Science // Area
Weather & Climate
Age coverage
Ages 5 to 14
Starts at age 5 // 8 topics
Starting at age 5
Your child is discovering how weather works — learning about different types of weather, how to stay safe during storms, and understanding how weather patterns change with the seasons.
- Types of Weather
Identify and describe different types of weather — sunny, rainy, windy, snowy, cloudy, foggy, stormy — and describe what the weather is like today using simple…
Ages 5 to 7Concept - Seasons & Weather Patterns
Know that weather changes with the seasons — spring brings rain and new growth, summer is warmest with long days, autumn brings cooling and falling leaves…
Ages 5 to 7Concept - Rain & Puddles
Know that rain falls from clouds in the sky, that puddles disappear because water goes back into the air, and that this is part of how water moves around — up…
Ages 5 to 7Concept - Temperature & Thermometers
Understand temperature as how hot or cold something is, that a thermometer measures temperature, and use words like hot, warm, cool, and cold to describe how…
Ages 5 to 7Concept - What Is Wind?
Know that wind is moving air, that it can be gentle (a breeze) or very strong (a gale), and that wind can move things like leaves, kites, flags, and even push…
Ages 5 to 7Concept - Weather Forecasting & Safety
Ask questions to obtain information about the purpose of weather forecasting and how people prepare for and respond to severe weather
Ages 5 to 6Concept - Storm Safety
Know basic storm safety: during thunder and lightning, go indoors or into a car, stay away from trees and water; understand that storms can be frightening but…
Ages 5 to 7Concept - Dressing for the Weather
Choose appropriate clothing and equipment for different weather conditions — coat and umbrella for rain, sun hat and sunscreen for hot sun, warm layers for cold…
Ages 5 to 7Method
Starts at age 7 // 8 topics
Starting at age 7
Your child is learning about weather science — how meteorologists forecast weather, what causes different weather patterns like wind and storms, and understanding the water cycle that brings us rain and snow.
- Geography & Local Weather
Know that different places around the world have very different typical weather — tropical places are hot and wet all year, deserts are very dry, polar regions…
Ages 7 to 9Concept - The Water Cycle
Understand the water cycle: the Sun heats water in oceans and lakes causing it to evaporate into water vapour, the vapour rises and cools to form clouds…
Ages 7 to 9Concept - Weather vs Climate
Distinguish between weather and climate: weather is what the atmosphere is doing right now or today (it can change hour to hour), while climate is the typical…
Ages 7 to 9Concept - Cloud Types
Identify the three main cloud types — cumulus (fluffy, fair weather), stratus (flat layers, overcast or drizzle), and cirrus (thin wisps, high up) — and…
Ages 7 to 9Concept - What Causes Wind
Understand what causes wind: the Sun heats the Earth's surface unevenly, warm air rises because it is lighter, and cooler air rushes in to take its place — this…
Ages 7 to 9Concept - Weather Forecasting
Know that meteorologists are scientists who study and forecast the weather using satellites, radar, weather balloons, and computer models, and that weather…
Ages 7 to 9Concept - Using Weather Instruments
Use weather instruments to measure and record weather data: thermometers for temperature in °C, rain gauges for rainfall, wind vanes for direction, and…
Ages 7 to 9Method - Thunder & Lightning
Know that thunder and lightning happen during thunderstorms: lightning is a giant spark of electricity that forms in clouds, thunder is the sound the lightning…
Ages 7 to 9Concept
Starts at age 8 // 1 topic
Starting at age 8
- Designing for Weather Hazards
Make a claim about the merit of a design solution that reduces the impacts of a weather-related hazard such as flooding, wind damage, or extreme temperatures
Ages 8 to 9Method
Starts at age 9 // 8 topics
Starting at age 9
Your child is exploring how the Sun drives weather patterns and creates different climate zones around Earth, learning about extreme weather events, climate change, and how people design solutions to protect communities from weather hazards.
- Climate Change Basics
Understand the basics of climate change: Earth’s atmosphere traps some of the Sun's heat (the greenhouse effect), burning fossil fuels adds extra greenhouse…
Ages 9 to 11Concept - Natural resources
Obtain and combine information to describe that energy and fuels are derived from natural resources and that their uses affect the environment
Ages 9 to 10Concept - Sun-Driven Weather Systems
Understand how the Sun drives weather: the Sun heats Earth's surface unevenly (land heats faster than water, equator gets more heat than poles), creating…
Ages 9 to 11Concept - Climate Zones
Understand that Earth has distinct climate zones — tropical (hot and wet near the equator), temperate (moderate, with four seasons), polar (freezing cold)…
Ages 9 to 11Concept - Weather-Resistant Engineering
Understand that engineers design buildings, flood defences, and warning systems to protect communities from extreme weather — hurricane-resistant roofs, flood…
Ages 9 to 11Method - Reading Weather Maps
Read and interpret weather maps, data tables, and graphs — identifying symbols for sun, rain, wind, and temperature; spotting trends and patterns in weather…
Ages 9 to 11Method - The Atmosphere
Know that Earth is surrounded by a layer of air called the atmosphere, that air has weight and exerts pressure, that the atmosphere protects us from harmful…
Ages 9 to 11Concept - Extreme Weather Events
Know about extreme weather events — hurricanes (spinning storms over warm ocean), tornadoes (violent rotating columns of air), floods, droughts, and blizzards…
Ages 9 to 11Concept
Starts at age 11 // 2 topics
Starting at age 11
- Global Wind Patterns
Explain that unequal solar heating drives large-scale atmospheric circulation: Hadley cells (0-30°), Ferrel cells (30-60°), and polar cells (60-90°) produce the…
Ages 11 to 13Concept - Greenhouse Gas Science
Describe the electromagnetic spectrum and distinguish between short-wave solar radiation and long-wave infrared radiation emitted by Earth; explain how…
Ages 11 to 12Concept
Starts at age 12 // 2 topics
Starting at age 12
- Hurricanes, Tornadoes & Monsoons
Explain how hurricanes form and intensify over warm ocean water (latent heat release, low-pressure spiral); describe tornado formation within supercell…
Ages 12 to 13Concept - Reading Ancient Climate Records
Explain how ice cores preserve ancient air bubbles, isotope ratios, and volcanic markers allowing reconstruction of temperature and CO2 going back 800,000…
Ages 12 to 14Concept
Starts at age 13 // 1 topic
Starting at age 13
- Net Zero & Energy Transition
Evaluate the energy transition required to reach net zero: renewable energy scaling, electrification of transport and heat, green hydrogen; describe carbon…
Ages 13 to 14Concept