Weather Anchor Chart Roundup

If you've followed my corner of cyber real estate for long, then you know I LOVE a good anchor chart!  Spring time and a this weather unit are the perfect opportunity to make some fabulous anchor charts with kids that support great learning.

So, here's a look at 12 of my favorite weather anchor charts for the primary classroom!

Print and Write Charts

Anchor charts don't have to take hours to create!  Who has time for that?? Many anchor charts in my room are used for shared research.  That means, I set them up before hand with the titles/headings and then we fill in the facts together as a class.

This day and night chart I just printed out and then recorded each word in a different color.  This is to help when they are using these facts to write.  If I can use a coordinating color, I do.  But it doesn't always work out that way.

Here's another chart that was printed.  I just printed the title and star headings, glued it to my chart paper and was ready to fill in with my kids!

**TIP: Don't want to remake it every year?  Just laminate the chart after you attach the headings and title and before you fill in with kids.  Then, just clean off the filled in part each year and save for your next group of kiddos!**

Illustrated Anchor Charts

Charts that are going to have a lot of text need to be broken up visually for primary students.  A chart with all black letters and no images on it is very overwhelming to read!  

I love this chart for so many reasons.  I used some color coding (blue and red for cause and purple for effect) to help show the key phrases for each word.

The illustrations help break this chart up nicely also!  And, no, I didn't do all of this with the kids.  Before the lesson, I made the Cause and Effect title and that's it.

During the lesson, I added the key words and then as we brainstormed cause and effect examples, I added the words and the arrow outlines with the kids.  I also drew the outlines for some of the pictures...but no coloring or details.

After the lesson, I went back with crayons to color in and add details to the illustrations.

Here's another example of using illustrations with the anchor chart.  Nothing fancy about these illustrations...just enough detail to help my early readers find the words they need to use in their writing!

Using Shapes With Anchor Charts

Visually speaking, shapes are very powerful for anchor charts.  They can help kids quickly find the chart they are looking for on a wall full of anchor charts.  And they can be an additional aid in helping early readers understand the chart.

When we are learning about weather types, we are filing out a new shared research chart almost every day.  So, they need to stand out some way.  And making the chart the shape of the weather type makes this so easy!

I was also thoughtful in the color of paper I used for these charts to help them coordinate! (Note: these are all made from large sized construction paper!)




Student-Made Anchor Charts

My favorite charts to make are the ones kids help me create!  These are charts that we've brainstormed together on and kids added their own clouds or labels to the charts.  Both of these charts are from the first year I made them--so I filled in the clouds and labels and the kids added them because I wanted them to be "perfectly cute."

But in the years after these, I learned it's so much better when the kids get to write their own words for the clouds and labels (or whatever you are using!) I have even had them sign their names to them so they can take ownership of helping with that chart!


You can find TONS of these anchor chart templates and more in this integrated weather unit.  Just print out the templates and fill them in with your class!  Or if you want them to be a larger size, pull the templates up on your projector and trace them onto butcher paper.  Find them here.

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