CEIP Ginés Morata

Almería

4th GRADE MINIMUM CONTENTS- SOCIAL SCIENCE

UNIT 1: THE WEATHER

► THE ATMOSPHERE

ta
The atmosphere is the layer of gases that surrounds the
Earth.

It acts as a filter that stops the Sun´s rays from
rom
directly reaching the Earth.

or
The atmosphere protect us because:
- It regulates the surface temperature of
f the
e Earth.

M
- It filters radiation from the Sun
n and blocks
ultraviolet rays, which harm living things.
thin
The atmosphere has different layers:
s:
• Exosphere. The transition zone between tthe Earth´s atmosphere and
s
space. You can find artificial
icial satellites here.
h
iné
• Thermosphere. There
e is very little air and it can be very hot. Many
meteorites disintegrate
rate here.
grate her
• Mesosphere. There little air in this layer. We can see shooting
here is very lit
litt
stars, and there
ere sometimes turbulence here.
re is sometime
G

• Stratosphere. It contain
contains the ozone layer, which absorb most of the
contai
Sun´s harmful
harmf rays.
s
• Troposphere.
posphere Wa
posphere. Water vapour and most of the oxygen we breathe is in
this
is layer.
layer. W can find clouds, rain and win here.
We ca


Air
ir pollution
polluti
E

Many human activities release harmful gases into the atmosphere, causing
air pollution.
pollut For example, cars release carbon dioxide. Too much carbon
dioxide in the air causes air pollution. Plants help clean the air because they
bso carbon dioxide and release oxygen.
absorb
We can do many things to prevent air pollution:
-Walk, ride a bike or use public transport.
Equipo de bilingüismo CEIP Ginés Morata – Ana AV
CEIP Ginés Morata
Almería

-Plant new trees to absorb more carbon dioxide and release more oxygen.

► WEATHER

Weather is the state of the atmosphere of a specific place
ace
e and time.

a
Weather changes all the time.

at
The main factors that determine the weather are:
• Air temperature is how hot or cold it is. When temperatures
peratures are
a low,
the weather is cold. When temperatures are high,, the weather
weathe is hot.
weat

or
• Wind is moving air. There are different types
es of wind:
pes win
-A breeze is a very light wind.

M
-A gale is a very strong wind.
-A hurricane is an extremely
y strong
stro wind with
wi rain
• Humidity is the amount of water
er vapour
apour in
i the air.
s
• Atmospheric pressure. The
e air in the atmosphere
he atm
at weighs very little,
but it still has weight. Everything
verything Earth has the weight of the air on
hing on E
Ear
iné
top of it.
• Precipitation is water
er falling from clouds. It can be rain, snow or hail.
ter

► CLOUDS AND PRECIPITATION

PRECIPITATIO
RECIPITATIO
G

pper part of the troposphere

Clouds form in the upper
and consist of tiny d
dropss of water.

There are
e different
differen types
typ of clouds depending on
IP

their altitude, shape

sha and colour.
. Thin,
hin, white clouds
cloud (e.g. cumulus) do not usually
dicate rain.
indicate
CE

. Large, grey clouds (e.g. nimbus) can produce a lot of

precipitation.
precipitat
pit
- How are clouds and precipitation formed?
The
h heat of the Sun evaporates the water on the Earth´s surface. This
forms water vapour.

Equipo de bilingüismo CEIP Ginés Morata – Ana AV

CEIP Ginés Morata
Almería

As it rises, water vapour gets colder and forms little drops of water
that join together to form clouds. This is condensation.
hey fall to
When the drops of water in clouds get bigger and heavier, they

a
Earth as precipitation.
-Types of precipitation

at
Precipitation can fall as a rain, snow or hail.
• Rain is precipitation in the form of liquid water.

or
We classify rain according to the size of the drops.
ps.
- Drizzle consists of small drops, very
ry close together.
ery toget
- Rain has bigger drops that are
e not close together.
toge
tog

M
- A downpour is very intense rain
n that falls for a short time.
• Snow consists of hexagonal ice crystals,
crysta which
hic join together to form
hich
snowflakes.
s
• Hail is precipitation in a solid
id state. The
olid The balls of ice vary in size and
can be as big as a walnut.
t.
iné

► RECORDING WEATHER
HER
ER

A meteorologist iss a scientist w

who studies the Earth´s atmosphere.
G

Meteorologistss use
u instruments
nstrument to measure and record the weather.
his information
They use this infor
informa n tot predict what the weather will be like.

