Weather and Climate Activities for 5th Grade Science

The Kesler Science Weather and Climate 5th Grade Complete 5E Lesson provides everything you need for an engaging, multi-day lesson on weather and climate with minimal prep. This student-led approach helps foster real learning success by guiding students to answer key questions like, "How is weather different from climate?" and "Where does the energy come from that drives weather and climate patterns?"

The lesson is built around the 5E Model—Engagement, Exploration, Explanation, Elaboration, and Evaluation—and includes differentiated materials to support all learners. With both printable and digital formats, including editable PowerPoints and Spanish translations, you can easily tailor the lesson to your classroom's needs.

The lesson covers a variety of learning experiences, from student-led stations that promote hands-on exploration to projects that extend learning beyond the classroom. Students can work on interactive notebooks, complete assessments, and participate in fun challenge activities, all while teachers facilitate and guide their learning.

The Kesler Science Weather and Climate Station Lab offers a modular, student-led approach that keeps 5th grade students actively engaged in learning. With minimal prep, the lab provides a flexible, hands-on experience where students explore and compare weather and climate while understanding their impacts on energy. 

Designed for diverse learning styles, the station lab includes eight differentiated activities, with a bonus challenge station for early finishers. Teachers act as facilitators, guiding students through independent and small-group work that fosters personalized learning.

Students work through nine modular stations, including hands-on demos, readings, videos, and research tasks. They have multiple ways to demonstrate their understanding, from drawing models to writing responses, and can even use the station lab in both physical and virtual settings.

The Weather and Climate Student Choice Projects give 5th grade students the freedom to choose from six project options, plus a “design your own” project, allowing them to express their learning in ways that suit their personal style. The included grading rubric is customizable for assessments by teachers, peers, or the students themselves.

Flexible and dynamic, these projects allow teachers to modify the rubric and tailor assignments to meet the needs of diverse learners. With options for both remediation and challenge, students are encouraged to explore multimodal methods of demonstrating their knowledge.

Using common classroom materials like paper, markers, and scissors, these projects can be completed both physically and digitally. The lesson also includes a teacher directions page and editable rubric to support effective implementation.

The Kesler Science 5th Grade Earth Science Interactive Notebook bundle provides 11 essential topics with multiple templates, making science lessons more engaging and accessible. Designed for traditional, 1:1, and distance learning environments, this resource includes both print and digital formats to fit any classroom setting.  

The digital version features unique interactive PowerPoint files, Google Slides compatibility, reflection pages, and modified templates for students needing accommodations. The paper version includes blank and pre-filled templates, plus color photo examples for easy implementation.  

Covering key earth science topics like the water cycle, Earth's rotation, weather and climate, and fossil fuels, these interactive notebooks help students organize their learning while giving teachers an adaptable, low-prep resource.