Unleash the Weather Writer in Your Students: Easy, Quick, and Creative Ways to Get Them Writing About the Weather

Do you know how much a cloud weighs?
Did you know it could be as much as 1.1 million pounds?
Imagine explaining that to your room full of curious students.
And
What if your students could predict the weather for your next field trip?
Teaching weather can turn your classroom into a team of budding meteorologists.
Or
Why is the sky blue?
What makes a rainbow?
Imagine the lists of questions you and your students could create while studying the weather.
Are you looking for ways to implement lessons about weather into your school day?
You probably already know that the kids could be excited about learning about the weather. You also realize it would help your struggling students because everyone has some experience with the weather, whether they know it or not. (See what I did there?). Are you just dreading adding one more thing to an already-packed school day? You may feel unprepared to take on another task, or you don’t want to take your time to figure out a plan for how to cover the standards when you already have too much to do.
But! Alright, I got you. Let’s flip it around. I know you have a lot on your plate, and your to-do list is a mile long, but if you are reading this, you are also looking for ways to implement weather lessons into your classroom. The following ideas are super easy, don’t require a lot of materials, and can get you going on your way to being a Super Meteorologist (If that is an actual thing?).
First, here are three fabulous reasons to teach your students about the weather.
- It is relevant to their daily life, and the number of connections they can make will boggle your mind.
- Every child will come to you with some exposure to and experience with weather and can start with schema, regardless of skill level or language barriers.
- You are allowing your students to practice basic scientific concepts, like observation and data collection, that will begin to lay a solid foundation for critical thinking and future scientific principles.
Sound amazing? It is. And better yet, it is super simple to start.
Just get them involved. The easiest way to involve a learner? Have them write about what they are learning. So… We need to get kids writing about the weather. You know that the more students write, the stronger their understanding and ability to remember and apply what they have learned. So let’s get ’em writing about the weather!

Weather Writing Ideas:
Introduce basic weather words.
Introduce your students to important weather-related vocabulary. Words like “precipitation,” “humidity,” and “forecast” can be learned and added to vocabulary lessons. Create a weather word wall in the classroom where students can add new terms they learn. This visual reference can help them use these words accurately in their writing and speaking.
Younger students can create a picture dictionary chart of different kinds of weather, and then you can make a class-sized chart for easy reference. Utilize a graphic organizer to keep important vocabulary contained around critical points. (See Weather Words resource; there is a complete lesson on using a graphic organizer to teach different weather concepts.)
Students can create vocabulary posters. These are a fun way to check for understanding and allow students to group words by use or context. My favorite vocabulary posters have a lot of action going on in a large scene with dialog bubbles or text boxes using the vocabulary. (Imagine a page from a massive graphic novel in one big scene.)
For example, students work together to draw a classroom window with students looking out the window at the sky. Dialog bubbles show a discussion about the temperature and using a thermometer. At the same time, other students in the background are seen on a computer discussing the forecast, looking up the weather in different cities, or checking in on a favorite weather station in Antarctica. In the drawing, you can see other students playing outside with a kite. Trees blowing. The windsock and weather vane are moving. A bird struggling to fly in the wind has a thought bubble about how strong the currents are. These can be a work in progress and pulled out and added to over time.
Start a Weather Questions chart.
Encouraging questioning is so incredibly valuable. Head the chart paper with something like, “Always Wondering about Weather.” Every time a child has a question or is wondering about the weather, write it on the chart. You are not required to answer any of the questions; neither is anyone else. Our minds can’t help but think of the answers when we see questions. You are not there to be the weather expert. You are there to encourage their thinking.
Every time you read a weather story or your students see a YouTube clip on extreme weather, encourage more questions and write them all down. Display the questions so students can continually reference them. Questions don’t need to be answered by the end of the unit. But, keep questioning and wondering.
Daily Weather Tracking and Journaling
Have students monitor and track the daily weather and keep a weather journal. They can record the temperature, weather type, and other notable weather events each day. This practice improves their observational skills and establishes a consistent writing routine.
Students can easily keep track of the daily weather as part of the calendar routine in the classroom. Allow students to write a daily weather report quickly. Your students can keep weather information from month to month. Pull out various months and compare the weather of the different seasons. The students will already be more engaged when you are referencing the information they collected. A time saver is allowing groups to each keep a weather data binder and help each other fill out the daily information. They can take turns filling out the information. (Weather Watchers – Daily Weather Collection) *Pro tip – Wondering how to keep them more serious and on-task during an outside observation? Give them each a clipboard. Young students immediately become serious researchers when they have a clipboard and pencil.*
Write and perform weather reports.
Have your students perform their own weather reports for a fun and interactive activity. Writing and performing a weather report combines research, writing, and public speaking skills, so it’s a well-rounded educational experience.
Students can work in pairs or small groups to prepare a weather report for the class. They can use their daily weather observations or research forecasts from other cities worldwide (Weather Watchers Around the World resource). Spend a little time watching a weather report given on YouTube or a news channel, and chart what observations they made. Create a group list of what information a weather report should include. I enjoy having the students perform a weather report on an actual city. Still, in their writing center, I let them write a silly weather report (and draw a picture) of a report that would be seen and heard in ChewandSwallow (Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs) after they read the story.
Weather-Themed Storytelling
Storytelling is a powerful way to encourage creativity. Ask your students to write stories that include weather as a central theme. Whether it’s a walk in the snow, playing in the rain, or an adventure on a windy day, the weather can add an exciting element to their narratives.
Provide a few story prompts to get them started, such as:
- “Describe a day when the weather changed unexpectedly and how it affected your plans.”
- “Write about a time when a weather event (like a storm or a heatwave) brought your community together.”
By connecting their stories to personal experiences or imaginative scenarios, students can develop a deeper love for writing. Students’ understanding increases when they use the same vocabulary and concepts in multiple formats. So, when studying winter, inspire writing a Snow Day Adventure. Or bring the magic and renewal of Spring and milder weather into the spotlight by creating a Spring Creative Writing piece.

