Hi everyone, my name is Ms. Pantal and I'm really excited you decided to join me on our next science lesson.

So our lesson today is going to be focusing on extreme weather, and we're going to be focusing on heatwaves and wildfires.

And so, this lesson is part of our bigger units of learning on living things and the environment.

Let's get started with the lesson.

So the outcome for our lesson today is, I can explain why more extreme weather, including heatwaves and wildfires can affect environments.

So here are some keywords that we're going to use in our lesson today.

So we've got temperature, climate, heatwave, extreme, and wildfire.

What I'd like you to do is pause the video here and talk in turns with your talk partner to read out the different definitions.

When you're ready, click, "Play" and we'll start the lesson.

All right, let's move on.

So our lesson today is split up into two parts.

So we're first going to be learning about heatwaves and then we are going to be learning about wildfires.

So my first question to you is, what kind of weather are the people enjoying on this beach? So look at the picture here.

What kind of weather are the people enjoying? Can you tell me? Great, we can tell that they're enjoying a sunny day.

So during the summer months in the UK, the temperature rises and many people enjoy sunny weather and warmer days.

Scientists tell us that our climate on earth is changing.

This means that the air around the planet is warming up over time, and this can lead to heatwaves in some countries across the world.

Do you know what a heatwave is? So pause the video here and I'd like you to think with your talk partner, what does a heatwave mean, and do you know what it is? Have a really look carefully at the words that make up heatwave.

So we've got heat and wave.

Have a think about what it means.

Brilliant, so in the UK, a heatwave is at least three consecutive days of temperatures above what would normally be expected.

So three consecutive means one after the other.

Izzy says, "Great, I love a warm sunny day so my family and I can go to the beach." While many people enjoy warm weather, a heatwave can also be quite dangerous.

Let's do a check of our learning.

True or false, a heatwave is one very hot sunny day? Do we think that's true or false? Brilliant, the answer is false, but can you tell me why? Can you correct the statement so that it's now true? Brilliant, so we know a heatwave is at least three days following each other with above average temperatures expected for that time of year.

Izzy says, "I went on holiday to America when they were having a heatwave and the temperature rose to over 40 degrees Celsius." Now that's really, really warm.

Sophia says, "I saw in the news that we had a heatwave in the UK but our temperature was only 30 degrees Celsius.

How can heatwaves be different temperatures?" What do you think? So pause the video here, have a little bit of thinking time on your own, and then I'd like you to share your ideas with your partner.

How can heatwaves be different temperatures? Do you know? Brilliant ideas, everybody, well done.

So a climate scientist says that, "The temperature for a heatwave is different in different countries.

In the UK a heatwave could be 32 degrees Celsius, but in another warmer country, this would not be considered a heatwave." Sophia says, "If you live in Africa, 32 degrees Celsius is the usual average temperature for June and is not above what would normally be expected for that time of year." Let's move on.

So the UK experiences fewer heatwaves than many other countries in the world.

On July 19th, 2022, extreme weather led to the highest temperature ever recorded in Lincolnshire of 40 degrees Celsius.

That is very, very warm.

The average July temperature in Lincolnshire is 22 degrees Celsius.

So on that July the 19th in 2022, that temperature was much, much higher than the average, nearly double.

Let's do a check of our learning.

Look at the data in this table.

Which of these cities experienced a heatwave? So let's have a look at the different cities.

We've got New York, Mumbai, and Barcelona.

So the average temperature in New York would be 27 degrees Celsius, the average in Mumbai, 30 degrees Celsius, and the average temperature in Barcelona is 20 degrees Celsius.

So looking at the data for day one, two, three, and four, which of these cities experienced a heatwave? Pause the video, have a look at the data really closely and click, "Play" when you're ready to continue.

Brilliant, so the answer is New York.

So we can see here that day one, two, and three.

So there's three consecutive days, and remember it has to be three consecutive days in order for it to be called a heatwave, above the average temperature.

Well done everyone.

Let's move on to another question.

True or false, the temperature for a heatwave is 40 degrees Celsius in all countries? Do we think that's true or false? Brilliant, we know that answer is false.

Now I would like you to tell me why and can you change this statement so that it becomes true? Excellent, well done everyone.

So the temperature for a heatwave is different in different countries, and the temperature needs to be above average for more than three days for a heatwave to be declared.

Let's move on.

So Izzy says, "I saw on my weather app that a warning had been issued for next week, which means that we should expect extreme weather." Sophia says, "The weather reporter on television said that extreme weather warnings are issued with different types of weather, not just heatwaves." What are any other examples of extreme weather that you know? Can you write down your ideas on a whiteboard please? Great ideas everybody, well done.

