Show students how rain helps plants grow. Set out two plants. Have children help you water one plant on a daily basis for one week and leave the other plant unwatered for the week. Explain to students that the water represents the rain. Have them observe the difference in the plant that receives water and the plant that does not receive water. Discuss the difference between the plants and explain that in nature, plants rely on rain for the water they need to survive.
Set one plant in a sunny location and set another plant in a dark location. Encourage children to observe both plants daily for one week and encourage them to draw pictures that illustrate how the plants look each day. At the end of the week, discuss the difference between the two plants. The plant that is set in the sun will likely be thriving, while the plant that is set in the dark will likely be withering. Talk about how the sun, like the rain, helps plants grow and flourish.
Set up a fan and invite children to stand in front of the fan to feel the wind. Talk about the wind and ask students what happens on windy days. Fill the palm of your hand with plant seeds and hold it in front of the fan. Ask students to observe what happens to the seeds in your hand as you hold it in front of the fan; the seeds will blow off of your hand and spread in the classroom. Explain to students that the wind blows seeds off of plants, allowing new plants to grow. Discuss how the combination of wind, rain and sun greatly impacts plant life on earth.
Discuss with students how the weather has a great impact on human beings. Explain that it affects the way we dress and the activities that we are able to partake in.
Ask students to think of ways different types of weather affect them. Invite students to share their ideas. For example, students may say that on sunny days, they can play outside, but on rainy days, they have to stay inside.
Provide children with crayons and construction paper. Encourage them to draw pictures that illustrate what they wear and what they do for different types of weather. For instance, students can draw pictures of themselves dressed in coats, hats, gloves and boots while playing in the snow, or they can draw pictures of themselves dressed in a raincoat and holding an umbrella while heading into a house on a rainy day.
Invite students to share their illustrations. Talk about the important role weather has on impacting day-to-day life.