Weather Unit
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1 Weather Forecasting Unit Running head: WEATHER FORECASTING UNIT OF STUDY
Weather Forecasting Unit of Study Kathleen Silvey Grand Canyon University EED 523 June 28, 2009
2 Weather Forecasting Unit Weather Forecasting Unit of Study Objectives: •
Students will discover the different types of ways to measure the weather.
•
Students will match the cloud type to a specific kind of weather.
•
Students will match temperature, precipitation, wind speed and direction, and cloud conditions with different weather conditions.
•
Students will identify and use the appropriate tools and technology to measure temperature, wind and precipitation.
•
Students will make a weather station to predict the weather.
Michigan Standards: •
Elementary (K-4) Discipline 4 - Earth Science ○ Earth Systems (ES) Weather Weather Measurement
•
Math – Measurement -M.UN.04.01 Measure using common tools and select appropriate units of measure.
•
Technology - Research Tools 1. use web search engines and built-in search functions of other various resources to locate information. 2. know how to independently use existing databases (e.g., library catalogs, electronic dictionaries, encyclopedias) to locate, sort, and interpret information on an assigned topic. 3. perform simple queries on existing databases and report results on an assigned topic.
•
Technology - Problem-solving and decision-making tools 1. use technology resources to access information that can assist in making informed decisions about everyday matters (e.g., which movie to see, which product to purchase). 2. use information and communication technology tools (e.g., calculators, probes, videos, DVDs, educational software) to collect, organize, and evaluate information to assist with solving real-life problems (personal or community).
3 Weather Forecasting Unit Materials: Internet access, worksheets, pencils with erasers, black permanent marker, rubbing alcohol, clear, narrow-necked plastic bottle, food coloring, clear plastic drinking straws, modeling clay, a glass or beaker with straight sides, a ruler, tape, one foot of clear plastic tubing, chewing gum, water, flat Styrofoam (9 in. long and 4 in. wide), flat piece of plastic (3 in. long and 3 in. wide) that is thin enough to cut, small nails, long strands of human hair (about 8 inches long), dimes, glue, hammer, scissors, straight pins, paper plates, manila file folders, 3 ounce Dixie cups, a paper punch, a small stapler, and a large cardboard box that is big enough for a child to fit into. Introduction: This unit will introduce the students to predicting the weather using their senses, their knowledge of different types of clouds, and various tools and technology. Students will read about how weather is measured and predicted on their worksheets and the internet. They will then start a weeklong journey researching, creating and using the tools and technology available in determining the weather. The unit of study will end with a field study assessment, using a weather station created by the teacher and students together as a class, where they will individually predict the weather for that day in a final test of what they have learned during the week. Day 1- Students will read and complete activities relating to the water cycle and cloud formations and how they are related and can predict future weather. 1. First, students will read several internet sites about the water cycle and the different types of clouds, Then the students will complete the following worksheets: ○ http://ww2010.atmos.uiuc.edu/(Gh)/guides/mtr/cld/dvlp/wtr.rxml ○ http://weathereye.kgan.com/cadet/forecast/figger_cloud.html ○ http://vortex.plymouth.edu/clouds.html/
4 Weather Forecasting Unit Name_____________________________
Label Water Cycle Diagram Read the definitions below then label the water cycle diagram.
Accumulation - the process in which water pools in large bodies (like oceans, seas and lakes).
Condensation - the process in which water vapor (a gas) in the air turns into liquid water.
Condensing water forms clouds in the sky. Water drops that form on the outside of a glass of icy water are condensed water. (This term appears twice in the diagram.) Evaporation - the process in which liquid water becomes water vapor (a gas). Water vaporizes from the surfaces of oceans and lakes, from the surface of the land, and from melts in snow fields. Precipitation - the process in which water (in the form of rain, snow, sleet, or hail) falls from clouds in the sky. Subsurface Runoff - rain, snow melt, or other water that flows in underground streams, drains, or sewers. Surface Runoff - rain, snow melt, or other water that flows in surface streams, rivers, or canals. Transpiration - the process in which some water within plants evaporates into the atmosphere. Water is first absorbed by the plant's roots, then later exits by evaporating through pores in the plant.
Copyright ©2001-2009 EnchantedLearning.com
5 Weather Forecasting Unit
Label the Clouds Label the clouds using the terms below.
alto-cumulus - Middle-level, medium-sized puffy clouds. alto-stratus - Middle-level, layered clouds. cirro-cumulus - High-altitude, small, wispy, patchy, puffy clouds. cirro-stratus - High-altitude, thin, wispy clouds in layers. cirrus - High-altitude, thin, wispy clouds. cumulo-nimbus- Large, dense, towering clouds that cause thunderstorms. cumulus - Low, puffy clouds. fog - Ground-hugging clouds. nimbo-stratus - Low, dark, rain cloud. stratus - Low, layered, horizontal, wispy clouds with a flat base. strato-cumulus - Low clouds, broad and flat on the bottom, puffy on top (higher than cumulus and lower than altocumulus).
Copyright ©2002-2009 EnchantedLearning.com
6 Weather Forecasting Unit Day 2 – Follow up on what was learned yesterday on clouds with a mini assessment on predicting the weather with clouds. Click here for the PowerPoint Presentation/Quiz. Begin making the first of the six weather measurement tools that will be needed for the weather station field study. Today the teacher will make a thermometer and a barometer: 1. Making a thermometer - pass out this worksheet on how to make a simple thermometer in school using various items found in a classroom science lab. Create and demonstrate this thermometer in front of the whole class. This is just for students to see how a thermometer works. For their weather station, they will be using a real store bought thermometer from the local hardware store. 2. Making a barometer – Pass out this worksheet on how to make a simple barometer. Again create and demonstrate the barometer in front of the whole class. Students will each be collecting data on Friday from the barometer from inside the classroom (it should be kept indoors) for their weather station field study. Make sure you mark where the water is today on the ruler, as well as every day until the day of the field study. Day 3 – Today, the students will begin making their own measuring tools for the weather station field study. Begin by passing out this worksheet on how to make a hygrometer. Allow students to make this tool and when they are finished, explain how to read the hygrometer and then determine how humid the classroom is. Now pass out this worksheet on how to make an anemometer. Allow enough time for students to complete. Explain, while the students are working, how an anemometer works. Now, take the students outside with their hygrometers and anemometers. If it is raining, stand under a covered area outside. What do their hygrometers say now? Compare the humidity of the classroom to the humidity outside. Is it different? Why? Have the students also determine the wind speed with their anemometers. Remind them that they will each be using their hygrometer and anemometer on Friday and to keep them in a safe place.
7 Weather Forecasting Unit Day 4 – Have the students take out their hygrometers and anemometers. Go outside again, if weather permits. Have the students take a reading of each tool. Is it different from yesterday? Why? Next, the students will make a weather vane from this worksheet. When students are finished making their weather vanes, take them outside to the north side of the school building, if weather permits. You will now demonstrate how to make a makeshift compass using outside objects (a stick, several stones and the sun) as described here. Explain how to do this, even if it is not sunny outside. Students will need to create this makeshift compass tomorrow to help them collect data. When you are done, put the stick and stones in a box and take the students inside for use in the field study tomorrow. Day 5 - Today the students will be assessed on what they learned about predicting the weather using the tools they’ve been making all week. Using a very large cardboard box (maybe on from the cafeteria from Styrofoam cups or other supplies kept in large boxes), tape the store bought thermometer to the bottom of the box. Bring this box, as well as the box with the stick and stones, outside with the students and find a safe, sturdy location on the north side of the building where it's shadiest. Position the box securely beside the building, perhaps on a brick foundation. Explain to the students that this is where they will make their weather observations, using their knowledge of cloud formations, the tools they have made and the makeshift compass that they will create. Pass out the following question worksheet and allow them to each take a turn in the weather station to answer the questions.
Predict the Weather!
Name _______________________
1. Inside the classroom, observe the barometer on your teacher’s desk. Look at where the previous days are marked. Is today’s barometric pressure reading higher, lower or the same as the previous
8 Weather Forecasting Unit day’s readings? __________________________________________ What does this tell you about today’s weather? __________________________________ 2. Outside the weather station, look at the thermometer on the box. What is the temperature right now? __________ Predict how warm or cold you think the weather will get today by the current temperature ____________________________________________________ 3. Look up at the clouds. If there are any in the sky, even on the horizon, what type of cloud are they? ________________________________________________________________ Predict what the weather will be like today by observing the clouds__________________ ________________________________________________________________________ 4. Using the hygrometer you made, determine the humidity outside. Is it dry or humid? ____ Predict if it will be a sunny, cloudy or rainy day today? ____________________________ 5. Using the anemometer you made, you will be determining the wind speed outside. What is the RPM? __________ Using that measurement, is it very windy, windy, slightly windy or not windy at all? __________________________________________________ 6. Create a compass out of the stick and stones on the ground near the weather station. Now using the weather vane you made, determine which direction the wind is blowing. Is it blowing north, south, east, west or a combination (write in the combination) ___________ 7. Using your observations of the anemometer and the weather vane, what do those measurements predict about the future weather for later today? _____________________ ________________________________________________________________________
Rationale: I chose to do a science unit on forecasting the weather because it can easily be used across the curriculum in other content areas, such as reading, math and technology. The activities I chose give
9 Weather Forecasting Unit students a chance to learn how to predict the weather without depending on the current technology, such as the Doppler radar, news reports and the Internet. This gives students a new, interesting and fun way to use a vast array of process skills, including observing, measuring, classifying, comparing, analyzing and predicting. The lessons include the other content areas of reading comprehension and technology by having the students access the Internet to learn how the different types of clouds can help predict the weather. Lessons also require a lot of measuring, which helps them practice their math skills. Lastly, the lessons allow the students to create their own personal handmade technology. By using their own hands and artistic abilities, they develop a new awareness of inventing things that supply data and information about how stuff works. Also, the girl scout leader in me found these lessons to be useful in other activities the students might do at home or on outdoor adventures with their families, such as camping trips, hiking, fishing, biking, and skiing. I think it is important for students to learn survival techniques and not be so dependent on high tech gadgets. So these activities could also be considered lessons in life skills as well.
References: Brooks, S. and Byles, B. (2009). Internet4Classrooms. 3rd Grade Science Skills. Retreived June 27, 2009 from http://www.internet4classrooms.com/skills_3rd_science.htm#383.
10 Weather Forecasting Unit Enchanted Learning. (2002). Clouds. Retrieved June 27, 2009 from www.enchantedlearning.com. Michigan Department of Education. (2009). K-4 Grade Level Content Expectations. Retreived June 27, 2009 from http://www.michigan.gov/mde/0,1607,7-140-28753_33232---,00.html. Stevens Institute of Technology. (2007). Center for Innovation in Engineering and Science Education (CIESE). Weather Scope. Retrieved June 28, 2009 from http://www.ciese.org/curriculum/weatherproj2/en/docs/windvane.shtml
Weather Forecasting Unit of Study Kathleen Silvey Grand Canyon University EED 523 June 28, 2009
2 Weather Forecasting Unit Weather Forecasting Unit of Study Objectives: •
Students will discover the different types of ways to measure the weather.
•
Students will match the cloud type to a specific kind of weather.
•
Students will match temperature, precipitation, wind speed and direction, and cloud conditions with different weather conditions.
•
Students will identify and use the appropriate tools and technology to measure temperature, wind and precipitation.
•
Students will make a weather station to predict the weather.
Michigan Standards: •
Elementary (K-4) Discipline 4 - Earth Science ○ Earth Systems (ES) Weather Weather Measurement
•
Math – Measurement -M.UN.04.01 Measure using common tools and select appropriate units of measure.
•
Technology - Research Tools 1. use web search engines and built-in search functions of other various resources to locate information. 2. know how to independently use existing databases (e.g., library catalogs, electronic dictionaries, encyclopedias) to locate, sort, and interpret information on an assigned topic. 3. perform simple queries on existing databases and report results on an assigned topic.
•
Technology - Problem-solving and decision-making tools 1. use technology resources to access information that can assist in making informed decisions about everyday matters (e.g., which movie to see, which product to purchase). 2. use information and communication technology tools (e.g., calculators, probes, videos, DVDs, educational software) to collect, organize, and evaluate information to assist with solving real-life problems (personal or community).
