Climate vs. Weather
Worksheets
GradesK, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5Science
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Provided by ClimateScience
What it is
- In this activity, students will read about the differences between climate and weather and sort various phrases into a weather column or a climate column.
- The teacher's guide includes a complete answer key for the sorting activity.
Teaching tips
Prerequisites
- Students should be comfortable reading short sentences independently, since the sorting task relies on reading brief weather/climate statements (e.g., "It rained all day yesterday" vs. "The North Pole is very cold").
Differentiation
- For students who aren't yet reading independently, read the example sentences aloud before they sort the corresponding images.
- After sorting, have students write a short paragraph describing today's weather versus their region's typical climate, explaining how the two concepts differ.
- As suggested in the teacher's guide, follow up the activity with a class discussion on how quickly climate is changing and the effects that change can have on day-to-day weather.
Additional Resources
- Other resources on this topic include this video on the differences between weather and climate andthis digital picture book on the impact of climate change on extreme weather, and this video that explains why people confuse the weather with the climate.
From the scientist review
This activity introduces students to the concepts of climate and weather and what differentiates the two. After defining terms, the students are tasked with sorting statements related to weather and climate into "climate" or "weather" columns. This activity is recommended for teaching.
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