A note for teachers and students

This course is for everyone who has an interest in learning more about weather across the world. However, there are certain sections in the course which may be particularly useful for those teaching or studying this fascinating but wide ranging topic.

You’re welcome to download any of the University of Reading (UoR) or Royal Meterological Society (RMetS) content as you work your way though the course, we just ask that you attribute Come Rain or Shine: Understanding the Weather (with a link) if you share the materials more widely or use them in your teaching.

A note for teachers

In the UK, the amount of time devoted to weather within the English National Curriculum for GCSE and A level specifications has increased; this course will help improve your confidence to teach the topics and may also be directly relevant to your students, some of whom may consider a career in meteorology.

You can download the videos to show in your class by clicking on the download icon at the bottom right of the screen. We’ve also provided downloadable worksheets and summary PDFs on many of the Steps.

You can also find many more materials beyond the course on www.metlink.org where you’ll find curriculum linked resources, books, events and more information on how you can arrange for meteorology ambassadors to visit your school. There’s also career and course information.

If you’re a teacher, is there is anything specific that you’re hoping to get out of the course, and use in your teaching? If so, please leave a comment at the bottom of this Step, indicating what that is and which age group you teach. We can then check to see whether any additional information can be provided for this purpose.

A note for students

The weather is a fantastic topic but we know that learning about the range of topics can be a little daunting. We hope that the materials in this course will help you consolidate some of this knowledge.

We recommend building up a useful set of notes related to your studies as you work your way through the course (FutureLearn has a great blog on taking notes). We’ve created weekly PDFs with all the course diagrams in one place and you may also like to download this course supplement and glossary.

If you’re looking at taking your studies further, there is plenty of information on university courses on www.metlink.org or you’re more than welcome to contact the Meteorology Department at the University of Reading with any questions about our degree programmes.