Weather in Spanish is another one of those concepts that our students need to know. It seems to show up in every textbook, so if you’re trying to shift to CI while following a mandated scope and sequence, this is definitely a concept you’ll need to “hit”. It also has (obvious) real-world applications for our students! Small talk, anyone?
In previous years, I have done an entire unit on weather. Oh, there was some sort of thematic focus according to the textbook, sure, but the end goal was really, “I can say what the weather is in Spanish.” We spent weeks on it! Over the past few years I have been trying to be more methodical about how I have introduced weather in my classes and they have been using it without issues at all! I wanted to share some of the ways I have included weather in Spanish class.
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Start of Spanish Class Routine
First and foremost, I credit the beginning of class routine with my kids learning weather vocabulary throughout the year. You can read my post on it here, but the gist is that each day we begin class with a check in, a little chat about the weather, and if anyone has anything going on that day.
I usually project these Slides on my screen in front of students and talk to them as a whole class, but every now and then we just need something different. That’s why I made a Google Form version! When it’s time for a change up, I post this Google Form in Google Classroom to let the students work individually – or even talk through while each student is answering away.
With both routines I start very gradually. At the beginning of the year with my level ones it’s like what you see above. What’s the weather like? It’s nice weather.//It’s bad weather. We eventually work our way into what you see below! What’s the weather like, is it hot or cold, and what other words would you use to describe today?
Maze Games for Weather in Spanish
Maze games are another great, almost sneaky way, to get students to do more reading and practice! Students look at the image and choose the correct answer to “escape” the maze. I also have my students go back and do additional activities with the mazes for extra practice!
Check out my post here on 10 Ways to Use Maze Games in Spanish Class!
Classroom Stories
Stories are a great way to reinforce weather in a natural way. Think about tossing in a short sentence in the beginning of your stories to just note what the weather was like – does your character want to go outside to play because it’s beautiful out? Are they sad because it’s raining? Cold? Storming? Your choice!
This cute story is a fish who is overcoming his fears! It’s very simple for them to understand, and you can do a ton of activities with it! I use this story when we get to the tener expressions chapter of our textbook, which pairs nicely with reinforcing some weather. There’s also a digital version of the story here.
Another option for stories is a Movie Talk. This one in particular is about a cute little snowman who just wants to be warm. It’s one of my favorite activities each year.
¡Corre en Círculos!
¡Corre en Círculos! is my absolute favorite way to get students to practice a concept while getting them up and out of their seats. I actually have a free set for weather that includes a few variations for your students to practice! Click here to learn more about ¡Corre en Círculos! and grab the free download!
More Practice Activities for Weather in Spanish
Well, what I listed above are my absolute favorites, but you know I have more! Check out these options to practice weather in Spanish class:
