A weather station is the basis of weather forecasting and understanding what it is is crucial in any climatology discussion. Start by telling the students that a weather station is a facility with special equipment and instruments that scientists use to measure current weather conditions, which they will then analyze to make weather forecasts. Show the students images and provide information about different equipment used in a weather station, including a thermometer, barometer, rain gauge, hygrometer (a device used to measure humidity) and anemometer (an instrument that measures wind speed).
Learning about how scientists predict the weather is another topic you can cover in a climatology lesson. Tell students that weather stations are typically linked together into networks. These networks compile the data that can then be put into complex weather prediction models that produce weather forecasts. An appropriate activity for students would be to learn how to interpret weather forecast maps.
Geography of an area can affect the weather in a region, and a lesson about how geography impacts the weather will help students understand the relationship between the two. Tell students that being close to a large body of water can make a difference to the local climate, as areas that are close to the sea generally have a cooler climate than those inland. Altitude can also affect the temperature of a land area; even in a hot country the temperature can get very cold as you climb high above sea level, because air is thinner at higher altitudes. To see if students understand this concept, ask them to name cities whose climate is influenced by the proximity to large bodies of water or altitude.
Being able to see a storm or hurricane developing and following its path is an essential part of climatology. Predicting where and how severe a storm will be will mean that actions can be taken to evacuate people on the ground if necessary. Explain to students how a hurricane forms -- through a combination of warm water and winds -- and how a storm develops -- warm air going up and cold air sinking.