Weather around the World

1 Why do people go on holiday?

2 Where are the hot and cold places in the world?

3 What are the extreme weather conditions and climatic

zones?
4 What is the weather like today?

5 What are the symbols used for weather?

6 Why does it rain?

7 Why do we have wind?

8 Natural disasters – making of a tornado.

Session 1 – Holiday Weather. Why do people go on holiday?
WALT – investigate places and their weather.
Objectives: To discuss reasons why people go on holiday and why they choose to visit particular places.
To investigate places around the world. To use and interpret globes, atlases and maps.
Introduction: Discuss as a class – why do people go on holiday? Fill in mind map on IWB as a class.
Ask the children to write down one place they have visited on holiday or on a day trip (including England). Then
ask them to write the type of weather they had whilst there. As a class, list the places they have visited and
talk about the weather. Ask them what they did on holiday and if the weather influenced their choice of
location.

Main Teaching: Give children atlases and ask them to identify the places they have visited on a world map.
Children to record on a blank A4 world or UK map. Explain to children they will be writing a short paragraph on
their recent holiday, describing the weather and what they got up to.

Activities:
HA/MA (Independent) - Write a short paragraph about the last place you went on holiday, mentioning the
weather, how you got there and what activities you did.
LA – Complete weather report resource sheet.

Plenary: Introduce the children to the concept of ‘climate.’ Can anyone suggest what this means? Take feedback
as to whether their recent holiday destination was in a hot climate or cool climate.

Assessment and Evaluation – Can pupils locate and describe places they have visited? Can they talk about these
places making reference to the weather and leisure activities? Can they give reasons why people choose to go on
holiday?
Resources – atlases, large world and UK maps, post it notes, IWB, resource sheets.
Vocabulary – globe, atlas, weather, climate, leisure activities,
Session 2 Where are the hot and cold places in the world?
Objectives: To know the difference between weather and climate. To ask and respond to geographical
questions. To recognise patterns. To know where hot and cold places in the world are. To use
geographical vocabulary.
Introduction: In mixed ability pairs, children are to use a dictionary to find the definitions of ‘weather’ and
‘climate.’ Take feedback and discuss as a class.

Main Teaching: Have a look at a large world map. Explain that today we will be looking at where the different
climates are located. Point to Spain and ask the children if they think this is a hot or cold country. Why do you
think that? Then do the same for Russia. Can anyone offer information on the Equator? Explain that the Equator
is the hottest part of the world because of the position of the sun to it.

In mixed ability pairs, use a ruler to draw the equator on a map of the world. Explain that all countries near the
equator are the hottest places on earth. Can they identify any countries near the equator using an Atlas? Explain
countries furthest from the equator are coldest. Can they identify counties further away?
Work through IWB slides on the different types of climate.

Activities:
HA/MA – Write a description for each climate zone.
LA - Match description to correct climate, then stick in books (assisted by TA or CT).

Extension: colour blank map of the word into climatic regions. Use a key.

Plenary: IWB slides – what clothes should we bring to a certain climate?

Assessment and Evaluation – Do they understand the difference between weather and climate? Do they understand that
the shape of the earth affects the world’s climate?
Resources – dictionaries, globes, world atlas, blank world maps
Vocabulary – climate, weather, equator, poles, tropics, polar, sub polar, (cold regions), desert, tropical, temperate,
equatorial
Session 3 To explore extreme weather conditions and climates.
Objectives: To know the difference between weather and climate. To ask and respond to geographical
questions. To recognise patterns. To know where hot and cold places in the world are. To use
geographical vocabulary.
Introduction: Recap what we already know about climate and climatic zones. Can the children remember the 4
climatic zones we looked at last week? (Tropical climate, Arid (dry) climate, Temperate climate, Polar climate).
Can they remember which climate we have in England? (Temperate).

Main Teaching: Go through IWB on the Sahara Desert. Discuss that this is an example of a place with an
extreme weather condition. Can children identify the climate? (arid). On white boards, children are to list what
essential items they would take with them on an expedition to the Saraha Desert. They must be prepared to
explain why.
Have a look at the IWB on the Antarctica and repeat the same activity. Can children identify it as a polar
climate?

