Overview:In this activity, students will learn the difference between weather and climate and explore climates to determine which one they live in.

Objectives:The student will:• understandthedifferencebetweenweatherandclimate;• readaclimatezonemap;• usetheInternettoperformresearch;• presentfindingstoagroup;and• understandthedifferencesbetweenthe5majorclimatezones.

Materials:• TRANSPARENCY:“ClimateMap” (Download from the Classroom Lessons page of http://www.ArcticClimateModeling.org)• STUDENTINFORMATIONSHEET:“WeatherVersusClimate”• STUDENTWORKSHEET:“WorldClimates”

ActivityPreparation:1. Printoutthepreviousday’sweatherreportfromtheInternetorcopyitfromthenewspaper.Providea

copy for each student or make into a transparency so all students can view at once.

2. Gotohttp://climate.gi.alaska.edu/Climate/Normals/index.htmlandprintout theclimatenormals foryourcommunity,orthecommunitynearestyourlocation.Makeonecopyforeachstudentorgroupofstudents.

ActivityProcedure:1. Askstudentstoexaminetheweatherreport.Whatdoesitsaythetemperaturewasyesterday?Didit

rainorsnow?Orwasitclearout?Explainthatthosethingstelluswhattheweatherwas.

2. Explainthatclimateistheaverageweatherinalocationoveralongperiodoftime(30yearsormore).It takesmanyyearsofobservation todetermine theclimateofanarea.Forexample, ifoneonlylookedattheweatherinAlaskaforoneweekinJune,theymightthinkitwaswarmallyearround.However,whenonelooksattheweatherforthewholeyear,theydiscoverthatmostoftheyeariscold.Evenfromyeartoyeartheweathercanvary.Sometimesoneyeariswarmerthananother.Ifoneonlylookedattheweatherdataforthatyear,theymaynotgetanaccuratepictureoftheclimateof the area. Note: When scientists do experiments, it’s important that they examine normals to deter-mine if their results are realistic.

3. Askstudents if theyhaveevertraveledoutofAlaska.Wheredidtheygo?Whatwastheweatherthere?Whatistheclimatethere?ShowTRANSPARENCY:“ClimateMap,”andpointouthowdiffer-entlocationsinNorthAmericahavedifferentclimates.

4. AskstudentstothinkabouthowlifewouldbedifferentinAlaskaiftheclimateweredifferent.Howwoulditaffectthefoodpeopleeat?Howwoulditaffectculturalactivities?HowwouldAlaskansdressdifferently?

WeatherVersusClimate

ACMP©2006-2008UAFGeophysicalInstitute B-1 WeatherVersusClimate

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5. Explainthatthemajorfactorsthatdeterminetheclimateofaparticularregionarethetemperatureandprecipitation(theamountofrainfallorsnowfall).Therearefivebasictypesofclimate:tropical,dry,temperate,cold,andpolar.Withinthesetypes,therearemorespecificclimates.Note: There are several classification systems, which use different names or more or less distinctions. The five types listed here represent the first hierarchy of the Koppen Climate Classification system.

6. Dividethestudentsinto5groups.HandouttheSTUDENTWORKSHEET:“WorldClimates.”Assigneachgroupaclimatetoinvestigate.Studentswillfillouttheworksheetandthenpresenttheirfindingsto the class.

Answers: Answers will vary depending on the climate being investigated.

ACMP©2006-2008UAFGeophysicalInstitute B-2 WeatherVersusClimate

Name:____________________________________

WorldClimatesStudentWorksheet

Directions:

Use the Internet to locate the answers to the questions below.

Thefollowingsitesarerecommended:

• http://www.blueplanetbiomes.org/climate.htm

• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Climate_zone

I am investigating the _____________ climate.

1.Theaverageminimumrainfallforthisclimateis_________inches.

2.Theaveragemaximumrainfallforthisclimateis_________inches.

3.Theaverageminimumtemperatureforthisclimateis_________degreesF.

4.Theaveragemaximumtemperatureforthisclimateis_________degreesF.

5.Whattypesofplantsandanimalsarefoundinthisclimate?

6.Findandprintoutapictureofyourclimatetosharewiththeclassduringyourpresentation.

Use the Internet or the STUDENT INFORMATION SHEET to answer the following.

7.Thisclimateislocatedinwhichcountries?

Aloneorinasmallgroup,completethefollowingquestionsandactivities.Theteacherwillassigneachstudentorgroupaclimatetoresearch.Attheendoftheclassperiod,theteacherwillrequireapresentationonthefollowingmaterial.

ACMP©2006-2008UAFGeophysicalInstitute B-3 WeatherVersusClimate

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Name:____________________________________

WeatherVersusClimateKoppen Climate Classification System North AmericaStudentInformationSheet

ACMP©2006-2008UAFGeophysicalInstitute B-4 WeatherVersusClimate

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