Weather activity for 3rd grade: be the forecaster and plan the week
What it is: a 3rd grade role-play where teams read a made-up five-day forecast, decide the best day for a class garden day and which days need indoor recess, and then present their plan as TV weather forecasters. Students learn to read temperatures, wind and chance of rain and use the data to make decisions.
Time: about 30 minutes. Grade: 3rd grade.
Materials: a made-up forecast card per team (label it "practice forecast"), for example: Monday sunny, 72°F, wind 5 mph, 0% rain; Tuesday cloudy, 65°F, 10% rain; Wednesday storms, 70°F, 80% rain; Thursday windy, 60°F, wind 25 mph, 20% rain; Friday partly sunny, 68°F, 30% rain. Also chart paper and a pointer.
- Ask: "What does a 30 percent chance of rain mean?" Explain: forecasters think rain could happen in your area about 3 times out of 10 with weather like this. It is a chance, not a promise.
- Teams read the card and circle the warmest day, the coldest day and the windiest day.
- Task 1: pick the best day for garden day and give two weather reasons.
- Task 2: decide which days need indoor recess and which need jackets or umbrellas.
- Each team presents as forecasters: one points to the chart, one gives the plan, one explains the reasons.
- Discuss: "Teams chose different days. Can more than one answer make sense? Why?"
Safety: remind students that real decisions on storm days follow the school's safety plan and the official forecast.
Differentiation: students who need support plan for one task only, using picture icons. Students who are ready compare the made-up forecast with today's real local forecast. English learners can use "On ___, it will be ___, so we should ___."
Quick check: ask: "Wednesday has an 80 percent chance of rain. Is it certain to rain? What should we plan?"
For more ideas at this grade, browse the other free activities on the Hub.
Found this helpful? Get the week's best posts like it.
About this resource
- Shared by
- @UpOnlyLearning · Curriculum team
- Posted
- Oct 30, 2026
- Type
- Lesson plan
- Grade
- Grades 3–5
- Subject
- Science
- Language
- English
- License
- Free for classroom, co-op and tutoring use. Please don't resell.