So weather warnings are issued by meteorologists when extreme weather events that can cause danger to humans and other animals, are forecast, such as heatwaves, which we've just been learning about, strong winds, or flooding.

Can you think why heatwaves can be dangerous? So pause the video here, have a discussion with your talk partner.

Why can heatwaves be dangerous? Have a think.

Brilliant work everybody well done.

So higher than average temperatures can lead to problems for humans, especially for the very young and the elderly.

So we've got a picture of grandparent with a grandchild here.

So people that are very young, people that are a lot older, it's really important that we take extra care of them when the temperatures are very high.

Extreme weather during heatwaves can cause our bodies to lose fluids more quickly than usual, leading to dehydration and illness, including headaches, dizziness, and feeling exhausted, so really, really tired.

It's important to wear lightweight, loose clothing including a hat, and stay in the shade as much possible.

So it's really important that you work really hard to keep yourself as cool as possible and stay in the shade.

Other animals can be affected by heatwaves too.

They might have trouble finding cool places to rest or stay comfortable.

And heatwaves can make it harder for animals to find food because plants might not grow well or insects might be less active.

So actually, heatwaves can impact other animals as well.

When it's very hot, there might be less water available for animals to drink, which can make them thirsty and dehydrated.

Let's do a check of our learning.

Which of these are reasons why a heatwave can be dangerous? A, it can make people grumpy.

B, it can cause illness and exhaustion.

C, it means people don't go to work.

D, it can make it more difficult for animals to find food.

So which of these are reasons why a heatwave can be dangerous? Great, so it can cause illness and exhaustion, but also, it can make it more difficult for animals to find food.

Let's move on to the first task.

Imagine you are a meteorologist who is forecasting a heatwave in the UK on television or radio.

Explain what a heatwave is and how it can be linked to the changing climate.

What advice would you give people and their pets to help them stay safe during a heatwave? So pause the video here and have a go at this task and you can complete this in any way that you would like to.

To make it more interesting, you might want to take it in turns with your partner to record as if you're a news presenter, maybe, doing a segment as a meteorologist.

Or maybe you want to create a poster, or you might want to video yourself, or write a paragraph.

It's completely up to you.

So of pause the video, have a go, and I really look forward to seeing your work.

Fantastic job everybody, well done.

I'm so impressed with the work you've produced.

So, this is an example.

"Hello and welcome to Oak Weather Forecast.

We have a heatwave on the way, which means there will be at least three days in a row of higher than average temperatures for this time of year.

This might be due to the air around earth gradually warming up over many years and causing more extreme weather.

My advice is to drink plenty of water to stay hydrated, wear light, loose clothing with a sunhat.

Apply sunscreen regularly and limit outdoor activity and stay in the shade.

Regularly check on elderly relatives and babies, and never leave pets in the car and make sure they have access to shade and plenty of water to drink." So well done for your work on heatwaves, everybody.

We've learned lots different things about heatwaves, but also how we can keep ourselves safe when the weather is very, very hot.

We're now going to move on to wildfires.

Izzy says, "I did not realise how dangerous heatwaves are." Sophia says, "I wonder if there are any other negative impacts on the environment from the air around earth warming up?" What do you think? So pause the video here, have a think about what Sophia is saying.

Are there any other negative impacts? Brilliant, so as the air around earth warms up, earth's climate gradually changes and in some places land dries up, plants shrivel, and water levels in reservoirs and ponds become lower.

For example, we've got a dying plant here and we've got a reservoir with low water level.

Izzy says, "I heard in the news that forest fires are more likely to happen during heatwaves." Do you know why? Have a think with your talk partner.

Why are forest fires more likely to happen when a heatwave is happening? Excellent ideas everyone.

So in warmer weather the ground and plants in a forest can be dry.

Any sparks could set them a light and a fire could spread quickly, which would be difficult to put out.

So here we've got some wildfire and firefighters.

So wildfires can be started by people being careless with their campfires or barbecues, cigarettes, and rubbish.

Or, lightning from a storm can strike a tree to start a wildfire.

Let's do a check of our learning.

Which of these statements is true? A, wildfires are spread easily.

B, wildfires are easy to put out.

C, wildfires are dangerous.

Or D, heatwaves make wildfires less likely to happen.

So which of these statements is true? Excellent, the answer is A, wildfires spread easily and C, wildfires are dangerous.

Next question, which of these conditions are likely to lead to a wildfire? A, hot dry heatwaves.

B, flooded, waterlogged, ground.

C, lightning strikes.

Or D, stray sparks from human activity like barbecues.

Which of these conditions are likely to lead to a wildfire? Brilliant, so there's a few answers here.

So hot, dry heatwaves, lightning strikes, but also, stray sparks from human activity like barbecues.

So wildfires are really dangerous as they spread so quickly through an area, sometimes leaping from tree to tree at speed of up to 23 kilometres per hour.

