Weather forecasting

Start with something students can look at or think about: a photo, a short video, a jar on the windowsill, or a question like "what do you already know about weather forecasting?" Then let them work through it independently, using a partner or small group only if they want to talk through their thinking, keeping a word bank or anchor chart in view so the vocabulary stays available. When you review, ask students how they knew, and let them point to the part of the diagram or reading that told them. These weather forecasting worksheets work well as a lead in before an investigation, as a way to capture what students noticed afterward, or as review before an assessment.

These weather forecasting worksheets for 3rd grade give students a clear, visual way to work through one of the big ideas in weather and climate. Students label diagrams, sort and classify examples, read short explanations, and answer questions that ask them to say why, not just what. Each page keeps the science vocabulary front and center so students leave with the words they need to talk about weather forecasting accurately. Working through weather forecasting on paper gives 3rd grade students something concrete to hold onto before, during, or after the hands on part of a lesson.

Yes, both. We made it for 3rd Grade weather and climate, and the page works the same whether it lands on a kitchen table or a center rotation. At home, most families go through it together and talk the answers out loud, and that talking is where most of the learning happens with weather forecasting. In class it runs well as independent work while you pull a small group. Print one copy or thirty, whichever the day needs.

Weather forecasting teaches students how scientists use tools and data to make predictions about upcoming weather conditions. Third graders learn to identify common weather instruments, understand what each measures, and interpret basic forecast symbols and charts. It bridges everyday weather observation with the systematic process of scientific prediction.

Weather forecasting is typically introduced in Grade 3 earth science alongside weather patterns and reading weather data. At ages 8-9, students are curious about real-world applications of science, and meteorology is a concrete, relatable example. The topic often pairs with hands-on activities like building simple weather instruments.

Watch a TV weather forecast or open a weather app together and challenge your child to explain what the symbols and numbers mean using what they learned on the worksheets. The instrument identification activities are straightforward for independent work, while the forecast interpretation activities benefit from a quick conversation. Making the connection to real forecasts your child sees every day cements the vocabulary.

5 printable worksheets, all free to preview. Downloads are included with a ClassWeekly free trial, and every page prints on standard 8.5 x 11 paper.

These are written for 3rd Grade students, roughly ages 8-9. Many teachers also use them a grade up for review or a grade down as an extension, so use the preview to judge the fit for a particular child.

Yes. Each one shows the NGSS code it covers on its own page, so you can check the alignment yourself rather than taking our word for it.

Yes. Nothing here assumes a classroom of 25, so they work the same one-to-one at the kitchen table as they do in a 3rd Grade classroom, a literacy centre, or a tutoring session.