DE Science Elementary “5-Minute Prep” For Weather and Climate Extreme Weather and Climate About Climate
About Climate – The Big Ideas Climate is the average weather at a location over a period of years. Climate includes seasonal temperatures, winds, and average annual precipitation. Movement of water in the water cycle affects climate. Latitude and proximity to large bodies of water or mountains affect climate.
About Climate – Prior Knowledge Students probably will come with a good background knowledge about weather, but not climate. They may confuse the two terms. It would be helpful if students viewed the FUN- damental Under the Weather before beginning this unit. In addition, it would help students if they:Under the Weather –Have lived or visited places with different climates. –Know some things that may affect climate. –Are familiar with terms like precipitation, temperature, and water cycle.
About Climate – Common Misconceptions There is only one season in the polar climate. –Reality: The polar regions experience a dramatic change in season and in daylight from summer to winter. Climate and weather are the same thing. –Reality: The difference between weather and climate is a measure of time. Weather is what conditions of the atmosphere are over a short period of time, and climate is how the atmosphere "behaves" over relatively long periods of time.
About Climate – Using DE Science Content When you close this presentation, you can review the following recommended resources for Climate. Exploration: About Climate Reading Passage: Earth’s Changing Climate E Book: Factors that Affect Climate Video: Climate Use the PowerPoint version of this presentation for hyperlinks to these resources or you can get to them through the browser or search feature.
About Climate – Instructional Ideas Using the Exploration, students will see factors that affect climate. First, students will be able to make connections between latitude and climate. Then, students will see that living near the ocean can also affect the climate. Finally, students will see that the altitude affects climate as they drag a slider up a mountain and watch the climate change. As students watch the video called Climate they will hear about five different climates; temperate, subtropical, desert, polar, and highland. Give students numbers from 1 to 5 and make a group for each of these climates. Students can research these climates, give examples of locations throughout the world that have these climates, and perhaps even make a model of what this climate might look like.
State standards: If you wish to review your state standards about Climate, click here to get to the curriculum standards search feature of DES. You can click on any standard to see what resources are available to teach it. Additional Information: For additional content, check the Extend section within the concept.