Wind can spread a wildfire even faster, the fanning the flames to burn harder.

But how do you think firefighters put out the wildfires? Have a little think on your own and then share your ideas with your partner.

How do you think the firefighters put out the wildfires? Excellent work everyone.

So firefighters have to beat out the flames of a wildfire and cut down any material in the path of the fire that will burn such as trees.

Helicopters are often used to help put out wildfires as they can get to isolated areas quickly and drop large bags of water onto the flames.

Let's do a check of our learning, who do you agree with? Izzy says, "Wildfires are quick and easy to put out when firefighters use their hose pipes." Jun says, "Wildfires can spread quickly across large areas of land and can last for weeks as they're difficult to put out." Sofia says, "Wildfires only burn in a small area and then go out by themselves." Who do you agree with Izzy, Jun, or Sofia? Great, Jun is actually correct.

So we've learned the wildfires can spread very, very quickly across large areas of land and actually, they can last quite a long time and are very tricky to put out.

Let's move on.

Izzy says, "I wonder what happens to the plants and animals that live in the habitats that wildfires destroy?" Sophia says, "I wonder what happens to the people whose homes are in the paths of wildfires?" What do you think? Pause the video and have a little thinking time on your own.

Excellent ideas everyone.

So in California in 2017 during a heatwave, wildfires destroyed over 8,400 houses.

So lots of people's homes were destroyed, and as the wildfire spread, people had to leave their homes to escape to safety.

Entire communities have slowly rebuilt their homes after losing all of their belongings.

So this wildfire here destroyed lots and lots of homes, and people have had to work really hard with communities to help rebuild their homes, but also rebuild their lives again.

The devastation that is left after a wildfire is huge.

In Australia, during the heatwaves of 2019, wildfires destroyed an area larger than England and Wales.

These wildfires killed over a billion animals and birds.

So it's not just homes and humans that wildfires affect actually, it's lots of animals and birds as well.

During wildfires, many plants are burned and destroyed.

Damage to soil means that plants that have survived can no longer grow.

When habitats are destroyed, animals that have escaped have nowhere to live and nothing to eat.

And large areas of land can become wastelands, empty of all animals and plants for many years.

So it causes huge destruction to many living things.

Izzy says, "As the climate is gradually changing, we need to make sure we do everything we can to reduce the impact of heatwaves and wildfires, which are happening in some parts of the world more often." So we can see a warning sign in America here.

Let's do a check of our learning.

Which of these places have been damaged by wildfires, A, B, or C? Look really carefully at the images.

Brilliant, so we've got B, which is a wildfire here.

A, which was a flood, and C, an earthquake.

So B was the image here and the place that has been damaged by a wildfire.

Let's do a check of our learning.

True or false, wildfires do not harm animals including humans as they can just run away from the flames? Do you think that's true or false? Brilliant, the answer is false, but can you tell me why this is false? Brilliant, so wildfires can harm animals including humans as they cannot always escape from the fast spreading flames.

When habitats are damaged, this can have a negative impact on the animals as well.

Let's move on to the next task.

Imagine you are a firefighter who wants to explain to people the dangers of wildfires and how they can affect living things.

I'd like you to design a leaflet poster or presentation you can share with the local community.

Include what a wildfire is, when they're more likely to happen, why they are dangerous, and how they can affect living things.

So pause the video here and design your leaflet poster or presentation.

I look forward to seeing your work.

Click play when you're ready to continue again and we'll go through some examples.

Brilliant work everyone, well done.

I'm so impressed with your work.

So here are some examples and your poster may look a little bit like this, or your leaflet.

So what are wildfires? Wildfires are large, uncontrolled fires that spread quickly.

They are more likely to occur during long periods of hot dry weather.

Why are wildfires dangerous? Wildfires spread quickly and can move fast, making it hard for people and animals to escape.

And lastly, how do wildfires affect living things? So animals lose their habitats and have no food to eat.

Plants get burned and destroyed, and people can lose their homes and belongings.

So here is just an example leaflet, but yours may have looked similar or yours may have looked a little bit different, but well done for having a good go at this.

I know there was quite a lot of information to include.

Now we've come towards the end of the lesson.

So let's do a summary of our learning.

The air around our planet is warming up and this can lead to heatwaves in some countries of the world.

The temperature for a heatwave is different in different countries.

And extreme weather, including heatwaves are dangerous for animals including humans.

And wildfires are dangerous as they spread quickly and are difficult to put out.

So we've learned lots of different things about heatwaves and wildfires, and extreme weather in general.

Now, well done for all of your work today.

I've been so impressed with everything you've produced.

I hope you have a great rest of the day and I'm sure I'll see you really soon in the next science lesson.

Bye, bye.