Grade 1
Course ContentWeather changes
Jambo Mwanafunzi Mwerevu! Hello Clever Student!
Have you ever worn a warm sweater in the morning on your way to school, only to feel very hot in the afternoon? Or have you ever been playing outside under a bright, sunny sky when suddenly, dark clouds gather and it starts to rain? That's because the weather loves to change! Today, we are going to be Weather Detectives and learn all about how and why the weather changes.
The Day's Weather Journey
Just like you have a journey to school and back, the weather also has a journey throughout the day. It doesn't stay the same from morning to evening.
- In the Morning: The sun is just waking up! It is usually cool and calm. In places like Limuru or Kericho, you might even see some mist covering the ground like a soft blanket. The sun is low in the sky and not very hot.
- At Midday: The sun is high up in the sky, right above our heads! This is the warmest time of the day. It's a great time to find a nice, shady mango tree to sit under while you have your lunch.
- In the Evening: The sun starts to go to sleep. It gets lower in the sky again, and it becomes cooler. Sometimes, the wind picks up and you can see the leaves on the trees dancing.
Look at the sun's path during the day. It's like a big arc in the sky!
/-\
/ \ (Midday Sun - Hottest!)
/ \
/ \
--/---------\--
(Morning Sun) (Evening Sun)
(Cool) (Cooler)
Story Time with Akinyi: Yesterday, Akinyi wanted to help her mum wash clothes. In the morning, it was very sunny, a perfect day for washing! They washed the clothes and put them on the line. But in the afternoon, Akinyi looked up and saw big, dark grey clouds gathering. "Mum, quick!" she shouted. They rushed to collect the dry clothes just before the heavy rains started. Akinyi learned that the weather can change very quickly!
Signs of a Weather Change
As a Weather Detective, you need to look for clues! Nature gives us many signs that the weather is about to change. Let's learn to read them.
- Look at the Clouds: Clouds are great storytellers.
- White, fluffy clouds that look like cotton wool (we can call them pamba clouds) usually mean the weather will be fine and sunny.
- Dark, grey, and heavy-looking clouds often mean that rain is on the way. It's time to find shelter!
- Feel the Wind: A gentle breeze can be very nice on a hot day. But if the wind suddenly becomes very strong and starts blowing dust around, it can be a sign that a storm or heavy rain is coming.
- Watch the Sun: Is the sun shining brightly, or is it hiding behind the clouds? When clouds cover the sun, it quickly becomes cooler.
Image Suggestion: A vibrant digital painting of two Kenyan school children, a boy and a girl in uniform, standing in a green field. They are excitedly pointing up at the sky. The sky is split: on one side, it's bright blue with white, fluffy clouds and a shining sun. On the other side, dramatic, dark grey rain clouds are gathering. The style should be colourful and friendly, perfect for a children's textbook.
Let's Be Weather Scientists!
A fun way to see how weather changes is to keep a weather chart. It’s very easy! For one week, you can draw the weather you see each day.
Let's look at Juma's weather chart for his home in Mombasa last week:
My Weather Chart
-------------------------------------
Day | Morning Weather | Afternoon Weather
-------------------------------------
Monday | Sunny ☀️ | Sunny & Hot ☀️🔥
Tuesday | Cloudy ☁️ | Windy 💨
Wednesday | Rainy 🌧️ | Cloudy ☁️
Thursday | Sunny ☀️ | Sunny & Hot ☀️🔥
Friday | Cloudy ☁️ | Rainy 🌧️
-------------------------------------
Now, let's do some simple math. How many times was it rainy during that week?
Step 1: Look at the chart for the rain symbol (🌧️).
Step 2: We see rain on Wednesday morning. That's 1.
Step 3: We see rain on Friday afternoon. That's 1 more.
Calculation:
1 (Wednesday) + 1 (Friday) = 2
Answer: It was rainy 2 times on Juma's chart!
Why is This Important?
Understanding weather changes helps us plan our day! We know when to carry an umbrella, when to wear a sweater, and when it's the best time to play outside. Farmers also watch the weather to know when to plant seeds in the shamba (farm) and when to harvest their crops.
Your Turn, Weather Detective!
Great work today! You have learned so much about our amazing, ever-changing weather.
- Weather changes throughout the day (morning, noon, evening).
- Weather can be different from one day to the next.
- We can look for signs like clouds and wind to predict a change.
Your Mission: For the next three days, draw the weather you see in the morning and the weather you see in the afternoon. What changes did you notice? Share your findings with your family or teacher. Keep observing, and you'll become a weather expert!
