6-7 hours
Qatar National Vision 2030: The students will understand how the environmental development pillar applies to weather changes locally.
English: https://www.gco.gov.qa/en/about-qatar/national-vision2030/
Arabic: https://www.gco.gov.qa/ar/about-qatar/national-vision2030/
Source: Government Communications Office (2023). Qatar National Vision 2030. [online] Government Communications Office. Available at: https://www.gco.gov.qa/en/about-qatar/national-vision2030/
SDG 13: Climate action: The lesson provides an opportunity for the students to connect with Qatar Meteorology Department’s data on the Climatology statistics for The State of Qatar.
The 17 Sustainable Development Goals (Source: United Nations)
English: https://sdgs.un.org/goals
Arabic: https://sdgs.un.org/ar/goals
Source: United Nations (2024). The 17 Sustainable Development Goals. [online] United Nations. Available at: https://sdgs.un.org/goals
The content of the lesson tool revolves around identifying and understanding the role of meteorologists, and climate statistics research atlas collated by Qatar Civil Aviation Authority, Meteorology Department.
Resource Utilization and Identification: Qatar Civil Aviation Authority (QCAA)
Subject Matter: Geographical map skills, interpretation and analyzing data statistics, and Language(s).
Glocalization Connections: Connect to global weather changes that are required to monitor safe travels.
Differentiation: Students work in mixed ability groups. The wind speed analysis challenge is suitable for students that require a deeper thinking task, and challenge.
Critical Thinking: Encourage students to analyze the data and how this affects people traveling within the country or abroad (by plane, ship, car or other mode of transport).
Real-world Application: Discuss and explain how to raise environmental awareness about keeping safe during hot, stormy or wet weather conditions.
The strategies employed in this lesson tool are designed to foster analyzing, critical thinking, inquiry, collaboration, and innovative engagement. They include visible thinking routines, responsive pedagogy, and problem-solving approaches to adapt to students’ needs and encourage active participation. Students apply meaningful learning experiences that connect to weather climate statistics for the State of Qatar.
Responsive and Adaptive Pedagogy: Adjust the pace and level of guidance based on student responses and engagement.
Visible Thinking Routines: Implementing the “Think-pair-share” routine is used as a collaborative strategy where students work together to solve a problem about the assigned topic, promoting to think individually, share their thoughts and knowledge.
Inquiry: Encourage students to inquire about the significance of the statistical data for air transporters, travelers, residents and visitors.
Collaboration: Facilitate a class discussion forum where students can share and compare their perceptions, promoting collaboration and the exchange of diverse perspectives.
Assessment for and as Learning: Use formative assessments for student responses and presentations.
Problem-Solving: Ask students to identify and propose solutions to challenges in local/global climate and environmental surroundings.
Learning Engagement 1: Identifying the Significance and Role of The Qatar Meteorology Department
Learning Objective: To Identify the Significance and Role of The Qatar Meteorology Department
Activity: Preparing an interview
Resource 1: Climatological Atlas, Qatar Civil Aviation Authority: https://rasekh.qa/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Climatological-Atlas.pdf
Instructions
The teacher will provide Resource 1 to each pair of students, and will ask the students to read pages 9 and 11 carefully. The Arabic translation is accessible on Pages 8 and 10 . The teacher will remind learners to check the page number on the actual page of The Climatological Atlas for the State of Qatar. The student’s task is to prepare questions based on their comprehension after reading the information. Then they will collaborate with other students, by working in a small group to prepare an organized interview consisting of questions and answers paraphrased from the information they read. One student can act as a reporter from the Qatar Tribune newspaper, and the other student will act as a Junior Assistant working at Qatar Civil Aviation Authority, Qatar Meteorology Department. The students will need to provide accurate information from the questions asked based on the role, purpose and significance of The Qatar Meteorology Department. Below are some questions to help students think about during reading and to help them prepare their questions.
Student friendly questions
What is the role of the Qatar Meteorology Department?
What is the name of the field of science that studies the changes in weather on a frequent basis in a specific place?
How do they predict the weather, and how might this affect the Earth?
Why is it necessary to gather weather statistics for climate research?
What information does it provide?
How are the local geographical stations involved in observing and collecting weather data?
Where are the geographical stations located across Qatar?
How does the data assist the Civil Aviation Authority in relation to aviation?
How does the data assist meteorologists locally or internationally?
Reflection
The teacher will support the students in setting up the classroom so that they can conduct their interviews. Each pair of students will role play their interviews to the rest of the class. The teacher will emphasize the role and significance of meteorology and climate research for the State of Qatar and globally.
Learning Engagement 2: Understanding and Interpreting Changes in Weather Climate
Learning Objective: To Understand and Interpret How Changes in Weather Affects the Climate and Environment
Introduction and context setting
Think, Pair and Share collaborative strategy
Think – Students will think of different types of weather we observe in the world today.
Pair – Each student will pair up with another student and share their thoughts of the different types of weather climates we observe across the world today. They will discuss their observations and write in their notebooks their findings, and list the countries that they observe different climate changes. They should be encouraged to explain why they think this happens.
Share – Students will share their observations and findings with the rest of the class.
Activity: Analyzing and Interpreting Weather Trends in Qatar
Resource 1: Climatological Atlas, Qatar Civil Aviation Authority: https://rasekh.qa/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Climatological-Atlas.pdf
Instructions
The teacher will distribute one of the station tasks below to each small group of students with Resource 1, and the additional resource questions according to their task, to present their findings as a detailed and visual report.
Station 3 (Task C) is recommended to challenge the higher ability students.
