The Weather - Lesson Plan

This comprehensive lesson plan, created by Mark Inder, is aimed at educating pupils on various aspects of the weather. It's an engaging and interactive session where students are encouraged to ask questions, make and record observations, study patterns, and work in teams. Throughout the lesson, pupils will identify different types of weather, suggest appropriate clothing for various weather conditions, and learn about the climates in diverse geographical regions such as deserts, mountains, and the polar areas. The objectives are clearly outlined, asking students to name weather types, explain how to stay dry, and predict weather in different locations. This lesson also sets the stage for future learning about seasonal changes and the variation in day length with the seasons.

The lesson includes a variety of activities, such as identifying weather types from a song, using weather cards to report on conditions in Great Britain and Ireland, and practical experiments like creating rain with shaving foam and food colouring. Students will also explore the properties of materials to determine which would make the best raincoat, and they'll get hands-on experience with a substance called Magic Snow to understand absorption. The lesson is designed to correct common misconceptions, such as the belief that it never rains in deserts or that it's always snowing at the poles. Health and safety are considered with precautions about spillages and not ingesting any materials. To round off the lesson, a plenary session allows pupils to consolidate their learning by discussing the types of weather typical in summer, the necessity of raincoats, and the materials best suited for making them.