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Books Climate Climate Change CPD Geography Microclimates Schools Secondary Teaching Weather

Weather and Climate: a Teachers’ Guide

weather and climate teachers guideIn this teachers’ guide and the accompanying online teaching resources, we aim to give UK geography teachers all that they need to deliver relevant, engaging and thorough weather and climate lessons to 11–14+ year old students. They are not linked to any specific curriculum but should be easily adaptable to all.

The book is accompanied by high quality online background information/professional development resources for teachers.

 

 

 

The Royal Meteorological Society believes that:

  • all students should leave school with basic weather literacy that allows them to understand the weather that affects them, their leisure activities and the careers they choose to follow
  • every student should leave school with basic climate literacy that would enable them to engage with the messages put forward by the media or politicians and to make informed decisions about their own opportunities and responsibilities.

To this end, we have embedded a climate change thread throughout the online resources, showing its relevance to both weather and climate. An understanding of weather and climate is fundamental to an understanding of climate change.

There is a progression of knowledge through the topics, supported by review and assessment activities. The resources also progressively develop key geographical skills such as data, mapwork, GIS, fieldwork and critical thinking.

In this guide, we include common misconceptions which should be challenged in the classroom.

There are 20 topics or chapters. Across these, there are three threads or paths which can be taken through the online resources, depending on the teaching time available:

Basic weather: Weather in our lives, weather measurements, weather and climate, global atmospheric circulation, global climate zones, air masses, pressure and wind and water in the atmosphere

Climate: Weather and climate, global atmospheric circulation, global climate zones, past climate change, polar climate, hot deserts, changing global climate, UK climate, changing UK climate, the climate crisis

Extending weather: Anticyclones, depressions, microclimates, urban weather, tropical cyclones.

Many of the online teaching resources are available with standard or easier versions, as well as extension or alternative activities.

Find the scheme of work, teaching resources, background information for teachers, as well as the Teachers’ Guide (copies of which may be printed on request), here

All the online resources will be updated and revised regularly.

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Fieldwork Microclimates

Weather Fieldwork for A Level Geography

To make it easier for A level geography candidates to consider incorporating weather measurements into their Independent Investigations/ NEA, we have made this video.

Weather data can be used for lots of interesting investigations, and is also a useful addition to others – the weather can affect both physical processes and human ones. Are the responses people give to surveys affected by the weather? How does this extend to other forms of behaviour – how people travel, what activities they choose to do? What impact do microclimates have on land use – and vice versa?

Weather data can be obtained directly (primary sources) using instruments – which may be simple (homemade or cheaply available) or highly precise, professional instruments.

In this short film, we give an overview of what sorts of weather instruments are appropriate for you to use and how to use them correctly.

The Royal Meteorological Society can lend weather instruments to A level students for their Independent Investigation. 

To find out more get in touch.

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Fieldwork Geography Microclimates

Collecting Weather Data for the A Level independent investigation (NEA)

We are delighted to have produced some resources about collecting and using weather measurements for the A Level geography independent investigation (Non-examined Assessment – NEA) which can be found as part of a more general Student’s Guide on the RGS website.

Students are able to borrow weather instruments free of charge from the Society for the NEA – more information here.

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Fieldwork Microclimates Teaching

Top ten ideas for weather fieldwork

We’ve put together our top 10 (ish) ideas for simple, fun weather fieldwork. You can find them here.