CLIMATE AND WEATHER UNIT
Introduction:
1.What are climate and weather and how do they affect our lives?
Students to brainstorm definition of each:
Weather – the day to day differences in precipitation (All forms of moisture from the
sky- rain, hail, sleet, snow, fog, drizzle), cloud cover, temperature, wind, air pressure and
humidity.
Climate – seasonal changes in the weather e.g. hot summers, cool winters, rainy seasons
etc. This is based on averages and trends.
2. How do weather and climate affect our lives?
Working in pairs students can create concept maps to outline the effects of weather and
climate on our lives.
3. How are the various components that make up our weather measured?
Students to paste the various weather instruments into their books, then take notes on
how each is measured. Note students can draw their own circle to show shading for level
of cloud cover. We will not go into detail on different types of clouds.
Notes:
Temperature is measured with a thermometer and recorded in degrees Celsius or degrees
Fahrenheit.
Rainfall is measured by a rain gauge and recorded in millimetres or inches.
Cloud cover is shown by partially or fully shading in a circle depending on a visual
estimation.
Wind is measured by an anemometer and recorded in kms or miles per hour. (Wind can
also be measured in knots – a knot is about 1.85kms per hour; this term is often used in
sailing). Wind direction is based on the direction from which the air blows, so a
northerly wind blows from the north.
Air pressure is measured by a barometer and it is recorded in millibars or hectopascals. A
hectopascal is the same as a millibar. Changes in air pressure indicate changes in our day
to day weather.
Humidity is measured by n hygrometer (wet and dry bulb thermometer). The amount of
moisture in the air is calculated from the difference in temperature recorded by each
thermometer.
CLIMATIC GRAPHS
Resources:
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Temperature and precipitation data for selected places.
Climatic graphs instructions
Excel climatic graphs instructions
Interpretation of climatic graphs table
Graph paper
World map outline
Atlases
Rubric
1. Students are to construct climatic graphs for each of the places, using the
precipitation and temperature data handout. Some of the graphs should be drawn
by hand and others using Excel. Use a scale of 1cm=2 degrees and 1cm=50mm.
2. For the hand drawn graphs two will fit on one page of graph paper.
3. Students to complete the Interpretation of Climatic Graphs sheet.
4. Look at graphs: Take notes on whiteboard for each place.
eg. Alice Springs
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 mild winter
 hot summer
 low rainfall throughout year
 most rainfall over summer/autumn
Using their atlases students to locate the selected city and country on the world
map – shade on map.
Add notes on board to map.
Look for: Tropical areas, Temperate areas etc.
Students can then draw inferences on the ‘climate’ in each area of the world.
Note: These graphs and world map could be completed in pairs but it is important that
each student can construct one graph by hand and one using Excel.