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Weather vs climate

CONCEPTUAL
Science›Earth's Systems|Ages 8—9|ID: mt_Gm12BzcCfX

Obtain and combine information to describe climates in different regions of the world, distinguishing between weather and climate

Mastery Evidence

  • Define weather as day-to-day conditions and climate as the long-term pattern of weather in an area
  • Describe at least three different climate types (tropical, temperate, polar, desert) with examples
  • Explain that climate varies by region due to factors like distance from the equator

Assessment Prompt

“Can [child] explain the difference between weather and climate, and describe why the Arctic is always cold while tropical areas are always warm?”

Curriculum Standards1 alignment

3-ESS2-2Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) K-5codes only
Standard code — full text not included in this dataset.

Prerequisites3

Show full prerequisite tree
  • Weather vs Climate soft

    Weather vs climate parallels curriculum distinguishing weather from climate

  • Seasonal changes (age 8+) hard

    Must understand seasonal weather patterns before distinguishing weather from climate across regions

    • Bar graphs soft

      Representing weather data in graphical displays requires the bar chart and time graph skills taught in Math

      • Representing numbers with objects (age 8+) hard

        Scaled bar charts are prerequisite to continuous data and time graphs

        • Pictograms and tally charts hard

          Constructing simple pictograms/tables is prerequisite to scaled versions

          • Pictograms and tally charts (age 6+) hard

            Constructing pictograms, tally charts, and bar charts requires these display vocabulary terms

          • Sorting into categories hard

            Constructing pictograms and tally charts requires classifying and counting objects first

            • Comparing groups: more or fewer soft

              Sorting categories by count benefits from ability to compare quantities

              • Counting objects to 20 soft

                Counting a set helps when comparing groups, but younger children (GB age 4) can compare using matching without formal counting to 20

                • How Many in Total? hard

                  Answering 'how many?' requires the cardinality principle

                  • One-to-one counting hard

                    Cardinality principle builds on one-to-one correspondence — you must count correctly to know the last number tells 'how many'

                • One-to-one counting hard

                  Counting objects to answer 'how many?' requires one-to-one correspondence

            • Counting objects to 20 hard

              Counting objects in each category requires being able to count sets of objects

              • How Many in Total? hard

                Answering 'how many?' requires the cardinality principle

                • One-to-one counting hard

                  Cardinality principle builds on one-to-one correspondence — you must count correctly to know the last number tells 'how many'

              • One-to-one counting hard

                Counting objects to answer 'how many?' requires one-to-one correspondence

          • Sorting Data into Categories soft

            Data representation formats (pictograms, tally charts) support organising data

            • How Many in Total? soft

              Counting data in categories requires understanding cardinality

              • One-to-one counting hard

                Cardinality principle builds on one-to-one correspondence — you must count correctly to know the last number tells 'how many'

            • Pictograms and tally charts (age 6+) hard

              Organising and representing data requires data, tally, frequency, and category vocabulary

            • Sorting into categories hard

              Organising data in categories builds on classifying and counting objects in categories

              • Comparing groups: more or fewer soft

                Sorting categories by count benefits from ability to compare quantities

                • Counting objects to 20 soft

                  Counting a set helps when comparing groups, but younger children (GB age 4) can compare using matching without formal counting to 20

                  • How Many in Total? hard

                    Answering 'how many?' requires the cardinality principle

                    • One-to-one counting hard

                      Cardinality principle builds on one-to-one correspondence — you must count correctly to know the last number tells 'how many'

                  • One-to-one counting hard

                    Counting objects to answer 'how many?' requires one-to-one correspondence

              • Counting objects to 20 hard

                Counting objects in each category requires being able to count sets of objects

                • How Many in Total? hard

                  Answering 'how many?' requires the cardinality principle

                  • One-to-one counting hard

                    Cardinality principle builds on one-to-one correspondence — you must count correctly to know the last number tells 'how many'

                • One-to-one counting hard

                  Counting objects to answer 'how many?' requires one-to-one correspondence

        • Pictograms and tally charts (age 6+) hard

          Drawing scaled bar charts and pictograms requires axis, scale, label, and frequency vocabulary

        • Picture & Bar Graphs hard

          Single-unit bar graphs are prerequisite to scaled bar graphs

          • Sorting Data into Categories hard

            Drawing picture/bar graphs extends organising and representing data

            • How Many in Total? soft

              Counting data in categories requires understanding cardinality

              • One-to-one counting hard

                Cardinality principle builds on one-to-one correspondence — you must count correctly to know the last number tells 'how many'

            • Pictograms and tally charts (age 6+) hard

              Organising and representing data requires data, tally, frequency, and category vocabulary

            • Sorting into categories hard

              Organising data in categories builds on classifying and counting objects in categories

              • Comparing groups: more or fewer soft

                Sorting categories by count benefits from ability to compare quantities

                • Counting objects to 20 soft

                  Counting a set helps when comparing groups, but younger children (GB age 4) can compare using matching without formal counting to 20

                  • How Many in Total? hard

                    Answering 'how many?' requires the cardinality principle

                    • One-to-one counting hard

                      Cardinality principle builds on one-to-one correspondence — you must count correctly to know the last number tells 'how many'

