C Curriculum Explorer
Science·Earth's Systems·conceptual

Weather vs climate

Obtain and combine information to describe climates in different regions of the world, distinguishing between weather and climate

Suggested ages 8–9

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Learning journey

Your child is exploring weather and climate by collecting and displaying weather data, learning to distinguish between daily weather patterns and long-term climate conditions in different regions around the world.

Evidence of understanding

  • Define weather as day-to-day conditions and climate as the long-term pattern of weather in an area
  • Describe at least three different climate types (tropical, temperate, polar, desert) with examples
  • Explain that climate varies by region due to factors like distance from the equator

Assessment prompt

Can Weather vs climate explain the difference between weather and climate, and describe why the Arctic is always cold while tropical areas are always warm?

Standards alignment

3-ESS2-2US · ngss-k5

3-ESS2-2

Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) K-5