Discover how to use weather gnomes to teach Year 1 students about weather patterns and seasonal changes in line with the ACARA Science Curriculum.

Are you wondering how to make teaching about the weather and weather patterns more engaging for your students? 

I’ve got a cute little idea to help engage your students and get them interested in exploring the daily and seasonal changes in the environment.

They are soooo much fun.

What’s my idea? 

Weather Gnomes!  

Weather gnomes are my go-to for making our Year 1 Earth and Space Science strand come to life. With these adorable characters, I've seen my students naturally describe daily and seasonal changes in the environment and explore how these changes affect everyday life. 

Weather gnomes will have your students:

• collecting and sorting data

• developing weather terminology

• discussing weather patterns

• and eagerly participating in scientific hands-on activities… all while having fun!

Want your students to understand and remember scientific concepts?

You need to be engaging them with hands-on activities and visual aids. When young children can see, touch, and interact with their learning materials, they are more likely to grasp complex ideas and retain information. 

Weather gnomes offer an exciting way to make science both enjoyable and educational. 

In this blog post, I’ll show you how. My activities also align perfectly with the Year 1 ACARA Science Curriculum.

Understanding the ACARA Science Curriculum - Year 1

The ACARA Science Curriculum for Year 1 aims to develop in students an interest in science as a means of expanding their curiosity. It encourages a willingness to explore, ask questions about and speculate on the changing world in which students live.

It focuses on helping children understand the world around them through hands-on experiences and observations. 

One of the key areas covered is the Earth and Space Science substrand, which encourages students to explore and describe daily and seasonal changes in the environment and how these changes impact their everyday lives.

Year 1 Earth and Space Content Descriptor

In Year 1, students are expected to describe daily and seasonal changes in the environment and explore how these changes affect everyday life (AC9S1U02). 

Essentially, this means helping children observe and understand the weather and seasons, and how these natural phenomena influence what they do each day.

Year 1 Earth and Space Content Elaborations

To dive deeper into this topic, here are some key elaborations that can guide your teaching:

Making and Recording Observations: Encourage students to observe changes in the weather, seasonal shifts in plants (like the colour of leaves or the growth of flowers and fruit), and to document these observations. This could be through drawings, digital photographs, or written notes.

Daily Weather Indicators: Teach students how to notice daily weather indicators and seasonal patterns, and how these help us plan our activities. For instance, understanding why we wear warmer clothes in winter or why we bring an umbrella on a rainy day.

Impact on Plants and Animals: Explore how seasonal changes affect plants and animals. Discuss phenomena such as hibernation, migration, and the ways different species adapt to changing weather.

Weather and Human Activities: Investigate how weather influences human behaviour, from the clothes we wear to the activities we choose. This can include practical activities like dressing up dolls in seasonal outfits or planning an outdoor event based on a weather forecast.

First Nations Australians’ Knowledge: Recognise and celebrate the extensive knowledge First Nations Australians have about daily and seasonal weather patterns. Explore how their concepts of time and weather patterns explain natural events and guide the gathering of resources.

Predicting Patterns: Help students make predictions about observable phenomena, like how certain plants change with the seasons or how temperatures vary throughout the year.

Using Science at Home: Encourage students to share how they use science knowledge at home, such as by listening to weather forecasts or observing weather patterns when planning family activities.

Comparing Weather Observations: Have students make weather observations at different times of the day and compare them. This can be a fun way to consider how weather can change throughout the day and to discuss why accurate and fair comparisons are important.

By understanding these aspects of the ACARA Science Curriculum, you can create engaging and educational experiences for your students. Using tools like weather gnomes can make these concepts more relatable and fun and will help young learners connect with the world around them in meaningful ways.

Weather Gnomes as a Teaching Tool

My weather gnomes are just soooo cute! These little handcrafted peg dolls represent different weather conditions such as sunny, rainy, cloudy, and snowy. 

They are excellent visual and interactive tools for the classroom, making the abstract concept of weather more tangible and engaging for young learners. 

Making these gnomes is a fun process and surprisingly simple! If you are interested in learning how to make your very own set, here's a tutorial link: How to Make Weather Gnomes 

I have found these weather gnomes to be a fantastic tool for introducing weather patterns to my students. They also serve as excellent conversation starters, sparking many meaningful discussions about the weather. 

