Fly Guy Presents Weather

Topic: Weather

Grade: 2nd

TEKS: Science #8(a)(b)

Weather Patterns, Affects, Data
Fly Guy Presents Weather tells the story of Buzz and Fly Guy visiting a weather station to learn about weather and how it affects our lives. Buzz and Fly Guy are being introduced to photos of different weather patterns, natural occurrences, weather tools, and jobs while learning factual information. Fly Guy and Buzz also give tips on how we should respond during different types of weather as well as how we can help the Earth.
Arnold, T. (2016) Fly Guy Presents Weather. New York, NY: Scholastic Inc.
Science Concepts
- How weather affects what people's' choices
-Atmosphere
-State of Matter
-Water cycle
-Wind, clouds
-Natural occurrences (blizzards, lightning, hurricanes, tornadoes)
-Jobs (meteorologist, storm chasers)
-Weather Tools (weather balloons, radar, wind vane)
-​Human Responsibility
This book introduces different weather occurrences, weather patterns, and weather-related jobs.
For each section, the book defines the weather term.
For example, a tornado is a funnel cloud that touches the ground.
It gives the names of different types of occurrences (tornado over the water is a water sprout).
This book introduces a lot of concepts under weather, and it would be great to use additional
resources to discover more information about a specific weather occurrence.

Classroom Ideas:

This book can be integrated into your lessons and classroom in multiple subjects and times.

This book would be a great resource to introduce weather. It can be an interactive read aloud to gain a general understanding of what your students have heard about or experienced. At the same time, you can use this book to build on prior knowledge and make connections since its relative and a real-life experience.

For a student directed use, they can complete a "look-through" and identify the terms of weather occurrences they do not know. This can be completed as individual or group work. Students can highlight the unknown and scientific terms to conduct further in depth research using another resource.

Interdisciplinary Ideas:

Language Arts:

This book is a nonfiction text, however, it contains illustrations that can mislead students into thinking its fiction. Students can be given a lesson where they have to identify features of a non-fiction text (photographs, captions, facts). They could compare and contrast fiction and nonfiction books. This text can be used in a main idea and details lesson. Students can choose a section of the book and dissect it to demonstrate their understanding.

Possible Misconceptions and Prevention:

A common misconception students could have is that these occurrences happen all the time, everywhere. For example, students could think a drought could happen in their hometown every year, due to over generalization. On the other hand, students could think these occurrences happen anywhere else but where they are. In order to prevent this, you can create a inquiry lesson where students are given an occurrence to research. Students can use books and other resources to discover additional factual information including where these occurrences happen and when they are likely to happen.

Resources:

TEACHER-

Weather.gov

Weather Wiz Kids

Common Sense Education- Science

STUDENTS-

National Geographic Kids

Tree House Weather Station​

The Big Bug Book

Author and Illustrator: Margery Facklam, Paul Facklam
Genre: Nonfiction
Awards:
Grade Level: 2nd - 5th grade

This book is an informational bug book about 13 of the world's largest insects. Insects have many features such as: exoskeleton, spiracles, and thorax, as well as stages of life. The tarantula hawk wasp is located to southwestern states. Since the male wasps are harmless, the female wasps catches prey, feeds the wasp babies, and painfully stings. As the female wasps hunts, she waits for the perfect moment to sting the spider with her paralyzing venom. The female wasp then takes the live spider to her hole and lays her eggs on it. The spider serves as the perfect lunch for the baby wasps.

I would use this book as a read aloud in my classroom. An educator can use this book if the unit is about animals and insects. Younger students tend to better understand and retain factual information  verbally. Students can choose an insect they are interested in, create the insect, and choose one fact to identify, explain, or demonstrate. For example, a student chose the giant wetapunga. The student would draw the Giant Wetapung with craft materials. Depending on the fact that is chosen, the student could identify the insects native origin, New Zealand, explain why wetapungas are close to extinction, or draw a comparison between crickets, grasshoppers, and wetapungas, 

Cesar

Author and Illustrator: Carmen T. Bernier-Grand, David Diaz
Genre: Nonfiction
Awards: Pura Belpre Honor Book
Grade Level:2nd - 5th grade


Cesario Estrada Chavez, later known as Cesar Chavez, was born in 1927 to a father who believed in honorable deeds and to a mother who taught of God's love. Although there were happy moments in Cesar's childhood, his family had to continuously work for their necessities. Cesar's moved from field to field chasing work, picking lettuce, and attended 30 schools. As Cesar got older, he became aware of the unfair dirty work conditions; for his mother told him," to do justice, to love kindness." Cesar began to stand up for injustice, spreading his messages, persuading mexican-americans to vote, organize a union, fasting, and was a part of peaceful protest, strikes, and marches. Gathering farmers and people to participate in protest, boycotts, bring awareness and draw attention of the difficulties. The book ends with the accomplishments Cesar Chavez's brought about; better working conditions, higher wages, banned tools, as well as the gain of self- respect and dignity. 

