WIS-TV. This instructional tool correlates to the South Carolina weather standards for grades first through fifth. Hundreds of South Carolina teachers have acquired this free software via an Internet request at www.weatherandkidscom. After accessing the software educators have dozens of lessons, inquiry based activities, posters, games, interesting facts, PACT-like questions (multiple choice and true/false), glossaries, and class projects.

This software requires a CD drive and Adobe Acrobat Reader 4.0. Once installed all of the activities and ancillary materials can be accessed from the main menu. On certain computers portions of the screen are eliminated depending on the screen resolution. Hence, itâs impossible to read and/or click on the desired topics. Accessing the files using Adobe Acrobat Reader can solve this dilemma. Unfortunately, you have to predict the contents of the files based on their file names. Each page loads with valuable clip-art that can be used in other teacher made exercises or applications.

I choose to evaluate this software because I thought it might be a valuable resource to evaluate as a middle level science educator. Additionally, weather was a topic that I knew very little about prior to reviewing the software. As a sixth grade science teacher I desired a resource that correlated with the current South Carolina science standards and required the basic weather knowledge to comprehend. Such information would help me to incorporate technology in my lesson plans with ease, generate handouts, and classroom topic dictionaries.

Resources from this CD can be easily printed for a variety of classroom exercises. The inquiry-based activities can serve as mini-laboratory exercises, demonstrations, discover activities to activate prior knowledge before introducing a new topic. The puzzles and games can be used as activities that students can complete independently for extra-credit or station exercises. PACT-like questions can serve as Do Now, Bell ringer activities, quiz questions or extra credit questions on a test.