THE CLIMATE IN OUR REGION
ETWINNING: So that we are not afraid!
THE CLIMATE IN CYPRUS
Our island has a Mediterranean climate. It is one of the warmest climates in the Mediterranean part of Europe! That means that we enjoy plenty of sunshine all year round, with over 300 sunny days throughout the year! Our summers are very long and very warm, while our winters are mild and sometimes rainy. Autumn and spring are very short, so much so that here in Cyprus we often say that our island really only knows two seasons, the long warm one and the shorter cold one. We think that each time of the year has its special charms, and Cyprus is beautiful whatever the weather!
What's the weather like in Cyprus throughout the year?
Summer is long and warm in Cyprus. In July and August it usually gets very hot. During the summer we go to the beach. We swim and we build sandcastles. We drink cool drinks and eat ice cream. We love summer!
Autumn is short in Cyprus. September and October are warm, but in November it gets colder and the first rains come. It is sometimes windy and foggy in November, too. Leaves change color and fall off the trees. The mountains dress in shades of yellow, orange, red and brown. In autumn we enjoy going for walks and family excursions.
In winter the weather gets colder. It is often rainy and windy. In December the temperature drops a lot and it snows on Troodos mountains! We love playing with the snow and building snowmen. In winter we enjoy drinking tea and hot chocolate by the fireplace.
Climate change: Has it affected Cyprus? Our sixth-graders use their English language skills to look into whether weather in Cyprus has changed at all in the last few decades!
What's the weather like in November today?
We started by discussing the weather in November today. After briefly revising our weather vocabulary in English by playing matching and guessing word games, we worked in small groups in order to write down as many words and phrases as possible about what the weather is like in November in Cyprus today.
Talking about the weather in English: Word and Picture Matching Game!
Group work: Brainstorming about the weather in November
Pair work: Presenting class conclusions about the weather in November today
What was the weather like in November 50 years ago? Let's ask our grandparents!
So, here is what our grandparents had to say...
All of the grandparents interviewed said that it rained much more in November back then. In fact, many said that it often rained for days on end, which resulted in floods. The weather was also a lot colder, windier and stormier in November back then.
In conclusion...
We concluded that the weather in November has changed significantly in the past few decades. Sadly, global warming is causing the earth's climate to change, and Cyprus has not remained unaffected. We wondered what the weather will be like in November in 50 years' time. What will we be telling our own children and grandchildren if they ask us the same question one day? Will Novembers - and other months of the year - be even warmer and drier by that time? What could WE do to prevent that from happening?
Little Researchers Learn Greek as a Second Language...the Fun Way! (a) Telling the weather…in Greek! (b) How to dress for every season…in Greek! (c) Learning about the Water Cycle...in Greek!
November is the month when the weather in Cyprus breaks from warm summer/autumn towards colder winter. Around the middle of November temperatures begin to drop noticeably and the rainy season starts.
Now that we said goodbye to summer/autumn and welcomed winter, our teacher decided that this was the perfect time for us to expand our Greek Vocabulary and learn some new useful words used when (a) telling the weather, and (b) talking about summery wears and winter wears! After all, planning our activities based on the weather, and also clothes and accessories are part of our everyday life, right? Learning was so much fun, as you can see from the pictures below!