Storm in the Classroom

Objectives

• Describe weather in terms of temperature, precipitation, humidity, wind speed and direction.

Materials

• Per Class or Group:
  open area to sit

Key Questions

• What are all of the elements of a storm?
• Can you identify what weather is happening from sound alone?
• What kinds of weather make loud sounds, quiet sounds, high-pitched or low-pitched sounds?
• Do the sounds happen at regular or irregular intervals?
• What combination of sounds can your group make to recreate the storms that happen where you live?

What To Do

1. Sit in a circle so that everyone can see one another and the leader.
2. Review the kinds of sounds you hear during a storm (e.g. wind, drizzle, rain)
3. Practice making different sounds for each element. For example:

• Rubbing your hands together (wind)
• Snapping your fingers (drizzle)
• Lightly slapping your knees (light rain)
• Light clapping (steady rain)
• Heavy clapping (heavy rain)
• Foot stomping (heavy rain and wind)

4. Create a storm soundscape from beginning to end. Start by rubbing your hands together. Transition step by step to heavier and heavier weather, until you have a full-blown storm (foot stomping).
5. Quiet the storm by working backwards from foot stomping to rubbing hands together.

Extensions

• Break into groups that represent each element of the storm and lead the storm “orchestra” by pointing at various groups at different times.
• Use or build some instruments to add effects, e.g. rain sticks, sheets of metal (to represent thunder).