Is it weather, or climate? That was the question we began with. I had the kids brainstorm what they know about these two terms and then we went through what they'd come up with. We discussed how weather refers to the day-to-day and minute-by-minute changes in the conditions, where climate is the average weather for a specific area. We talked about all the things that are part of the weather--rain and snow, temperature, wind, clouds, and more--and all the things that affect an area's climate--latitude, proximity to oceans and large lakes, altitude, if there are mountains. Then, it was time to bring some of this to life. After talking about how clouds form, we created our own in a jar! (Check out the link below if you want to do this at home--it's simple and you probably have everything you need.) After watching our clouds, we worked on learning the various cloud types. We talked about the roots that are used to name clouds and their meanings, and then the students used cotton balls to form the various types of clouds. If you are curious about what warm air molecules "sound" like, be sure to watch this next video clip. When we were discussing humidity, we talked about how warm air can hold more water than cold air because the air molecules are moving around so much faster and the water molecules don't connect to form bigger drops of water as easily, so the water can remain in the air. Well, the youngest class tried out being cold and warm air molecules for us. They got pretty into it! Additional ActivitiesVideos:
Crash Course Kids: Weather vs. Climate This short video explains the difference between the two. And if they are interested, keep watching the series to learn a little about extreme weather. Ted-Ed: How do Tornadoes Form? Extreme weather is a lot more interesting than our typical weather! Activities: Cloud in a Jar All you need for this simple demonstration is hot water, ice, a match, and a jar with a lid! Shaving Cream Rain Clouds Or make these clouds and watch them rain in color! Warm and Cold Fronts Another simple demonstration of a weather phenomenon. Or just go outside and check out the current weather. Talk about how it changes from morning to evening. Is it hot, or cold? Is there any wind? Look for clouds and see if you can identify what types you see. If they are cumulus clouds, you might want to see what they clouds remind you of.
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May 2020
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