Not only are they the cutest little resources to have in your classroom, but they are also perfectly sized for little hands to explore and manipulate.

Integrating Weather Gnomes into Science Lessons

Integrating weather gnomes into your science lessons can significantly enhance the teaching of the Year 1 ACARA Science Curriculum Earth and Space Science substrand. 

They can help students describe and understand changes in the environment by providing a visual and hands-on representation of different weather conditions. 

Here are some of the ways I have successfully used these gnomes in my classroom:

Discussion Starters: Begin your daily weather discussions with the weather gnomes. Encourage students to use their senses to observe the current weather outside and match it to the corresponding gnome. Ask them to describe what they see and feel, fostering a deeper understanding of daily weather patterns and scientific observation skills.

Seasonal Small World Play Spaces: Create seasonal small world trays where children can use the gnomes to illustrate how weather changes with the seasons. We always have a small-world tray on our Science weather table. The students develop scenarios or stories where the gnomes experience different types of weather . It really helps them understand seasonal patterns and their effects on daily life.

Writing Area: Add the gnomes to the writing table along with some blank weather-themed books as a writing stimulus. Students can write stories about the gnomes or record factual information about the weather. I don’t know about you, but anything to get my students excited about writing is always a priority in my classroom.

Block Play: Add the gnomes to the blocks area to prompt stories and weather vocabulary. This is such a simple way to encourage creativity and language development AND incorporate some scientific language.

Art Area: Place the gnomes in the art area so students can use them as stimuli to paint or draw weather pictures. This is the perfect way to encourage children to express their understanding of weather patterns through art.

Sensory Trays: Add the gnomes to a weather-themed sensory tray or small-world setup to stimulate weather-related vocabulary and storytelling. My students love sensory trays so adding the gnomes to an area my students frequently visit is an easy way to solidify their understanding of different weather conditions.

You’ll be surprised at how often you’ll find a place for weather gnomes in your investigation areas. They have helped me create many engaging weather themed provocations.

The gnomes not only help students understand and describe weather patterns, but also support hands-on learning activities that foster critical thinking and observational skills.

Data Collection Provocation

My students love this easy-to-set-up data collection provocation. I always set it up when we are learning about the weather. It is such a great activity, 

I have collated all the resources you’ll need to set it up in my Weather Investigation Display Packs. 

My Weather display packs perfectly complement the weather gnomes and will help you 

• teach weather vocabulary

• record and display the daily weather

• set up an engaging Science Investigation area

Each pack contains bonus learning provocation prompts so you can easily integrate the Earth and Space Science Learning Intentions into other classroom curriculum learning areas. 

I have designed two packs. There’s a bright theme and a neutral boho theme to choose from. 

Each pack includes:

• A Weather Banner to print and display in your investigation area.

• 10 Illustrated Weather Vocab Cards to enhance vocabulary learning.

• An Anchor Chart Poster to help students record and display the daily weather.

• Weekly Weather Observations Poster so students can record the weather in a table format.

• A Weather Vocabulary Desk Mat which can also be used as an informational wall display poster.

• A Weather Learning Provocation for integrating math data collection skills.

• 10 Weather-Themed Learning Provocation Prompts to use in your art area, play dough table, collage area, tinkering table, or construction zone.

• 4 Editable Display Posters or Provocation Prompts for quick personalisation before printing.

Data Collection Activity Using the Weather Gnomes

Here's how I use the data collection provocation in my classroom: 

Setup: Place two jars and a bowl of blue glass gem raindrops in the investigation area.

Add the printable question prompt poster that says, "Do you prefer?" with spaces to insert two weather cards (e.g., sunny and cloudy).

Activity: During investigation time that day, the students choose which weather they prefer by placing a blue glass gem raindrop in the jar representing their choice (e.g., sunny or cloudy).

At the end of the data collection period—usually the same investigation session—we count the number of glass gems in each jar to determine the class's preferred weather.

This activity complements the cross-curriculum math priority and teaches students about data collection in a fun and interactive way. In this hands-on provocation, students develop important skills in data collection, analysis, and interpretation, all while learning about weather patterns and vocabulary.

