Weather Watchers Part II: Mini-Meteorologists

Transcription

1 Weather Watchers Part II: Mini-Meteorologists Key Words: anemometer, barometer, climate, clouds, hail, meteorologist, precipitation, rain, rain gauge, sleet, snow, weather, wind vane Goals: Desired Outcomes S4E4. Students will analyze weather charts/maps and collect weather data to predict weather events and infer patterns and seasonal changes. a. Identify weather instruments and explain how each is used in gathering weather data and making forecasts. (Thermometer, rain gauge, barometer, wind vane, anemometer) b. Using a weather map, identify the fronts, temperature, and precipitation and use the information to interpret the weather conditions. c. Use observations and records of weather conditions to predict weather patterns throughout the year. d. Differentiate between weather and climate. S4E2. Students will model the position and motion of the Earth in the solar system and will explain the role of relative position and motion in determining the sequence of the phases of the moon. c. Demonstrate the revolution of the Earth around the sun and the Earth s tilt to explain the seasonal changes. S4E3. Students will differentiate between the states of water and how they relate to the water cycle and weather. c. Investigate how clouds are formed. Understandings: Students will understand that some natural events have a repeating pattern; and weather changes from day to day, but temperature and precipitation tend to follow patterns within the same months every year. Essential Questions: How does the weather reporter know what the weather will be tomorrow? S4E4a, b, c, & d 65 Weather Watchers Part II

2 Students will know thermometers measure temperature; rain gauges measure the amount of precipitation; barometers measure atmospheric pressure; wind vanes measure wind direction; and anemometers the speed and force of the wind. Students will be able to identify and use the following weather instruments: thermometer, rain gauge, barometer, wind vane, and anemometer; read a weather map; use data to predict weather patterns; and differentiate between weather and climate. Lesson Hook: Put the quote attributed to Mark Twain, Climate is what you expect, weather is what you get, on the board and discuss with students. Performance Tasks: Assessment Place weather instruments on a table and label with letters. Students will identify the instrument and explain how each is used. Logs from using weather station instruments. Creative Climates: As head of the new National Geographic Climate Observation Post, you need to create a climate map to illustrate the world s climate zones Other Evidence: Situation Analysis-Give students a situation involving a weather condition and ask them to list the instrument they would need to analyze the weather condition. For example: 1. The wind was blowing so hard today that it caught my umbrella and turned it inside out. I wonder how fast the wind was blowing. What instrument in our weather station could I use to determine wind speed? (anemometer) 2. I just returned home after being away for a week on vacation. I am trying to decide if my outdoor plants need watering. What instrument could I use to determine how much rain has fallen since I was away? (rain gauge) 3. I would like to take my sail boat out for a nice sail. I really want to use the power of the wind to push the boat along. Which instrument in our weather station could I use to determine wind direction? (weather vane) S4E4a, b, c, & d 66 Weather Watchers Part II

3 Plan of Action Learning Activities: As a part of your daily activities, assign a weekly weather person to record daily weather conditions. You could keep these on a flip calendar and compare months. Refer to the Mark Twain quote. Define climate and weather.help students understand that climate is simply weather patterns of an area/region over a long period of time. We expect temperatures in Michigan to be colder than Georgia in April. But every now and again you have some unusually odd weather thus climate is what you expect but weather is what you get! Have students pick any location in the world. Have them pick a time of the year in which they would like to visit this location. They must create a travel brochure to include the longitude/latitude, altitude, weather and climate information for the season in which they plan to travel. They should also note the sun rise and sun set times (hours of daylight). Have students in the northern hemisphere compare their season to those in the southern hemisphere. Why are they different? Use a globe and exposed lamp light to review why we have the seasons. Have students look at cloud charts and real clouds. While the intent should not be to have students memorize all the names of clouds, they should realize that clouds are named based on the shapes they form due to atmospheric conditions. Clouds indicate weather. By looking at clouds over a period of time and noticing weather that accompanies or follows the clouds, student can begin to use clouds to make predictions about the weather. Use Tomi DePaola s The Cloud Book. Build a weather station for your school and access it daily during your recess time. Keep the data collected. Look for patterns. Consider creating line graphs to monitor the changes in temperature over time. Make or purchase the following weather instruments for your weather station: rain gauge, barometer, wind vane, and anemometer. See Making Weather Instruments, Activity Sheet #1 for directions. It is assumed that your school will have thermometers available for your use, but I would recommend purchasing a maximum/minimum thermometer if you have the funds. Note too that it is difficult to construct an accurate, easy, and cheap anemometer. To begin with you might have students observe a pinwheel and a wind speed chart to estimate wind speed. As of March 2006, the following site had instructions on how to build one for classroom use: Using a Weather Map, Activity Sheet #2: Students will learn to use weather maps by making and interpreting a weather map. S4E4a, b, c, & d 67 Weather Watchers Part II

