An At-Home STEM Lesson Plan Crafted by BGCHarlem STEM Specialist Chaelee Dalton
Parents:
This week, we begin a new unit for the month of May. This month, we will learn about climate, climate change, and what we can do to address climate change!
Today, we will focus on learning the difference between weather and climate.
We will also learn that there are different climate regions on the earth! Next week, we will learn more about climate regions and what causes them to finally learn what climate change is and how we can combat it.
If your child cannot read, read the text out loud to them. Ask them the questions and have them respond and/ or solve on a separate sheet of paper. If your child can read, simply give them the second page of this handout and have them read the text out loud or in their head.
ANNOUNCEMENT: We’re going live on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays! Click here if you want your child to participate in our virtual after school program. Materials: Blank paper, pen or pencil, Internet access/YouTube, ruler (optional)
Addresses Common Core Standards: K-ESS2-1
Students:
What is Climate?
Look outside a window in your home. What is the weather like today?
Circle the weather words that apply. Ask a parent what temperature and fill in the thermometer with the temperature. Write the temperature in the blank.
Draw or write what the weather is today below:
What kind of clothes would you wear for the weather today? Draw or write them below.
The temperature is: _______
Today we’re going to learn about climate. While the weather measures what is happening in the air in a certain place every day, climate is what the weather is like over a long time (more than 30 years!) in a larger region.
In other words, weather tells you what to wear each day, and climate tells you what type of clothes you have in your closet.
Go look in your closet. What type of clothes do you have? What kinds of different clothes do you have for different types of weather?
Write down at least two different clothing items you wear for two different types of weather.
I wear (clothes) ______________ when it is (weather) __________________________,
I wear (clothes) ______________ when it is (weather) __________________________.
Now, write or draw how you think your closet would be different if you lived in Hawaii or Alaska and why.
If I lived in Hawaii, my closet would have _____________________________________
because _______________________________________________________________.
If I lived in Alaska, my closet would have _____________________________________
because _______________________________________________________________.
This shows the difference between climate and weather. Weather can change in one place every day, but the climate does not. Climate represents the typical weather of a place in the world. Different places of the world have different climates! Watch the video below to learn more.
Read these statements and decide whether they are talking about weather or climate. Circle weather or climate for each statement and explain why.
“It’s freezing right now. It’s impossible to plan for the fair.”
I think they’re talking about the (weather/climate) because _______________________.
“It would be better to have the school fair at the end of June. We could do more outside then as it is usually hotter.”
I think they’re talking about the (weather/climate) because _______________________.
Finally, look at this map of the world. Do you notice any patterns depending on the colors?
Where is the map purple or blue? Where is the map red or orange? What do you think the colors represent?
I think the colors represent ________________ because ___________________________.
The colors represent the average temperatures in different places in the world. This map shows one way that climate, or typical weather, can be different around the world. Next week we will learn more about different types of climate, and what affects the climate!
Special thanks to our #STEMMondays partners:
Follow BGCHarlem social media channels for daily updates. And students we would love to see your work!
Be sure to upload a picture of yourself with your completed lessons using the hashtag #BGCHarlem.
View our additional 'Resources For Students & Parents for Dealing with COVID-19' HERE