CoCoRaHS: Content Resources for Teachers

Weather vs. Climate

Weather describes local conditions (e.g., sunlight, wind, precipitation, temperature) at a particular time. 

Climate describes the ranges of an area’s typical weather conditions and the extent to which those conditions vary over years to centuries.

Weather & Climate in Your State

You can learn more about your climate from your state’s Climate Office, which you can locate here: https://stateclimate.org/state_programs/ 

You can find an overview each state’s climate here: https://statesummaries.ncics.org/ 

Clouds

Additional information on clouds, including how clouds form, the four main categories, and tips for further identifying different cloud types can be found here: https://www.noaa.gov/jetstream/clouds 

• From this page, you can link to three lessons about clouds: https://www.noaa.gov/jetstream/learning-lessons 

Project WET

Project WET has expanded their professional development opportunities to include virtual trainings and resources for working with students: https://www.projectwet.org/programs/distance-learning 

• This resource also includes guidance for engaging students in learning about water.

CoCoRaHS WxTalk Webinar #3: Who Uses Weather and Climate Data and How Do They Do It? (2012, February 17).

• Explanation of how weather and climate data is compiled and used across different organizations.

CoCoRaHS WxTalk Webinar #9: Extreme Rainfall, How We Analyze It. (2012, August 23).

• Exploration of how weather events generating significant rainfall can be documented and analyzed.