Whatever the Weather Teachers’ Pack
Introduction
Whatever the Weather is an exhibition that tells the story of weather: how it works; its effects
on the natural world; and how people through history have recorded, and dealt with, our
weather. It also looks at climate change and what we can do to prevent it from damaging our
planet further.
This free exhibition is at Croydon Clocktower from Saturday 29 September to Saturday 22
December 2007. Opening times are Monday to Saturday, 11am – 5pm.
Whatever The Weather was developed by Sheffield Galleries and Museums Trust in
collaboration with the Museum of Croydon and Tyne and Wear Museums.
This accompanying teachers’ pack will give you information about the exhibition at Croydon
Clocktower, some additional ideas for work back in school and links to find out more.
Contents:
Pages 2 – 3
Experiment with Weather
Allow your class to experience how weather works with these simple experiments.
Pages 4 – 5
Observing and Understanding the Weather Through History
What are some legends and folk beliefs surrounding the weather from the UK and around the
world? What are almanacs?
Pages 6 – 8
The Weather Today
This section looks at the history of modern meteorology, and meteorological records in the
UK. What do meteorologists study, and what instruments do they use? How can you observe
the weather?
Pages 9 – 10
Amazing Weather
Amazing images of extreme weather in Croydon which can be used for a variety of different
classroom activities.
Pages 11 – 12
Climate Change
How you can measure climate change and what you can do about it.
Page 13
National Curriculum Links
Pages 14 – 15
Organising your visit
Page 16
Additional Activities at the Museum of Croydon
Pages 17 – 18
Find out more
Whatever the Weather Exhibition: Teachers’ Pack
Page 2 of 18
Experiment with Weather
Lightning
You will need: a large mirror, a dark room, nylon stockings, a wool jumper and a silk scarf
What to do:
1. Stand in a dark room in front of the mirror.
2. Rub the nylon stockings together. What do you see?
3. Do the same with the wool jumper and the silk scarf
What happens:
Tiny sparks of static electricity fly back and forth between the two sides of the fabric. When
you rub the fabric together, electrons (tiny particles) build up in one place. When there are
lots in the same place, some jump off and give off a static charge. This is when you see the
spark.
On hot and humid days, warm, wet air moves upwards very quickly. It forms clouds and the
temperature inside the clouds falls. This fast-moving air causes an electric charge to build up
inside the cloud until the cloud can no longer hold it. The electricity discharges and causes
the lightning flash.
Thunder
You will need: a small paper bag and a hard surface
What to do:
1. Blow into the paper bag and close tightly to trap the air inside.
2. Smash the bottom of the bag against a hard surface, without letting go of the bag.
What happens:
Air rushing out of the bag makes a loud noise. The same thing happens with thunder. Air
rushes out of clouds after being heated by lightning. This causes the booming sound.
Wind
You will need: a pencil and paper, scissors, a drawing pin, thread, a coat hanger or piece of
dowelling and a lamp.
What to do:
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Whatever the Weather Exhibition: Teachers’ Pack
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1. Draw a spiral on the piece of paper and cut it out carefully—it should look like a long
snake.
2. Use the drawing pin to poke a small hole in the middle of the spiral
and thread the thread through this hole. Tie a knot in the end
to hold it together.
3. Attach the other end to a coat hanger or dowelling and let it hang from this.
4. Hold the spiral above the lamp.
What happens:
As warm air moves upwards from the lamp it pushes against the underside of the spiral and
makes it spin.
In nature, as warm air rises the air pressure underneath it falls and cooler air nearby moves in
to take its place. This sideways moving air is wind.
Clouds
You will need: a large glass jar, a metal sieve, some hot water and some ice cubes
What to do:
1. Fill the jar with hot water and leave for 2 minutes. Then pour out most of the water,
leaving an inch or two in the bottom.
2. Put the sieve over the mouth of the jar and fill with ice cubes.
What happens:
The hot water at the bottom of the jar turns to vapour. This vapour rises and bumps into the
cold air coming off the ice cubes. The vapour condenses and turns into a cloud.
In nature, hot air rises and carries with it lots of water vapour. The higher the air rises, the
more it cools down. Soon the cold air can’t hold all the water vapour so it condenses, or turns
into tiny water droplets which form a cloud.
