Materials for the lesson

Stereo, music, paper-tape in colors

Layout of the classroom

Phase 1: Classroom

Phase 2-3-4: Gym

Phase 1

The teacher introduces the topic, she gives a definition of the term “climate”, and then she explains the main features we use to describe it (temperature, atmospheric precipitation, humidity, winds).  The teacher shows on a map the Equator and tells to the students that the more distant a point on earth is from the Equator, the colder is the light of the sun, due to the inclination of solar beams.

Phase 2

Teacher leads kids to the gym and asks questions as “What’s the weather like in that region of earth? What animals can we find?” After gathering the different information, the children are invited to show with body movements the characteristics of the different climatic zones (cold/hot, rainy/dry, etc.), with a musical background.

Phase 3

The gym is divided, with the colored paper-tape, in the different climatic zones. The students are divided into two groups. While a group works, the other observes.

The first group goes in one of the two poles, when the music begins each participant will have to cross  through the various zones.

In every climatic zone the students will reproduce the movements learned during Phase 2.

Teacher marks the time that children have to stay in each area, then they continue to move to the other pole. When the first group has completed the crossing, they exchange with the second group.

Phase 4

Teacher ask  to the children to talk about this experience. Dialogue can continue talking about  the climate of the country they live in.