Topic: What is the weather and what is the climate?

Author: Joanna Borgensztajn

Target group

Students of the 5th grade of an elementary school

Core curriculum

5th grade

II. Skills and use of knowledge in practice.

1. Making observations and measurements in the field, analysing the data obtained and formulating conclusions based on it.

2. Using plans, maps, photographs, drawings, diagrams, statistical data, source texts and information and communication technologies to collect, process and present geographic information.

The general aim of education

The students discuss weather components and climate components, and explain how the climate is determined.

Criteria of success

• You will name weather components and climate components;

• explain the main difference between weather and climate;

• name examples of devices used to measure weather components;

• observe the cloudiness.

Key competences

• communication in the mother tongue;

• communication in a foreign language;

• digital competence;

• learning to learn;

• social and civic competences.

Methods / techniques

Work with text and with multimedia, conversation, discussion.

Individual work and work in groups.

Teaching aids

• abstract;

• e‑textbook;

• interactive or traditional board;

• tablets/computers.

Before lesson

Before the classes, the teacher instructs the students to read the abstract entitled „What is the weather, and what is the climate?”.

Lesson plan overview (Process)

Introduction

1. The teacher defines the lesson’s goal and success criteria, and informs the students about the planned course of classes.

2. The teacher writes the topic of the lesson on a traditional board or an interactive whiteboard. The students write it in their notebooks.

Realization

1. The students independently do an interactive exercise, checking knowledge gained at home. Their task is to supplement the gaps in the text, summarizing the most important issues regarding weather and climate. The teacher checks how the students deal with the exercise and helps those who have difficulties with it.

2. The students explain why weather stations measure the temperature at a height of 2 m above the ground, at the ground and in the soil. The teacher corrects the answers.

3. The students name weather components and climate components; The differences between them are the subject to a discussion.

4. The teacher presents the multimedia material, introducing students to the issue of taking measurements of individual weather components in a meteorological station. Then, the students name the equipment used for this purpose.

5. The teacher discusses the cloudiness observation method, talking about the specific points of the instructions described in the abstract in detail.

6. The teacher proposes the students to become familiar with the cloud atlas in the e‑textbook on http://www.epodreczniki.pl/reader/c/148602/v/latest/t/student‑canon/m/iV9fie2VPX#iV9fie2VPX_d5e239(gallery No. 2).

7. Volunteers or students indicated by the teacher determine the type of visible clouds. The teacher corrects any wrong answers and gives the students detailed instructions to allow them to identify different kinds of clouds on their own.

Summary

The teacher summarizes the lesson relating it to the intended purpose and criteria for success. The students ask questions and complete the notes.

Homework

The students observe the cloudy sky for a few days, according to the instructions described in the abstract.

The following terms and recordings will be used during this lesson

Terms

Texts and recordings

How do we describe weather and climate?

If, during the coming year, air temperature at a certain night drops to -38°C, it will not necessarily mean another ice age begins. On the other hand, if air temperature on a certain day rises to 38°C, it will not indicate predicted climate warming. Now, what is climate?

How do we describe weather and climate?

Weather is the state of atmosphere in a certain place and time, determined by its components.
These include the following:

• air temperature;

• atmospheric pressure;

• humidity;

• precipitation;

• wind velocity and direction;

• cloudiness;

• sun radiation intensity;

• atmospheric phenomena.

Climate, though, is a set of atmospheric phenomena and processes (in other words, weather conditions), typical for a certain region, being formed under an influence of physical and geographical properties of this region, determined through many years of observations and meteorological measurements, spanning no less than 30 years. It is depicted by climate components which are identical with weather components but observed in a longer time perspective. For example, these may include:

• average annual or monthly air temperature;

• average annual or monthly layout of atmospheric pressure;

• air humidity distribution (annual, monthly);

• annual or monthly cloudiness;

• average total yearly precipitation;

• average number of days with precipitation/mist/storm etc. per year;

• average annual or seasonal wind arrangement.

Climate is determined through many years of regular measurements and observations of weather components. In Poland, such actions are performed at meteorological stations. Observation dates and intervals vary, depending on station type. At synoptic stations (operating for the purpose of weather forecasting), measurements are made every hour, at climatologic stations, three times per day: at 7am, 1pm, and 7pm CET. At some stations, there are also permanent all‑day measurements being performed, using electronic instruments, including automatic gauges. Air temperature and soil temperature is measured by a few different thermometers, however, less accurate but constant temperature measurement is provided by a thermograph. Atmospheric pressure is measured by a barometer or an automatic barograph. Air humidity is measured by a hygrometer or a hygrograph. Apart from that, pluviometers (rain gauges), anemometers and heliographs (indicating sunshine duration) are used. Cloudiness rate and special meteorological phenomena (storm, rainbow etc.) are being observed by station personnel.

• In order to determine weather, suitable observations and measurements are required: air temperature, atmospheric pressure, humidity, precipitation volume, wind velocity and direction, cloudiness, intensity of sun radiation, and atmospheric phenomena.

• Long‑lasting and regular measurements of weather components allow to determine local climate.