Content focus:

Students investigate weather, climate and seasons as an example of a natural feature of places. They learn about how people describe the weather and the seasons of places. Students explore how the activities occurring in places are affected by weather and climate and how the nature and character of places is determined, at least in part, by weather and climate.

Geographical concepts:

• Place: the significance of places and what they are like. For example: places students live in and belong to and why they are important.
• Space: the significance of location and spatial distribution, and ways people organise and manage the spaces that we live in. For example: location of a place in relation to other familiar places.
• Environment: the significance of the environment in human life, and the important interrelationships between humans and the environment. For example, how and why places should be looked after.
• Interconnection: no object of geographical study can be viewed in isolation. For example: local and global links people have with places and the special connection Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples maintain with Country/Place.
• Scale: the way that geographical phenomena and problems can be examined at different spatial levels. For example: various scales by which places can be defined such as local suburbs, towns and large cities.
  

Key inquiry questions:

• What is the difference between weather and climate?  
• What are the principal elements of weather?
• What factors determine the climate and seasons of
  places?
• How does weather and its seasonal variations impact on the activities and routines of people?
• How does climate help determine the nature and
  character of places?
• How do Indigenous Australians describe weather and seasons?

Outcomes:
A student:

• describes features of places with particular reference to weather, climate and seasons
• describes the weather and seasonal patterns of familiar places
• identifies ways in which weather and climate impact on people – their activities and routines
• communicates geographical information and uses geographical tools for inquiry.

Inquiry skills:
Acquiring geographical information

• pose geographical questions
• collect and record geographical data and information, for example, weather and climate data

Processing geographical information

• represent data by constructing maps

• draw conclusions based on interpretation of geographical information  

Communicating geographically

• present findings in a range of communication forms
• reflect on their learning and suggest responses to their findings

Geographical tools:
Maps

• globe

Fieldwork

• observing, collecting and recording data

Graphs and statistics

• column and line graphs, weather data

Visual representations

• photographs andillustrations

Lessons and worksheets:

Lesson 1: Weather and introduction :: Resource Sheet 1 :: Worksheet 1 :: Worksheet 2 :: Weather presentation
Lesson 2 : Elements of weather :: Resource Sheet 1 :: Resource Sheet 2 :: Worksheet 1
Lesson 3 : Observing and recording weather :: Worksheet 1 :: Worksheet 2
Lesson 4: Factors affecting weather and climate :: Resource Sheet 1 :: Worksheet 1
Lesson 5: Indigenous Australian’s seasonal knowledge :: Resource Sheet 1 :: Worksheet 1
Lesson 6: Matching weather-based terms and definitions :: Resource Sheet 1 :: Resource Sheet 2
Lesson 7: Natural hazards caused by weather :: Resource Sheet 1
Lesson 8: Summer and winter, Zermatt, Switzerland :: Resource Sheet 1 :: Worksheet 1