Students will enjoy learning about the weather around them as they collect information about precipitation and wind. By placing a measuring cup outdoors before a rainfall, students can observe the amount of precipitation and record these amounts over several days. They can make predictions about future rainfall totals based on the results. Another activity is to have students gather information about wind patterns by tying paper streamers to a tree branch. Students can observe the streamers' movement to learn which direction the wind blows and the length of time. By collecting data over several days, they can observe any patterns, such as if the wind blows at the same time each day or picks up before a rainstorm.
Show students how a tornado forms with a simple experiment. You will need a glass jar, water, vinegar, dish soap and glitter. Fill the jar 3/4 of the way full with water then add a teaspoon of vinegar and a teaspoon of dish soap. Sprinkle in some glitter before closing the lid then twist the jar back and forth. As the jar rotates, students can observe a vortex form inside, the same type of rotation that forms tornadoes.
The water, or hydrologic, cycle involves precipitation, condensation, transpiration and evaporation. Fourth graders can learn about this four-step process by pouring a small amount of water into a Dixie cup then placing the cup in a resealable plastic bag. Tape the bag to a sunny window. As the sun heats up the water, it will evaporate and condense inside the bag. Students will see how condensation takes place as they observe water droplets forming. These droplets will eventually drop down inside the bag, representing precipitation.
Fourth graders can complete an experiment that demonstrates convection, which is the transfer of heat through circulation. For this experiment, the teacher will need to prepare ice cubes made with water and blue food coloring. To demonstrate convection, fill a shoebox-sized plastic container two-thirds of the way with room temperature water. Drop the ice cubes into one end of the container and two to three drops of red food coloring in the opposite end. Students can observe the cold blue water sinking and the warmer red water rising, creating a convection current. Students can use red and blue crayons to draw their observations, and the teacher can explain how this type of unstable air causes thunderstorms.