These 20 activities, lesson plans, videos, and experiments will make learning about the weather a breeze for middle schoolers. From the Winter freeze to the Fall leaves; the Summer flowers to the Spring showers.
We will cover all types of weather, and weather-related concepts, and have a blast while doing it.
1. Weather Lesson Plans Straight From NASA
This collection of lesson plans from Nasa will help you teach your middle schoolers about complex weather systems and common weather phenomena. These resources build on each other and by applying all their newfound knowledge, they can make their own weather predictions.
Learn More: NASA Climate Kids
2. Learn About Different Types of Clouds With a Cloud Cake
This yummy, hands-on activity will help your students visualize the different cloud types while learning the names and different levels. This lesson also includes free printables of cloud formations. So you can have your cake, and eat it too.
Learn More: The Pioneer Woman
3. Make Your Own Tornado in a Bottle
For this hands-on experiment, you will need a bottle of water, dish soap, and a tall narrow plastic bottle. This awesome weather activity will safely demonstrate the power and movement of a tornado, and how it is formed.
Learn More: Little Bins For Little Hands
4. Learn About the Cause and Effect of Weathering and Erosion
This STEM activity will help your students understand weathering and erosion, the difference between the two, and the impacts of rain on the ground. Erosion is the mass wasting of rock structure while weathering is the process where rocks dissolve rock pieces. You will need colorless gelatin, hot water, small rocks and sediments, and dirt with tiny gravel.
Learn More: The Natural Homeschool
5. Build Your Own Miniature Water Cycle
This interactive STEM activity will help your students to understand the water cycle and the important role that weather plays. You will need aluminum foil, plastic wrap, rubber bands, plastic shoe boxes, hot water, ice, and heat lamps.
Learn More: Sarah’s STEM Stuff
6. Make Your Own Barometer
Knowing about air pressure and its importance can help us to understand the weather. To make your own barometer, you will need an empty tin can, a latex balloon, a thick rubber band, a thin straw, a paper clip, glue, and a ruler.
Learn More: KC Edventures
7. Which Color Absorbs More Heat- Black or White?
You will need two glass jars filled with water. Wrap one in a black piece of construction paper and the other in a white paper. Place them both in the sun for a few hours and see which color jar is hotter.
Learn More: Lessons 4 Little Ones
8. Learn About Air Mass
This simple experiment will teach your students about a very important concept of weather – air masses. All you need is a coat hanger, two clothespins, and two balloons.
Learn More: Grade Six Mr. Polsky
9. Build Your Own Anemometer
With a few kitchen supplies, you can build your own anemometer to measure wind speed. You’ll need four paper cups, a paper plate, pencil, straw, pushpins, and some colored tape.
Learn More: Scout Life
10. Create a Draft
Learn how hot and cold air work together to create a breeze. You’ll need two metal baking pans, heatproof boards, a large cardboard box, dry sand, ice, an incense stick, scissors, and matches.
Learn More: Scout Life
11. Weather Map Symbols
Teach your students how to be a real meteorologist with these weather map symbols. Knowing the correct symbols for these basic weather occurrences will help your students make accurate weather predictions.
Learn More: Pinterest
12. Lightning in a Jar
This shocking experiment will teach your middle school students about static electricity and how lightning is formed. You’ll need aluminum foil, a balloon, a dryer sheet, metal thumb tacks, and a glass jar. Turn down the lights to see mini lightning bolts form.
Learn More: FubardProductions
13. Become a Cloud Spotter
These fun interactive resources about different cloud types will teach your middle school students about cloud patterns and types in no time.
Learn More: Pinterest
14. Make Your Own Wind Vane
This wind vane will show you the direction of the wind, which can help predict climate patterns and air pressure systems. You’ll need a plastic container, a pencil, a straw, a thumb tack, and construction paper scraps.
Learn More: Learning Ideas Grades K-8
15. Learn Why Leaves Change Color
This colorful experiment will help your Middle School students understand why leaves change colors as the seasons change. All you need are some colorful Fall leaves, glass jars, isopropyl alcohol, and coffee filters.
Learn More: 123 Homeschool 4 Me
16. Layers of the Atmosphere Experiment
This interactive lab and Ebook will help your students understand where the weather is formed, and how the weather system works. You will need dirt, honey, corn syrup, dish soap, water, a clean container, and food coloring.
Learn More: Homeschool Rebecca Reid
17. Make Your Own Rain Gauge
One of the aspects of weather forecasting is predicting when it will rain but also how much it might rain. This backyard weather station activity will help you measure how much it had rained. You will need a 2-liter plastic bottle, small rocks, a permanent marker, and a ruler.
Learn More: News 24
18. National Geographic Will Teach Your Students About Climate Change
One of the biggest challenges we are facing is climate change. This educational resource will help your students understand what is climate change, what causes it, and what we can do about it.
Learn More: National Geographic Kids
19. Learn More About the Greenhouse Effect With This Miniature Model
This experiment will help your students understand what the greenhouse effect is, climate change, how greenhouse gasses trap heat, and what the consequences are. You’ll need 5 glass jars, vinegar, baking soda, measuring cups and spoons, plastic wrap, elastic bands, a heat source, a thermometer, and a sharpie.
Learn More: Steam Powered Family
20. Make Your Own Thermometer
This interactive experiment will help your middle school students understand climate better as they learn how to read temperatures. You will need water, food coloring, play dough or sticky tack, a measuring cup, clear straw, cooking oil, a glass bottle, and cooking oil.
Learn More: Lemon Lime Adventures
These 20 experiments, lessons, and activities will have your Middle School students become real meteorologists in no time.
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