Activities: All- children are choose to design a poster on either the Antarctica or Sahara Desert warning people
who may want to visit what they might need and the dangers of the climate. Model example.

Extension: On your climatic zone map from the previous week, use an atlas to label Sahara Desert and
Antarctica.

Plenary: Share some of the posters as a presentation, explaining why the children have included what they have.

Assessment: Must – be able to identify which climatic zones the Sahara Desert and Antarctica are in.
Should – Be able to discuss which items you would take to both places and why.
Could – design a poster warning people of the dangers of extreme weather conditions.

Resources – Atlas, blank maps, a4 paper, coloured pencils, IWB.

Vocabulary – climate, weather, equator, poles, tropics, polar, sub polar, (cold regions), desert, tropical, temperate,
equatorial
Session 4 What is the weather like today?
Objectives: To understand that weather is the change in the state of the atmosphere on
a daily basis. To know the variety and meaning of words associated with weather. To
know that weather can be described using four given categories.
Introduction: In table groups, children are to record words relating to weather on a3. Words must be recording
as a mind map. Give a time limit of 3 minutes.

Main Teaching: Have a quick discussion on today/recent weather in Leeds. How can weather cause problems for
us? Go through IWB – discuss how we measure weather.

Activities:
HA/MA – to complete table ‘how to measure weather.’ Children must write the definitions of temperature,
precipitation, wind and visibility and what instruments are used to measure them. Children can discuss answers in
talk partners.
LA – As a table, children are to match definitions/keys up to the four headings. Children must then record their
answers into their topic books (supported by CT or TA).

Plenary: Ask each group for examples of weather words from the different categories. Why is it important to
have regular weather updates? Discuss why it is important to know what the weather forecast will be,
particularly for farmers, sailors, and airlines.

Assessment and Evaluation – Can pupils identify words associated with the weather? Do they understand what
the four different categories for telling the weather are and can they give examples of each?

Resources - post it notes, weather words on card or paper, topic books.

Vocabulary – temperature, precipitation, wind, visibility, snow, ice, fog, mist, sleet, hail, moisture, air pressure,
weather forecast.
Session 5 Weather symbols – To understand the weather forecast.
Objectives: To understand how weather is measured. To interpret and create weather symbols. To know
why weather forecasts are so important and how changes in weather affect human activity.
Introduction: Recap on the four categories for measuring weather covered in the previous session.

Main Teaching: Discuss with children how we know what the weather is going to be like each day, eg. Watch the
news, newspapers, look at the sky. Discuss how the weather impacts upon us.
Work through IWB on weather symbols. For each slide, children have to guess the meaning of each symbol.
Watch a weather forecast. Discuss key points. What do they notice? (symbols).

Activities:
HA/MA – Draw a set of weather symbols and label them.
(Have symbols on IWB and tables for children to use as a guide).
LA – Label blank weather symbols.

Once complete, children are to get into groups of 3. They must then discuss today’s weather in Leeds. Children
will then prepare to present a weather forecast to the rest of the class, using the relevant weather symbols on
this interactive game - http://www.crickweb.co.uk/ks1science.html#forecast

Plenary: Peer assess one another's weather forecast.

Assessment and Evaluation – Can pupils recognise weather symbols? Do they understand the importance of
regular weather updates? Can they talk about how changes in the weather affect human activity?
Resources – IWB, weather symbols, video, coloured pencils.
Vocabulary – weather forecast, symbols, Celsius, freezing point, snow, ice, thunderstorm, sun, cloud, wind.
Session 6 The Water Cycle – Why does it rain?
Objectives: To know why it rains. To understand the stages of the water cycle.
To understand what precipitation is and identify examples.
Introduction: Children to write down everything they know about water and the water cycle with a talk partner
to draw out prior learning (3 minutes).

