Ready for action?
Resources
Downloadable Resources
Tangible Resources
Pen, paper, large world map.
Human Resources
Extra adults to facilitate field trip.
Preparation
Arrange trip to Science Museum; prepare paperwork for off-site visit if necessary.
Goals, messages & concepts
Specific goals
- To establish what students already know about weather.
- To understand the difference between weather and climate.
Specific messages
- The seasons affect what weather we experience.
- Weather is different around the world according to the climate.
Main terms
- weather
- climate
- tropical
- temperate
- polar
- satellite
- atmosphere
Practices & skills
STEM practices
- Obtaining, evaluating, and communicating information
- Asking questions and defining problems
Soft skills
- Teamwork and collaboration
Management skills
-Course of activity
step 1
This Learning Unit is a knowledge harvesting activity. Students will firstly be asked what vocabulary they already know. They will then create a map of ideas with their partner, before feeding back to the rest of the class. Students will compare their ideas and discuss which are similar/different.
step 2
Students will then look at what climate is and how it’s related to weather. They will learn the names of different climates across the world and discuss why they are different. After the discussion, students will create a map showing the different climates of the world with a key. They will locate the home country, the UK on the map and discuss its climate (temperate).
step 3
Students will take a trip to the Science Museum and do hands-on research about the weather in this country. They will learn about the use of satellites, and visit the Atmosphere gallery to learn about climate history, what will happen to our climate in the future, and ideas for living a low-carbon life.