3 Weather Forecasting Unit Materials: Internet access, worksheets, pencils with erasers, black permanent marker, rubbing alcohol, clear, narrow-necked plastic bottle, food coloring, clear plastic drinking straws, modeling clay, a glass or beaker with straight sides, a ruler, tape, one foot of clear plastic tubing, chewing gum, water, flat Styrofoam (9 in. long and 4 in. wide), flat piece of plastic (3 in. long and 3 in. wide) that is thin enough to cut, small nails, long strands of human hair (about 8 inches long), dimes, glue, hammer, scissors, straight pins, paper plates, manila file folders, 3 ounce Dixie cups, a paper punch, a small stapler, and a large cardboard box that is big enough for a child to fit into. Introduction: This unit will introduce the students to predicting the weather using their senses, their knowledge of different types of clouds, and various tools and technology. Students will read about how weather is measured and predicted on their worksheets and the internet. They will then start a weeklong journey researching, creating and using the tools and technology available in determining the weather. The unit of study will end with a field study assessment, using a weather station created by the teacher and students together as a class, where they will individually predict the weather for that day in a final test of what they have learned during the week. Day 1- Students will read and complete activities relating to the water cycle and cloud formations and how they are related and can predict future weather. 1. First, students will read several internet sites about the water cycle and the different types of clouds, Then the students will complete the following worksheets: ○ http://ww2010.atmos.uiuc.edu/(Gh)/guides/mtr/cld/dvlp/wtr.rxml ○ http://weathereye.kgan.com/cadet/forecast/figger_cloud.html ○ http://vortex.plymouth.edu/clouds.html/
4 Weather Forecasting Unit Name_____________________________
Label Water Cycle Diagram Read the definitions below then label the water cycle diagram.
Accumulation - the process in which water pools in large bodies (like oceans, seas and lakes).
Condensation - the process in which water vapor (a gas) in the air turns into liquid water.
Condensing water forms clouds in the sky. Water drops that form on the outside of a glass of icy water are condensed water. (This term appears twice in the diagram.) Evaporation - the process in which liquid water becomes water vapor (a gas). Water vaporizes from the surfaces of oceans and lakes, from the surface of the land, and from melts in snow fields. Precipitation - the process in which water (in the form of rain, snow, sleet, or hail) falls from clouds in the sky. Subsurface Runoff - rain, snow melt, or other water that flows in underground streams, drains, or sewers. Surface Runoff - rain, snow melt, or other water that flows in surface streams, rivers, or canals. Transpiration - the process in which some water within plants evaporates into the atmosphere. Water is first absorbed by the plant's roots, then later exits by evaporating through pores in the plant.
Copyright ©2001-2009 EnchantedLearning.com
5 Weather Forecasting Unit
Label the Clouds Label the clouds using the terms below.
alto-cumulus - Middle-level, medium-sized puffy clouds. alto-stratus - Middle-level, layered clouds. cirro-cumulus - High-altitude, small, wispy, patchy, puffy clouds. cirro-stratus - High-altitude, thin, wispy clouds in layers. cirrus - High-altitude, thin, wispy clouds. cumulo-nimbus- Large, dense, towering clouds that cause thunderstorms. cumulus - Low, puffy clouds. fog - Ground-hugging clouds. nimbo-stratus - Low, dark, rain cloud. stratus - Low, layered, horizontal, wispy clouds with a flat base. strato-cumulus - Low clouds, broad and flat on the bottom, puffy on top (higher than cumulus and lower than altocumulus).
Copyright ©2002-2009 EnchantedLearning.com
6 Weather Forecasting Unit Day 2 – Follow up on what was learned yesterday on clouds with a mini assessment on predicting the weather with clouds. Click here for the PowerPoint Presentation/Quiz. Begin making the first of the six weather measurement tools that will be needed for the weather station field study. Today the teacher will make a thermometer and a barometer: 1. Making a thermometer - pass out this worksheet on how to make a simple thermometer in school using various items found in a classroom science lab. Create and demonstrate this thermometer in front of the whole class. This is just for students to see how a thermometer works. For their weather station, they will be using a real store bought thermometer from the local hardware store. 2. Making a barometer – Pass out this worksheet on how to make a simple barometer. Again create and demonstrate the barometer in front of the whole class. Students will each be collecting data on Friday from the barometer from inside the classroom (it should be kept indoors) for their weather station field study. Make sure you mark where the water is today on the ruler, as well as every day until the day of the field study. Day 3 – Today, the students will begin making their own measuring tools for the weather station field study. Begin by passing out this worksheet on how to make a hygrometer. Allow students to make this tool and when they are finished, explain how to read the hygrometer and then determine how humid the classroom is. Now pass out this worksheet on how to make an anemometer. Allow enough time for students to complete. Explain, while the students are working, how an anemometer works. Now, take the students outside with their hygrometers and anemometers. If it is raining, stand under a covered area outside. What do their hygrometers say now? Compare the humidity of the classroom to the humidity outside. Is it different? Why? Have the students also determine the wind speed with their anemometers. Remind them that they will each be using their hygrometer and anemometer on Friday and to keep them in a safe place.