4 Additional Resources: Ardley, N. (1992). The Science Book of Weather. New York: Gulliver Books, Harcourt Brace Publishers. File, D. (1997). CD-ROM FactFinders Interactive Multimedia: The Weather. Surrey, England: ZigZag Publishing. Gibbons, G. (1990). Weather Words and What They Mean. New York: Scholastic, Inc. GLOBE Global Learning and Observations to Benefit the Environment) is a worldwide hands-on, primary and secondary school-based education and science program, This site was accessible in March Cloud charts found at any science supply store and most teacher supply stores. National Geographic, Accessed April 1, 2006 Scholastic Book of Weather. (2004). Montreal, Canada: Scholastic. Weather. (1996). McMahons Point, Australia: Weldon Owen, Inc. Reimer, L. (2000). Make a Cloud, Measure the Wind. Bothell, WA: The Wright Group. Taylor, B. (1993). Weather and Climate. New York: Kingfisher Books. S4E4a, b, c, & d 68 Weather Watchers Part II

5 Making Weather Instruments Activity Sheet #1 Making a Rain Gauge Materials: clear jar with straight sides and flat bottom, paper or tape ruler, wide clear tape, funnel or empty plastic two liter soda bottle, and scissors. 1. Cut the top off of a soda bottle (you can use a funnel instead). 2. Attach the paper tape ruler to the clear jar with tape. Make sure the 0 is lined up with the bottom of the jar. 3. Place the soda bottle upside down in the clear jar or place your funnel in the clear jar. 4. Place your rain gauge in a secure place where it will receive rainfall directly from the sky. 5. Observe and record precipitation daily. Empty and dry out the gauge after you record the data. Making a Barometer Materials: sturdy plastic jar (or glass), strong rubber band, cardboard, straw, marker, tape, balloon, scissors, and ruler 1. Cut the open end of a balloon off and stretch the larger part across the mouth of the jar. It should not fit too tightly. 2. Secure the balloon to the jar with a strong rubber band. 3. Take a piece of cardboard and cut it to look like a book mark. 4. Tape the end of the straw in the center of the balloon. 5. Hold the cardboard next to the jar and let the straw serve as a pointer. 6. Make a mark and draw a line across the cardboard where the straw now points. 7. Add three lines above and three lines below the line you just drew. 8. Label the top line high and the bottom line 9. Tape the cardboard to the inside of your weather station so that the straw is aligned with the middle mark. Making a Wind Vane Materials: brick with holes in it, paint pen, skewer or chopstick, clay, plastic milk carton or drink bottle, pen cap, compass, tape 1. Cut an arrow out of a plastic bottle or carton. 2. Put clay into a hole in the brick and stick the skewer/chopstick into the clay. 3. Tape the pen cap to the middle of the arrow. 4. Balance the pen cap on top of the skewer. You may need to place a small amount of clay near the point of the arrow to balance it. 5. Using the paint pen, paint N (north), S (south), E (east), W (west) to the sides of the brick. 6. Place the weather van in your weather station and use the compass to help you position the side labeled N so that it faces north. 7. Record the wind direction daily and remember that the arrow points to the direction from which the wind is blowing. S4E4a, b, c, & d 69 Weather Watchers Part II

6 Name Class Date Weather Watchers II: Mini-Meteorologists Activity Sheet 2: Interpreting a Weather Map Purpose: To learn to show weather conditions on a map Materials: Use the following website for weather map observations Use the following chart to record the following information: cities that show rain. number of cold fronts and warm fronts. city with the highest temperature. cities which are clear, partly cloudy, cloudy. Day of Week with rain Number of cold fronts Number of warm fronts City with highest temperature which are clear which are partly cloudy which are cloudy S4E4a, b, c, & d 70 Weather Watchers Part II