Topic: Learning About Weather Changes!
Habari ya leo, mwanafunzi mpendwa! I hope you are having a wonderful day. Did you look outside your window this morning? Was it sunny and bright, or was it a bit cool and cloudy? The world outside is always changing, and today, we are going to become weather experts, or what we call 'wataalam wa hali ya hewa'! We will learn all about how the weather changes.
What is Weather?
Weather is simply what it is like outside at a certain time and place. Is the sun shining? Is the wind blowing? Is it raining? All these things describe the weather. The weather tells us if we should wear a light shirt to play outside, like in Mombasa, or if we need a warm sweater, like on a chilly morning in Nyeri.
Different Kinds of Weather in Kenya
In our beautiful country, we see many types of weather. Let's look at the main ones!
- Sunny: This is when the sun is shining brightly! The sky is clear and it feels warm. Perfect weather for visiting the beach at Malindi!
\ /
.-.
-- ( ) --
'-'
/ \
.--.
.-( ).
(___.__)__)
( ( (
( ( (
( ( (
~~~ ~~~ ~~~ (Wind Blowing)
.-.
( ).
(___(__)
' ' '
' ' '
Image Suggestion: A vibrant, colourful digital illustration for children. The image should be split into four panels. Panel 1 shows a child in school uniform happily playing under a bright sun in a field with acacia trees. Panel 2 shows a child looking at fluffy white clouds in a cool, green tea farm landscape like Kericho. Panel 3 shows a child flying a kite on a windy hill. Panel 4 shows a child with a colourful umbrella smiling in the rain outside a Kenyan home.
A Story: Juma's Walk to School
Let's think about a boy named Juma. When Juma woke up in the morning, it was cool and cloudy. He wore his school sweater. As he walked to school, the sun started to peep through the clouds, and by playtime, it was hot and sunny! Juma took off his sweater to play football. On his way home in the afternoon, a strong wind started blowing, and dark clouds gathered. Soon, big drops of rain began to fall! Juma was happy he had his umbrella. You see? In just one day, Juma experienced four different types of weather!
Let's Be Weather Watchers!
A fun way to see how weather changes is to keep a weather chart. You can draw the weather symbol for each day of the school week. Let's make one together!
My Weather Chart for the Week:
+-----------+-------------------+
| Day | Weather |
+-----------+-------------------+
| Monday | Sunny ( \ / )|
| Tuesday | Rainy (' ' ')|
| Wednesday | Sunny ( \ / )|
| Thursday | Cloudy (_____) |
| Friday | Sunny ( \ / )|
+-----------+-------------------+
Now, let's do some simple mathematics! How many sunny days did we have this week?
Step 1: Look for the "Sunny" days on our chart.
We have one on Monday, one on Wednesday, and one on Friday.
Step 2: Let's count them together!
1 (Monday) + 1 (Wednesday) + 1 (Friday) = ?
Answer: We had 3 sunny days!
Great job!
Image Suggestion: A close-up photo of a classroom wall. On the wall is a large, colourful poster board titled "Our Weekly Weather Chart". The chart is filled with children's drawings of suns, clouds, and raindrops for each day of the week. Two young Kenyan students are pointing at the chart and smiling.
A Simple Secret: Why It Rains
Have you ever wondered where rain comes from? It's like a big circle in the sky called the Water Cycle. It's very simple!
- The hot sun shines on our rivers and lakes.
- The water gets warm and turns into a vapour that goes up, up, up into the sky. We can't see it!
- High in the sky, it gets cold, and the vapour turns back into tiny water droplets, forming clouds.
- When the clouds get full and heavy, the water falls back to earth as rain!
Here is a little diagram to help you remember:
/ \
.-. ( ) .-.
-- ( ) '-' ( ) -- (Clouds form)
'-' '-'
^ ^
| | (Water Vapour Rises)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
( Sun heats the water )
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
You are a Weather Expert!
Wow! You have learned so much today. You learned what weather is, the different types we have in Kenya, and how it can change in just one day. You even learned how to be a weather watcher with a chart!
From now on, I want you to look outside every day. Notice the clouds, feel the wind, and enjoy the sunshine. You are now a true mtaalam wa hali ya hewa! Keep observing and keep learning!
Habari Mwanafunzi! Let's Talk About the Ever-Changing Sky!