A thermometer
thermome iis an instrument that measures the temperature of
IP

tthe air. It´s a glass tube containing a liquid, which rises

and falls according to the temperature.

CE

• A hygrometer is an instrument that measures

humidity in the air. The needle on the dial
tells us what percentage of the air is water
vapour.

Equipo de bilingüismo CEIP Ginés Morata – Ana AV

 CEIP Ginés Morata
Almería

• An anemometer is an instrument that measures the speed of wind.

•

a
A weather vane is an instrument
mentt

at
•

that indicates the direction of wind.

ind

A rain gauge is an instrument that measures
ures
es precipitation.
precipitat
precipita It is a

or
tube for collecting rain, snow or hail. A scale at the side
s
indicates how much rain or snow has
as fallen
llen

M
A barometer is an instrument
ume that
hat measures
me
atmospheric pressure, which is very important in weather
ry importa
import
forecasting.


s
iné
► WEATHER MAPS

Weather maps tell us what
hat
at the weather
weathe is going to be like in a specific area
at a specific time. Weather
eather maps use
us symbols.
G
I
CE

Equipo de bilingüismo CEIP Ginés Morata – Ana AV

CEIP Ginés Morata
Almería

a
at
or

M


► CLIMATE

Climate is the average temperature and precipitation
precip in a specific area over
many years.
s
The climate influences how we live. People live differently if it is hot or cold,
iné
wet or dry.
The climate influences the
he houses that are built, the clothes that
e type of hous
hou
people wear, the food the plant that grow and the crops farmers
d people eat, th
plant.
G

-What factors affect

fect climate
ect the cli
cl

• itud . Th
itude
Latitude. T
Thee distance
d from the Equator. The zones near the poles
IP

ve lower tem
have temperatures and less precipitation. The zones near the
Equator are hotter
h and have more precipitation.
• Altitude and
a land relief. The height and shape of the land. High,
CE

mountainous
mounta areas often have lower temperatures and more rain than
low,
lo flat areas.
Moreover,
M mountains affect the temperature and precipitation of
inland areas, because they protect them from the influence of the sea.

Equipo de bilingüismo CEIP Ginés Morata – Ana AV

CEIP Ginés Morata
Almería

• Distance from the sea. Areas near the sea are cooler in summer and
tion near
warmer in winter. There is also more humidity and precipitation n
the sea.

a

► SEVERE WEATHER

at
ts people ´s li
Severe weather is weather, which causes damage or puts liv
lives in
danger.

or
Some examples of severe weather are:
Hurricanes: extremely strong winds with rain.
Thunderstorms: electrical storms.

M
Strong winds

Droughts: a long period of abnormally

y low
w rainfall.
ra
rainf
Floods: great flowing of water.
s
Tornadoes e most
are one of the ost powerful
powerf
power and destructive weather
iné
phenomena on land. A tornado violent storm with a swirling column of
nado is a violen
wind .It looks like a dark, funnel-shaped
ark, funnel
funn -sh
sh cloud. A tornado can destroy
buildings and uproot trees.
trees



G

UNIT 1: THE WEATHER

ACTIVITIES
IP

1.-What
-What is the a
atmosphere? Read and write.
Rays – Sun – filter – layers – ozone layer - exosphere – gases –Earth-
CE

rain
The atmosphere
atm is made up of layers of ........................... that surround
the ............................... It acts as a .................... that stops the Sun´s ............
from directly reaching the Earth. It has five ..................... In the .....................
you can find artificial satellites; the stratosphere contains the