_________________________________________________________________________________________
Museum of Croydon, Museum Education Service
Room G9, Croydon Clocktower, Katharine Street, Croydon, CR9 1ET
Tel: 020 8253 1023 | Email: museumeducation@croydon.gov.uk | Web: www.museumofcroydon.com
Whatever the Weather Exhibition: Teachers’ Pack
Page 4 of 18
Observing and Understanding Weather Through History
Weather Legends
Weather legends and folklore exist in most cultures around the world. This is no surprise,
because weather has always had a great effect on how people live. Weather determines
whether it is warm or cool enough to live comfortably. If there is too much or not enough
rainfall, crops can fail. Sudden storms can damage homes and buildings. Storms at sea can
cause sailors’ boats to capsize.
Long before people could measure the weather scientifically, they told stories to explain the
weather. These range from explanatory myths (ex: the Ancient Greeks believed that lightning
bolts were thrown by the god Zeus) to sailors’ proverbs such as “There is no wind that blows
right for the sailor who doesn't know where the harbour is.” Norwegian Proverb
In the Whatever the Weather exhibition, there are examples of African whistles used to
summon the wind, paintings of a Japanese harvest festival and good luck charms used by
British sailors to protect against storms.
The stories, festivals and folk beliefs surrounding the weather vary between cultures, and are
partly determined by a culture’s surrounding climate. Ask your class to imagine they live in a
country where the climate is:




Hot and dry
Alternates between a dry season and a season of flooding
Very cold and dark most of the day in winter; warmer and light most of the day in
summer
Often so hot that there is a constant threat of drought
For each of these climates, what sort of weather would people welcome? Which types of
weather would they need to protect themselves against?
Choose one of these climates, and then choose a culture that this climate had an effect on.
(example: ancient Egyptians and the flooding of the Nile) Research this culture’s weatherrelated festivals and events.
Sailors’ Superstitions and Weather Lore
There are several superstitions about the weather that seem to be true. While they are not
scientifically tested, they seem to be supported by repeated observation (like the almanacs
below).
Wikipedia has some good examples of weather lore that seem to be true, including the
proverb, “Red sky at night, shepherd’s delight. Red sky in the morning, shepherds take
warning”. This page also explains the science behind why they seem to be true:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Weather_lore#The_accuracy_of_weather_lore
_________________________________________________________________________________________
Museum of Croydon, Museum Education Service
Room G9, Croydon Clocktower, Katharine Street, Croydon, CR9 1ET
Tel: 020 8253 1023 | Email: museumeducation@croydon.gov.uk | Web: www.museumofcroydon.com
Whatever the Weather Exhibition: Teachers’ Pack
Page 5 of 18
There are also some other proverbs about animal behaviour and weather,
and the science behind them, explained on this American website:
http://vathena.arc.nasa.gov/curric/weather/hsweathr/solutions.html
What other proverbs about the weather have you heard? How can you test them to find out
whether they are true?
Almanacs
Long before the Met Office recorded weather in the United Kingdom, observers kept records
called almanacs. Almanacs were used to record everything from weather, clouds, times of
sunup and sundown, measurement of tides, and the positions of planets and stars in the sky.
In the 2nd century, the Alexandrian astronomer Ptolemy kept an almanac of the stars and
constellations observed in the night sky, as a means to predict seasonal changes in the
weather.
In the United Kingdom, almanacs were often kept by farmers who used their observations of
the weather to predict upcoming weather, and plant their crops accordingly.
What to do:
o For a week, ask each student to keep his or her own almanac. They should record
their observations about the weather. Some example observations are:
o What times did the sun rise and set?
o Was there any rain or snow? How much?
o What were the clouds like?
o How windy was it?
o When they have finished recording a week’s weather in their almanacs, ask pupils if
they noticed any patterns in their observations. (Example: that the days got
longer/shorter, that certain kinds of clouds appeared when it was going to rain, etc.)
o Can they make any predictions for the future? Do they need to make more
observations?
o Compare the almanacs of different students to each other and to weather records
found on the met office website. Discuss the differences between the observations.
