Age Range: Secondary

Country Background Information: India

Post date 8 November 2020

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Country Background Information: India

If possible, download these two documents to your phone, so that you can refer to them later:

Key country facts

Glossary

Further Materials (higher level learners) – India

Climate Transparency country profile
India unveils climate change plan from the Guardian.
India’s emission history and projections from Climate Action Tracker.
India’s self-assessment of its vulnerability to climate change, submitted to the UNFCC in 2012 and India’s Nationally Determined Contribution (2016)
India: Developing Solar Energy to Meet Rising Demand for Electricity from the World Bank.
Why India needs to worry about climate change from the BBC
How India’s battle with climate change could determine all of our fates from the Guardian

General Information

Background Information from the UN
A good overview from the World Bank.
CCAFS big facts
En-Roads 2100 climate simulator
A history of climate change negotiations and another one.
A guide to COP21 in Paris from the Guardian.

Country Background Information: European Union

Post date 8 November 2020

Home » Teaching Resources » Secondary » Page 27

Country Background Information: European Union

For the purposes of these negotiations, the 27 countries of the EU are Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Republic of Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain and Sweden.

If possible, download these two documents to your phone, so that you can refer to them later:

Key EU facts

Glossary

Further Materials (higher level learners) – EU

Note that many of these resources include the UK, bringing the total number of EU states to 28.

General Information

Background Information from the UN
A good overview from the World Bank.
CCAFS big facts
En-Roads 2100 climate simulator
A history of climate change negotiations and another one.
A guide to COP21 in Paris from the Guardian.

Country Background Information: China

Post date 8 November 2020

Home » Teaching Resources » Secondary » Page 27

Country Background Information: China

If possible, download these two documents to your phone, so that you can refer to them later:

Key country facts

Glossary

Further Materials (higher level learners) – China

General Information

Background Information from the UN
A good overview from the World Bank.
CCAFS big facts
En-Roads 2100 climate simulator
A history of climate change negotiations and another one.
A guide to COP21 in Paris from the Guardian.

Country Background Information: Bangladesh

Post date 8 November 2020

Home » Teaching Resources » Secondary » Page 27

Country Background Information: Bangladesh

If possible, download these two documents to your phone, so that you can refer to them later:

Key country facts

Glossary

Two thirds of Bangladesh is less than 5m above sea level. Stilt houses are structural solutions for floodprone areas.With around 700 rivers and an extensive river network, up to 70% of the country becomes flooded every year. Tropical cyclones can also cause coastal flooding. Both these risks could increase as the climate changes. If global temperatures continue to increase to 2°C, scientists predict that almost 20% of Bangladesh would eventually be below sea level. Source: Flickr / UCL Development Planning Unit

Further Materials (higher level learners) – Bangladesh

General Information

Background Information from the UN
A good overview from the World Bank.
CCAFS big facts
En-Roads 2100 climate simulator
A history of climate change negotiations and another one.
A guide to COP21 in Paris from the Guardian.

Country Background Information

Post date 8 November 2020

Home » Teaching Resources » Secondary » Page 27

Country Background Information

Climate Change Negotiations for Schools

Post date 8 November 2020

Simulating a world climate change conference

Guidance for Teachers

Notes for teachers – this contains everything you need to know to run the activity. Start here!
Curriculum Links
Print:
Pack 1 (double sided if possible) – note these are personalised;
Pack 2 (table flags, must be printed in colour, could be laminated), or as Pack2b names (which can be printed in black and white).
Pack 3 (sticky labels for printing on standard 8 row label sheets or print on paper and use school lanyards),
Optional Pack 4 (country fact sheets for reference in class),
Pack 5 for Module 4, Market Places.
PowerPoint slides for use in all modules. Edit this before use to assign students to each country.

Please let us know if you have used these resources by emailing education@rmets.org. It would be great if you could also tell us which year group you used it with, how many students there were and how it went. This will help us refine it in the future.

Module 6

Useful Tools:

Countdown clock

Acknowledgements

This work was funded by the Royal Meteorological Society and is supported by Rimini Protokoll, based on their theatre production for DeutschesSchauspielHausHamburg: World Climate Change Conference , 2014.

We are delighted that this resource has been awarded a Silver award by the Geographical Association. The citation given reads “Simulating a world climate change conference is a free, online and multimedia resource, relevant for both GCSE and A level specifications. It provides a wealth of high-quality, sophisticated and up-to-date materials including video input from one of the British delegates to the Paris climate talks. The judges felt that the quality of the resource would enable teachers to confidently set up an excellent simulation for their classes.”

