Starter quiz
- Which of these is not a word we use to describe the weather?
- wind
- rain
- temperature
- snow
- weather vane ✓
-
- What does the temperature tell us?
- how high something is
- how windy something is
- how warm or cool something is ✓
- how wet something is
-
- In the UK, why do we get more hours of sunshine in the summer than in the winter?
- We have our holidays in the summer.
- It's hotter in the summer.
- Summer days are longer than winter days. ✓
- Winter is colder.
-
- Name the four seasons in order starting with spring
- 'spring, summer, autumn, winter' ✓
- From the UK, in which direction is the North Pole?
- west
- north ✓
- east
- west
-
- From the UK, in which direction is the Equator?
- north
- east
- south ✓
- west
-
Exit quiz
- If there is a south wind it means ...?
- the wind is moving towards the south
- the wind is blowing from the south ✓
- the wind is moving east
- the wind is moving north
-
- Can you match these weather and climate descriptions?
- climate is⇔measured over a long time - usually more than 30 years! ✓
- weather is⇔a snapshot of day to day conditions ✓
- temperature is⇔the degree of hotness or coldness of a place ✓
- a meteorologist⇔investigates weather and climate and makes predictions ✓
- Match the best activity to suit the weather conditions
- sunny and warm⇔swimming in the sea ✓
- snowy⇔skiing ✓
- wet and windy⇔cinema ✓
- sunny and breezy⇔flying a kite ✓
- Which of these does a meteorologist do? Choose all the ones that fit.
- measure rainfall and snow ✓
- work in a shop
- measure wind speed and direction ✓
- count the number of cars on a road
- study weather and climate ✓
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- Where would be a good place to watch birds where wildlife is protected?
- 'a nature reserve' ✓
- On an OS map, what is the symbol for a nature reserve?
- 'a bird' ✓
Worksheet
Presentation
Video
Lesson Details
Key learning points
- A long-term pattern of weather is called climate and this can vary within the UK.
- The climate of the UK shows the south-east and some parts of the south-west, get most sunshine.
- The climate of the UK shows the north-west and mountainous areas get the least sunshine.
- A meteorologist is someone who investigates and measures weather and climate, and makes predictions.
Common misconception
As pupils first encounter the idea of climate they confuse it with weather.
Keep offering different examples and talk about weather being a snapshot of a moment in time but climate is a long-term trend of weather.
Keywords
Average - An average is found by adding two or more numbers together and then dividing the total by the number of numbers added together.
Climate - Climate is an average of weather conditions (e.g. rain, sun, wind) in a place taken over a long period of time (usually 30 years or more).
Temperature - Temperature is the degree of hotness or coldness of a place.
Meteorologist - A meteorologist is someone who investigates and measures the atmospheric conditions that cause weather, and makes predictions.
Weather - The weather of a place is the day to day condition of the atmosphere, e.g. sunny, snowing, warm etc.