Mapping to MN State Standards
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The resources on this page have been selected by eLibraryMN and Minnesota Digital Library librarians and curators to support the MN English Language Arts and the Social Studies standards, both current and pending, specifically related to weather topics, that are relevant to students. Resources in eLibraryMN and EbooksMN have unlimited simultaneous user access and are freely available to anyone geolocated in Minnesota. The primary source resources detailed are available to all, regardless of location.
Please reach out with questions or suggestions about linking to, using, or sharing these resources.
Academic Research
Below is a collection of available topic overviews that link to many related articles and resources within ELM.
Britannica Overview of weather
Review this entry from Britannica to introduce students to the concepts that cause the weather to change. A perfect introduction to the topic.
EBSCO Explora Primary articles and ebooks about weather
This collection of articles and ebooks will help students to dive deeper into specific weather events.
EBSCO Explora features many ebooks that students can use all at once in a web browser. While the option to download the book to read offline is available, the whole class can read EBSCO ebooks at the same time without downloading. Below are some of the ebooks available:
Ebooks
This is a curated group of fiction and nonfiction ebooks, Grade Interest Level K-8. All titles are available to students geolocated in MN without login. Linking directly to chapters is also possible. To link directly to the titles and share in your LMS or libguides, copy the link to the title(s) you want from our persistent link spreadsheet (if you are not accessing through the MackinVia app). Reach out to us with questions about linking.
Changing Weather
Explores the changing weather through text-free photographs. Includes a picture glossary.
How Do Tornadoes Form? and other questions kids have about weather
Poses questions and provides informative answers about weather topics, including tornadoes, clouds, rainbows, and rain. Includes color illustrations, a glossary, and an index.
Presents a variety of infographics highlighting comparisons and ratios dealing with the weather, such as where the hottest place on Earth is and where hurricanes strike the most often.
Unforgettable Natural Disasters
Discusses a variety of different natural disasters that occur on the Earth, such as earthquakes, fires, tornadoes, and tsunamis.
Primary Sources
Resources below are recommended by MDL curators from partners in primary source history.
The local Weather Bureau recorded daily temperatures for White Bear Lake in January 1894.
A Duluth streetcar and four uniformed motormen were pictured in deep snow after a storm.
Ice storms can be worse than snowstorms, as seen in this photo of ice-coated trees and wires.
A springtime flood in Stillwater washed out North Fourth Street and collapsed buildings.
A lucky photographer caught this lightning strike during a Baudette storm. Lightning can be dramatic but also very destructive.
Helen Fillebrown sent this telegram describing the aftermath of a tornado in White Bear Lake.
This summary includes notes about families suffering after a hail storm destroyed their crops in Chippewa County.
A tornado struck St. Peter in March 1998 and caused extensive damage to several buildings.
Primary Source Set: Natural Disasters
Learn how people survived and coped with some of Minnesota's historic natural disasters.
Primary Source Set: Mayo Clinic
Learn how the Mayo Clinic formed following a devastating tornado in Rochester.
Exhibit: Fires of 1918
Learn about the causes and effects of the worst natural disaster in Minnesota history.
Interlibrary Loan/Resource Sharing
For in depth research into these topics, sometimes you need to request materials from other libraries. These can be digital or they can sometimes be printed books. There are two main options for requesting these materials. One, MNLINK, allows you to search all Minnesota libraries for the requires the use of a public library card and PIN. While many educators use their own library card to help students, it is recommended that students use their own. However, this is not always possible, so there is a second option: Minitex Resource sharing for schools. This allows one staff member per school to request items on behalf of students and have the items sent directly to the school building. If you have questions about which option is better for you and your students, reach out to us and we can help.