This resource has also been Highly Commended by the Scottish Association for Geography Teachers.

You may also be interested in the higher level version, not specifically for schools, created by Climate Interactives using the CRoads model and the model climate conferences for secondary schools run by InterClimate.org in local council chambers.

David Warrilow, UK representative to the Paris negotiations, has published this article: Science and the international climate negotiations

Climate Change Resources

Post date 8 November 2020

Summary of Weather and Climate links in the KS3 2014 National Curriculum (England).

			Curriculum Links	Other useful resources
Module 1 – Climate Change Nuts and Bolts	Scheme of Work	Greenhouse Gases	Geography, Chemistry	Climate Change Resources
	RSC resources	Background info for teachers	Geography	Climate, Climate Change and Climate Engineering
		Scheme of Work
		Leaves as Thermometers
		Sediment Core Image
		Sediment Core Key
		Tree Ring Images
		Teacher Information Sheet – Ozone
		Ozone Layer Questions
Module 2 – Do not believe the hype .. or Should I	Scheme of Work		Geography, Chemistry
	Student Challenge Sheet
	Persuasive Presentation – Climate Change			Climate Change Negotiations Resource
	Climate Change Scepticism	Teachers’ Guide	Geography, Chemistry, Combined Science
		Debate Card 1
		Debate Card 2
		Climate Change Scepticism PowerPoint
Module 3 – Climate Change all around me (Indicators)	Scheme of Work	Peer Assessment	Geography, Chemistry	Climate Change in the UK
Module 4 – so what (Impacts)	Scheme of Work
	Afsana Mystery	Instructions
		PowerPoint
		Cards
		Criteria levels
	Day After Tomorrow	Fact or Fiction
		Answer Sheet
	De Bono	De Bono Hats
		Group Summary
	Global Dimension	Scheme of Work	French
		Climate Change global dimension – staff
	Global Dimension – Flooding	Scheme of Work	Geography
		Session 1 – Flooding
		Session 2 – Flooding
		Session 3 – flooding and biodiversity
		Session 4 – Doctor’s report
		Session 4 – Flooding and Disease
		Session 5 – flood prepare & prevention
		Session 6 – Flooding Council
	Migration	Memory Map
		Card sort
	Polar Bear	PowerPoint
		Agony Aunt template
	Impacts PowerPoint
Module 5 – Climate Change Champions (Mitigation)	Scheme of Work
	Carbon Neutral House	Instructions
		Ideas Template
		Sheet A
		Sheet B
		Sheet C
		Sheet D
		Sheet E
		Sheet F
	Recycling Food Miles	Food Miles Factoids
		Food Miles Factoids as pdf
		Food Miles Articles
		Recycling Factoids
		Recycling Factoids as pdf
	Sustainable Living	Challenge Point Scores Sheet Summary
		Challenge 1 – compost
		Challenge 1 – organic
		Challenge 1 – food table
		Challenge 2 – kite
		Challenge 3 – word search
		Challenge 5 – community classroom
		Challenge 6
		Challenge 7
		Footprints
		People Points
		Planet Poster
		Student Diary Challenge
Module 6 – Making the most of it (Adaptation)	Scheme of Work
	What is Climate Change Adaptation
	What is the Adaptation Challenge
	Why is Climate Change Adaptation Important?
	Peer Assessment
	Student Challenge Sheet
Trees	Scheme of Work		Biology (plant reproduction, photosynthesis), Chemistry (carbon cycle)
	How a Tree Works Scheme of Work	Model comments
		Peer Assessment
	Why are Trees Important Scheme of Work	Extended Teacher Notes
		Sustainable Forest Management Questionnaire

General Resources

Diamond Ranking sheet

Acknowledgements

The Climate Change Schools Resources were developed by the Climate Change Schools Project, based at the then Science Learning Centre in Durham and led by Krista McKinzey. A large number of teachers and schools in North East England were involved in their development.

They have subsequently been updated by the Royal Meteorological Society.

Climate Change Resources

Post date 8 November 2020

Some introductory PowerPoint presentations suitable for more advanced students, teacher CPD etc.:

Atmospheric Structure

Structure of the Atmosphere

Atmospheric Composition

Composition of the atmosphere

Solar Radiation

Solar radiation and the atmosphere

Climate Feedback Mechanisms

Feedback mechanisms

Flow chart

Ozone Depletion

Antarctic Ozone Depletion

Ozone depletion

Additional Guide to Stratospheric Ozone

They have subsequently been updated by the Royal Meteorological Society.

