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Year 4 - Science

Extreme weather: heatwaves and wild fires (non-statutory CC & Sustainability)

Living things and the environment

Unit Summary

This unit focuses on grouping living things and using classification keys to identify and name them in various environments. It explores how environmental changes can pose dangers to organisms. Emphasis is on asking questions, collecting data, and using evidence to support conclusions.

Lesson Summary

You will learn to explain how more extreme weather, including heatwaves and wildfires, can affect environments.

Key Notes

  • The air around our planet is warming up, this can lead to heatwaves in some countries of the world.
  • The temperature for a 'heatwave' is different in different countries.
  • Extreme weather, including heatwaves, are dangerous for animals including humans.
  • Wildfires are dangerous as they spread quickly and are difficult to put out.
  • Wildfires can harm plants and animals and can damage the soil.

Vocabulary To Learn

  • temperature: Temperature is a measure of how hot something is.
  • climate: Climate is weather patterns over a long period of time.
  • heatwave: In the UK, a heatwave is at least three consecutive days of temperatures above what would normally be expected.
  • extreme: Extreme is very large in amount, much more than normal.
  • wildfire: A wildfire is a large, destructive fire that spreads quickly through forests, grasslands and other areas with lots of plants.

Common Mistakes To Avoid

  • Pupils may believe that heatwaves are just a 'hot' day and that wildfires are always caused by humans.

3 Quick Questions (With Answers)

1. Explain the scientific idea in this lesson using two key points.

The air around our planet is warming up, this can lead to heatwaves in some countries of the world. The temperature for a 'heatwave' is different in different countries.

2. Define this scientific word and use it in context. 'temperature'

Temperature is a measure of how hot something is. Include the word in a full scientific explanation, not as a single label.

3. Correct this common scientific misunderstanding.

Mistake: Pupils may believe that heatwaves are just a 'hot' day and that wildfires are always caused by humans. Correction: Discuss with pupils the length and severity needed for an event to become a heatwave. Share with the pupils how the weather and conditions contribute to increased risk of wildfires occurring.

More Lessons In This Unit

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