Climate Postcards
Provided by: UCAR Center for Science Education|Published on: November 8, 2022
Grades: 3, 4, 5
Type: Lesson Plans
Subjects: Science, English Language Arts, Mathematics
Authors: UCAR Center for Science Education
Region: Global
Languages: English, Spanish
This resource has been reviewed by SubjectToClimate's climate scientists and verified for scientific accuracy and up-to-date information. Learn about our review process →
This resource has been reviewed by SubjectToClimate's climate scientists and verified for scientific accuracy and up-to-date information. Learn about our review process →
Synopsis
- In this lesson, students learn about Earth's many climate zones by interpreting data in graphs and identifying climate zones described in postcards.
- Students will learn about the difference between weather and climate, the conditions of five different climate zones, and why variations in climate exist.
Teaching Materials
Positives
- This lesson allows students to work both individually and in groups or pairs.
- The lesson plan includes introductory discussion questions on weather and climate, directions, background information, and optional additional exercises.
Additional Prerequisites
- Students should understand averages and how to read graphs.
- The map of climate zones should either be printed in color or projected for the class to see.
- This lesson is expected to take 2-3 hours of class time to complete.
Differentiation
- This lesson can also be used in math classes during lessons about creating and reading graphs.
- Have students consider the impact of a changing climate on different climate zones and the plants, animals, and people living in them.
- The lesson briefly introduces biomes, which can be expanded upon in science classes.
- This interactive textbook lesson can be used to learn more about climate zones and biomes to supplement this lesson.
This resource lets students understand the physical and living characteristics of places and compare the weather conditions and patterns in different climatic zones using the Köppen climate classification system. This is insightful and recommended for teaching.
Teaching Tips
Standards
Resource Type and Format
Scientist Reviewed
This resource has been reviewed by SubjectToClimate's climate scientists and verified for scientific accuracy and up-to-date information. Our review process ensures that every resource in our library reflects the current state of climate science.
Learn about our review process →
