Be a Weather Watcher: Weather Instruments

About This Resource

A complete Grade 3 science lesson pack on weather instruments: what a thermometer, rain gauge, wind vane and anemometer measure, the units they use (degrees Celsius, millimeters, compass directions), reading a week of weather data, setting up a class weather station and explaining why weather forecasts matter. Includes slides, a timed lesson plan, flashcards, worksheet, quiz, homework, rubric and answer key.

Overview

Students learn how scientists measure the weather instead of just guessing. They meet four instruments: the thermometer (temperature in degrees Celsius), the rain gauge (rainfall in millimeters), the wind vane (the direction the wind comes from) and the anemometer (how fast the wind blows). They match each instrument to what it measures, read a week of weather records to answer questions, compare the hottest and wettest days, and plan their own weather station. The lesson ends with a discussion of how farmers, pilots and families use weather forecasts.

Resource Details

Subject: Science
Topic: Weather Instruments
Category: Weather & Seasons
File Type: PDF
File Size: 349.4 KB
Published: 04 Nov 2026
Downloads: 0

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Grade 3 (ages 8–9) 45 minutes Earth science measuring reading tables recording data explaining

Learning Objectives

Name four weather instruments and explain what each one measures.
Read and record weather data using the correct units.
Use weather data to compare days and explain why measuring weather is useful.

How to Use This Resource

Start with slide 1: ask "Is it hot today? How hot?" and discuss why a number is more useful than a guess.
Teach the four instruments with the slides and real or pictured instruments, then do activities 1 and 2 together.
Students complete activities 3 to 6, then use the quiz to check and the homework weather diary. Answers are in the answer key.

Classroom Activity Ideas

Make a rain gauge: cut the top off a clear plastic bottle, add a ruler strip and place it outside to collect rain.
Make a wind vane: use a straw, card arrow and pencil eraser to make a wind vane and test which way the wind is coming from.
Class weather station: each morning, a different group reads the instruments and records the data on a chart for one week.

Differentiation

Support: give an instrument picture card with the unit for each one, and focus on the thermometer and rain gauge. Challenge: research what a barometer measures, and find the difference between the warmest and coolest days in the data.

Assessment

Worksheet activities and the quiz check instruments, units and reading data (answer key included). The weather station plan and homework diary are checked with the rubric.

Teacher Tips

Explain that a wind vane points to where the wind is coming from, which surprises many students. A west wind blows from the west. Keep a weather chart on the wall for a week so students can spot patterns in real data.

What's Included

10-page printable PDF lesson pack: teacher lesson plan with timings, materials and differentiation
Key vocabulary list (7 words with meanings and examples)
Student worksheet (6 activities)
Quiz / assessment (3 parts)
Homework practice page
Printable flashcards: 7 A5 picture cards (separate PDF)
Assessment rubric (4 levels)
Lesson slides (editable PowerPoint)
Editable Word version of all student pages
Complete answer key (also as a separate PDF)

Additional Files

Lesson Slides (PPTX)
Editable Student Pages and Lesson Plan (DOCX)
A5 Flashcards (PDF)
Answer Key (PDF)

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