_________________________________________________________________________________________
Museum of Croydon, Museum Education Service
Room G9, Croydon Clocktower, Katharine Street, Croydon, CR9 1ET
Tel: 020 8253 1023 | Email: museumeducation@croydon.gov.uk | Web: www.museumofcroydon.com
Whatever the Weather Exhibition: Teachers’ Pack
Page 6 of 18
The Weather Today
The Met Office
The Met Office (short for Meteorological office) is The United Kingdom’s national weather
service. It is one of the world’s leading sources for global and UK-based weather forecasting
and environmental disaster emergency warnings. The Met Office uses satellite information
and supercomputers to create some of the most advanced weather predictions in the world.
In 1854, the Met Office was created by Vice-Admiral Robert Fitzroy (a Croydon resident) to
provide information on marine currents and conditions at sea, before it grew into its present
role. The Met office still delivers the shipping forecast on Radio 4 each day.
You can find all kinds of up to date weather forecasts and images on the Met Office website,
as well as information about all of the instruments and technologies used to forecast the
weather:
http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/research/index.html
Here are some weather measuring devices you can build and experiment with at home.
James Glaisher and the Glaisher Stand
James Glaisher was one of Britain’s earliest meteorologists. He lived in Croydon, and in 1850
founded the meteorological society. He was a keen balloonist, who observed the atmosphere
at sometimes dangerous heights.
Glaisher also invented devices to help record more accurate information about the weather.
One of Glaisher’s inventions was the Glaisher Stand. This was a shield to protect
thermometers and other weather-measuring instruments from sunlight and other influences
that could give an inaccurate reading.
You can build a similar screen for thermometers, and test it.
You will need:
o Three identical upright thermometers
o Two bright anglepoise lamps
o Thick cardboard
o Tape
What to do:
1. Make a box out of the cardboard that can cover one of the thermometers. Tape the
edges together.
2. At the start of the experiment, record the temperature on all three thermometers.
_________________________________________________________________________________________
Museum of Croydon, Museum Education Service
Room G9, Croydon Clocktower, Katharine Street, Croydon, CR9 1ET
Tel: 020 8253 1023 | Email: museumeducation@croydon.gov.uk | Web: www.museumofcroydon.com
Whatever the Weather Exhibition: Teachers’ Pack
Page 7 of 18
3. Cover one thermometer with your box (your “Glaisher stand”) and leave the other two
exposed.
4. Shine one lamp very closely over one of the thermometers.
Shine the other lamp as closely on the thermometer in the box.
Use the third thermometer as a control to measure ambient temperature
in the room.
5. After ten minutes, record the temperature on all three thermometers.
6. Which thermometer does the thermometer that was in the box read closest to?
Build a Barometer
Barometers measure atmospheric pressure. Areas of high atmospheric pressure move to
areas of low pressure. When atmospheric pressure is low or falling, this generally means that
rain or cloudy weather is coming soon.
You can make your own barometer to measure whether air pressure is rising or falling. You
can use this to make predictions about the weather.
You will need:
o An empty tin
o A large balloon
o A rubber band that will fit snugly around the tin
o A toothpick
o Glue
o A drinking straw
What to do:
1. Blow up the balloon, let it sit for a few hours, and then pop it. This will stretch it out.
2. Cut a section of the balloon out that is big enough to cover the top of the tin.
3. Stretch the piece of balloon over the lid of the tin.
4. Secure the piece of balloon with a rubber band. Make sure that the seal is tight.
5. Glue the toothpick to one of the straw.
6. Glue the other end of the straw to the middle of the tin, so the straw is pointing out.
7. Place your barometer on the floor.
8. On the wall next to the toothpick side of the barometer, tape piece of paper with evenly
spaced marks with “high” on the top and “low” on the bottom.
_________________________________________________________________________________________
Museum of Croydon, Museum Education Service
Room G9, Croydon Clocktower, Katharine Street, Croydon, CR9 1ET
Tel: 020 8253 1023 | Email: museumeducation@croydon.gov.uk | Web: www.museumofcroydon.com
Whatever the Weather Exhibition: Teachers’ Pack
Page 8 of 18
9. Measure the air pressure each day, and make a mark on the paper
where the toothpick points.
When air pressure is high, it presses down more on the balloon. This causes the straw and
the toothpick to rise and measure a higher reading.
When air pressure is low, it exerts less pressure on the balloon, so the straw
and toothpick should be level or drooping down, if the air pressure in the atmosphere
is lower than that of the tin.
