Weather, Climate, and Risk

Overview

In lesson 5 of the 10-lesson unit Manitoba Science Year Overview, students use weather data and scenarios to distinguish weather from climate, explain a weather process, and recommend a practical response to a local hazard. Students work in mixed-grade teams, using evidence from graphs, maps, and observations.

Learning intentions

Students will be able to:

• Describe weather elements, including temperature, precipitation, wind, clouds, humidity, and air pressure.
• Distinguish short-term weather from long-term climate patterns.
• Explain how evaporation, condensation, air pressure, or fronts can change weather.
• Interpret simple weather data and communicate a safety response to a local risk.
• Collect and discuss reliable observations using appropriate units and labels.

Success criteria

• I can identify whether information describes weather or climate and explain why.
• I can interpret a graph or weather map using evidence.
• I can explain at least one process that affects weather.
• I can recommend a practical response to flooding, drought, frost, wildfire smoke, windstorms, or winter travel hazards.

Curriculum links

• Earth and space science: use patterns in daily and seasonal weather to describe changes and make predictions.
• Science and engineering practices: ask questions, analyze data, construct explanations, and design solutions.
• Measurement and data: collect, represent, and interpret data in tables, graphs, and maps.
• Speaking, writing, and presenting: refer to evidence and explain ideas clearly to different audiences.

Lesson structure (60 minutes)

1. 0–5 minutes – Hook and local connection. Open with the weather-risk hook and ask: “Why can a sunny morning still lead to a dangerous travel day?” Show contrasting images or icons for flooding, drought, frost, wildfire smoke, windstorms, and winter travel. Students make a quick prediction with a partner.

2. 5–13 minutes – Build shared understanding. Use the weather and climate teaching slides to define atmosphere, weather, climate, forecast, precipitation, humidity, air pressure, and adaptation. Emphasize that weather describes conditions over minutes, hours, or days, while climate describes typical patterns over many years. Model the difference between “It is snowing today” and “This region usually has cold, snowy winters.”

3. 13–23 minutes – Weather or climate sort. Distribute the Weather and Climate Sorting Cards to mixed-grade teams. Students sort statements into WEATHER or CLIMATE, then complete the written response prompts. Ask teams to justify two choices using time words such as “today,” “this week,” “usually,” or “over many years.” Review one potentially confusing example together.

4. 23–35 minutes – Read and explain data. Distribute the weather data and risk analysis worksheet. Students examine a seven-day table or graph showing temperature, precipitation, and wind. They answer questions such as: Which day is warmest? What evidence supports a rain forecast? What pattern might affect travel? Students then annotate a simple weather map, identifying symbols, wind direction, and a possible hazard. Partners compare answers before whole-class feedback.

5. 35–45 minutes – Explain a weather process. Use the weather-process diagram and discussion slides to model one process: sunlight warms water, evaporation adds water vapor, cooling causes condensation, and clouds or precipitation may form. Alternatively, model how differences in air pressure can produce wind. Teams create a four-step explanation on the worksheet and include one labeled arrow or diagram.

6. 45–55 minutes – Community risk briefing. Assign each team one local concern: flooding, drought, frost, wildfire smoke, windstorms, or winter travel. Teams use their data and process explanation to prepare a one-minute briefing: “The evidence suggests… The risk is… People should…” Require one specific action, such as checking forecasts, avoiding floodwater, protecting crops from frost, reducing smoke exposure, or delaying travel. Invite several teams to present.

7. 55–60 minutes – Exit assessment and reflection. Students complete the final section of the weather data and risk analysis worksheet: “Weather and climate are different because…” and “One evidence-based safety response is…” Collect the worksheets. Ask students to rate their confidence from 1–3 and name one weather observation they could collect tomorrow.

Resources

• the complete weather, climate, and risk slide deck
• the weather data and risk analysis worksheet
• the Weather and Climate Sorting Cards
• Projector or interactive display
• Prepared seven-day weather table, graph, and simple weather map
• Pencils, colored pencils, rulers, and clipboards
• Local weather records or an accessible digital forecast
• Optional classroom thermometer, rain gauge, or anemometer
• Board space for recording student explanations

Assessment

• Listen for accurate use of weather and climate language during the sorting task and partner explanations.
• Check the worksheet for correctly interpreted data, a logical weather-process explanation, and evidence-based reasoning.
• Assess the team briefing for a clear hazard, relevant evidence, and a practical safety response.

Differentiation

• Provide icons, word banks, sentence frames, labeled examples, repeated routines, audio directions, and a completed sample graph for EAL learners.
• Pair students strategically across Grades 5–8; assign roles such as reader, data checker, illustrator, and speaker. Allow students to respond orally, by drawing, or in writing.
• Support students needing additional structure with a reduced data set, highlighted graph features, enlarged text, and the sentence frame: “The evidence shows __, so people should __.”
• Extend advanced learners by comparing historical and current climate records, calculating a simple temperature trend, or investigating microclimates near buildings, fields, trees, or water.