Weather Maps & Air Pressure Complete Lesson Plan - MS

Everything you need for an engaging, ready-to-teach weather unit is included in this resource! Students will learn how to interpret weather maps, identify high- and low-pressure areas, analyze air masses, and explain global weather patterns and their influence on local weather. With editable presentations, worksheets, student-choice projects, and assessments, this multiday lesson is both comprehensive and low-prep.

Through differentiated, student-led learning, your middle schoolers stay engaged while you focus on student success.

Essential Questions

• How can you use weather maps to explain global weather patterns and their influence on local weather?

• How can you interpret high- and low-pressure areas as well as weather fronts on a map?

Texas Teachers: This lesson aligns with the 2017 TEKS (not updated for the 2021 TEKS).

Why Teachers Love This Lesson

• Differentiated materials for learners who need more support

• Multimodal learning to keep students engaged

• Maximum flexibility—printable and digital formats included

• Editable PowerPoints to adapt to your classroom needs

• Spanish translations for vocabulary, reading passages, and interactive notebook pages

This lesson follows the 5E Instructional Model (Engagement, Exploration, Explanation, Elaboration, Evaluation), giving you a proven framework for meaningful instruction.

What’s Included

Engagement

• Objectives and Word Wall Cards (English & Spanish)

• Teacher file with discussion prompts, classroom activities, and common misconceptions

Exploration – Student-Led Station Lab
Nine differentiated stations help students analyze weather maps and understand atmospheric patterns:

Input Stations

• Explore It! – Hands-on demo or experiment

• Read It! – Differentiated passages (English & Spanish) with comprehension checks

• Research It! – Website-based tasks with guiding questions

• Watch It! – Short video with reflection prompts

Output Stations

• Organize It! – Printable or digital card sorts

• Write It! – Open-ended short-answer prompts

• Illustrate It! – Student sketches or diagrams of weather systems

• Assess It! – Task cards + vocabulary-in-context activity

Bonus Station – Challenge It!
Enrichment tasks like crosswords, games, and mini-projects for early finishers

Explanation

• Editable PowerPoints (standard & interactive versions)

• Interactive notebook templates (digital & print, English & Spanish)

• Guided note-taking templates

Elaboration

• Student-choice projects on weather maps, air pressure, and air masses

Evaluation

• STAAR 2.0–style assessments (standard & modified versions)

• Review worksheet for class discussion, homework, or test practice

Flexible for Any Classroom

This lesson is designed for both in-person and virtual learning. Station labs, interactive notebooks, and presentations are fully compatible with Google Slides and PowerPoint.

This is a finished product; it will be updated with formatting or corrections as needed. Future improvements and new features will be sold as a separate product.