Activity Description In this activity, the student will prepare to give a simulated presentation to a school on the explanation of weather occurrences and their visual displays on a weather map. Materials 1 Pair of scissors (per student) 1 Glue stick (per student) 1 Student Attachment: Weather Guide Script (per student) 1 Student Attachment: Pictures of weather map concepts (per student) 1 Teacher Attachment: Weather Guide Script (Key) Teacher Procedure Before the start of the lesson, make sure that the listed materials and necessary Student Attachments are prepared. Use the following questions to begin student discussion on the topic: 1.When meteorologist say a weather front is occurring, what does that mean? Fronts occur in association with low pressure air masses where the air circulation causes the interaction between air masses with different temperatures and pressures. The front is the line of contact at ground level marking the boundary between the two air masses. 2.What is a warm front? A warm front is the leading edge of a warm, humid air mass which rises into the atmosphere as it is pushed up by the surrounding, colder air. Warm fronts are represented by lines of red half-circles on a weather map. 3.What is a cold front? A cold front is the leading edge of a cool, dry air mass moving into an area, displacing the warmer air, and contributing to storm formation. On a map, lines of blue triangles represent cold fronts. 1
Procedure 1. Students will be preparing for a simulated presentation on information about being a meteorologist. In their own words, they will need to describe weather occurrences. 2. Students can do either of the following steps in whichever order makes sense to them. 3. Students should write an explanation of each of the weather map concepts marked on the Student Attachment: Weather Guide Script. The student is expected to explain an area of high pressure, an area of low pressure, a cold front, a warm front, weather conditions after a cold front crosses an area, and weather conditions after a warm front crosses an area. 4. Students will then need to cut out and match the provided pictures from the Student Attachment: Pictures of Weather Map Concepts with the correct weather concepts on the Student Attachment: Weather Guide Script. Monitor the student during both the written and picture matching steps. If the student is a visual learner, have them match the pictures first, then write the explanations. ELPS Recommendations: Please go to the ELPS Teacher Toolbox to retrieve general resources to support all ELPS instruction for learning strategies, listening, speaking, writing and reading in your classroom 2
Teacher Attachment: Weather Guide Script (Key) Directions: You are presenting information about being a meteorologist to a school. You know there are going to be a lot of questions about interpreting marks on a weather broadcast, and you are preparing your notes to explain the sometimes tricky concepts. In your own words, describe the following weather occurrences, and glue the corresponding pictures to the concept. High Pressure: An air mass with greater atmospheric pressure than the surrounding air masses; air moves away from the high pressure, traveling in a clockwise direction. Low Pressure: An air mass with less atmospheric pressure than the surrounding air masses; air moves toward the low pressure, traveling in a counterclockwise direction. 1
Warm Front: Forms at the surface of Earth when a warm, moist air mass overtakes a cool, dense, and dryer air mass. Cold Front: Forms at the surface of Earth when a cold, dry air mass overtakes a warmer, humid air mass. Weather Conditions After a Warm Front and Cold Front Crosses an Area 20º 50º Precipitation occurs ahead of the warm front at the frontal boundary tends to be prolonged, but gentle with warm air after. Cold fronts are characterized by dramatic storms, thunder, lighting, and sometimes tornadoes. 20º 50º 2
Teacher Attachment: Graphic Organizer (Key) Use the terms in the word bank to complete the graphic organizer below. Word Bank warm high clear skies Weather Maps low stormy weather fronts cold 1. Weather Maps used to show weather patterns and characteristics such as: air pressure masses 2. fronts 3. high 4. low winds flow outward, clockwise, associated with 7. clear skies winds flow toward center, counterclockwise, associated with 6. warm 5. cold 8. stormy weather 3
Student Attachment: Pictures of Weather Map Concepts 20º 50º 50º 20º 1
Student Attachment: Weather Guide Script Directions: You are presenting information about being a meteorologist to a school. You know there are going to be a lot of questions about interpreting marks on a weather broadcast, and you are preparing your notes to explain the sometimes tricky concepts. In your own words, describe the following weather occurrences and glue the corresponding pictures to the concept. High Pressure: Low Pressure: 1
Warm Front: Cold Front: Weather Conditions After a Warm Front and Cold Front Crosses an Area 2
Student Attachment: Graphic Organizer Use the terms in the word bank to complete the graphic organizer below. Word Bank warm high clear skies Weather Maps low stormy weather fronts cold 1. used to show weather patterns and characteristics such as: air pressure masses 2. 3. 4. winds flow outward, clockwise, associated with 7. winds flow toward center, counterclockwise, associated with 6. 5. 8. 3