Weather & Season Smartboard Activities

Smart Boards are whiteboards used in the classroom that integrate computer capabilities on the white board. Smart Boards can show presentations, photos and games, and can foster interaction with students. Teachers may focus their Smart Board activities on specific topics or concepts. Weather and the seasons are two topics that can be addressed in whiteboard activities, particularly for elementary school students.

For kindergarten through second grade, a simple interactive Smart Board program from Penny Judkins of the Cherry Creek School District introduces the four seasons and illustrates the characteristics of each. A short movie introduces the concept of the seasons, then four links lead to information about the individual seasons. Each season has an interactive virtual paper doll to dress in clothing appropriate for the season. Lists of season-appropriate activities and holidays and links to show animal behavior in the individual season adds to the experience. A story appropriate to the season completes the page. At the end of the presentation, a sorting game tests the students' knowledge.

A more advanced lesson on the seasons addresses the fifth-grade level. This Smart Board activity shows how the tilt of the Earth and its rotation causes seasons to occur. It includes a short self quiz at the end. A similar activity for sixth-grade students that features a series of quiz-style questions is an excellent review tool.

An interactive exercise by Play Kids Games allows a student to match the word naming each season with a picture of activities in that season. The Magic School Bus site also features a weather-related adventure that can be enjoyed on a Smart Board. The quiz-like game addresses weather records and types of weather disturbances.

A variety of games and informational activities make up the Rockingham (Virginia) School District's weather activities. From circling activities appropriate for certain types of weather, to information about droughts, floods and hurricanes, the activities test students' knowledge and provide new information as well.