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Climate

Supporting

Climate

TEKS Objective

The student is expected to differentiate between weather and climate.


Essential Understanding

The student knows that there are recognizable patterns in the natural world and among the Sun, Earth, and Moon system.

Science Background

Air, Climate and Weather: Environmental Literacy Council (website) - Information about the layers of Earth’s atmosphere and their role in the weather and climate on our planet’s surface.

Air, Climate and Weather
Environmental Literacy Council, www.enviroliteracy.org

Weather Wiz Kids (website) - Site especially for kids to help them learn more about the science behind different kinds of weather.

Weather Wiz Kids
www.weatherwizkids.com

Weather: National Geographic (website) - Short explanation of weather and weather forecasting.

National Geographic
Weather, www.science.nationalgeographic.com

Weather Words: Weather Wiz Kids (website) - More than 150 weather-related words and definitions.

Weather Words
Weather Wiz Kids, www.weatherwizkids.com

National Weather Service: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (website) - Provides weather information at the local, state and national levels, including warnings and forecasts.

National Weather Service
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, www.weather.gov

Signature Lesson

People and Climate: BioEd Online (website) - Students investigate how climate influences people's clothing, homes and lifestyles in different parts of the world.

People and Climate
BioEd Online, www.bioedonline.org

Supporting Lessons

What’s the Difference Between Weather and Climate? Colorado State University (PDF) - Demonstration experiment that illustrates the difference between unpredictable fluctuations in weather and the long-term, predictable averages of climate.

What’s the Difference Between Weather and Climate?
Little Shop of Physics, Colorado State University, www.littleshop.physics.colostate.edu

Weather Complaints: National Geographic Xpeditions (website) - Students examine the climate in their local region, and consider the general complaints that people make about weather.

Weather Complaints
National Geographic Xpeditions, www.nationalgeographic.com/xpeditions

Elaboration Lessons and Extensions

Teaching Climate Graphs: Juicy Geography (website) - Interactive activity that teaches students to read and interpret climate graphs.

Teaching Climate Graphs
Juicy Geography, www.juicygeography.co.uk

Weather Walks: Utah Education Network (website) - Students learn about weather with guided activities while taking walks in various types of weather conditions.

Weather Walks
Utah Education Network, www.uen.org

Assessment Ideas

Weather and Climate, What's the Difference? Michigan Sea Grant (PDF) - After studying the characteristics of weather and climate, students can complete the "Weather and Climate Quiz" located on page one.

Weather and Climate, What's the Difference?
Michigan Sea Grant, www.miseagrant.umich.edu

Literature Connections

Weather & Climate: The People Behind the Science. Cullen, Katherine (ISBN: 0816054665)

The Weather Book: An Easy-to-Understand Guide to the USA’s Weather. Williams, Jack (ISBN: 0-679-77665-6)

Global Warming: The Threat of Earth’s Changing Climate. Pringle, Lawrence (ISBN: 1-587-17009-4)

El Niño: Stormy Weather for People and Wildlife. Arnold, Caroline (ISBN: 0-618-55110-7)

Related Science TEKS

(5.8B) Water Cycle
The student is expected to explain how the sun and the ocean interact in the water cycle.

Related Math TEKS

5.11A  The student is expected to solve problems involving changes in temperature.

5.12B   The student is expected to use experimental results to make predictions.

5.14A  The student is expected to identify the mathematics in everyday situations.

5.14D  The student is expected to use tools such as real objects, manipulatives, and technology to solve problems.

5.16A  The student is expected to make generalizations from patterns or sets of examples and nonexamples.

Additional Resources

Weather: NOAA Education (website) - General weather-related materials and resources for use in the classroom.

Weather
NOAA Education, www.education.noaa.gov

How to Make an Anemometer: Southeast Regional Climate Center (PDF) - Easy, clear instructions for making an anemometer.

How to Make an Anemometer
Southeast Regional Climate Center, www.sercc.com

Ocean’s Effect on Weather and Climate: The NSTA Learning Center (website) - Register online to download the complete PDF guide, focusing on weather and climate, the water cycle and the importance of solar energy.

Ocean’s Effect on Weather and Climate
The NSTA Learning Center, www.learningcenter.nsta.org

Weather: About.com (website) - Interactive gallery of weather map symbols.

Weather
About.com

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