Weather and climate in Europe
Lesson details
Learning outcome
I can identify different climate zones in the world and describe the climate of different countries in Europe.
Key learning points
- The climate in Europe is seasonal and very varied.
- Southern areas of Europe around the Mediterranean are mild in winter and hot in summer, and attract a lot of tourists.
- The west of Europe receives more rainfall than the east of Europe because it is close to the Atlantic Ocean.
Keywords
Weather - The weather of a place is the day to day condition of the atmosphere, e.g. sunny, snowing, warm etc.
Climate - Climate is an average of weather conditions (e.g. rain, sun, wind) in a place taken over a long period of time (usually 30 years or more).
Equator - The Equator is an imaginary line encircling Earth at 0° latitude and is an equal distance from the North Pole and the South Pole.
Latitude - Lines of latitude are imaginary lines on Earth showing position north or south of the Equator, measured in degrees.
Climate change - Climate change is a large-scale and long-term change in the planet’s climate, including weather patterns and average temperatures.
Common misconception
Climate and weather are the same thing.
Explain that weather tells you what clothes to wear that day. Climate tells you what sort of clothes you need to have in your wardrobe.
Teacher tip
Teachers may wish to first model using a weather forecast service and tourist information websites to research the climate of a country in Europe.
Licence
Lesson video
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Prior knowledge starter quiz
6 Questions
Q1.Europe is found in the Northern Hemisphere.
Q2.Which continent borders Europe in the east?
Q3.Countries in Europe have very different climates.
Q4.How many countries are in Europe?
Q5.Atlas maps provide information on...
Q6.Which of these countries are in Southern Europe?
Assessment exit quiz
6 Questions
Q1.Which of these is the correct definition of climate?
Q2.All countries in Europe have four seasons; winter, spring, summer and .
Q3.What do lines of latitude describe?
Q4.Match the correct descriptions of each climate zone.
a climate with moderate temperatures and quite a lot of rainfall
a dry climate with cool summers and very cold winters
a climate with hot, dry summers and cooler, mild winters
Q5.Which area of the Europe is wetter?
Q6.What physical factors affect the climate of a location?
To help you plan your 4 geography lesson on: Weather and climate in Europe, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...
To help you plan your 4 geography lesson on: Weather and climate in Europe, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs.
The starter quiz will activate and check your pupils' prior knowledge, with versions available both with and without answers in PDF format.
We use learning cycles to break down learning into key concepts or ideas linked to the learning outcome. Each learning cycle features explanations with checks for understanding and practice tasks with feedback. All of this is found in our slide decks, ready for you to download and edit. The practice tasks are also available as printable worksheets and some lessons have additional materials with extra material you might need for teaching the lesson.
The assessment exit quiz will test your pupils' understanding of the key learning points.
Our video is a tool for planning, showing how other teachers might teach the lesson, offering helpful tips, modelled explanations and inspiration for your own delivery in the classroom. Plus, you can set it as homework or revision for pupils and keep their learning on track by sharing an online pupil version of this lesson.
Explore more key stage 2 geography lessons from the Europe: how diverse are its landscapes and places? unit, dive into the full primary geography curriculum, or learn more about lesson planning.