I would not use this book in my classroom since it is not age-appropriate. However, this book could be used in various ways in the classroom. Cesario's whole life is told through these poems. Students could choose a poem to analyze and expand on, or they could use theses poems as mentor text. Students could chose an important figure and write poems about that persons life.

Action Jackson

Author and Illustrator: Jan Greenberg and Sandra Jordan, Robert Andrew Parker
Genre: Nonfiction
Awards: Nominated for Sibert Medal
Grade Level: 2nd - 5th grade

This book is about how Jackson Pollock creates his beautiful artwork titled Lavender Mist. Pollock opens up his mind strolling throughout his town, observing everything around him. Pollock returns to his studio and prepares his work space. Unlike most artist, Pollock has many unconventional methods when he paints; such as not having a base coat, not hanging up his canvas, placing it on the floor, using hardware paint, and letting the paint moves as it pleases. After hours of hard work, his painting is done; onto the next he goes. A biography about Jackson Pollock is at the end of the book.

I would not use this book in my classroom since it is not age appropriate. This book could be used in an art class; students select an artist, create a presentation, and present the artist to the class. Since this book describes how Pollock went about his painting, an art teacher, or teacher could have the students create their own art piece using the same methods.

The OCEAN Alphabet Book

Author and Illustrator: Jerry Pallotta, Frank Mazzola, Jr
Genre: Nonfiction
Award:
Grade Level: Prekindergarten - 2nd Grade

 This is an informational alphabet book that introduces ocean animals and list facts about them. For example the letter S; "S is for scallop. Scallops are like clams, and they have pretty shells. There are many other creatures whose name begin with S: sharks, sculpins, salmon, sand dollars, .." However, the letter X is blank; there is not an ocean animal that begins with the letter X.

I would use this book in my classroom, it is age appropriate and factual. I would use this book as a read aloud or have it in a reading center. Students would be able to choose a letter and write about that ocean animal. The students could expand on the letter they chose and present it to the class.

Does A Kangaroo Have A Mother, Too?

Author and Illustrator: Eric Carle
Genre: Non-fiction picture book
Awards:
Grade Level: Prekindergarten - Kindergarten

This is a picture story book about the different types of animals and the relationships of those animals. This book shows how baby animals have mothers, such as kangaroos, monkeys, bears, and swans.

This book is nonfiction in the simplest form through illustrations, and relevance to children's lives. I would use this book in my class room as an independent reading; set in the reading center. This book can be used to show the relationships among animals.

I Have A Dream

Author and Illustrator:Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr,  Kadir Nelson
Genre: Nonfiction
Awards: Coretta Scott King Honor 
Grade Level: 1st grade- 5th

This book is an excerpt of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr's speech. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. speech is about the equality of all men; against segregation and discrimination. His dream is under God, and with faith we will all be able to come together, and freedom will ring across all nations. " Free at last, free at last! Thank God Almighty, we are free at last!"

This is a storybook about Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr's speech. This book is a perfect introduction about his speech. This book could be used in all grade level, yet the application of how this book is used would differ among grades. I would use this book in my classroom to discuss many topics such as kindness, equality, and history. I would use this book as a read aloud followed by a discussion, or think, pair, share technique.

My Season with Penguins An Antarctic Journal

 Author and Illustrator: Sophie Webb
Genre: Nonfiction
Awards: Robert F. Sibert Honor Book, Smithsonian Notable Book
Grade Level: 2nd- 5th 

This book is a journal written by Sophia Webb, and her stay in Antarctica for 2 months beginning in December. Sophia wrote about her flight experience, her living conditions, waste and management training, camp equipment, the weather, and traveling. Sophia then transitions into writing about the Adelie penguin. Sophia describes the penguins' diet, lifestyle, and the ecosystem around them. Sophia and her team study the penguins; their colony and mating. Sophia writes about the  study of the life cycle of Adelie penguins. Once the two months are over, Sophia heads back to California.


As an educator, this book is very informational and provides insight on how research and studies are completed. I would not use this book in my classroom because it is not age appropriate. However, an educator could use this book if they were learning about penguins, or as an independent reading. This book could also be used in an independent reading assignment.