Weather Teaching Resources
Browse printable weather worksheets, activities, science vocabulary resources, experiments for kids and more ideas for teaching students in elementary school about the weather outside your classroom and around the world.
This collection of curriculum-aligned weather teaching resources was created by teachers with teachers in mind. That means every printable and digital resource has been carefully checked by a member of our expert teacher team to ensure it's classroom-ready, so you save time on your lesson plans!
Looking to get started on the weather, or just need more ways to make this science topic more engaging in your classroom? Read on for a primer from our teacher team!
What Is Weather? A Kid-Friendly Definition
When it comes to defining weather for students, here's a kid-friendly definition you can use to explain what weather is:
Weather refers to the conditions in the Earth's atmosphere, such as temperature, wind, precipitation and cloudiness. The weather outside your classroom or home is affected by many things, including the amount of sunlight reaching the Earth's surface, the rotation of the Earth and the presence of water vapor in the atmosphere.
Weather can change rapidly, and it can be unpredictable, so it's important to stay informed about current weather conditions and be prepared for different types of weather.
What Is Weather Science?
Meteorology — also known as weather science — is the study of the Earth's atmosphere and the weather conditions that occur within it. This includes studying temperature, air pressure, wind, precipitation and other atmospheric phenomena.
Weather scientists known as meteorologists use a variety of tools, such as satellites, radar and weather balloons, to collect data about the atmosphere and predict what the weather will be like in the future. These predictions are called weather forecasts and help us decide what to wear or how to plan for outdoor activities that might be affected by rain, snow or excessive heat.
Weather science isn't just important for telling us what to wear, however! It helps us prepare for extreme weather events, provides important information for transportation and aviation safety and helps scientists better understand the Earth's climate.
Students can act as amateur meteorologists as they learn to record weather information to keep track of what is going on outside of your classroom, including relative temperatures such as hot or cold, clear or cloudy, calm or windy and rainy or icy!
Is Climate the Same as Weather?
The two words are often used interchangeably, but it's important to impress upon your students that weather and climate are two very different things!
Weather, as we already explained, deals with the conditions of Earth's atmosphere at any given time. It can be termed as the short-term atmospheric conditions of a specific place — such as temperature, wind, humidity, precipitation and cloud cover — over a short period of time, usually a few hours or days.
Climate, on the other hand, is a look at those conditions over a long period of time. It can be termed as the long-term average weather patterns of a specific region or location, usually over a period of at least 30 years.
What Do Kids Need to Learn About Weather?
Weather is a broad, broad topic — to say the least! So what's going on during elementary school weather lessons? Before kids move on to middle school, they should have a basic understanding of the different elements that make up the weather and how they interact with each other. They'll also need to understand weather forecasts and how to use them to plan.
With that in mind, here are the biggest topics to cover:
- Temperature — Learning how to measure temperature using a thermometer and how temperature changes over time, as well as the difference between Celsius and Fahrenheit, are part of weather lessons at this stage of kids' education.
- Precipitation — Elementary students learn about different types of precipitation — such as rain, snow, sleet and hail — and how they form in the atmosphere.
- Wind — Wind direction and speed, how wind is measured and how it affects the weather should all be covered before kids head off to middle school.
- Clouds — From cumulus to strato-form, students learn about the different types of clouds and how they form plus how clouds affect the weather.
- Extreme Weather — Extreme weather events such as hurricanes, tornadoes and thunderstorms are typically part of the science curriculum at this stage, and depending on where you are teaching instruction on how to stay safe during these events may well be on the agenda.
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What's the Weather Like Today? – Mini-Book
Measure, record, and graph weather information with a printable mini-book.
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Weather Tools – Mini-Book
Introduce various weather tools to your students with this 12-page integrated activity mini-book.
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Wind Speed & Direction – Worksheet
Demonstrate understanding of wind speed and direction with this worksheet.
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Dress for the Weather Worksheet
Identify proper clothing choices for different weather conditions with this worksheet.
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Dressing for the Physical Environment Sorting Activity
Help children learn about dressing for the environment by sorting clothing items into categories for warm climate and cold climate.
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The Seasons - Classroom Posters
A set of beautifully illustrated posters that depict the four seasons and the differences between them.
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Seasons Sorting Activity
Teach students in K-2 the proper clothing, activities, and objects for different types of weather with this four seasons activity.
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Seasons and Months Posters
Use these four months and the seasons posters to help your students to learn the seasons and their corresponding months.
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Seasonal Changes Words and Definitions Display
Display this easy-to-read seasons word set in your classroom as you investigate seasonal changes with your young students.
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Seasonal Changes Worksheets
Engage your young learners with this set of fun season worksheets. Included are 12 activities to keep them actively learning!
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Seasonal Changes Differentiated Word Search
Get your students’ minds buzzing with this word search seasons activity, while they build their scientific vocabulary about Earth and space sciences.
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Seasonal Changes Teaching Presentation
Show your students this 26-slide teaching presentation all about the changing seasons, and develop their understanding of seasonal changes in the environment.
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Seasons, Weather and Our Choices Interactive Activity
Complete this whole-class interactive activity to teach students the connection between the seasonal conditions and their daily choices.
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Seasonal Changes Display Banner Lettering
Create a science display board for your Seasons lessons, beginning with this visually engaging Seasonal Changes banner.
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Season Characteristics Task Cards
Give your students the clues and watch them select the mystery season with this set of 24 task cards.
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Seasons in the Northern Hemisphere and the Southern Hemisphere
Use these posters in the classroom to give students a visual representation of the seasons (and which months they inlcude in both the Northern Hemishpere and the Southern Hemisphere).
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What's the Season? Teaching Slides
Help your students explore the four seasons and how they affect everyday life using this colorful teaching presentation.
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Four Seasons Picture Sorting – Cut and Paste Worksheets
Sort pictures according to the season they represent with this cut-and-paste worksheet.
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Weather vs. Climate – Task Cards
Differentiate between weather and climate by answering questions and responding to writing prompts and with this set of 24 task cards.
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Types of Weather Bingo
Identify basic weather vocabulary terms such as windy, cloudy, snowy, cold, etc., with an exciting game of Bingo!
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Weather Journal – Mini-Book
Draw and write about the current weather conditions, record weather data, and predict what the following day’s forecast will be with this printable mini-book.
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Types of Weather – Sorting Activity
Observe and categorize pictures showing different types of weather with this sorting activity.
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Climate Zones of the World – Poster Pack
Learn about different climate types with this set of 6 printable posters.
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Types of Clouds – Poster Pack
Learn about nimbus, cirrus, stratus, and cumulus clouds with this set of 4 printable posters.
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Clouds and Their Position – Poster
Learn about the different types of clouds and their position within the atmosphere with this printable poster.
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Daily Weather Report – Interactive Powerpoint
Encourage your students to become weather reporters with this interactive weather activity.
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Dress for the Weather Match-Up Activity
Identify proper clothing choices for different weather conditions with a clothing and climate matching activity.
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Printable Weather Recording Charts
Use these printable weather charts to graph and analyze the weather for each month.
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Reading Thermometers – Task Cards
Practice reading thermometers with this set of 24 task cards.
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The Changing Seasons Comprehension Worksheets
Read and write about the changing seasons with a comprehension passage and worksheet.
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Weather Vocabulary Puzzles
Make your weather lessons more fun with a set of 14 weather vocabulary puzzles.
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Seasonal Changes - Worksheet
A worksheet the explores the observable features of the seasons.