Anticyclones, Depressions and Fronts

Post date 6 November 2020

LESSON PLAN: Introduction to Anticyclones, Depressions and Fronts
Key Stage 4 – GCSE
Subject Geography

Length 1 lesson

Teaching Objectives/Learning Outcomes
By the end of the lesson, pupils will know and understand:
Characteristics of depressions and fronts and the sequence of associated weather
Characteristics of anticyclones and the contrast between those in summer and in winter.

Resources Required
None.

Prior Knowledge Required
A basic knowledge of weather and climate

Teaching Activities
The following web pages have related resources at a similar level:

Weather Systems

Student Charts

Weather Systems

Exercises
4 worksheets with exercises are provided to consolidate learning.
A series of extension exercises are provided for more able students, or those who have already studied the topics covered in more detail prior to this lesson.

Plenary – A quiz is available, which brings together all the topics covered. The can be used to examine whether the objectives of the lessons have been met.

Suggestions for Home Work
Any of the worksheet activities can be completed as homework.

PART A – ANTICYCLONES AND DEPRESSIONS

High Pressure Systems

A high pressure system, also known as an anticyclone occurs when the weather is dominated by stable conditions. Under an anticyclone air is descending, forming an area of higher pressure at the surface. Because of these stable conditions, cloud formation is inhibited, so the weather is usually settled with only small amounts of cloud cover. In the Northern Hemisphere winds blow in a clockwise direction around an anticyclone. As isobars are normally widely spaced around an anticyclone, winds are often quite light.
Anticyclones can be identified on weather charts as an often large area of widely spaced isobars, where pressure is higher than surrounding areas.

Winter Anticyclones

In winter the clear, settled conditions and light winds associated with anticyclones can lead to frost and fog. The clear skies allow heat to be lost from the surface of the earth by radiation, allowing temperatures to fall steadily overnight, leading to air or ground frosts. Light winds along with falling temperatures can encourage fog to form; this can linger well into the following morning and be slow to clear. If high pressure becomes established over Northern Europe during winter this can bring a spell of cold easterly winds to the UK.

Summer Anticyclones

In summer the clear settled conditions associated with anticyclones can bring long sunny days and warm temperatures. The weather is normally dry, although occasionally, very hot temperatures can trigger thunderstorms. An anticyclone situated over the UK or near continent usually brings warm, fine weather.

Low Pressure Systems

A low pressure system, also known as a depression occurs when the weather is dominated by unstable conditions. Under a depression air is rising, forming an area of low pressure at the surface. This rising air cools and condenses and helps encourage cloud formation, so the weather is often cloudy and wet. In the Northern Hemisphere winds blow in anticlockwise direction around a depression. Isobars are normally closely spaced around a depressions leading to strong winds.
Depressions can be identified on weather charts as an area of closely spaced isobars, often in a roughly circular shape, where pressure is lower than surrounding areas. They are often accompanied by fronts.

What to do next
Using this information on pressure systems you should now be able to complete worksheet 1. Then you can move on to extension exercise 1 or worksheet 2

PART B – FRONTS

A front is a boundary between two different types of air masses, these are normally warm moist air masses from the tropics and cooler drier air masses from polar regions. Fronts move with the wind so over the UK they normally move from west to east. The notes below provide information about the most common types of fronts. The descriptions given apply to active well developed fronts, weaker fronts may not display all the characteristics or they may be less well defined.

Warm Fronts

A warm front indicates that warm air is advancing and rising up over the colder air. This is because the warm air is ‘lighter’ or less dense, than the cold air. Therefore warm fronts occur where warmer air is replacing cooler air at the surface. As the warm front approaches there is a gradual deterioration in the weather. Clouds gradually lower from higher cirrus, through altostratus, to stratus and nimbostratus at the front. There is often a prolonged spell of rainfall which is often heavy. Behind the warm front the rain becomes lighter, turns to drizzle or ceases, but it remains cloudy.

Temperatures rise behind the warm front and winds turn clockwise, also known as a wind ‘veer’.

Pressure falls steadily ahead of and during the passage of the warm front, but then rises slowly after its passage.

The following diagram shows the formation of a warm front in diagrammatic form.

The following diagram shows a cross section through a warm front, with associated cloud, temperature and weather changes.

