Weather Forecasting

Topic: Weather

Mode: Interpretive

Level: Intermediate

Students will learn to describe a weather forecast to someone.

Components of the activity: Two scripts 

Instructions to the teacher

Audio-record the two scripts below or plan to read them out loud to students in class. Then, have students describe the forecast they heard to a friend or family member.

Script A

Be sure to grab your umbrella as you head out this morning because today there is an 80% chance of showers and thunderstorms. It will be mostly cloudy with a high near 78. Things will improve over the weekend, with lots of sun, no chance of rain and a high of 85 on both Saturday and Sunday.

Script B

Announcer: The calendar says April, but the temperatures seem to say December.  More winter weather is on the way. Our chief meteorologist has been keeping an eye on the situation for us. Dave, what are we looking at as far as travel plans for the weekend? 

Dave: We’ll see the worst of it tonight. Snow isn’t accumulating yet, but visibility is reduced considerably. That’s because it’s still in the mid 30s, but that will change in the course of the evening where temperatures will drop below freezing.

Instructions to students

Listen to the Weather Forecast for today and for the next few days. Then describe the weather to a friend or family member.

For example

Friend: What will the weather be like today?

You: Today you will need an umbrella because it’s probably going to rain. Over the weekend it will be sunny and warm, so we should plan to do something outdoors.

(adapted from http://wlns.com/2016/04/08/is-this-winters-last-gasp/)