Weather forecasts

Víctor Calatayud and Víctor Domènech, students of 4th ESO

Recently, we have been working on weather forecasts vocabulary and the grammar related to it, which is part of the study plan of English in 4th ESO. This topic was taught through unit 4A of the English File book, which is titled Stormy weather.

In order to ease the process of learning and internalize the knowledge given to us in class, English teachers thought it would be a great idea for us to make an original weather forecast.

To begin, we were divided into groups and each group chose a different geographic location, whether it was real or invented was up to us. We were then tasked with choosing the vocabulary that we were going to use in our forecast, making sure that we used enough expressions and vocabulary. In the “Weather Forecast” activity, we were introduced to a variety of weather forecasts vocabulary to help us accurately describe the weather conditions in the imaginary forecasts.

Some examples of the weather vocabulary used in our activities include:

Temperature: The temperature is a measure of how hot or cold it is outside. We were encouraged to use words like “hot”, “warm”, “cool”, “and “cold” to describe temperature.

Humidity: Humidity is a measure of how much moisture is in the air. We were taught to use words like “humid”, “dry” and “damp” to describe humidity levels.

Precipitation: Precipitation refers to any form of water that falls from the sky, such as rain, snow or hail. We were encouraged to use words like “drizzle”, “downpour” and “hailstorm” to describe different types of precipitation.

Wind: Wind is the movement of air from one place to another. We were taught to use words like “breeze” and “calm” to describe the strength and direction of the wind.

Extreme weather: For instance, we learned about extreme weather events and used words like “hurricane”, “flood”, and “drought” to describe these events. It’s important to note that extreme weather events like these are becoming more frequent and severe due to climate change.

By learning about extreme weather vocabulary and its relation to climate change, we gained a better understanding of the importance of taking action to mitigate the effects of climate change and protect our planet.

The students also had to present their forecast to the class either through a pre-recorded video or a live presentation. This allowed them to practise their public speaking skills and work on their presentation abilities.

We decided to record a video, which we would later present to the class. As mentioned, we could choose to forecast a real or an invented location. Personally, we chose to do a real location, Catalonia, since it would be easier for us to forecast an area we were familiar with.

Concerning the video editing, we used a weather map for the background, combined with a video in which we recorded ourselves explaining the forecast. This enabled us to be shown in the video while clarifying our explanations with the images.

Overall, the “Weather Forecast” activity was a huge success and the students thoroughly enjoyed participating in it. It was a great opportunity for them to learn the English language associated with weather and climate change, and also showcase their creativity and presentation skills. We look forward to more engaging activities like this in the future.