Cold Fronts

A cold front indicates that cold air is advancing and pushing underneath warmer air at the surface. This occurs because the cold air is ‘heavier’ or denser than the warm air. Therefore cold fronts occur where cooler air is replacing warmer air at the surface. The passage of weather associated with a cold front is much shorter lived than that with a warm front. As there is often a lot of cloud in the warmer air ahead of the cold front, there is often little indication of the approaching cold front.

As the front passes temperatures fall and there is often a short spell of very heavy rain, sometimes with inbedded thunderstorms and cumulonimbus clouds. Behind the front the weather is much brighter with broken clouds but occasional showers. Winds veer with the passage of the cold front and are often strong and gusty, especially near showers.

Pressure rises throughout the approach and passage of the cold front.

The following diagram shows the formation of a cold front in diagrammatic form.

The following diagram shows a cross section through a cold front, with associated cloud, temperature and weather changes.

Occlusions

In a mature depression the warm front normally precedes the cold front. Cold fronts generally travel much quicker than warm fronts, and eventually it will catch up with the warm front.

Where the two fronts meet, warm air is lifted from the surface and an occlusion is formed. An occlusion can be thought of as having similar characteristics to both warm and cold fronts.

The weather ahead of an occlusion is similar to that ahead of a warm front, whilst the weather behind is similar to that behind a cold front.

The following diagrams depict the formation of an occlusion.

What to do next:

You can now move on to Part C – Life Cycle of a Depression.

PART C – LIFE CYCLE OF A DEPRESSION

A Norwegian scientist called Vilhelm Bjerknes devised a simple model which described how depressions developed from the meeting of warm and cold air. The model had four stages which are detailed below.

Origin and Infancy

Initially a warm air mass such as one from the tropics, meets a cooler air mass, such as one from the polar regions. Depressions which affect the UK normally originate over the Atlantic Ocean.

Maturity

The warm air rises up over the colder air which is sinking. A warm sector develops between the warm and cold fronts. The mature stage of a depression often occurs over the UK.

Occlusion

The cold front travels at around 40 to 50 miles per hour, compared to the warm front which travels at only 20 to 30 miles per hour. Therefore the cold front eventually catches up with the warm front. When this occurs an occlusion is formed.

Death

Eventually the frontal system dies as all the warm air has been pushed up from the surface and all that remains is cold air. The occlusion dies out as temperatures are similar on both sides. This stage normally occurs over Europe or Scandinavia.

What to do next
You can now move on to Part D – Depression cross-section and weather sequence

PART D – DEPRESSION CROSS SECTION AND WEATHER SEQUENCE

Cross-section through a Classic Depression

Most depressions have a warm and cold front, more mature depressions may also have an occluded front. The diagram below shows a cross-section through a depression, showing the warm and cold fronts and an indication of the associated weather.

What to do next

Using this information on the passage of depressions you should now be able to complete worksheet 3 and worksheet 4.

Web page reproduced with the kind permission of the Met Office

Sailing Weather

Post date 2 November 2020

Sailing Hazard

Sailing is one of the most weather-dependent sports. Unfortunately, wind is not just a useful source of power for sailing craft but also a hazard. Strong winds can capsize boats, either directly or in combination with the waves they may produce.

The wind is never steady. It always fluctuates between gusts of higher wind speed and lulls that may be so light as to be near-calm. However, sudden increases of wind on a larger scale can sometimes occur. These are called squalls and are often associated not only with strong, gusty wind but also with heavy rain.

The importance of any hazard varies with the skill level of the crew, the type of boat and the kind of sailing being undertaken. For example, a novice crew in a small boat may underestimate wind strength before setting off. This is an easy mistake to make, especially if they are launching from a relatively sheltered location. Sailors who are more experienced are unlikely to be caught out like this but are still vulnerable in other ways. Hard sailing, especially in colder conditions, can tire a crew very quickly. Exhaustion or exposure can creep up on them before they know what is happening. For example, a dinghy crew might be having great fun practising sailing across the wind, only to find when they feel they have had enough that they do not have the reserves of energy for a long struggle upwind or a tricky run downwind.

These days, yachtsmen do not have to rely on old folklore or gamble on good weather. All sailors should pay attention to weather forecasts. These are available through radio, television, the internet and other means of broadcasting.

The particular forecast that is most appropriate depends on the kind of sailing being planned. The shipping forecast broadcast on the radio is perhaps the most useful to offshore sailors. The terms used in it are precisely defined, and the information that is included in it on pressure changes and movements of weather systems is very useful to anyone with a deeper than average understanding of meteorology.

