What's the Difference between Weather and Climate?

Add to list Go to activity
Activity link broken? See if it's at the internet archive
In this interactive and informative group activity, learners use packages of M&M's to illustrate the difference between weather and climate. Learner work in groups to sort and average the candies. They will discover the unpredictable fluctuations of weather and the long-term predictable average of climate.

Quick Guide

Preparation Time:
Under 5 minutes
Learning Time:
10 to 30 minutes
Estimated Materials Cost:
$1 - $5 per group of students
Age Range:
Ages 8 - 14
Resource Types:
Activity, Demonstration, Lesson/Lesson Plan
Language:
English

Materials List (per group of students)

  • Bags of M&M's candy, "fun size" or beads of a mix of colors and/or shapes

Keywords

Subjects

  • Earth and Space Science
    • Earth Processes
      • Weather and Climate
  • Mathematics
    • Data Analysis and Probability
      • Data Analysis
      • Data Collection
      • Data Representation
    • Measurement
      • Rate
    • Reasoning and Proof
    • Representation
  • The Nature of Science
    • The Scientific Process
      • Conducting Investigations
      • Gathering Data

Informal Categories

  • Food and Cooking
  • Nature and Environment

Audience

To use this activity, learners need to:

  • see
  • see color
  • touch

Learning styles supported:

  • Involves teamwork and communication skills
  • Involves hands-on or lab activities

Other

This resource is part of:

Access Rights:

  • Free access

By:

Rights:

  • All rights reserved, Little Shop of Physics, 2009