Teacher preparation:

Overarching learning goal: In this activity students are introduced to the topic of weather. They identify a range of different weather types and recognise how the weather affects our environment.

Teacher content information:

About Earth Hour: Earth Hour is a WWF-Australia initiative, and is the world’s largest community-driven climate change campaign. At the centre of Earth Hour is switching off lights to show a commitment to taking action. Thousands of teachers use Earth Hour’s education program to enrich their curriculum and provide pathways for young people to create change in their world.

Download the Earth Hour starter kit for your school: Earth Hour for Schools

NOTE: While climate change is a complex concept with science that is beyond the reach of most young children, students in years 1 and 2 can still engage with the topic by exploring the topic of weather and its impact on plants, animals and humans.

Student and classroom organisation:

Step 1.

Begin this activity by asking students to watch this short video on weather:

Cummulus & Nimbus (https://vimeo.com/38514156)

Ask students to report back on all the different types of weather they saw in the clip. Which ones were missing? Write student responses on the board or ask students to record these in the student worksheets.

Step 2.

Break the class into groups and using the Cool Australia Toolbox, ask students to find pictures of weather or pictures that remind them of weather. In particular, students should be looking for pictures that show the weather having an affect on the environment – this might be a positive affect such as sunshine helping the grass to grow, or a negative affect such as trees being blown down, or it might just show a cold or hot climate such as Antarctica or a desert. Alternatively, students might want to include pictures of animals experiencing different types of weather.

Ask students to download these pictures and squeeze as many as possible onto an A4 document in Word, then print the pictures out and then cut them out. Groups should then make a poster or collage about the different types of weather.

Students should also include a small caption for each picture explaining why this picture was chosen and how it relates to the weather.

Step 3.

Ask each group to present their posters to the class, describing their pictures and why they were chosen.

Assessment/Reflection

Using the student worksheet ask students to write a short story (one or two sentences) describing the strangest weather they have ever experienced.

Extension

Ask students to elaborate upon how the plants and animals in their photos are affected by the weather OR how the types of weather in their photos affect plants and animals.

Earth Hour - All Types of Weather

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