Measure where your barometer is pointing each day, and keep a log of the weather. Does
your barometer indicate low pressure when it is rainy?
Measure Rainfall
Have you ever wondered how much rain is falling during a rainstorm?
You can build a rain gauge to measure the amount of rain that falls.
You will need:
o A glass with straight sides (can be plastic)
o Masking tape (or other tape you can write on)
o Permanent marker that won’t run
o Ruler
What to do:
1. Tape a strip of masking tape along one side of the rain gauge.
2. Using your ruler and permanent marker, mark off the height in centimetres on the tape.
3. When it starts to rain, leave your rain gauge outside, in a place where it will fill with rain
(not under a roof ledge)
4. Dig a 5-cm hole in the ground and plant the bottom of your rain gauge there. (This is to
keep it from tipping over as rain storms are often quite windy)
5. You can also put rocks, bricks or other weights around the base to make sure it stays
upright.
6. When the rain stops, go outside and measure how much rain has fallen.
_________________________________________________________________________________________
Museum of Croydon, Museum Education Service
Room G9, Croydon Clocktower, Katharine Street, Croydon, CR9 1ET
Tel: 020 8253 1023 | Email: museumeducation@croydon.gov.uk | Web: www.museumofcroydon.com
Whatever the Weather Exhibition: Teachers’ Pack
Page 9 of 18
Amazing Weather
Flooding in Croydon, July 2007
In Summer 2007, heavy rainfall led to flooding in the South East of England.
On 23 Aug 1935, 5.1 mm (0.2 in) of rain fell in one minute at Croydon Airport, Surrey - the
highest ever 'extreme of point' rainfall.
Activities
 Ask pupils to find out what happens to flood waters after a heavy rainfall. How can a
town prevent flooding?

Some countries, such as India, have dry seasons and seasons that are prone to
flooding. Research why this happens, and what these countries do to cope with the
rising waters.

Ask pupils if they or their parents have ever witnessed a flood. Ask them to write a
story about what they remember, and what they did to stay safe.
January 2007 brought snow storms and extremely cold weather that brought commuter rail
services in Croydon to a halt. This was an extreme cold snap in an otherwise mild winter.
_________________________________________________________________________________________
Museum of Croydon, Museum Education Service
Room G9, Croydon Clocktower, Katharine Street, Croydon, CR9 1ET
Tel: 020 8253 1023 | Email: museumeducation@croydon.gov.uk | Web: www.museumofcroydon.com
Whatever the Weather Exhibition: Teachers’ Pack
Page 10 of 18
The second coldest recorded winter in Britain was in 1947. Britain was still
struggling to recover from the shortages of wartime. Coal supplies to power
stations were held up on the frozen railways and electricity restrictions were
imposed with domestic supplies being cut off for up to five hours a day.
Unemployment reached 2 million and production fell by 25 per cent as the effects on industry
took hold.
Activities
o Research what we can do to prepare roads and transportation for snowy weather.
o How do people who live in extremely cold countries where snow is more common, and
lasts longer, cope with the snow?
o There are some buildings made out of snow and ice. Research how these are made.
o Ask pupils if they have any memories of the snowstorms of 2007? What did they do?
How did it affect their daily lives?
_________________________________________________________________________________________
Museum of Croydon, Museum Education Service
Room G9, Croydon Clocktower, Katharine Street, Croydon, CR9 1ET
Tel: 020 8253 1023 | Email: museumeducation@croydon.gov.uk | Web: www.museumofcroydon.com
Whatever the Weather Exhibition: Teachers’ Pack
Page 11 of 18
Climate Change
Over time, we get used to our weather behaving in a particular way. The average weather
conditions for a particular area are what we call climate.
We know from our geological past that climates can change dramatically. It is clearer than
ever before that humans are causing the climate to change too. The use of fossil fuels and
other forms of energy by us all, at home and at work, affects our planet’s atmosphere and its
oceans. In turn, this affects weather and climate.
The Greenhouse Effect
You will need: two identical glass jars, four cups of cold water, ten ice cubes, one clear
plastic bag and a thermometer.
What to do:
1.
2.
3.
4.
Split the water and the ice cubes evenly between the jars.
