The mountain environment

How does the weather compare in each of these places?

Overview

This series of lessons aims to use a cross-curricular approach to geography and mathematics, to extend children's knowledge of mountain environments, and their skills in collecting, presenting and interpreting data.

In activity one the children use a range of secondary resources, including the internet, to collect the latest weather data for three mountain environments, using worksheet one to record findings.

Activity two focuses more closely on climates. Climate slides can be used to introduce the main activity which is an investigation using the internet to find climate averages for the past 30 years. Children collect and present data as bar graphs and interpret their findings in terms of similarities and differences between places using differentiated worksheets.

Objectives

Children should learn:

• about weather patterns in different parts of the world

• to use secondary sources

• to use ICT to access information

Activity one

Collecting weather data using the internet

Children work in groups to collect weather data for three mountain localities related to their studies earlier in this unit. They will need to use the internet to collect the data which, if possible, should be from that day's latest weather reports.

Worksheet one can be used to record their findings.

Groups can share their findings and discuss similarities and differences in weather between localities.

Note: When the latest weather data for a specific location is not available, children can use atlases to find the nearest towns and cities for which the latest weather data is available.

Lesson resources

• Mountain environment slides 

• Mountain worksheet one

You will need:

• Atlases

• Internet access for groups

• Latest Met Office weather forecast for the UK

Activity two

Comparing mountain climates

Using slide one as a starting point, ask the children to imagine they are going to visit the places in the photographs and that they need to think about the clothes they need to pack for each of the locations. Children can work in pairs to describe types of weather they might experience at low and high altitudes and make notes.

Allow time for children to share their ideas and discuss any questions arising from the exercise.

Using slides three to 10 introduce the class to climates and encourage children to think about factors that affect climate in different parts of the world.

Split the class into ability groups and introduce investigation task. Ensure each group investigates a different locality. Use worksheets two, three and four to record data and plot graphs.

Allow each group to present their findings and discuss with the children the similarities and differences between the weather in each of the mountain environments.

Compare bar graphs of rainfall for the different mountain environments and ask the question 'is the driest time to go on holiday the same in all these places?'

Lesson resources

• Mountain climates slideshow

• Mountain worksheet two (Kathmandu) 

• Mountain worksheet three (Capel Curig)

• Mountain worksheet four (Cusco)

• Mountain worksheet five (any location within the UK) 

• World Weather Information Service for Cusco

• World Weather Information Service for Kathmandu

• Met Office forecast for Snowdonia (Capel Curig)