Climate vs. Weather Homepage
Climate vs. Weather Introduction
In this module, students will learn the definitions of weather and climate. They will learn to distinguish the differences and similarities of weather, climate, climate change, and global warming.
Your students will begin with a Climate vs. Weather pretest. After the pretest, use the provided resources that will give your students foundational understanding on the concepts on climate vs. weather as well as climate change vs. global warming. Students will finish the module by completing the Climate vs. Weather post test.
If your students attended the past year's summits, this is the same module/information.
Climate vs Weather (approximately 2-3 hours of instruction)
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- Climate vs Weather - Overview for Teacher
- Weather vs Climate Pretest
- Define Weather and Climate
- Weather vs Climate Videos
- Define Climate Change and Global Warming
- Human Impact on Earth's Systems and Global Warming Videos
- How Does the Gulf Stream Impact Weather and Climate?
- Ben Franklin and the Gulf Stream
- Weather vs Climate Post Assessment
- Additional Resources - Climate and Weather (and the Environment)
Note: There are varied resources in this course for your students to understand the concepts needed for them to appreciate and be able to contribute to any discussion at the climate summit. As the teacher, you can edit this course once you've copied it to tailor it for your own students.
What Is the Focus of this Module?
In this module, students will learn the definitions of weather and climate. They will learn to distinguish the differences and similarities of weather, climate, climate change, and global warming.
Your students will begin with a Climate vs. Weather pretest. After the pretest, use the provided resources that will give your students foundational understanding on the concepts on climate vs. weather as well as climate change vs. global warming. Students will finish the module by completing the Climate vs. Weather post test.
Module Objectives
By the end of this module, students will be able to:
- differentiate between weather and climate.
- identify the impact that humans have had on Earth, such as air and water quality and the changing patterns of climate.
- explain that science is one of the processes that can be used to inform decision making at the community, state, national, and international levels.
Module Standards
5th Grade: |
SC.5.E.7.6 Describe characteristics (temperature and precipitation) of different climate zones as they relate to latitude, elevation, and proximity to bodies of water. |
6th Grade: | SC.6.E 7.2 Investigate and apply how the cycling of water between the atmosphere and hydrosphere has an effect on weather patterns and climate. |
SC.6.E 7.3 Describe how global patterns such as the jet stream and ocean currents influence local weather in measurable terms such as temperature, air pressure, wind direction and speed, and humidity and precipitation. | |
SC.6.E 7.6 Differentiate between weather and climate. | |
SC.6.N 2.1 Distinguish science from other activities involving thought. | |
SC.6.N 2.2 Explain that scientific knowledge is durable because it is open to change as new evidence or interpretations are encountered. | |
7th Grade: | SC.7.E 6.6 Identify the impact that humans have had on Earth, such as deforestation, urbanization, desertification, erosion, air and water quality, changing the flow of water. |
8th Grade: | SC.8.N 4.1 Explain that science is one of the processes that can be used to inform decision making at the community, state, national, and international levels. |
SC.8.N 4.2 Explain how political, social, and economic concerns can affect science, and vice versa. |