Get a free trial until June 30, 2026!
New members get full access to our science units, hands-on activities, mini-lessons, & more!
Back > Share
Summer Ice Storm
Stormy Skies Unit | Anchor Phenomenon
Back > Share

Summer Ice Storm

Stormy Skies Unit | Anchor Phenomenon
Scroll for prep

StormySkiesAnchorStarter2

Full Screen
Controls Icon Exit Full Screen

StormySkiesAnchorStarter3

Full Screen
Controls Icon Exit Full Screen

StormySkiesAnchorStarter7

Full Screen
Controls Icon Exit Full Screen

StormySkiesAnchorStarter8

Full Screen
Controls Icon Exit Full Screen

StormySkiesAnchorStarter9

Full Screen
Controls Icon Exit Full Screen

StormySkiesAnchorStarter10

Full Screen
Controls Icon Exit Full Screen

StormySkiesAnchorStarter11

Full Screen
Controls Icon Exit Full Screen

StormySkiesAnchorStarter12

Full Screen
Controls Icon Exit Full Screen

StormySkiesAnchorStarter13

Full Screen
Controls Icon Exit Full Screen

You might be wondering how pieces of ice can fall from the sky when it’s hot out.

It’s okay if you aren’t sure of the right answer yet. Answering this question will be like solving a puzzle—you’ll need to put pieces together.

You’ll learn more and more as you go through each lesson in this unit, and you’re going to use a sheet to record what you’re learning along the way. Don’t worry if you’re unsure or if it isn’t perfect. You’ll update this sheet several times.

Let’s get started! We have an expert here to walk you through it, step by step.

Full Screen
Controls Icon Exit Full Screen

StormySkiesAnchorStarter15

Full Screen
Controls Icon Exit Full Screen

StormySkiesAnchorStarter16

Full Screen
Controls Icon Exit Full Screen

StormySkiesAnchorStarter18

Full Screen
Controls Icon Exit Full Screen

StormySkiesAnchorStarter19

Full Screen
Controls Icon Exit Full Screen

StormySkiesAnchorStarter20

Full Screen
Controls Icon Exit Full Screen

StormySkiesAnchorStarter21

Full Screen
Controls Icon Exit Full Screen

StormySkiesAnchorStarter22

Full Screen
Controls Icon Exit Full Screen

StormySkiesAnchorStarterAct1

Full Screen
Controls Icon Exit Full Screen

StormySkiesAnchorStarterAct2

Full Screen
Controls Icon Exit Full Screen

Full Screen
Controls Icon Exit Full Screen

StormySkiesAnchorStarterAct4

Full Screen
Controls Icon Exit Full Screen

StormySkiesAnchorStarterAct5

Full Screen
Controls Icon Exit Full Screen

StormySkiesAnchorStarterAct6

Full Screen
Controls Icon Exit Full Screen

StormySkiesAnchorStarterAct7

Full Screen
Controls Icon Exit Full Screen

StormySkiesAnchorStarter30

Full Screen
Controls Icon Exit Full Screen

You've completed the introduction to the anchor phenomenon!

Be sure to keep each student's Summer Ice Storm Worksheet accessible. They will add to it after each Mystery.

Teach Mystery 1 next: Where do clouds come from?

Full Screen
Controls Icon Exit Full Screen
🎉 That’s it for this lesson! How did it go?
Sign up now for more great lessons!
Sign up
Full Screen
Controls Icon Exit Full Screen

Image & Video Credits

Mystery Science respects the intellectual property rights of the owners of visual assets. We make every effort to use images and videos under appropriate licenses from the owner or by reaching out to the owner to get explicit permission. If you are the owner of a visual and believe we are using it without permission, please contact us—we will reply promptly and make things right.

Other
All illustrations by Alex Kalomeris
Cars Buried in Hail by Ulises Ruiz/AFP/Getty Images
Guadalajara at Night Photo by Alan Levine
Hail Damaged Car Photo 1 by aydngvn
Hail Damaged Car Photo 2 by mwesselsphotography
Hail Damaged Car Photo 3 by Official
Hail Damaged Car Photo 4 by Christian Delbert
Hail Damaged Cars Illustration by Lorelyn Medina
Hail Flowing in Streets by Weather Events
Hail Hitting Roof by John Neff
Hail in Hand by Rbreidbrown
Hail in Hand 2 by Dan Ross
Hail on the Ground by Noir
Hailstorm Flooding by Sandra Moreno Villasenor
People Walking on Ice by Fernando Carranza/Reuters
People in Guadalajara Photo by Wonderlane
People in Guadalajara Video by MassiveClips
Start of Hailstorm by Dustin Wilcox
Credits

Grade 3

Weather & Climate

Weather System Modeling

3-ESS2-1, 3-ESS2-2, 3-ESS3-1

1025 reviews

Activity Prep

Print Prep
Note: This lesson is part of this unit’s Anchor Layer. If you have the Anchor Layer turned on, we recommend teaching all lessons in the remainder of this unit in order.

The anchor phenomenon for this unit is an icy hailstorm that happens during warm summer weather. In the activity, Summer Ice Storm, students generate observations and questions about the phenomenon and create an initial explanation of how it happened.
Preview activity
Number of students:
See-Think-Wonder worksheet 30 copies
Stormy Skies Teacher Guide teacher-only resource Print 1 copy
Summer Ice Storm worksheet 30 copies
Summer Ice Storm Answer Guide teacher-only resource 1 copy
Summer Ice Storm Hail Protection worksheet
This will not be needed until after Lesson 4. 		15 copies
Prep Instructions

Before starting this lesson, review the unit Teacher Guide for an overview of the Anchor Layer.

In this lesson, students are introduced to the unit anchor phenomenon: an icy hailstorm that happens during warm summer weather. In the activity, they will learn about this phenomenon and attempt to create an initial explanation of how a weather event like this can happen. Students will gather clues during and after each Mystery to help them improve their explanation. It is important to encourage students to recognize that even if they don't know the perfect answer yet, they are going to learn a lot throughout the unit and will have an opportunity to change or add to their first explanation.

Set Up Your Classroom

Set up your classroom by creating a class "See-Think-Wonder" chart (the student version is linked above). We recommend using chart paper, or a space on your board that won't be erased since you will revisit it throughout the unit.

Grade 3

Weather & Climate

Weather System Modeling

3-ESS2-1, 3-ESS2-2, 3-ESS3-1

1025 reviews
Slow internet or video problems?