7 Weather Forecasting Unit Day 4 – Have the students take out their hygrometers and anemometers. Go outside again, if weather permits. Have the students take a reading of each tool. Is it different from yesterday? Why? Next, the students will make a weather vane from this worksheet. When students are finished making their weather vanes, take them outside to the north side of the school building, if weather permits. You will now demonstrate how to make a makeshift compass using outside objects (a stick, several stones and the sun) as described here. Explain how to do this, even if it is not sunny outside. Students will need to create this makeshift compass tomorrow to help them collect data. When you are done, put the stick and stones in a box and take the students inside for use in the field study tomorrow. Day 5 - Today the students will be assessed on what they learned about predicting the weather using the tools they’ve been making all week. Using a very large cardboard box (maybe on from the cafeteria from Styrofoam cups or other supplies kept in large boxes), tape the store bought thermometer to the bottom of the box. Bring this box, as well as the box with the stick and stones, outside with the students and find a safe, sturdy location on the north side of the building where it's shadiest. Position the box securely beside the building, perhaps on a brick foundation. Explain to the students that this is where they will make their weather observations, using their knowledge of cloud formations, the tools they have made and the makeshift compass that they will create. Pass out the following question worksheet and allow them to each take a turn in the weather station to answer the questions.
Predict the Weather!
Name _______________________
1. Inside the classroom, observe the barometer on your teacher’s desk. Look at where the previous days are marked. Is today’s barometric pressure reading higher, lower or the same as the previous
8 Weather Forecasting Unit day’s readings? __________________________________________ What does this tell you about today’s weather? __________________________________ 2. Outside the weather station, look at the thermometer on the box. What is the temperature right now? __________ Predict how warm or cold you think the weather will get today by the current temperature ____________________________________________________ 3. Look up at the clouds. If there are any in the sky, even on the horizon, what type of cloud are they? ________________________________________________________________ Predict what the weather will be like today by observing the clouds__________________ ________________________________________________________________________ 4. Using the hygrometer you made, determine the humidity outside. Is it dry or humid? ____ Predict if it will be a sunny, cloudy or rainy day today? ____________________________ 5. Using the anemometer you made, you will be determining the wind speed outside. What is the RPM? __________ Using that measurement, is it very windy, windy, slightly windy or not windy at all? __________________________________________________ 6. Create a compass out of the stick and stones on the ground near the weather station. Now using the weather vane you made, determine which direction the wind is blowing. Is it blowing north, south, east, west or a combination (write in the combination) ___________ 7. Using your observations of the anemometer and the weather vane, what do those measurements predict about the future weather for later today? _____________________ ________________________________________________________________________
Rationale: I chose to do a science unit on forecasting the weather because it can easily be used across the curriculum in other content areas, such as reading, math and technology. The activities I chose give
9 Weather Forecasting Unit students a chance to learn how to predict the weather without depending on the current technology, such as the Doppler radar, news reports and the Internet. This gives students a new, interesting and fun way to use a vast array of process skills, including observing, measuring, classifying, comparing, analyzing and predicting. The lessons include the other content areas of reading comprehension and technology by having the students access the Internet to learn how the different types of clouds can help predict the weather. Lessons also require a lot of measuring, which helps them practice their math skills. Lastly, the lessons allow the students to create their own personal handmade technology. By using their own hands and artistic abilities, they develop a new awareness of inventing things that supply data and information about how stuff works. Also, the girl scout leader in me found these lessons to be useful in other activities the students might do at home or on outdoor adventures with their families, such as camping trips, hiking, fishing, biking, and skiing. I think it is important for students to learn survival techniques and not be so dependent on high tech gadgets. So these activities could also be considered lessons in life skills as well.
References: Brooks, S. and Byles, B. (2009). Internet4Classrooms. 3rd Grade Science Skills. Retreived June 27, 2009 from http://www.internet4classrooms.com/skills_3rd_science.htm#383.
10 Weather Forecasting Unit Enchanted Learning. (2002). Clouds. Retrieved June 27, 2009 from www.enchantedlearning.com. Michigan Department of Education. (2009). K-4 Grade Level Content Expectations. Retreived June 27, 2009 from http://www.michigan.gov/mde/0,1607,7-140-28753_33232---,00.html. Stevens Institute of Technology. (2007). Center for Innovation in Engineering and Science Education (CIESE). Weather Scope. Retrieved June 28, 2009 from http://www.ciese.org/curriculum/weatherproj2/en/docs/windvane.shtml
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