In this learning experience, learners will be challenged to create an engaging and relevant weather report using storytelling elements to grab their audience. The course includes a student-facing mini-series of videos led by Brandon Miller, curricular activities, and a classroom presentation available for download. The curriculum will be a powerful way to bring industry professionals and world-class storytelling standards into your classroom.
More About the Curriculum
This learning experience will be useful for teachers who are teaching any of the following:
- Grades 6-12
- ELA and Science
This course includes four 45-minute lessons and optional extension activities.
TIME COMMITMENT
4-5 hours divided into 6 lessons. This could all be done at one time or spread over multiple days depending on your unique schedule.
- Lesson 1 Speaking to Your Audience - approx. 45 min
- Lesson 2 Reading and Synthesizing Scientific Information - approx. 45 min
- Lesson 3 Creating Memorable Headlines and Leads - approx. 45 min
- Lesson 4 Visualizing the Science of Weather - approx. 45 min
- Lesson 5 Conducting Impactful Interviews - approx. 45 min
- Lesson 6 Report the Weather! - approx. 45 min
(Optional) Extension - Extension 1 Mastering Weather Storytelling
- Extension 2 Puppets Tell the News: Weather Edition
- Extension 3 Weather Podcasting
ASSESSMENT RESOURCES
Formative and/or summative rubrics are provided in the downloads section, but they may be edited to incorporate specific standards, instructions, or additional requirements as needed to teach your subject area. Teachers are encouraged to use this lesson as a tool for creative literacy to teach their classroom standards
Curriculum
Standards Addressed
- Clear & Informative Writing
- Source & Relevance
- Narrative Development
- Evidence & Analysis
- Revision & Focus
- Group Discussions
- Tech-Enabled Publishing
- Logical Presentation
Introduction
Course Overview
About Your Instructor
Lessons
Lesson 1 - Speaking to Your Audience - approx. 45 min
Lesson 2 - Reading and Synthesizing Scientific Information - approx. 45 min
Lesson 3 - Creating Memorable Headlines and Leads - approx. 45 min
Lesson 4 - Visualizing the Science of Weather - approx. 45 min
Lesson 5 - Conducting Impactful Interviews - approx. 45 min
Lesson 6 - Report the Weather! - approx. 45 min
Classroom Presentation
Survey
Course survey and wrap-up
About Your Instructor
From an early age, Brandon Miller knew he wanted to be a meteorologist. Now a Supervising Producer, Meteorologist, and Climate Crisis Beat Leader at CNN, Brandon began his decades-long career as a CNN intern while he was earning his undergraduate and Master’s degrees at Ga Tech in Earth and Atmospheric Science. Brandon is passionate about communicating the urgent risks associated with continued warming of the planet and strives to ground his reporting in the latest science and technology. Brandon works to promote understanding of weather and climate science by conscientiously using storytelling elements to reach a wide range of audiences. This campaign continues as he shares his experience and expertise with a new generation of scientists in his course Earth Science and Climate Communications at GA Tech. Brandon teaches his students to build upon traditional science communication techniques using the latest digital journalism to prepare them to become better communicators of any and every field of science.
