Weather

What Is Weather?

Word of the Week

Climate

Climate is the long-term weather patterns in a particular area. Different ecosystems often have different climates.

The climate in the desert is dry and hot, while the climate in the rainforest is rainy and warm.

Species Spotlight

Honey Bee

Apis ssp.

Honey bees are a very complex group of insects. As their name tells us, honey bees produce honey that the colony relies on to feed themselves and their offspring. Honey bees typically live in large groups with thousands of bees that each have a specific job. The queen bee is responsible for laying eggs, drones are responsible for mating with the queen, and worker bees are responsible for everything else! During a worker bee's life, its job will change between feeding larva (baby bees), cleaning and guarding the hive, and foraging for pollen.

Honey bees are very sensitive to changes in weather. Bees are most active on warm, sunny days because their bodies don't function properly when temperatures drop too low. They struggle to fly on cloudy days because they use the sun to help guide them from flower to flower. You will rarely see bees flying around on rainy days since flying in the rain can be quite dangerous for bees! Imagine being hit by a big raindrop as such a tiny insect. Honey bee activity also changes with the season. During warm springs and summer, honey bees frequently fly from flower to flower collecting pollen and nectar. In the winter, honey bees typically stay in their hives for warmth and safety. If you don't see any bees around in your neighborhood, take a look at what the weather is like!

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BRAIN BLAST

Honey is a very important food source for bees because it is filled with sugar, which gives bees energy! However, bees aren't the only ones who like to eat honey. Humans often raise honey bees to produce honey for ourselves.

Research what it takes to raise honey bees! What is this process like? Is it good or bad for the bees? Does honey benefit humans?

Conservation Corner

Changing Weather Patterns

As we learned above, weather represents a short period of time while climate represents a long period of time! We often discuss how greenhouse gases in the atmosphere are changing the Earth's climate. We are gradually seeing the global temperature rise, which is causing deserts to become hotter, changing rain patterns in rainforests, and many other changes.

These gradual changes to the climate are affecting short-term weather events. In tropical regions, rain storms are typical. However, as the climate has changed, it has caused storms to become stronger and more damaging to buildings, homes, and communities. Regions that rarely experience snow or freezing temperatures are now have week-long snow storms and temperatures too cold for their infrastructure to withstand. As our climate continues to change, our weather events will become more extreme and harder for us to manage. We can help slow climate change by reducing our purchases and energy use, reusing materials we already have, and recycling those that cannot be reused.

Quiz

Quiz Printable

Weather Words

Match each weather term with its definition.

Nutrient Cycle Printable

Weather Challenge

Observe and record the weather in your region for one week. Use resources like thermometers and local weather stations or websites to find data about your daily weather. Record your observations in the weather journal below.

Beginner

Complete the weather journal and discuss your observations using the prompts attached.
Go!
Expert

Complete the weather journal and answer the questions on the worksheet attached.
Go!