What is the difference between weather and climate? This is the focus question of a lesson that takes a deeper look at how weather data helps determine climate in a region. Using weather and climate cards, students decide if a statement is weather or climate based. A truly hands-on experience for young meteorologists to begin to understand how climate and weather differ from each other.

Concepts

climate change, climate regions, climates, weather data, weather patterns, thermometers

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Additional Tags

science

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Instructional Ideas

• Use in conjunction with the other lessons in the unit, or use by itself in a study of climate change and weather
• Reserve time in the library, or flip the lesson and have learners do some of the research with the provided website for homework

Classroom Considerations

• Class members should know how to multiply fractions if they are completing the activity independently
• Requires Internet access for exploring the data websites
• Lesson is part of a collection of five that is also included in a series of units for fifth and sixth graders on climate change
• Each individual needs a thermometer

Pros

• Discover the difference between climate and weather
• The 16-page packet comes with a detailed plan, activities, worksheets, a list of web sources, and an answer key

Cons

• None

Common Core

RST.6-8.3 RST.6-8.7