Further Practical Applications and Benefits

Understanding weather patterns and seasonal changes should go beyond the classroom and connect children with the world around them. 

Let’s explore how you can guide your students in making observations, applying their knowledge to daily life, and appreciating the rich insights from First Nations Australians. 

Observations and Recordings

Encouraging students to make and record their observations of weather phenomena is a fundamental part of understanding our environment. 

Here are some ideas for helping your students to make scientific observations of the weather:

Daily Weather Chart: Start by having students observe, describe and record the daily weather conditions. We make observations in the morning and again in the afternoon. This helps children to see how the weather can change throughout the day. If you would like a great little observation chart, you can download the one we use for free in my Free Resources Library

Seasonal Changes in Plants: Have students observe and document how plants change with the seasons. For example, they can track the colour of leaves, the blooming of flowers, or the dropping of leaves in Autumn.

Animal Behaviour: Students can also observe how animals behave in different weather conditions. This might include noting which animals are active during certain seasons or how animals adapt to changing weather.

Using weather journals or observation charts will help your students systematically record their findings. Add weather themed paper, journals and booklets to your investigation areas to prompt your kids to record their thoughts and observations. 

Daily Life Applications

Consider adding opportunities to explore the weather and seasonal patterns throughout the entire school year and not just as a focus during one school term. Very often, we focus on teaching about the weather over one term, but ideally, this should be a continuous focus throughout the entire school year if we want our students to fully understand changes in the weather and the seasons.

Throughout the year, including these learning experiences can make learning about the weather more relevant and engaging for your students:

• Planning Activities: Teach students how weather forecasts can help them plan their day. For example, they can decide whether to bring a raincoat or sunscreen based on the forecast.

• Seasonal Clothing: Discuss how clothing choices change with the weather. Use examples like wearing a jumper in winter or choosing lighter clothing in summer.

• Outdoor Activities: Help students understand why certain outdoor activities are better suited for specific weather conditions. For instance, they might prefer water play on hot days or having picnics when it’s sunny.

By relating weather and seasonal changes to their own lives, students will better appreciate the importance of understanding these patterns.

First Nations Australians' Knowledge

Incorporating the knowledge and practices of First Nations Australians will provide your students with an even richer understanding of weather and seasonal changes. Here are some ideas to help you do this:

• Traditional Knowledge: Share how First Nations Australians have extensive knowledge of weather patterns and seasonal changes. Discuss how this knowledge has been used for thousands of years to predict weather, plan activities, and gather resources.

• Cultural Practices: Explore how First Nations Australians use changes in the landscape and the sky to answer questions about the best times to gather food or conduct cultural ceremonies.

• Concepts of Time and Weather: Explain how First Nations Australians' concepts of time and weather differ from Western scientific views. For example, they often have detailed seasonal calendars based on natural events, such as the blooming of certain flowers or the migration of specific animals.

By integrating these perspectives, you will not only enhance your students’ understanding of science, but also foster respect for the knowledge and traditions of our First Nations Australians.

Conclusion

Using weather gnomes in your classroom is just one way to enhance your students' understanding of weather patterns and phenomena. Include a few of the above ideas in your science activities and you'll easily meet the ACARA science curriculum standards. 

Weather Gnomes Are a Great Resource

These charming little guys can make abstract weather concepts more relatable and engaging. They can also 

• foster critical thinking

• develop observational skills

• and build scientific vocabulary. 

By adding weather gnomes to your classroom learning provocations and activities you’ll easily create a dynamic and interactive learning environment that connects science to your students' everyday lives.

These little gnomes not only make learning about the weather fun and hands-on, but also provide a valuable resource for deepening students' understanding of important scientific concepts. 

For more ideas and resources, check out my other blog posts:

How to Make Weather Gnomes Step by Step: This post provides a detailed guide on creating your own weather gnomes. They are wonderful loose parts that can be added to many different investigation areas.

Hands-On Weather Activities and Provocations: Explore even more engaging hands-on activities and provocations to teach about the weather.

By incorporating these resources and ideas into your classroom lessons and activities, you'll be on your way to creating rich, immersive learning experiences that help your students develop a deep understanding of weather and its impact on our world.