Weather Poem

Learning Sequence:

Designed to be completed while learning about specialisations in Science.

• Explain to students that they will be tracking the weather and rainfall to accompany their science learning. These observations will be compiled in a class weather journal. After a few weeks, the class will have created a rainfall record and a weather poem.

• At the beginning of each day, as part of the morning routine, assign a student to read and record the barometric pressure. Beside the data, work together to craft a sentence noting an observation about the weather, landscape or people on each day, for example, over consecutive days, the recording sheet may read:

Dark clouds are forming to the west and farmers are preparing.

Everyone waiting for rain but nothing yet.

Clear skies and brisk wind blowing across grey stubble.

A storm electric in the air but no water.

Drumming on the tin roof all night, dads gone early.

Paddocks churning with seeders.

• Challenge students to incorporate poetic techniques such as onomatopoeia, alliteration, metaphor, or personification to enhance the impact of the line and match it to the weather. For example, on a windy day, they could choose words with ‘s’ sounds, ‘seed heads swaying, the southerly strumming fence wires. Some students may like to incorporate Noongar vocabulary.

• Towards the end of the unit, add up the rainfall for the season and compare it to historical records. Reflect on whether it’s been a good season for rain, and, if so, what you might see on the excursion.

• Read out the observational poem that the class has created by noticing the weather each day. Discuss the change of season (e.g Djeran to Makuru) and how the water has affected the landscape and the people.

• You may like to allocate a student to type the poem for display. If the class enjoyed the activity, you could continue as part of your morning routine and track the shifts into Djilba and Kambarang.