Videos & Books About Weather and Climate

1. The Magic School Bus Wet All Over: A Book About The Water Cycle

by Pat Relf

I have yet to meet a student who doesn’t love The Magic School Bus series. During this adventure, Ms. Frizzle and her class explore the water cycle via a raindrop! The students learn about the process of evaporation, condensation, and rain.

2. The Reasons for Seasons

by Gail Gibbons

Gail Gibbons always does an excellent job presenting non-fiction information in an engaging and easy-to-understand way!

The Reasons for Seasons dives into the “why” behind each season and discusses higher-level topics such as the earth’s orbit, axial tilt, and the differences in climates around the world.

3. Weather

by Seymour Simon

This book is the perfect introduction to your weather unit! Simon answers many of the frequently asked weather questions and pairs the answers with colorful photographs. It’s guaranteed to keep your students engaged and wanting to learn more!

I highly recommend including more of Seymour Simon’s books in your science library. He has authored similar books about tornadoes, storms, and hurricanes.

4. Boy, Were We Wrong About the Weather! 

by Kathleen V. Kudlinski 

Contrary to the other books on this list, Boy, Were We Wrong About the Weather focuses on the history of meteorology versus a specific weather pattern.

Through the use of fun illustrations, the author answers some historical weather myths.

5. Natural Disasters: Investigate Earth’s Most Destructive Forces with 25 Projects 

by Kathleen M. Reilly 

Not only is this an informative book, it’s also full of fun hands-on activities!

Some projects include creating a shake table, a cake batter lava flow, inventing a wind tunnel, and experimenting with avalanches. It will soon be a fan favorite in your classroom.

6. Miss Mingo Weathers the Storm

 by Jamie Harper 

This is a fun fiction read-aloud to add to your collection of videos and books about weather and climate! Miss Mingo Weathers the Storm follows Miss Mingo’s class on a field trip to the weather station.

While away, they experience all sorts of crazy weather while learning fun facts about it.

7. Flood Warning

by Katharine Kenah

Tornadoes, hurricanes, and tsunamis typically get all the attention in the world of natural weather disasters. However, floods can be equally as dangerous and interesting to learn about.

This book uses developmentally appropriate vocabulary and charts to teach students all about floods. There are hands-on ideas included at the end of the book!

8. How the World Works: A Hands-On Guide to Our Amazing Planet 

Pop-up books are always a fun addition to any science unit! How the World Works helps to bring weather and climate topics to life.

Through the use of pop-ups, mini booklets, and interactive charts, your students can learn about plate tectonics, wind speeds, and other types of storms.

1. The Water Cycle

This video does an excellent job of bringing the water cycle to life. Through the use of animations and real photographs and videos, the narrator explains the process in a kid-friendly way. I especially enjoyed how they brought in various scientists to share their knowledge.

2. Why Are There Seasons?

Children are typically very aware of the changing seasons around them, but they do not oftentimes stop to ask “why?”

This video, from SciShow Kids gives a short 2-minute answer!

3. Measuring Weather

This simple video is a great supplement to your weather unit! The narrator discusses how to measure weather while showing real pictures of different tools.

4. Severe Weather

My students always love learning about severe weather, so I’m sure this video will be a hit in your classroom!

This video quickly discusses the different types of severe weather as well as dives into the “why” behind each.

5. Weather Vs. Climate

Another Crash Course Kids gem, Weather vs. Climate is a great introduction to help kids differentiate the two.

6. Climate Zones

After differentiating the two (weather and climate) with help from the last video, your students will be ready to dive deeper into climates.

This video is helpful as it shows real photographs around the world with helpful diagrams and maps along the way.