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Teacher Activity Page
[Standards]
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Background:
Weather prediction ó particularly for a specific
region ó is based on knowledge of two different kinds
of information. Weather predictors must know the effects of
prevailing winds, such as the Jet Stream; the Coriolis
effect based on the Earth's rotation; and, phenomenon such
as El Nino/La Nina. They must also know the impact of the
region's natural features on weather phenomena; mountain
ranges, coastlines, large lakes and glaciers have startling
effects on a region's weather.
Predictions about glacier activity, coming storms, Global
Warming, El Nino/La Nina effects, etc., are all made and
checked on the basis of ongoing weather data. Decisions
about possible investment in industries and businesses are
often based on the prevailing weather and its long-term
effects.
Resources/Materials/Supplies
Video Segment
Internet access
Materials and Supplies called for in the Internet
instructions for building weather instruments
Description:
In this activity students will:
Discuss in class the importance of weather prediction to
human beings.
- How might tracking specific aspects of the weather,
such as precipitation amount or air pressure, help in
making predictions in the short term?
- What about the long term, such as making predictions
about global warming or the surging or retreating of a
region's glaciers?
- Why would predictions about a region's weather be
important to investors or other's seeking to work and
live in the region?
Determine type of weather data to be collected.
- Temperature (If possible, use a Maximum/Minimum
Outdoor Thermometer)
- Amount of precipitation (rain gauge)
- Air pressure (barometer)
- Wind speed (anemometer)
- Wind direction (weather vane or wind sock)
- Humidity or dew point (hygrometer)
- Cloud window and cloud chart (To determine the type
of clouds in the sky each day)
Work in small groups to build and mount in or on the
Weather Station or in the location you have chosen.
Create charts on which to record the data they are
measuring.
Will check The Weather
Channel on the Internet to find the same data for the
Naknek, Alaska.
Will use the comparison of weather data between their own
area and Naknek Alaska to answer some or all of the
following questions:
- What differences in the weather can you find between
your area and Naknek, Alaska?
- Look at the two areas on a map. What major features
ó glaciers, ocean, plains, mountains, rivers
ó are near the area and in what direction from the
area? What is the latitude of each area? From which
direction does the prevailing weather come?
- Look at the information you discovered for the
previous questions.
- You have information for one month. Use The Weather
Channel's site to find yearly data in as many of the
categories you collected as possible.
Management Tips and Hints
You will need to discuss the following issues with
students before they begin work in small groups:
- How might tracking specific aspects of the weather,
such as precipitation amount or air pressure, help in
making predictions in the short term?
- What about the long term, such as making predictions
about global warming or the surging or retreating of a
region's glaciers?
- Why would predictions about a region's weather be
important to investors or other's seeking to work and
live in the region?
- What data will your students collect and why might
each type of data to be collected be important?
If possible, work with the class to build a weather
station shelter in which students will locate their weather
instruments. If not, determine a location for the weather
instruments on the school grounds. Instructions for building
a shelter of this type are available from National Weather
Service stations.
Weather Station Shelter: You need a sturdy box that is
weatherproof and large enough to hold some of your
instruments.
- It can be plastic or wooden but it should be painted
white to reflect the sun.
- Before you take your box outside, attach a
thermometer (preferably a maximum/minimum temperatures
instrument) to a small block of wood attached inside and
at the back of the box. It must be protected from direct
weather conditions and should not ever be placed in
direct sunlight.
- Place your box on the north side of your school
building facing north in the shadiest location.
- The box should be securely fixed in an open area,
next to the building, perhaps on a 4x4 post or a brick
foundation. If possible, it should be at eye-level so
observers can read it easily.
- The rain gauge opening should be above the rest of
the shelter.
- Assign one weather instrument to each group. Then
allow time for students to collect needed materials to
build their instrument. Also, they may need your help in
determining the best place in the weather instruments
shelter for their instrument.
- Work with the entire class to determine the best way
to keep weather instruments. This could be one class
chart posted on a bulletin board (See Weather
Chart) or could be broken down into charts for each
group specific to the data the group is collecting.
Regardless of the recording method you use, each day the
class must determine a description of weather conditions
to put on the chart.
- Set up scheduled times for different groups to check
data on The Weather Channel's Internet site.
- Remind groups to find data for Naknek recorded in the
same month during which they recorded data for their
local area.
- They should also look at data summations for both
Naknek and their local area in order to answer the last
question.
- Each group should gather the data and share with
their members to facilitate the comparison discussion at
the end of this activity.
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