Wrap one jar in the plastic bag.
Leave both jars for an hour.
Measure the temperature in each jar.
What happens:
In reality, sunlight passes through the atmosphere and warms the earth’s surface. The heat
radiating from the surface is trapped by greenhouse gases. This is the greenhouse effect.
In this experiment, the plastic bag acts as the layer of greenhouse gases, trapping heat in the
jar and causing the water to become warmer in the jar wrapped in the bag.
Insulation
You will need:
10 jars with lids, jug of hot water, thermometer, selection of insulation materials, for example a
cotton sock, wooly gloves, sheepskin gloves, paper, aluminium foil, leaves, bubble wrap,
cotton wool, plastic bags and anything else you can think of.
What to do:
1. Fill each jar with hot water and take the temperature, quickly closing the lids.
2. Wrap each jar with a different insulating material, leaving one jar unwrapped to act
as a control. Place somewhere cool.
3. Leave for 30 minutes, then remove the insulation and re-measure the temperature.
4. Compare the end temperature with the start temperature and decide which
materials offer the best insulation.
House Design
You will need: a cardboard box, insulating materials, paint, extra cardboard etc. and a lamp.
_________________________________________________________________________________________
Museum of Croydon, Museum Education Service
Room G9, Croydon Clocktower, Katharine Street, Croydon, CR9 1ET
Tel: 020 8253 1023 | Email: museumeducation@croydon.gov.uk | Web: www.museumofcroydon.com
Whatever the Weather Exhibition: Teachers’ Pack
Page 12 of 18
What to do:
Use the materials you have to experiment with different ways of designing
a house to make it conserve heat and be energy efficient.
Investigation
Investigate places in the world which are being badly affected by climate change.
Look at what is happening to the landscape, the wildlife and the people in those places.
Make some changes
Keep a diary of the things that you do each day which use energy (for example: watching
television, switching on lights, cooking, traveling).
Research the ways that we can save energy in our everyday lives and produce an energy
saving table to record each time you do something to save energy (see example below.) This
could be over a day or a week.
Produce a class action plan to save energy at school and design posters to help the
campaign.
Become Nature Detectives
Scientists researching climate change over the last 30 years have produced clear evidence
that spring is beginning earlier. They have been looking at things like when new leaves on
trees, flowers appearing and the arrival of migrant birds. They need more records to extend
their knowledge for most species.
Schools can help by becoming Nature Detectives. The Woodland Trust along with the Centre
for Ecology and Hydrology are running a project to encourage people to record the
appearance of leaves, flowers, birds and other species in their local areas.
Have a look at their website www.naturedetectives.org.uk to find out more.
_________________________________________________________________________________________
Museum of Croydon, Museum Education Service
Room G9, Croydon Clocktower, Katharine Street, Croydon, CR9 1ET
Tel: 020 8253 1023 | Email: museumeducation@croydon.gov.uk | Web: www.museumofcroydon.com
Whatever the Weather Exhibition: Teachers’ Pack
Page 13 of 18
National Curriculum Links
The activities in this pack are designed to support the following Key Stage 2
National Curriculum Standards, as referenced from the DfES standards
and schemes of work website:
Science
Unit 2b: Plants and animals in the local environment
Unit 2e: Forces and movement
Unit 5 6h: Enquiry in environmental and technological contexts
Unit 6a: Interdependence and adaptation
Geography:
Unit 7: Weather around the world
Unit 8: Improving the environment
Demonstration Session Description and Curriculum Links
The Hands-on session to accompany Whatever the Weather contains demonstrations about
observing and predicting weather, forces, and climate change.
Children find out about what the weather consists of and how it is measured.
They also learn about weather balloons, the forces that make them work and the work of
Croydon-based Victorian balloonist and meteorologist James Glaisher, before building and
launching their own hot air balloon.
Children will get to handle a real weather balloon and see a Radiosonde, and learn how
meteorologists use these to observe the upper atmosphere.
The session concludes with a discussion of how meteorologists record weather data, an
explanation of climate change, and a game explaining the greenhouse effect.