Station 1- Heat Analysts
Resource 2: Student Questions on Heat Temperatures Data in Qatar: https://rasekh.qa/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Resource-2_-Student-Questions-on-Heat-Temperature-Data-in-Qatar-.pdf
Task A: This group will focus on the spatial distribution of the highest maximum temperature over Qatar on page 43, Figure 12. The students will create an A3 poster answering the questions from Resource 2, and other observations/interpretations to help them demonstrate and illustrate their findings; listing the areas and heat temperature across the seasons. They will represent visual data in the form of a bar/line chart.
Station 2 – Rainfall Analysts
Resource 3: Student Questions on Rainfall Data in Qatar: https://rasekh.qa/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Resource-3_-Student-Questions-on-Rainfall-Data-in-Qatar-.pdf
Task B: The group will focus on the spatial distribution map of rainfall over Qatar on page 45, Figure 14. As a group, they will answer the questions from Resource 3, and use this to present their interpretations and observations. The students will create an A3 poster to list the areas and rainfall over the seasons and will represent visual data in the form of a bar chart(s).
Station 3 -Wind Speed Analysts
Resource 4: Student Questions on Wind Rose Data in Qatar: https://rasekh.qa/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Resource-4_-Student-Questions-on-Qatar-Wind-Rose-Data-.pdf
Task C: Students will focus on interpreting and analyzing the data from the Wind Rose diagrams.
Page references: Wind Rose Diagrams, page 17, and Figures 20-26 on pages 52-58 of Qatar’s Climatological Map, Civil Aviation Authority
Students will use the guiding questions from Resource 4 to present their interpretations and observations. They will create an A3 poster using their responses, including observations and interpretations to list the areas and wind speed over the different stations annually and seasonally. The students will represent visual data in the form of a bar chart(s).
Station 4 – Significant Weather Events Analysts
Resource 5: Student Questions on Significant Weather Events Data in Qatar: https://rasekh.qa/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Resource-5_-Student-Questions-on-Significant-Weather-Events-Data-in-Qatar-.pdf
Page references: page 19 and 60, Figures 27a and b
Task D: As a group, students will answer the guiding questions from Resource 5 to present their interpretations and observations of the Shamal wind days, sand storm and thick dust haze days. They will create an A3 poster using the answers and data observations/interpretations to demonstrate and illustrate their findings. They will represent visual data in the form of a pie chart.
Station 5 – Significant Weather Events Analyst
Resource 6: Student Questions on Significant Weather Events Data in Qatar: https://rasekh.qa/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Resource-6_-Student-Questions-on-Significant-Weather-Events-Data-in-Qatar.pdf
Page reference: page 61, Figures 27 c and d
Task E: As a group, students will answer the guiding questions from Resource 6 to help them present their interpretations and observations to represent their findings. They will create an A3 poster using their answers, climate research data and other observations/interpretations to demonstrate the fog, lightning, CB Cloud/Thunderstorm weather events recorded at Doha International Airport across the years. The students will represent visual data using a mathematical chart that they find suitable. They must collaborate with their peers in their group to decide on an agreed visual mathematical representation to present.
Reflection
Each group of students will present their posters to the rest of their peers. The teacher will facilitate a discussion to encourage children to ask questions and explore the challenges of weather changes. Each group will assess the other group’s presentations focusing on clarity, accuracy and detailed representation. They will assess each category based on a low, medium or high scale. For example, a group might be high for clarity, but medium for accuracy. Students can cross-reference by checking against the information from Resource 1 as each group presents to check for accuracy and detail.
Learning Engagement 1: Identifying the Significance and Role of The Qatar Meteorology Department
Checking for comprehension and understanding of the significance and role of The Qatar Meteorology Department and their significance.
Learning Engagement 2: Understanding and Interpreting Changes in Weather Climate
Peers evaluation of clarity, accuracy and detail representation as each group presents their posters.
Differentiation
Students work in mixed ability groups. The wind speed task challenge is suitable for the higher ability students to interpret and understand the use of Wind Rose diagrams.
atlas, aviation, climate, climatological, heat, interpretation, maps, maximum, meteorology, minimum, rainfall, seasons, spatial distribution, statistics, temperature, weather, wind, wind rose diagram
Resource 1: Climatological Atlas, Qatar Civil Aviation Authority: https://rasekh.qa/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Climatological-Atlas.pdf
Resource 2: Student Questions on Heat Temperatures Data in Qatar: https://rasekh.qa/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Resource-2_-Student-Questions-on-Heat-Temperature-Data-in-Qatar-.pdf
Resource 3: Student Questions on Rainfall Data in Qatar: https://rasekh.qa/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Resource-3_-Student-Questions-on-Rainfall-Data-in-Qatar-.pdf
Resource 4: Student Questions on Wind Rose Data in Qatar: https://rasekh.qa/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Resource-4_-Student-Questions-on-Qatar-Wind-Rose-Data-.pdf
Resource 5: Student Questions on Significant Weather Events Data in Qatar: https://rasekh.qa/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Resource-5_-Student-Questions-on-Significant-Weather-Events-Data-in-Qatar-.pdf
Resource 6: Student Questions on Significant Weather Events Data in Qatar: https://rasekh.qa/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Resource-6_-Student-Questions-on-Significant-Weather-Events-Data-in-Qatar.pdf
Qatar Civil Aviation Authority (QCAA) is an official governmental institution recognized internally and externally responsible for civil aviation affairs and participates in policy development at the regional and international levels through its internal departments & units, and international organizations & associations of which it is a member.