notes from the classroom Weather, climate, and the Scottish education system

There is perhaps no other topic studied in any subject at any level in school that has a greater relevance to everyday life than the weather and climate. Geography is a subject promoting an understanding of the world around you. This topic more than any other allows you to step outside a building and immediately apply the theories learned to what you can see, no matter where in the country you are located.

Across the Broad General Education (BGE) phase of the Scottish curriculum (aged 5–14), there is a progression in understanding of the factors influencing weather and climate. The open nature of the course at this level allows teachers the freedom to investigate local conditions and compare them to the climatic conditions in other parts of the world. Inspiring curiosity and developing a connection with the world around you is fundamental to inspiring the geographers of the future, and studying the weather can be the medium to do this.

At National 5 Geography level (aged 15 or 16), the focus is on the weather and climate of the British Isles. Learners should be able to describe and explain the weather associated with different weather systems in the summer or in the winter, as well as discussing the impact these may have on people and the environment. Specific content covers:

• air masses (tropical / polar / Arctic and maritime / continental);

• factors affecting the temperature (latitude / altitude / distance from the sea);

• low pressure (depressions);

• high pressure (anticyclones);

• weather station circles (see Figure 1).

Higher Geography (aged 16 or 17) has a more global outlook, with the Atmosphere topic linking the tri-cellular model of atmospheric circulation to the broad latitudinal biomes found across the planet. This builds on the understanding of how rising and falling air influences rainfall patterns, as well as the influence of the Coriolis effect. The rainfall pattern in West Africa caused by the seasonal movement of the Inter-Tropical Convergence Zone is a case study, and requires learners to describe climate graphs and then offer an explanation for the pattern present. With this understanding it is possible to make multiple connections with other optional parts of the course, such as rural land degradation in the Sahel or the distribution of malaria across the globe. A local context is still present in the Hydrosphere unit, looking at the link between rainfall, land use and flood risk when explaining storm hydrographs (see Figure 2).

Many learners incorporate weather measurements into primary research for the Advanced Higher Geography folio (aged 17 or 18). Microclimate analysis is a specified skill, and being able to explain variation in rainfall, temperature and wind allows them to make use of their theoretical knowledge to explain patterns and correlations. Links can be made to river levels, urban footfall and rural land use. The advantage of working at this level is that the data-rich nature of studying the weather lends itself to the required graphical, cartographic and statistical analysis.

Throughout all levels, the ability to look outside the classroom window, and describe and explain the current conditions, emphasises the dynamic and relevant nature of our subject. With our changing climate, understanding the impact of extreme weather conditions becomes increasingly important, and introducing these concepts to the next generation is both a duty and a privilege clear to all Geography teachers.

Stephen Scoffham and Steve Rawlinson (Bloomsbury, April 2022)

Since 2016, Learning for Sustainability has been an entitlement for all learners and a General Teaching Council for Scotland requirement for all teachers, schools and educational leaders to demonstrate in their practice. This book, focused on learners aged 3–14, gives practical activities and clear rationale to help teachers to fulfil this responsibility. Organised around 12 areas of study, including health, food, social justice and sustainable living, activities are clearly laid out with a key idea behind each one. Key vocabulary, interesting facts and links to the UN Sustainable Development Goals are included in each section, as well as a sustainability discussion idea to get learners thinking for themselves. Sustainability Education is an essential handbook for new and established teachers to improve their knowledge of and practice in this critical and increasingly important part of their role.