School Focuses: Literacy, Numeracy, Student Engagement and Attainment, Staff Leadership and Management

Teaching and Learning Activities

Lesson Sequence What is weather? What is climate? Learning Intention To state the difference between weather and climate Success Criteria Give a definition of weather Give a definition of climate Teaching and Learning Activities
View Wild Weather Magic School Bus DVD as an introduction to elements of the weather

Temperature

To define temperature and maintain a temperature graph for the term

Clouds, precipitation and the water cycle

To understand that water vapour is present in the air around us

Meredith Stanger_2013

http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/noaa-n/climate/climate_weather.html http://www.eo.ucar.edu/kids/green/what1.htm Brainstorm elements which make up the weather Write definitions of basic weather elements using this site: http://www.econet.org.uk/weather/whatis.html Develop shared definitions of weather the day to day conditions in a particular place and climate the common average weather conditions in a particular place over a long period of time Students complete web enquiry http://www.econet.org.uk/weather/inquiry.html during computer lesson Keep a column graph Develop a shared definition of temperature. Discuss how the definition describes of Sydneys forecast the effects of temperature e.g. a feeling of hot or cold, rather than temperature and actual itself. It is often a subjective measurement. temperature Refer students to http://www.bom.gov.au/ and show where temperature forecasts are found for Sydney. http://www.weatherzone.com.au/ is an alternative site. Discuss how newspaper and TV weather reports can also be used to source information Construct a column graph for previous weeks maximum temperatures Students to keep a graph of predicted and maximum temperatures in Sydney and record in homework books. Maintain for the term. Keep an internal and external digital thermometer in the classroom for student reference Look at different cloud Discuss how water changes its form. List the way water can be present in the formations and the environment e.g. rain, hail, dew, sleet, snow s sold forms weather that my Discuss clouds and how they are formed through the evaporation of water from occur the Earth. Briefly review the water cycle Complete an Explain cloud formation and look at pictures of the ten main cloud types and

School Focuses: Literacy, Numeracy, Student Engagement and Attainment, Staff Leadership and Management

experiment Prove that water vapour is present in the air around us Document results

Thunderstorms

To investigate the phenomena of thunder and lightning

Charge a glass or graphite rod by rubbing and attract light objects Watch electricity formed in a Van Der Graaf generator

Wild winds

To investigate the formation of winds

Explain what wind is Explain how winds get their names

investigate what conditions each type of cloud indicates. http://www.superteacherworksheets.com/weather/cloud-typesarticle_WMWFQ.pdf Complete worksheet Complete an experiment to show that water vapour is present in the air around us. In groups, students come up with a hypothesis that explains why water droplets form on a glass on cold water in a warm room. Students test hypothesis using food colouring, a glass, tap water and ice cubes. Record observations on experiment record sheet. Discuss conclusions Look at images and footage of thunderstorms and discuss how thunder and lightning occur. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uY_Shf6xnAE Discuss how lightning occurs http://www.weatherwizkids.com/weatherlightning.htm and how thunder is the sound caused by lightning http://www.sciencemadesimple.co.uk/activities/thunder Carla Lomabardo Science Teacher form Granville South High School to demonstrate how electrical charges are created using electrostatics and the Van Der Graaf generator Observe results and discuss findings. Discuss how to replicate electrostatics experiment using a piece of silk, nylon or wool, a comb, small pieces of paper and running water. Investigate how wind is caused by the uneven heating of the Earths surface and is a horizontal movement or air. http://www.weatherwizkids.com/weather-wind.htm Discuss how winds are classified by the scale, the forces that cause them and the geographic areas in which they prevail. Discuss and look at images of wild winds. Talk about the differences between tornadoes, cyclones, and hurricanes http://www.bom.gov.au/social/2011/07/tropical-cyclone-tornado-hurricane/ http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/cyclone-yasi-pictures/ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Z6DRwz1gjI

Meredith Stanger_2013

School Focuses: Literacy, Numeracy, Student Engagement and Attainment, Staff Leadership and Management

Weather Measuring Instruments

To understand how weather measurement instruments work

Design and Make

To design and make basic weather measurement instruments

Research design of basic weather measurement instruments Select an instrument Gather materials Make and test design Present to class

Investigate the impact of cyclone Tracy on Darwin in 1974 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B89wBGydSvs http://www.bom.gov.au/cyclone/history/tracy.shtml Discuss the variety of weather measurement instruments and how they are used http://www.weatherwizkids.com/weather-instruments.htm http://www.naturalhistoryonthenet.com/Weather/measuring_weather.htm Draw diagrams of a barometer, thermometer, rain gauge, anemometer etc. and write brief descriptions of how they work. http://science.howstuffworks.com/nature/climate-weather/meteorologicalinstruments Research in computer time. Discuss how weather satellites and weather balloon provide important information to meteorologists http://www.weatherquestions.com/How_do_weather_satellites_work.htm Students are allocated time in class and in computers to research the design and features of weather instruments and make their selected instrument.

Meredith Stanger_2013