(upbeat music) It's great to see you.

And it is a great day to learn something new.

All around the world people experience different types of extreme weather.

Some places deal with heavy snow or ice, while others may have concerns with extreme heat.

Humans have always been inventive when it comes to their survival.

Throughout the world, people who live in various locations have adapted and learned to protect themselves by building certain types of shelter, depending on weather that is typical to their region.

It's summer in Arkansas and most days outside it feels really warm and even sometimes really hot.

While I love the summer and being outside, we do have to be careful not to get overheated, sunburned and dehydrated.

We know it is important to drink a lot of water and have an adult help us with sunscreen if we're going to be outside.

In different parts of the world and even throughout the year, there are different climates.

Climate is the long term pattern of weather in a certain area.

We know that weather can change from hour to hour, day to day, month to month, and even year to year.

But in areas, weather patterns that stay fairly consistent are what we would call the area's climate.

Since it's summer, let's start with talking about why people think it's important to protect themselves from the sun and heat.

The sun is hot and it is bright.

It can be dangerous for people to work in the heat of the day and with ultraviolet rays all around us.

We are exposed to the greatest amount of ultraviolet or UV radiation, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. each day, and even on a cloudy day, up to 80% of the sun's UV rays can pass through the clouds.

If you are outside working or playing in the sun, it makes you sweat, which can make your skin even more sensitive.

So what could you do to protect yourself?

People have built different structures to help provide shade and in turn protection from the sun and heat.

If you've ever been to a pool, a water park, a lake or a beach, you may have seen umbrellas or other shade coverings that people can sit under that provide shade and protection.

You can also see these at restaurants or parks.

This keeps the sun off of your skin and helps to keep you from getting overheated.

Even think about our homes and how they provide shelter and protection from the sun.

Now let's think about a climate we do not experience very often in Arkansas.

What do you think people have done to help protect themselves from extremely cold weather?

Imagine if you're walking around the snowy landscape of the Arctic tundra.

You would obviously start to feel very cold with all the icy, chilling wind.

Even if you had a warm coat, a hat and snow boots, you would need shelter.

But there's nothing but snow all around you.

But what if you found an igloo?

An igloo that's made of snow?

If you go inside of it, would you be surprised to find out that you would start to feel warm?

An igloo made of the same freezing snow that was making you so cold.

Is also very good at keeping people warm.

If you're like me, you're thinking right now.

Really?

How?

How could something so cold make you feel warm?

When you're at home and you start to feel cold, do you ever get a blanket to cover up with to make you feel warm and cozy?

That blanket is not generating any heat of its own, but it's trapping your body's heat from escaping.

The igloo is working in the same way by acting as a huge blanket, trapping a person's body heat within its walls.

An igloo is made of compressed snow.

The compact hard snow is a great insulator of heat.

The air molecules trapped between the tiny ice crystals create air pockets that prevent heat loss.

So snow, something we think of as really cold, is the perfect material to build a warm shelter in the freezing Arctic environment.

It is amazing to consider the properties of snow and the structure of an igloo when thinking about staying warm.

Lastly, let's think about how we could protect ourselves from the rain.

The rainy season is the perfect time for people to enjoy a movie indoors or a hot bowl of soup.

However, the rainy weather can also cause flooding and can be difficult to be outdoors in.

Having an appropriate jacket is really important so you can protect yourself from being soaked in rainfall and a good umbrella is also a great option.

Another simple way to protect yourselves from rain is just to stay indoors or under a covered building or walkway.

Some larger cities may even have tunnels, are covered walking paths to protect those who must be outside from heavy rain.

If you can, sometimes it's a good idea to wait until the rain slows or stops before you go outside or move to another location.

We know that rain is crucial in our lives, but it can also cause different issues.

And being out in rain or extreme weather can be dangerous without shelter or protection.

Where people live in different parts of the world may look different, but the roofs and walls from buildings, igloos or a covered walking path provide barriers from outside elements.

So next time you're outside, check the weather, make sure you're dressed appropriately, and be ready for whatever the weather throws at you.

(upbeat music)