Weather and Climate: Teaching Ideas
Visual Learning
Weather and climate is a topic where graphs and tables are in usually found in abundance. Comparing the climates around the world is much easier by combining temperatures, precipitation, wind speed, cloud cover and pressure information on graphs or tables. It is a good idea to pick cities with clear differences in their climate for the students to compare similarities and differences around the globe. Diagrams tend to be the most effective way of teaching students about the structure of weather systems and the stages they go through. Images help pupils to visualise where the hot and cold air masses are in each system and how the gradually move. The form of a hurricane is also best presented with images or videos. What symbols used in weather forecasts and maps mean can be explained verbally but they can only be understood by observing what they should look like, seeing where they should be on a map and considering how they are labelled. Pupils also need to be able to draw jet streams, the range of the ITCZ, and the equator on a map. If the students have their own copy and hang it on their wall or make one for the classroom wall, it is more likely they will look at it and remember it. |
The picture above is an image taken from the following website: http://irvinggfm.deviantart.com/art/The-Four-Seasons-Vivaldi-291465048
|
Written work
Diagrams are fairly complicated in this topic therefore written step by step descriptions of processes to match the visual aids are highly useful.
A good opportunity for more interactive work is when the students are learning about the weather and climate of the UK. Pupils could be asked to keep a weather journal about the temperature, the clouds, the wind, and the precipitation for a week or so. Afterwards students could draw up a graph in class and consider what patterns their journal shows them. Students can follow this up by thinking about what weather systems have similar weather conditions to their results. You could then show the MET office's data for the weather over the last week and reveal the answers about what weather system has been active over the UK and what signs to have looked for etc.
Diagrams are fairly complicated in this topic therefore written step by step descriptions of processes to match the visual aids are highly useful.
A good opportunity for more interactive work is when the students are learning about the weather and climate of the UK. Pupils could be asked to keep a weather journal about the temperature, the clouds, the wind, and the precipitation for a week or so. Afterwards students could draw up a graph in class and consider what patterns their journal shows them. Students can follow this up by thinking about what weather systems have similar weather conditions to their results. You could then show the MET office's data for the weather over the last week and reveal the answers about what weather system has been active over the UK and what signs to have looked for etc.
Group work
To make learning case studies more fun you could ask the students to design a short board game based upon the monsoons, droughts or hurricanes. If you'd prefer you could tell students the board game must have four zones based in different seasons or different countries to ensure they include a variety of weather knowledge. Students could work in small groups and create spaces relating to facts in case studies for example:
To make learning case studies more fun you could ask the students to design a short board game based upon the monsoons, droughts or hurricanes. If you'd prefer you could tell students the board game must have four zones based in different seasons or different countries to ensure they include a variety of weather knowledge. Students could work in small groups and create spaces relating to facts in case studies for example:
- Hurricane Katrina has destroyed the levee defences in Louisiana and your house has been flooded. Move forward to spaces and find space to live in the refugee camp.
- Some of the bridges in Bangladesh have been washed away by the Monsoon, turn back five spaces and find another path
Please click 'Next' to go to the fifth 'Weather and Climate' page.