Weather and seasons

Objective & content

This sheet on weather and seasons starts from a video call between two cousins, with a picture of each in their own weather. Noah, in Edinburgh, has a cold, rainy and windy December; Chloe, in Sydney, is going to have Christmas lunch on the beach, because the seasons are the other way round there. Pupils answer six multiple-choice questions, name six pictures of one park in six kinds of weather from a box of eight words, match eight words such as thunder, fog and forecast with their meanings, complete nine sentences and add -y to make weather words (sun, sunny). The sheet ends on a word search: pupils write 18 words from clues, find them in the grid, and the unused letters spell a message.

Pedagogical guide

Two speakers in two countries give pupils two kinds of weather to compare, today and in the past ("Last January, it was freezing"). The six pictures show the same park, so the weather is the only thing that changes. The -y task asks for one change only and warns about spelling (foggy, icy, stormy). The word search gives no word list: pupils first find each word from its clue, and several clues send them back to the video call. Every task tests words, never grammar.

Suggested procedure

1. (5 min) Ask "What's the weather like today?" and write the weather words pupils know on the board.
2. (10 min) Two pupils read the video call aloud; the class answers the six questions.
3. (10 min) Pupils name the six pictures and match the eight words with their meanings.
4. (10 min) Pupils complete the sentences, then read the worked example together and add -y.
5. (10 min) Pupils write the 18 words from the clues, find them in the grid and read the message.
6. (5 min) Check with the answer key on pages 4 and 5.

Adaptations

[S] Start each lesson with a short weather report by one pupil.

[A] Pupils act out the video call in pairs, then change it for their own town. To take it further, pairs present a weather forecast for the UK.

Materials & prerequisites

One copy of the three pupil pages per pupil, in colour or in black and white. Pages 4 and 5 are the answer key: keep them. Pupils should know the months and the past simple of be (was, were).