Weather vs Climate
CONCEPTUALDistinguish between weather and climate: weather is what the atmosphere is doing right now or today (it can change hour to hour), while climate is the typical pattern of weather in a place over many years
Mastery Evidence
- Define weather as short-term atmospheric conditions
- Define climate as the long-term pattern of weather in a place
- Give an example showing the difference: a cold day doesn't change the overall climate
Assessment Prompt
“If someone said 'It's raining today so climate change isn't real,' could [child] explain the difference between weather (today's conditions) and climate (patterns over many years)?”
Prerequisites3
- Seasons & Weather PatternssoftAges 5—7
- Geography & Local WeatherhardAges 7—9
- Types of WeatherhardAges 5—7
Show full prerequisite tree
- Seasons & Weather Patterns soft
Climate as long-term patterns benefits from knowing seasonal patterns
- Days, Weeks, Months & Years soft
Observing and describing seasonal changes requires basic date and time vocabulary (months, seasons, year)
- Ordering Events in Time hard
Understanding days/months/years builds on sequencing events chronologically
- Geography & Local Weather hard
Climate concept requires knowing that different places have different typical weather
- Days, Weeks, Months & Years soft
Observing and describing seasonal changes requires basic date and time vocabulary (months, seasons, year)
- Ordering Events in Time hard
Understanding days/months/years builds on sequencing events chronologically
Unlocks6
- Reading Weather MapssoftAges 9—11
- Climate Change BasicshardAges 9—11
- Weather vs climatesoftAges 8—9
- Oceans & ClimatesoftAges 9—11
- Climate ZoneshardAges 9—11
- Sun-Driven Weather SystemssoftAges 9—11