When yachtsmen study meteorology as part of a training course, either at sea or ashore, they are often asked to create a weather map from a recorded shipping forecast as an exercise. The Royal Yachting Association can provide forms called ‘Metmaps’ that make recording and interpreting the shipping forecast a lot easier. Completing one of these is a good exercise for anyone who wants to go into meteorology seriously. The ‘Metmap’ is a two-sided A4 form. On one side, a shipping bulletin broadcast by the BBC can be taken down. On the other, a simple up-to-date weather map can be drawn from the information contained in the bulletin.

The shipping forecast gives a lot of information about visibility at sea. This is because poor visibility can sometimes be a greater hazard than strong winds. The forecast will not only give a guide to overall visibility in terms of ‘good’, ‘moderate’ or ‘poor’ but will often indicate if visibility is poor for a specific reason, such as ‘visibility poor in showers’. This particular occurrence can give a sailor a real fright, as views of nearby vessels or navigation marks can be lost suddenly when showers occur.

Two possible hazards are not often mentioned in weather forecasts for sailors but usually are in forecasts for land areas:

One of these is lightning, though the possibility of its occurrence may be indicated indirectly in a forecast or station report as ‘thundery showers’. In fact, lightning is not such a risk to sailors as it might at first appear. Boats are surrounded by a very good conductor of electricity – water – and unless the boat suffers a direct hit, which is unlikely, the current is dissipated much more quickly than on land.

The other neglected hazard is exposure to sunlight and sunburn. Sailors are at particular risk for two reasons. First of all, yachtsmen can get an increased dose of sunlight because of reflections from the water. Secondly, they may not notice this because the wind will make them feel cool and unaware they are ‘cooking’. Many a sailor has returned to work on a Monday morning with a ‘yachtsman’s tan’ (from the neck up!). This might seem a nice problem to have, but all sailors should note the example of the America’s Cup crews, who often display extremely colourful suncream to protect against harmful solar radiation.

Despite the apparently long list of hazards described, sailing is, in fact, a very safe sport. It is also a sport where knowledge of meteorology can increase a participant’s enjoyment and even give a competitive advantage!

Acapulco in 1968, sailors competing in the Olympic Games had an unusual surprise from the weather. While not actually hazardous, it was certainly not pleasant. One day, following a sudden squall, the covers of the boats were covered with maggots, which had, presumably, been drawn up into clouds by a whirlwind or waterspout, only to fall out in a downpour of rain.

The year 1979 is famous to yachtsmen for the worst possible reason. In August of that year, during the Fastnet Race (from Cowes on the Isle of Wight to the Fastnet Rock [51°24’N 9°35’W] off south-west Ireland and back again to Plymouth), the fleet of yachts ran into severe storms and rough seas. Fifteen lives were lost. Despite ‘survival conditions’, many crews kept records of the severe conditions, based on their barometers and wind instruments. To the meteorologists who have analysed the Fastnet Storm and its structure, these records have proved invaluable. For a recent analysis of the storm, see the article by D.E.Pedgley in the August 1997 issue of Weather (Volume 52, pp.230-242).

Shipping forecasts are currently broadcast four times a day on BBC Radio 4 Long Wave. They are also available via the websites of the Met Office and the BBC Weather Centre. In shipping forecasts, the Beaufort Scale is used for describing wind strength. This scale originated in the days of sail but is now defined precisely in terms of the wind at a height of ten metres averaged over a ten-minute period.

Country Background Information: India

Further Materials (higher level learners) – India

General Information

Country Background Information: European Union

Further Materials (higher level learners) – EU

General Information

Country Background Information: China

Further Materials (higher level learners) – China

General Information

Country Background Information: Bangladesh

Further Materials (higher level learners) – Bangladesh

General Information

Country Background Information

Simulating a world climate change conference

Guidance for Teachers

Module 1 – Introduction

Module 2 – homework

Module 4

Module 5

Module 6

Useful Tools:

Acknowledgements

General Resources

Acknowledgements

Climate Feedback Mechanisms

Ozone Depletion

PART A – ANTICYCLONES AND DEPRESSIONS

High Pressure Systems

Winter Anticyclones

Summer Anticyclones

Low Pressure Systems

Warm Fronts

Cold Fronts

Occlusions

PART C – LIFE CYCLE OF A DEPRESSION

Origin and Infancy

Maturity

Occlusion

Death

PART D – DEPRESSION CROSS SECTION AND WEATHER SEQUENCE

Cross-section through a Classic Depression

What to do next

Sailing Hazard

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