This session supports the National Curriculum for Key Stage 2 in the following areas:
Science
Unit 2e: Forces and movement
Unit 5 6h: Enquiry in environmental and technological contexts
Unit 5c: Gases around us
Section 2: understanding air
Section 4: checking observations
Section 8: properties of gas
Geography:
Unit 7: Weather around the world
Unit 8: Improving the environment
_________________________________________________________________________________________
Museum of Croydon, Museum Education Service
Room G9, Croydon Clocktower, Katharine Street, Croydon, CR9 1ET
Tel: 020 8253 1023 | Email: museumeducation@croydon.gov.uk | Web: www.museumofcroydon.com
Whatever the Weather Exhibition: Teachers’ Pack
Page 14 of 18
Organising your visit
Pre-visit Planning
It is desirable that you visit the exhibition before you bring your class.
Where and When
The Whatever the Weather Exhibition runs from Saturday 29 September to Saturday 22
December 2007. It is located in the Exhibition Gallery, Level 0 of Croydon Clocktower.
Opening hours are Monday to Saturday 11am – 5pm.
The Museum of Croydon is located on Level 1 of Croydon Clocktower. It is open Monday to
Saturday from 10:30am - 5pm.
Please note that the Clocktower is closed on Sundays, Bank Holidays and the days between
Christmas and New Year.
How to get Here and Travel Information
The Museum of Croydon at Croydon Clocktower is ten minutes walk from East & West
Croydon Rail & Bus Stations and only three minutes walk from George Street Tramlink stop.
Contact Information
Address: Museum of Croydon, Croydon Clocktower, Katharine Street, Croydon, CR9 1ET.
Telephone numbers:
020 8253 1022 (General Enquiries)
020 8253 1023 (Museum Education Team)
Email:
museum@croydon.gov.uk (General emails)
museumeducation@croydon.gov.uk (Booking / enquiries)
Website:
www.museumofcroydon.com
Travel information
Croydon is well served by public transport and we recommend you use this where possible to
travel to the Clocktower.
Bus & Train: The following buses stop close to Croydon Clocktower: 50, 60, 64, X68, 75,
109, 119, 154, 157, 166, 194, 197, 198, 250, 264, 289, 312, 367, 403, 405, 407, 409, 410,
412, 450, 455, 466, 468, 494, 726, T33.
Croydon Clocktower is 10 minutes' walk from West Croydon Bus Station and 7 minutes' walk
from East or West Croydon train stations.
Trams: Routes 1, 2 & 3 stop at East Croydon Station. Route 1 (Westbound) 2 & 3 stop at
George Street, Croydon.
Please see the Tramlink User Guide map for further information, available from the Tourist
Information Centre, Croydon Clocktower.
_________________________________________________________________________________________
Museum of Croydon, Museum Education Service
Room G9, Croydon Clocktower, Katharine Street, Croydon, CR9 1ET
Tel: 020 8253 1023 | Email: museumeducation@croydon.gov.uk | Web: www.museumofcroydon.com
Whatever the Weather Exhibition: Teachers’ Pack
Page 15 of 18
By Car: Car parking is restricted in the surrounding streets. There are car parks
and parking spaces near to the Clocktower which you need to pay for.
Disabled parking spaces are available on parts of Fell Road.
Coaches: can drop off and pick up in Fell Road alongside Croydon Clocktower. There is
coach parking (with a charge) at Spice's Yard on the Brighton Road. There are single yellow
line parking and disabled parking spaces on parts of Fell Road.
Access
Croydon Clocktower has ramped or lift access to all facilities.
There are also wheelchair accessible toilets and baby changing facilities in the Clocktower.
There are hearing loops in the Memory Room of the Museum of Croydon, Braithwaite Hall
and Workshops.
Minicom bookings can be made on 020 8253 1027.
Guide & Hearing Dogs are welcome.
_________________________________________________________________________________________
Museum of Croydon, Museum Education Service
Room G9, Croydon Clocktower, Katharine Street, Croydon, CR9 1ET
Tel: 020 8253 1023 | Email: museumeducation@croydon.gov.uk | Web: www.museumofcroydon.com
Whatever the Weather Exhibition: Teachers’ Pack
Page 16 of 18
Additional Activities at the Museum of Croydon
In addition to visiting the exhibition, this section gives you more detail
about other sessions and visits you can arrange alongside.
Whatever the Weather Taught Sessions
School groups visiting the exhibition can book a taught session which complements the
exhibition. This fun, interactive session explores the weather and how it is measured. It
supports the teaching and learning of Science at KS 2.