Main Teaching: Play video to children. Stop video throughout to discuss key points and recap on learning.
http://teacher.scholastic.com/activities/studyjams/water_cycle/ - animated cartoon version showing the water
cycle. Discuss video as a class – what have we learnt? Work through PowerPoint to recap on the features of the
water cycle.

Activities:
HA – Label blank diagram of a water cycle. Write a paragraph to explain how it rains, using the diagram as a
prompt.
MA – Label blank diagram of a water cycle using full sentences. Complete missing word exercise.
LA – Colour and label blank diagram of a water cycle to stick in topic books. Complete missing word exercise.

Plenary: Choose a number of children to have a go at creating a commentary for a water cycle video without
sound. Get children to peer assess. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=StPobH5ODTw&feature=related (silent
version of the water cycle).

Assessment and Evaluation – Do pupils understand where rain comes from? Can they explain different stages of the
water cycle? Do they understand what precipitation is and give examples e.g. Rain, snow, hail etc?
Success Criteria:
I can name and explain the stages of the water cycle.
I understand that water on earth moves in a continuous cycle.
Resources -. Videos, IWB, water cycle resource sheets, topic books, coloured pencils.
Vocabulary – clouds, rain, sleet, hail, precipitation, snow, rivers, seas, oceans, lakes, water vapour, condensation,
evaporation, water cycle.
Session 7 Where does the wind come from?
Objectives: To know that wind comes in different strengths and directions. To know the 8 points of the
compass. To understand that wind speed can be measured using an anemometer.
* Have 8 compass points stuck up around the classroom.
Introduction: Using the provided website, go through each compass points:
https://hwb.wales.gov.uk/cms/hwbcontent/Shared%20Documents/VTC/20050301/Geography/Keystage2/direct
ion/northsout/introduct/Default.htm
. Introduce pupils to the 4 points of a compass and their abbreviations, then complete activities before moving
onto the 8 compass points. (Read teachers notes on website for further guidance). Once finished, get children
moving by shouting out a compass point for children to walk to. Start to remove compass points, then repeat
activity.

Main Teaching: Work through IWB on weed speed and direction. Discuss each slide. Model how wind is
measured using an anemometer. Demonstrate how to make a wind vane using
http://www.wikihow.com/Make-a-Wind-Vane
ALL – make wind vines in groups of 4/5.
Whilst this is being carried out, one adult to take a group of children out to measure wind on the playground
using an anemometer. Children must record measurement.
Extension task: Complete a word bank of wind words as a mind map. E.g. moderate, gale, slow, gentle, strong,
calm, hurricane, tornado.

Plenary: Discuss results of wind measurement, then recap on 8 compass points. Give directions for children
follow.
Assessment and Evaluation – Can pupils name the 8 compass points and show their position on a diagram? Can
they explain how to find out which is a prevailing wind? Do they understand that wind is moving air and that it
travels in different directions?
Resources -. Blank compass rose for each child, Beaufort Scale diagrams, activity sheets, anemometers, A3
Session 8 Natural Disasters – Tornadoes.
Objectives: To have an awareness of natural disasters. To understand how tornadoes are
formed. To create a tornado.
Main Teaching: Work through IWB on natural disasters. Stop to discuss throughout. Explain that today we will
be focusing on tornadoes. Watch some footage of a tornado. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=43VoMesUd2Q

Activities:
Make a tornado!
What you will need:
Jam jar with lid
Water
Vinegar
Clear liquid dish soap
Glitter

Make it happen!
Fill the jar 3/4 full of water.
Put in one teaspoon of vinegar and one teaspoon of dish soap.
Sprinkle in a small amount of glitter.
Close the lid and twist the jar to swirl the water, and then stop, and see a vortex like a tornado form in the
centre of the jar.

ALL - Complete summary sheet on the tornado activity.

Assessment and Evaluation Are children aware of other weather natural disasters? Have children understood how
tornadoes are formed? Have children understood the impact of natural disasters?
Resources -. IWB/PP, videos, tornado equipment (as above), summary sheets.
Vocabulary – Tornadoes, natural disasters, earthquakes, volcanoes, bush fires, floods, wind, speed.