Have you ever left home in the morning wearing a warm sweater because it was chilly, but by lunchtime, the jua (sun) was so hot you wished you were in a t-shirt? Or maybe you were playing outside when suddenly, dark clouds gathered and it started to rain? That is what we call weather changes, and today, we are going to become expert weather watchers!
What Exactly is Weather?
Think of weather as what it looks and feels like outside at any time. Is it hot or cold? Is it wet or dry? Is the wind blowing? All these things describe the weather. The weather is not the same every day. It loves to change!
The main things we look for when we talk about weather are:
- Sunny: When the sun is shining brightly.
- Cloudy: When the sky is covered with clouds.
- Rainy: When water is falling from the clouds.
- Windy: When you can feel the air moving strongly.
The Different Faces of Weather in Kenya
Our weather has many moods, just like we do! Let's meet some of them.
A Bright Sunny Day
On a sunny day, the sun is out, the sky is clear and blue, and it feels warm. This is a perfect day for playing outside, for farmers to dry their maize, or for clothes on the washing line to dry quickly!
\ /
.-.
-- ( ) --
'-'
/ \
Image Suggestion: [A bright, cheerful cartoon of Kenyan children in school uniforms playing 'kati' (a ball game) in a school field. In the background, there's a large acacia tree, and the sun is shining happily in a clear blue sky.]
A Cool, Cloudy Day
Sometimes, clouds cover the sun like a big blanket. The day might not be as bright, and it can feel a bit cooler. These are great days for a walk because the sun is not too hot. Sometimes the clouds are white and fluffy, and other times they are dark and grey, warning us that rain might be coming.
.--.
.-( ).
(___.__)__)
A Wet, Rainy Day
Pitter-patter, pitter-patter! When the clouds become heavy with water, we get mvua (rain). Rain is very important in Kenya. It fills our rivers, waters the shambas (farms) so our food can grow, and gives us water to drink. We have the "long rains" and the "short rains" which our farmers wait for every year.
.--.
.-( ).
(___.__)__)
/ / / /
/ / / /
A Farmer's StoryThink about Mama Akinyi in Kisumu. She has planted her maize and beans. Every day she looks at the sky, waiting for the rainy season to begin. When the first rains fall, she is very happy because she knows her crops will now grow strong, and she will have a good harvest to feed her family and sell at the market.
Let's Be Weather Detectives: Measuring the Rain!
Did you know we can measure how much it has rained? It's simple! We can make our own rain gauge. This is a fun way to use math in our environment.
HOW TO MAKE A SIMPLE RAIN GAUGE
You will need:
1. A plastic bottle
2. A ruler
3. A marker pen
Steps:
1. Cut the top part of the plastic bottle off.
\ /
\-----/ <-- Cut here
| |
| |
|_____|
2. Place the ruler inside the bottle, with '0' at the bottom.
3. Place your rain gauge outside in an open area when it starts to rain.
Calculation:
After the rain stops, look at the water level against the ruler.
If the water reaches the number '2' on your ruler, it means
2 centimetres (cm) of rain has fallen.
Water Level: |||||||||||| 2 cm <-- Your Measurement!
|||||||||||| 1 cm
------------ 0 cm (Bottom)
Activity Time: Let's Make a Weekly Weather Chart!
This is the best way to see how weather changes. For one week, let's draw the weather we see every day!
Image Suggestion: [A colorful classroom in Kenya. A group of diverse primary school students are gathered around a large, handmade weather chart on the wall. They are smiling and pointing to drawings of the sun, clouds, and rain they have added for each day of the week.]
You can draw a chart like this in your exercise book. Every day at lunchtime, look outside and draw a symbol for the weather.
MY WEATHER CHART
+-----------+-----------+-----------+-----------+-----------+
| MONDAY | TUESDAY | WEDNESDAY | THURSDAY | FRIDAY |
+-----------+-----------+-----------+-----------+-----------+
| | | | | |
| (Draw | (Draw | (Draw | (Draw | (Draw |
| the sun | clouds | rain | the sun | wind) |
| here) | here) | here) | here) | here) |
| | | | | |
+-----------+-----------+-----------+-----------+-----------+
You Are Now an Amazing Weather Watcher!
Fantastic work, mwanafunzi! Today we have learned that weather is what it feels like outside and that it can be sunny, cloudy, rainy, or windy. We also learned that weather changes during the day and from season to season. Remember to keep looking at the sky and observing the wonderful world around you. You are a true environmental scientist!
Pro Tip
Take your own short notes while going through the topics.
