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ASL Weather

Fifth graders learn weather signs in ASL — SUN, RAIN, SNOW, CLOUD, WIND — many of which beautifully act out the weather (rain falling, snow drifting, wind sweeping). So they can describe the day.

Grade 5Weather45 minutes1 class periodACTFL / Visual LanguageExplicit teaching4 StandardsACTFL
Start the Lesson
Lesson at a Glance

Everything you need before the bell rings

Learning Objectives

Students will be able to…

  • ✓Sign the weather.
  • ✓See iconic signs.
  • ✓Describe the day.
  • ✓Sign in ASL.
Essential Question

What’s the weather like? ASL weather signs often look just like the weather! How do you sign RAIN and SUN?

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Lesson Phases
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Vocabulary Terms
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Standards Aligned
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Interactive Task
Explore · Interactive

The Weather Explorer

Project this and tap each. Have students make each weather sign.

☀️ Explore weather — tap eachTry it

The Lesson · Visual-Language Flow (Warm-Up · Present · Practice · Sign · Reflect)

45 minutes, five moves

Tap any phase to open the teacher moves and student actions.

1

Warm-Up — Signs Like the Sky

5 min

ASL weather signs often look like the weather — how do you sign RAIN?

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Ask today’s weather.
  • Ask how to sign it.
  • Set the goal.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Share.
  • Guess.
  • Get ready.
2

Present — Weather

11 min

Students learn.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Send students to the Weather Explorer.
  • Make each sign.
  • Note how they act it out.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Tap each.
  • Copy.
  • Note it.
3

Practice — Practice

12 min

Students practice.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Sign the weather now.
  • Match signs to pictures.
  • Sign along.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Sign it.
  • Match.
  • Try.
4

Sign — Sign

11 min

Students sign.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Sign today’s weather.
  • Sign your favorite weather.
  • Sign to a partner.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Sign it.
  • Sign it.
  • Sign.
5

Reflect — Reflect

6 min

Students close.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Sign a weather word.
  • Say which one.
  • Complete the exit ticket.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Sign one.
  • Say it.
  • Complete the exit ticket.
Standards Alignment

Built to the standards you report on

Aligned to the ACTFL World-Readiness Standards for Learning Languages (Novice-Mid).

ACTFL
Communication 1.2

Interpretive: understand weather signs.

ACTFL
Connections 3.1

Connect to weather and seasons.

ACTFL
Comparisons 4.1

Compare iconic signs.

ACTFL
Communication 1.1

Interpersonal: describe weather.

Differentiation

One lesson, every learner

Multilingual Learners

ELL / EMERGING READERS
  • Weather sign photo cards.
  • Model each sign.
  • Use a mirror.

Support & Access

IEP / 504
  • Start with SUN and RAIN.
  • Make one at a time.
  • Copy together.

Stretch & Extend

GIFTED / EARLY FINISHERS
  • Add STORM and HOT/COLD.
  • Give a signed forecast.
  • Draw and sign the weather.
Materials

What to gather

  • 📽️Screen / board
  • ☀️A weather chart
  • 💻The Weather Explorer
  • 🪩A mirror (optional)
  • ✏️Pencils
  • 🎫Exit-ticket slips
Vocabulary

Key terms — hover for a quick definition

weatherthe sky and air conditionsSUN“C” hand opens like raysRAINfingers wiggle downwardSNOWfingers float slowly downCLOUDhands roll in circles up highWINDflat hands sweep side to sidehotopen hand turns from the mouthcoldfists shiver
Evaluate

Exit Ticket

Preview the three formative checks. Tap “Sample answer” to see what mastery looks like — hide them before you print for students.

QUESTION 1
How do you sign RAIN?
Wiggle both hands downward, like falling drops.
QUESTION 2
How do you sign SNOW?
Wiggle your fingers as your hands float slowly down.
QUESTION 3
How do you sign SUN?
Make a “C” hand near your head, then open it like rays.

Reflect: weather.

Have students sign today’s weather in ASL (like SUN or RAIN). A printable ASL weather sheet is in the World Languages library.

Study · Flashcards

Study the key terms

Tap a card to flip it, then rate whether you knew it. Built from this lesson’s vocabulary.

🃏 ASL WeatherFlip
Card 1
Term
Tap to flip →
Meaning
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Nice work!

Practice · Quiz

Check your understanding

A quick self-check with instant feedback, drawn from this lesson’s key terms.

📝 ASL WeatherQuiz
Score: 0
1 / 6
Question 1
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Nice work!

Practice · Worksheet

Printable worksheet

A print-and-go review sheet with a built-in answer key. Tap “Show answer key” to reveal answers, or print the clean version for students.

🖨️ ASL WeatherPrint
Name: ________________________
Date: ____________

Part A · Write the word that matches each meaning

Word bank: CLOUD, cold, hot, RAIN, SNOW, SUN, weather, WIND
  1. “C” hand opens like rays
  2. fists shiver
  3. open hand turns from the mouth
  4. fingers float slowly down
  5. the sky and air conditions
  6. hands roll in circles up high
  7. flat hands sweep side to side
  8. fingers wiggle downward

Part B · Show what you learned

  1. How do you sign RAIN?
  2. How do you sign SNOW?
  3. How do you sign SUN?
Answer key — Part A: 1) SUN · 2) cold · 3) hot · 4) SNOW · 5) weather · 6) CLOUD · 7) WIND · 8) RAIN
Part B: 1) Wiggle both hands downward, like falling drops. 2) Wiggle your fingers as your hands float slowly down. 3) Make a “C” hand near your head, then open it like rays.