Weather and Climate: Graphical Displays
Provided by: Illinois Math and Science Academy|Published on: May 6, 2025
Grades: 3, 4, 5
Type: Lesson Plans
Subjects: Science, Social Studies
Authors: Elizabeth Martinez
Region: Illinois
Languages: English
This resource has been reviewed by SubjectToClimate's climate scientists and verified for scientific accuracy and up-to-date information. Learn about our review process →
This resource has been reviewed by SubjectToClimate's climate scientists and verified for scientific accuracy and up-to-date information. Learn about our review process →
Synopsis
- This third-grade lesson is designed to promote understanding of weather and climate by exploring various locations on the globe.
- Students will learn how latitude is related to climate zones.
- Climate and weather data worldwide are compared to Illinois data.
Teaching Materials
Positives
- Students have the opportunity to interact with the data by constructing graphs and utilizing tables while they analyze seasonal precipitation and temperature.
- Opportunities exist for collaboration as students describe their data to others.
- A slideshow and worksheets are included to facilitate a seamless implementation of this lesson.
- Many links are provided to encourage exploration of climate and weather patterns worldwide.
Prerequisites
- Students should have a general understanding of the seasons and the weather patterns.
- Constructing graphs, particularly a bar graph or pictograph, should be taught prior to this lesson.
- Lesson plans, student worksheets, and presentation slides can be found here.
Differentiation & Implementation
- Although this is a third-grade lesson, it can be expanded on for use through grade 5.
- Some students may need additional instruction or review to help locate the cities and countries on the globe.
- This lesson can be extended by graphing the data over 10-year periods of time to highlight any trends or changes in weather patterns, particularly precipitation and temperature.
- This video can be used as a quick preview or review of the difference between weather and climate.
This resource guides students through understanding weather and climate graphically. The activities engage students with real-time climate data, and numerous external sources are linked. The commonly misunderstood difference between weather and climate is addressed both in temporal and geographic terms. This resource is recommended for teaching.
Teaching Tips
Standards
Resource Type and Format
Scientist Reviewed
This resource has been reviewed by SubjectToClimate's climate scientists and verified for scientific accuracy and up-to-date information. Our review process ensures that every resource in our library reflects the current state of climate science.
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