These sessions take place in the Clocktower Activities Room next to Exhibition Gallery on
Level 0 and last approximately 45 minutes. School groups must book in advance. These
sessions cost just £2 / student with all accompanying adults FREE.
Whatever the Weather Events Programme
A full programme of public events accompanies the exhibition. These include talks, film
screenings, workshops and gallery drama. Further information and details of the events
programme can be found on the Museum of Croydon website in the Clocktower brochure and
a separate exhibition leaflet.
Museum of Croydon Galleries
The Museum of Croydon is on level one of Croydon Clocktower. It tells the story of Croydon
from 1830 to the present day. Visitors can uncover the history of their local area through
objects, local people’s stories, touchscreen computers and hands-on interactives.
A visit to the Museum of Croydon is a great opportunity to investigate the history of Croydon
from the Victorian period through to the present day. Key Stage 1 & 2 children can use the
touchscreens to find out the stories behind the objects on display. They will begin to
understand how Croydon has changed, the reasons for this and explore such themes as
transport, housing, and shopping.
The Museum of Croydon can also be accessed on online at www.museumofcroydon.com
_________________________________________________________________________________________
Museum of Croydon, Museum Education Service
Room G9, Croydon Clocktower, Katharine Street, Croydon, CR9 1ET
Tel: 020 8253 1023 | Email: museumeducation@croydon.gov.uk | Web: www.museumofcroydon.com
Whatever the Weather Exhibition: Teachers’ Pack
Page 17 of 18
Find Out More
Useful websites for research:
The following links are provided to assist teachers in their research. Please note that the
Museum of Croydon is not responsible for the content of outside links / websites and that it is
the responsibility of teachers to check the suitability of all sites before using them with their
students.
Weather Links:
Royal Meterological Society www.rmets.org
National society for all those involved in meterology or related subjects.
MetLink International www.metlink.org
Royal Meterological Society schools project where participants make and exchange weather
observations via an online database. Schools can register to take part via their website.
Met Office www.metoffice.gov.uk
Weather education and learning resources for teachers.
BBC Weatherwise www.bbc.co.uk/weather/weatherwise
Key facts about weather and how weather works. Information about building your own
weather station and becoming a weather detective. Ideas for weather projects and existing
weather projects that you can get involved in.
BBC What is weather? www.bbc.co.uk/schools/whatisweather
Schools site which contains information about what weather is, how it forms and how it affects
people.
BBC Painting the Weather www.bbc.co.uk/paintingtheweather/ukcollections
Weather paintings sourced from 50 UK galleries.
National Museums, Liverpool
www.liverpoolmuseums.org.uk/online/exhibitions/winter/index.asp
Winter online exhibition featuring weather related art and objects from the collection of
National Museums, Liverpool.
Climate Change Links:
Climate Challenge www.climatechallenge.gov.uk
DeFRA website with information about climate change.
Cool Kids for a Cool Climate www.coolkidsforacoolclimate.com
Tree planting project in partnership with South Yorkshire Forest with some information about
climate change.
_________________________________________________________________________________________
Museum of Croydon, Museum Education Service
Room G9, Croydon Clocktower, Katharine Street, Croydon, CR9 1ET
Tel: 020 8253 1023 | Email: museumeducation@croydon.gov.uk | Web: www.museumofcroydon.com
Whatever the Weather Exhibition: Teachers’ Pack
Page 18 of 18
Heeley City Farm www.heeleyfarm.org.uk
Organisation dedicated to sustainability and renewable energy.
Schools and Homes Energy Education Project www.pluggingintothesun.org.uk
Education resources and workshops relating to the promotion of efficient and sustainable
energy use.
Atmosphere, Climate and Environment www.ace.mmu.ac.uk/kids/information.html
Information and teaching resources about climate change.
Environment Agency www.environmentagency.gov.uk
Fun and games section with activities and interactives to teach about climate change.
_________________________________________________________________________________________
Museum of Croydon, Museum Education Service
Room G9, Croydon Clocktower, Katharine Street, Croydon, CR9 1ET
Tel: 020 8253 1023 | Email: museumeducation@croydon.gov.uk | Web: www.museumofcroydon.com