• Quick retrieval from earlier learning (Reading weather data). Students answer on mini whiteboards.
• Show answers together and note who needs support in the main task.

1. Temperatures (°C) on five days were 24, 20, 26, 20, 16. What was the mean temperature? Give 1 decimal place. → 21.2 °CPrompt: Add the temperatures.
2. Temperatures (°C) on five days were 16, 15, 21, 13, 21. What was the mean temperature? Give 1 decimal place. → 17.2 °CPrompt: Add the temperatures.
3. Temperatures (°C) on five days were 25, 18, 23, 18, 23. What was the mean temperature? Give 1 decimal place. → 21.4 °CPrompt: Add the temperatures.

• Show today's forecast and ask what it means for the class and how forecasters know.
• Share the objective: Compare rainfall month by month. Read the success criteria together.

• Work through the example out loud, saying why you do each step, not just what you do.
• Example: The rain gauge shows 0 mm for a whole month. What does this tell you?
• Step 1: An empty gauge means a dry month (if the gauge was working and not blocked).
• Step 2: So the answer is: No rain fell that month.
• Answer: No rain fell that month.
• Pause after each step and ask a student to say what comes next.

• Do these together. Students try each step on whiteboards before you reveal it.
• Use the hints as prompts rather than giving the answer.

1. What instrument measures rainfall? (a barometer / a wind vane / a rain gauge / a thermometer) → a rain gaugePrompt: It collects rain in a container marked in millimetres.
2. The rain gauge shows 0 mm for a whole month. What does this tell you? (No rain fell that month. / The gauge measures sunshine. / The month was very cold. / It rained every day.) → No rain fell that month.Prompt: What does the gauge collect?

• Students work on the student sheet. Circulate and check the first two answers of every student early.
• Students who finish: write a question of their own for a partner, with the answer.

The 8 questions are on the student sheet below, with answers in the key.

• Two questions on their own. Sort answers into got it / nearly / not yet to plan the next lesson.

1. Rainfall data for many years shows a place is wet in winter and dry in summer. What can people use this pattern for? (nothing; patterns are not useful / to change the weather / to decide what colour to paint houses / to plan when to plant crops and store water) → to plan when to plant crops and store waterPrompt: Farmers need to know when water will come.
2. Why should a rain gauge be placed in an open space, away from trees and buildings? (So rain can fall straight in without being blocked or dripping off leaves. / So it stays in the shade. / So birds can drink from it. / It does not matter where it goes.) → So rain can fall straight in without being blocked or dripping off leaves.Prompt: What could a tree do to the rain falling over the gauge?

Free online practice with hints and printable worksheets for this skill: eurekami.com/science/grade-3.