You can incorporate some or all of these creative activities into your curriculum, and you can help your students find joy in writing AND a deeper appreciation for the world around them.
With its ever-changing nature, weather is a perfect topic to inspire young writers. As they track the weather, watch the clouds, explore global patterns, watch for signs of changing seasons, craft stories, and deliver reports, they’ll develop their writing skills, and you will have helped them grow a lifelong love of learning and curiosity about the weather. See how simple it is?
Remember, as the teacher, you have the power to make learning fun and meaningful. Their enthusiasm is contagious when students are excited about what they’re writing. Bring some sunshine into your classroom and watch your students’ creativity blossom! Or, better yet, bring your students out of the classroom into the sunshine.
Hugs, teacher friend. Thank you for sharing your sunshine with your students and helping them grow into their best selves. Keep sharing your magic with the world; the world needs you.
K
Are you thinking about creating a weather board!?!
This board stays up all year, and students add information daily. I house my weather vocabulary, standards, I can statements, cloud poster, and weather sloth in the exact location with my weather calendar and graph. My favorite things to include with my weather board:
- Pinwheels – I bring them outside, and the students hold and move them around in different directions to get the wind to make them spin. I got a handful from Amazon. (Pinwheels)
- Weather Sloth – He is the cutest thing, and the students love dressing him for the weather. This weather sloth inspired me to create my Weather Bear pages so that students could all “dress” an animal for the weather daily. I got this sloth. (Weather Sloth)
- Demo Thermometer – I have a demo thermometer on my board that I can pull off and manipulate during class instruction about changes in the temperature, reading a thermometer, etc. (I googled and found one in the wilderness of the internet.)
- Anemometer – I found one on Amazon, and the kids challenged themselves by trying to calculate the wind speed by counting the red piece as it circles. (anemometer)
Here are some books I love and include on my Weather Board.
Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs *
National Geographic – Everything Weather. *
Sending thoughts of blue skies and fair winds to you and your school year and hope that you and your students love, love, love your weather lessons.
Have questions? Concerns?
Can I help?
Let’s Connect.
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Find out more about bringing your students outdoors to nature journal!
Journaling Nature: Quick and Easy Steps to Getting Kids Outside