Equipo de bilingüismo CEIP Ginés Morata – Ana AV

CEIP Ginés Morata
Almería

................................... and the troposphere we can find clouds, ................. and

wind.
tences.
ces.
2.- Read and write true or false .Then, correct the false sentences.

a
• The Earth´s atmosphere is made up of gases. ....................
• Rain is precipitation but snow and hail are not. ................
.........
...

at
• The weather is different in every season. .................
......
• Thin white clouds tell us it will probably rain ...............
.....

or
• Weather satellites are located outside of
f the atmosphere
e Earth´s a
………....................
• Atmospheric pressure is not the same
me at the top of
o a mountain at it

M
is at the bottom ............
.......................................................................................................................................
........... ...
......................................................................................................................................
.........................
...............
s
......................................................................................................................................
..........................
.....................
3.- Complete the puzzle. Then,
hen, draw and write the secret word.
né
C

Equipo de bilingüismo CEIP Ginés Morata – Ana AV

CEIP Ginés Morata
Almería

words

4.- Complete the definitions for these types of wind. Use these words.
Light - strong - extremely strong - cold - mild - cold

a

A gale is a .............................. wind. The temperature is..............................

..................
...........

at
A hurricane is an ...................................... wind. The temperature
ure is .................
rature ...........
..........

or
A breeze is a ................................. wind. The temperature
e is ......................
ture ...............
.............

5.- Listen and label the weather symbols.

M
s
i é
G

6.- Draw these ttypes of

ese ty clouds.
f c
IP

stratus
tratus
ratus nimbus cumulus cirrus
CE

Equipo de bilingüismo CEIP Ginés Morata – Ana AV

CEIP Ginés Morata
Almería

7.- Help the weather presenters on TV. Read the text and draw the
symbols.

ta
8.- Correct
orrect
rrect these
thes sentences.
se
- Climate general weather conditions of a place over two days.
imate is the gen
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….............
…………………………
………………………
- Two factors
factor affect the climate. These are latitude and distance from the
sea.

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
…………
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
- The zones near the Equator are hotter and have less precipitation.
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
Equipo de bilingüismo CEIP Ginés Morata – Ana AV
 CEIP Ginés Morata
Almería

9.- Look at the picture and answer the question.

a
at
or
- At which of the three points indicated (A, B or C) will
will tthe temperature be

M
hottest?…………Why?………………………………………………………………………………………………………
………………
……… ……
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
…………… …
s
10.-Match the symbols with the
he words and the
t pictures.
né
I
CE

- 1, …………
………………………………………………………………………………………………
- 2,
2 …………………………………………………………………………………………………
- 3,
3 ………………………………………………………………………………………………
- 4, ………………………………………………………………………………………………
- 5, ………………………………………………………………………………………………
- 6, ………………………………………………………………………………………………

Equipo de bilingüismo CEIP Ginés Morata – Ana AV

CEIP Ginés Morata
Almería

11.- Complete your bilingual dictionary.

a
THE WEATHER

at
-Layer: _______________ - Hurricane: ___________ - Temperature:
mperature
ratur :
- Precipitation: - Cold: _______________ __________________
_____________
_________
_____________________ - Hail: ______________ -Flood
ood:: ______
-Flood: _______
__________

or
- Wind: _______________ - Drizzle: _____________
_ - Weather map:
ma
-Humidity: _____________ - Atmospheric pressure:
e: _________________
_______
- Drought: _____________ ____________________
_
_____ - Climat
Clim
Climate: ___________

M
___
- Atmosphere: _____________ - Cloud: ___________ --Breeze:
B
Bree ____________
s
iné
G
IP
CE

Equipo de bilingüismo CEIP Ginés Morata – Ana AV