Activity

If You Can't Predict the Weather, How Can You Predict the Climate?

Curated and Reviewed by Lesson Planet
This If You Can't Predict the Weather, How Can You Predict the Climate? activity also includes:

Why is the weather man wrong so often? Young climatologists discover how chaos rules both weather and climate through a math-based activity. Using an iterative equation, the class examines how small day-to-day weather events total up to big changes in Earth's climate.

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Instructional Ideas
  • Have individuals make up their own description of the relationship between weather, climate, and chaos
  • Use the activity as a lead-in to a climate research project
Classroom Considerations
  • Pair pupils to shorten the activity
  • Consider arranging time in the computer lab to have the class complete the calculations using a spreadsheet
Pros
  • The activity is a great tool for exploring the Cross-Cutting Concept of Patterns as they relate to weather and climate
  • Instructions are clearly written and easy to follow, even for learners with little experience in iterative equations
Cons
  • None