Using Domestic and International Newspaper Weather Pages to Understand Climate Influences

 Preview of Main Ideas & Connection with the Curriculum

World Geography at Wilbur Wright College seeks to have students recognize and understand earth’s natural/physical processes and to see essential elements of geography in the everyday world around us.
Local and global events, processes and features reported in daily newspapers contain much hidden geographic information. Newspapers contain many examples of both natural/physical and human/cultural phenomena that are, in actuality, elements of geography.
By analyzing newspaper weather pages from both Western Europe and the Chicago area, students compare and contrast weather and climate influences in two world regions. They will note differences and similarities and search for explanations.

Objective #1: Students will explain climate influences for two different world regions by examining weather pages from European and Chicago newspapers: latitude, season, altitude, proximity to large bodies of water, ocean and wind currents, and human activities should be included.

Essential Element: Physical Systems.

Standard: #7: The physical processes that shape the patterns of Earth’s surface.

Knowledge Statement #3: The spatial variation in the consequences of physical processes across Earth’s surface.

Skill Set #4: Analyzing Geographic Information.

Skill #2: Make inferences and draw conclusions from maps and other geographic representations.

Theme: Region.

Objective #2: Students will participate in learning experiences that require working with others and communicating both orally and in writing in areas related to geography.

(Affective/Skill Objective – No classification to standards)

Teaching Level: Community College Adult Learners. (Adaptable for higher and lower levels.)

1. Color reproductions of recent weather pages from European and Chicago newspapers. Weather pages from different countries can be used. Reproductions do not all have to be the same.
2. Geography text: Essentials of World Regional Geography, second edition, Salter, Hobbs, Wheeler & Kostbade, Saunders College Publishing, 1998.
3. Mappack #1: Thematic Maps: World Climate, World Temperature, Annual Rainfall, Prevailing Winds, Ocean Currents.
4. List of questions, blank paper, pens or pencils.

1. Prior to doing this class activity, have students read introductory chapters 1 & 2 of the text concerning climate influences. Go through the mappack and define and discuss the Introductory and Thematic maps used. Discuss climate as one of earth’s major physical systems. Discuss climate influences in terms of daily, seasonal, or special influences. Also introduce location maps of Europe and the US which show latitudinal differences and similarities.
2. Provide weather pages to each student and post copies of all in the classroom. Allow 5-10 minutes for the students to explore the pages from the two different world regions. Ask individuals to point out the various aspects of the weather pages.
3. Divide the class into groups of 2-4 students who have been given the same sets of pages. Give students 20-30 minutes to discuss the pages and answer the questions.
4. Have students complete their answers to the questions outside of class and return with them the following class session.

1. Allow students to immediately rejoin the groups previously formed to discuss the answers they prepared individually.
2. Have each group present and explain their findings to the whole class. On the classroom or overhead map, they will first locate the area represented on their newspaper weather page came from.

1. Students can be asked to collect their own weather pages and create a file for their own use. If the weather page includes a question and answer column, have students develop questions and mail them to the paper.
2. Invite a local TV weather person to visit the class or plan an extracurricular visit to a TV meteorologist.

1. Quiz students on various weather and climate terms.
2. Provide a blank weather map (local or foreign) with a particular day or season noted. Have students make up a possible weather forecast with explanation.
3. Grade the individual essay explanations students wrote.

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