Earth Science: Weather vs Climate: What's the Difference
Learning about daily weather and long-term climate
Earth Science: Weather vs Climate: What's the Difference
Learning about daily weather and long-term climate
Earth Science - Grade K-1
- 1
Circle the word that tells about today: weather or climate.
Think about whether it is sunny, rainy, hot, or cold today.
Weather tells about today because weather is what the sky and air are like now. - 2
A place is usually hot and dry for many years. Is this weather or climate?
This is climate because it tells what a place is usually like for many years. - 3
Draw one kind of weather you can see outside, such as sun, rain, clouds, snow, or wind.
Look for what is happening in the sky or air.
A correct drawing shows one kind of weather, such as a sunny sky, rain, clouds, snow, or wind. - 4
It is raining right now. Is that weather or climate?
Rain happening right now is weather because weather can change from day to day. - 5
Circle the picture that shows weather: a rainy day or a map showing a place is warm most of the year.
Weather can happen today.
The rainy day shows weather because it tells what is happening on one day. - 6
Fill in the blank: Weather can change from day to ____.
Weather can change from day to day. - 7
Fill in the blank: Climate tells what a place is usually like over a long ____.
Climate is not just about one day.
Climate tells what a place is usually like over a long time. - 8
A town has cold, snowy winters almost every year. Is this weather or climate?
This is climate because it describes what the town is usually like in winter over many years. - 9
Circle all the weather words: sunny, rainy, windy, usually cold for many years.
Weather words can describe one day.
The weather words are sunny, rainy, and windy. Usually cold for many years describes climate. - 10
It was sunny in the morning and cloudy in the afternoon. What changed?
The weather changed because the sky changed during the day. - 11
A scientist looks at many years of temperature and rain to describe a place. Is the scientist studying weather or climate?
Many years is a clue for climate.
The scientist is studying climate because climate uses information from many years. - 12
Draw a line to match: Weather goes with one day. Climate goes with many years.
Weather matches with one day, and climate matches with many years. - 13
Which sentence tells about climate? A. It is windy today. B. This place is usually rainy in spring.
Look for the word usually.
Sentence B tells about climate because it says what the place is usually like in spring. - 14
Which sentence tells about weather? A. The snow is falling now. B. This place has hot summers every year.
Sentence A tells about weather because it tells what is happening now. - 15
Write W for weather or C for climate: Our city is often warm in summer.
The word often tells about what happens many times.
The correct answer is C for climate because it tells what the city is often like in summer.