                  • One-to-one counting hard

                    Counting objects to answer 'how many?' requires one-to-one correspondence

              • Counting objects to 20 hard

                Counting objects in each category requires being able to count sets of objects

                • How Many in Total? hard

                  Answering 'how many?' requires the cardinality principle

                  • One-to-one counting hard

                    Cardinality principle builds on one-to-one correspondence — you must count correctly to know the last number tells 'how many'

                • One-to-one counting hard

                  Counting objects to answer 'how many?' requires one-to-one correspondence

      • Pictograms and tally charts (age 6+) hard

        Distinguishing discrete from continuous data and choosing graphical methods requires these terms

    • Local weather patterns hard

      Must record weather observations before organising data in tables and graphs for seasonal patterns

    • Representing numbers with objects (age 8+) soft

      Weather data graphing builds on maths scaled bar chart skills

      • Pictograms and tally charts hard

        Constructing simple pictograms/tables is prerequisite to scaled versions

        • Pictograms and tally charts (age 6+) hard

          Constructing pictograms, tally charts, and bar charts requires these display vocabulary terms

        • Sorting into categories hard

          Constructing pictograms and tally charts requires classifying and counting objects first

          • Comparing groups: more or fewer soft

            Sorting categories by count benefits from ability to compare quantities

            • Counting objects to 20 soft

              Counting a set helps when comparing groups, but younger children (GB age 4) can compare using matching without formal counting to 20

              • How Many in Total? hard

                Answering 'how many?' requires the cardinality principle

                • One-to-one counting hard

                  Cardinality principle builds on one-to-one correspondence — you must count correctly to know the last number tells 'how many'

              • One-to-one counting hard

                Counting objects to answer 'how many?' requires one-to-one correspondence

          • Counting objects to 20 hard

            Counting objects in each category requires being able to count sets of objects

            • How Many in Total? hard

              Answering 'how many?' requires the cardinality principle

              • One-to-one counting hard

                Cardinality principle builds on one-to-one correspondence — you must count correctly to know the last number tells 'how many'

            • One-to-one counting hard

              Counting objects to answer 'how many?' requires one-to-one correspondence

        • Sorting Data into Categories soft

          Data representation formats (pictograms, tally charts) support organising data

          • How Many in Total? soft

            Counting data in categories requires understanding cardinality

            • One-to-one counting hard

              Cardinality principle builds on one-to-one correspondence — you must count correctly to know the last number tells 'how many'

          • Pictograms and tally charts (age 6+) hard

            Organising and representing data requires data, tally, frequency, and category vocabulary

          • Sorting into categories hard

            Organising data in categories builds on classifying and counting objects in categories

            • Comparing groups: more or fewer soft

              Sorting categories by count benefits from ability to compare quantities

              • Counting objects to 20 soft

                Counting a set helps when comparing groups, but younger children (GB age 4) can compare using matching without formal counting to 20

                • How Many in Total? hard

                  Answering 'how many?' requires the cardinality principle

                  • One-to-one counting hard

                    Cardinality principle builds on one-to-one correspondence — you must count correctly to know the last number tells 'how many'

                • One-to-one counting hard

                  Counting objects to answer 'how many?' requires one-to-one correspondence

            • Counting objects to 20 hard

              Counting objects in each category requires being able to count sets of objects

              • How Many in Total? hard

                Answering 'how many?' requires the cardinality principle

                • One-to-one counting hard

                  Cardinality principle builds on one-to-one correspondence — you must count correctly to know the last number tells 'how many'

              • One-to-one counting hard

                Counting objects to answer 'how many?' requires one-to-one correspondence

      • Pictograms and tally charts (age 6+) hard

        Drawing scaled bar charts and pictograms requires axis, scale, label, and frequency vocabulary

      • Picture & Bar Graphs hard

        Single-unit bar graphs are prerequisite to scaled bar graphs

        • Sorting Data into Categories hard

          Drawing picture/bar graphs extends organising and representing data

          • How Many in Total? soft

            Counting data in categories requires understanding cardinality

            • One-to-one counting hard

              Cardinality principle builds on one-to-one correspondence — you must count correctly to know the last number tells 'how many'

          • Pictograms and tally charts (age 6+) hard

            Organising and representing data requires data, tally, frequency, and category vocabulary

          • Sorting into categories hard

            Organising data in categories builds on classifying and counting objects in categories

            • Comparing groups: more or fewer soft

              Sorting categories by count benefits from ability to compare quantities

              • Counting objects to 20 soft

                Counting a set helps when comparing groups, but younger children (GB age 4) can compare using matching without formal counting to 20

                • How Many in Total? hard

                  Answering 'how many?' requires the cardinality principle

                  • One-to-one counting hard

                    Cardinality principle builds on one-to-one correspondence — you must count correctly to know the last number tells 'how many'

                • One-to-one counting hard

                  Counting objects to answer 'how many?' requires one-to-one correspondence

            • Counting objects to 20 hard

              Counting objects in each category requires being able to count sets of objects

              • How Many in Total? hard

                Answering 'how many?' requires the cardinality principle

                • One-to-one counting hard

                  Cardinality principle builds on one-to-one correspondence — you must count correctly to know the last number tells 'how many'

              • One-to-one counting hard

                Counting objects to answer 'how many?' requires one-to-one correspondence

    • Evaporation and condensation soft

      Representing seasonal weather data draws on precipitation and evaporation vocabulary

  • Evaporation and condensation soft

    Distinguishing weather from climate and describing regional climates draws on water cycle vocabulary

Unlocks2