Summer Vacation

 

Science: Earth & Space Science

• Grade: 3

 

 

One day during Jose’s summer vacation, he woke up and wanted to go to the pool.

He made his bed, put on his swimsuit, and grabbed his towel from the hall closet. Then he went to the kitchen table and sat down for breakfast.

“Jose,” his mom said, as she served him scrambled eggs and toast. “Why are you wearing your bathing suit?”

“Because today I want to go to the pool,” he said. He started to eat his eggs very fast so that they could leave for the pool right away.

His mother laughed. “Jose, look outside,” she said. “I’m sorry, but we can’t go to the pool today.”

Jose jumped out of his seat and looked outside the window. It was raining really hard, and there was thunder and lightning. People outside were hurrying back and forth with umbrellas over their heads, while the trees blew in the wind.

“Oh no,” Jose said. “Rain! Now we can’t go to the pool.”

He sat back down at the table and quietly finished his breakfast. He was sad. His plans for the pool were not going to happen.

Jose’s mom grabbed her laptop computer and brought it over to the table. She turned it on and gave Jose a hug.

“Don’t worry sweetheart,” she said, “let’s look up the weather for tomorrow, and see if we can go to the pool then.”

Jose’s mom searched on the Internet for the local weather news. Jose watched as the screen displayed a bunch of pictures with sun and rain clouds next to each day of the week.

“What are those?” he asked.

“This is a news website that shows the weather for each day of the week,” she said. “Here is today.”

She pointed to a rain cloud next to the day marked “Tuesday.”

“The rain cloud means that today it is going to rain all day. And here it says the temperature: 85 degrees Fahrenheit.”

“That is hot,” said Jose. “And the pool is good on a hot day.”

“It is hot, but raining, so the pool will not be open today,” said Jose’s mom. “But tomorrow, Wednesday, there is a sun picture. That means the weather forecaster is predicting tomorrow will be sunny. It also says that tomorrow will be 90 degrees, which is even hotter than today.”

“Then we can go to the pool!” said Jose.

“Yes, if it is sunny and hot, we can go to the pool,” said Jose’s mom. “As long as you wear your sunscreen.”

Jose was excited. But he was also a little confused. How did the weather forecaster know about the weather before it happened? Could he predict the future?

“Mom, how does the weather forecaster know what the weather is going to be like tomorrow?” he asked.

“Well,” said Jose’s mom, “scientists use tools in order to predict the weather. They record patterns and can figure out what will most likely happen next. For example, if the scientists see a storm that is moving across other states toward us in New York, they can measure the storm, and how fast it is moving. Then they can tell if it will be rainy in a few days or a few weeks. We can see this weather prediction listed on a website, or on the television.”

“You mean we hear it from those people who read the news on TV,” said Jose.

“Right,” said Jose’s mom. “Some of the news people who read the weather forecast on TV are called meteorologists. A meteorologist is someone who studies, explains, and understands the weather forecast. They go to school to study how to predict and understand the weather. That way people like you and me can see if it will be raining tomorrow or this weekend.”

After lunch the rain got a little lighter, and Jose’s mom let him put on his rain boots and play in the backyard. Then after a shower, Jose and his mom had dinner and watched a movie. The next morning Jose got up, put on his bathing suit, and grabbed his towel. He peeked outside the window and saw that the sun was shining.

“Mom!” he shouted as he ran to the breakfast table. “The scientists were right! It is sunny today. Let’s go to the pool!”

And they did.

Comprehension Questions

1. Where does Jose want to go after he wakes up? 

1. the movies 
2. the park 
3. the pool 
4. the yard 

2. Jose wants to go swimming, but there is a problem. What is the problem? 

1. It is raining, so the swimming pool will not be open. 
2. It is too hot outside to go to the swimming pool. 
3. It is too cold outside to go to the swimming pool. 
4. Jose has to help his mom around the house all day. 

3. Jose is very excited about going to the pool.

What evidence from the story supports this statement? 

1. Jose watches the laptop screen as it displays pictures with sun and rain clouds next to each day of the week. 
2. Jose’s mom says he can go to the pool on Wednesday as long as he wears his sunscreen. 
3. Jose is a little confused about how the weather forecaster can know about the weather before it happens 
4. Jose starts to eat his eggs very fast so that he and his mom can leave for the pool right away. 

4. How can a weather forecaster predict the weather? 

1. A weather forecaster can jump out of his seat at breakfast and look through the window to see whether it is raining outside. 
2. A weather forecaster can look at weather in another place and its movement to make a prediction about the weather where he is. 
3. A weather forecaster can predict the weather by finding an indoor pool that stays open whether or not it is raining outside. 
4. A weather forecaster can predict the weather by putting on rain boots and going into the backyard. 

5. What is this story mainly about? 

1. a boy who wants to go to the pool and predicting the weather 
2. a person who goes to school to study how to predict the weather 
3. the sadness a boy feels one day when it rains outside 
4. a swimming pool, umbrellas, rain boots, scrambled eggs, and toast 

6. Read the following sentences: “Jose was excited. But he was also a little confused. How did the weather forecaster know about the weather before it happened? Could he predict the future?”

Why does the author include the two questions above? 

1. to prove that weather forecasters do not know what they are doing 
2. to convince readers that they should become weather forecasters 
3. to explain why Jose loves his mom so much 
4. to show readers the thoughts in Jose’s mind 

7. Choose the answer that best completes the sentence below.

Jose does not go to the pool on Tuesday, ______ he goes to the pool on Wednesday. 

1. for example 
2. never 
3. but 
4. especially 

8. What kind of weather is predicted for Wednesday? 

1. (written answer)

9. How does Jose feel when he learns about the weather prediction for Wednesday? 

1. (written answer)

10. Is weather prediction helpful to the characters in this story? Support your answer with evidence from the passage. 

1. (written answer)