Overview

Students will use the weather data (temperature and precipitation) that they
collected in Activity 3 and read a climate report about their country / city to
make distinctions and study the differences between weather and climate
reports for your particular region.
Objectives
Students will:

describe the difference between weather and climate;

identify and describe the climate region for their region; &

graph and interpret a comparison chart.

Time
One 45 minute class period.

Materials

Weather Learning Log or Student Worksheet.

Weather data from Activity 3: Track Weather like a Meteorologist.

Climate world map: climate map

How to Create a Climatogram step-by-step instructions

Computer with Internet access.

Teacher Preparation

LIMITED ACCESS: If technology resources are limited, you can access the
weather web site previously and print the weather data or display the weather
web site using a projector or television screen.

GRAPHING: Students will be creating comparison chart for this lesson. If you are

new or not familiar with graphing, please review the Graphing Tips.

Weather related-topics:
o USA Today: Guide to the science of the atmosphere

Procedure
Part 1: Weather and Climate
Begin the activity by having a brief class discussion to review the weather
variables that the students have been studying. Tell the students that, for the
purpose of this lesson, they will be using precipitation and temperature data
only.
1. Ask the students to take our their Weather Learning Logs and have them answer
the questions.
2. Review the climate report sites previous to the class. If your country is not listed
below, conduct an online search using the key words "YourCountry Climate
Report". For class use, you can either print out sufficient copies per individual
students or groups of students, send data collector students to print the pages
and bring a copy back to their groups, etc.
3. The information will vary depending on the report although students will notice
that information about the climate region as well other information unique for their
region is provided in the climate reports.
4. Students should identify the climate region for their city.
5. Answers will vary. Some answers might include that the weather report describes
the weather for one day / hour while the climate report describes the trends in
weather over a year. The climate reports also include detailed information about
the geographic location about the region.
6. Students should determine that they are looking at weather when they look out
the window because it changes from day to day and hour to hour while the
climate is the average weather in a location over a long period of time.
7. After studying the data, students should be able to construct the concept that
weather changes every day and that climate is the average weather in a location
over a long period of time. One might say that climate is what weather is
"normally" like in a place. The daily recording and averaging of weather

information helps to describe the climate of an area.

Part 2: Climate in your Region
1. Graph the Climate Data: Students will draw a comparison chart that displays
both the average monthly temperature over one year in the form of a Line graph
and average monthly precipitation over one year in the form of a Bar graph. You
should remind the students that they will ONLY use the average temperature and
precipitation listed. An example of the types of comparison chart produced in this
activity has been constructed and is available below, however this is NOT the
same data that students will use in their activity so their graph will be different
from the example.
o Sample comparison chart
o Need help? Follow the step-by-step instructions on How to Create a
Climatogram.
o NOTE: You can copy and paste the data directly into the document if you
have access to a spreadsheet program like Excel however you will need
to remove the text descriptors (i.e. C and mm).
2. Temperature: Answers will vary. Ask the students to answer the questions using
their Student Worksheet or their Weather Learning Logs.
3. Precipitation: Answers will vary. Ask the students to answer the questions using
their Student Worksheet or their Weather Learning Logs.
Part 3: Final Conclusions
Depending on time, you can use this last section to assign students to write either a
brief report or create a tourism brochure, pamphlet, etc. describing the climate for their
region. Be sure to mention that students should address all of the points

Assessment Suggestions
Make each student or cooperative group responsible for their answers.
Student Activity
NOTE: The following instructions also appear in the Student Activitiessection
of this web site.
Activity C5: Weather and Climate

Part 1: Weather and Climate

1. Answer the following questions using the weather data that you recorded in
your Weather Learning Logs from Activity 3: Track Weather like a
Meteorologist.
o Did the weather report change every day? Every hour?
o Which day had the most precipitation? The least?
o Which day had the highest temperature? The lowest?
2. Select one of the climate reports below for the country in which your city is
located and read the information.
o NOAA US Climate Site (Statistics for all states. Access monthly averages for
temperature and precipitation by clicking on "Basic Climatology").

o World Climate (Average temperature for selected US and foreign cities).

o Regional Climates (US climate data by section of the country)
3. What kind of information is given in the climate description?
4. Locate and read about the climate region for your city using the following
world climate map and climate descriptions
o climate map
5. Name at least three ways how climate reports are different from a weather
report.
6. When we look out the classroom window, are we looking at climate or
weather? Why?
7. What is the difference between weather and climate?

Part 2: Climate in your Region

1. Graph the Climate Data: In your Weather Learning Log, you are going to
create a comparison chart that displays both the average monthly
temperature over one year in the form of a Line graph and average
monthly precipitation over one year in the form of a Bar graph. Label the
axis as shown in this example. When you graph the data, use the

monthly averages of the temperature and precipitation from the links

below:
(NOTE: If you have access to a spreadsheet program like Excel, you can copy and paste
the data directly into the document)

o www.weather.com --> Enter your city --> Select "Averages and

Records"
o Need help? Follow the step-by-step instructions onHow to Create a
Climatogram.
2. Temperature
o Did the average temperature you recorded inActivity 3 fall within the
range of averages for the month?
o Which month had the highest temperature? The lowest?
o What was the average temperature for the year?
o How does the line graph for the annual temperature compare with
the temperature line graph you made in Activity 4? Be specific.
3. Precipitation
o Was the total amount of precipitation you recorded during Activity
3 representative of the average for that month?
o Which month had the most precipitation? The least?
o What was the total precipitation for the year?
o How does the bar graph for the annual precipitation compare with
the precipitation bar graph you made in Activity 4? Be specific.

Part 3: Final Conclusions

Write a brief report or create a tourism brochure, pamphlet, etc. describing the
climate for your country / region. Be sure to include the following:

the difference between climate and weather;

the common characteristics of the climate region where your city is located;

the average precipitation and temperatures for each month/season (you

can include the graphs if you wish);

how each of the three factors (latitude, elevation, and local geography)
influence the temperature of your country / region;

the "best" time of the year to visit your country and why; & and

the "worst" time of the year to visit your country and why.

EXTENSION

Compare your climate to that of another region listed above.

o Select another city and compare and contrast the climate for your region with that
of another region / city

Use the weather web site --> "Averages and Records" to locate a region
for each of the below:
o A city that has over 800 mm of precipitation a year.
o A city that has less than 20 mm of precipitation a year.
o A city that averages a temperature of below zero (-0 C) for the year.
o A city that averages a temperature of above 25 C for the year.