Weather
How can we observe and predict the weather?
Try your hand at being a meteorologist: someone who studies the weather, then let's learn to make a forecast!
Here at Wolf Ridge ELC we want to develop a citizenry that has the knowledge, skills, motivation and commitment to work together for a quality environment.
In this lesson you will:
- Understand how air masses come together to create the weather we experience.
- Use tools to measure the current weather conditions.
- Make a forecast predicting what the weather will be like in 12 hours.
What makes our weather and how do we predict it? Check out the video below.
Adventures in Learning Episode 3 - Weather
Video not working? Read the Weather story here .
Now let's check the weather!
First you will complete a Nowcast. In other words, what’s happening with the weather right now. Not only does this clue us into the current weather, it will also help us predict what the future weather will be.
To do the Nowcast you will need:
- Nature journal and pencil.
- the Nowcast handbook and Nowcast Weather Report Worksheet (you can print this sheet if you want).
- Thermometer (if you have one).
- Compass (most phones have one).
- Access to weather.gov .
Go outside to complete your Nowcast! You can step right outside your door or go further if you’d like. Follow the Nowcast Weather Report Worksheet to figure out what data you will collect.
Helpful Hints:
- Determine the wind speed by using the Beaufort scale in your Nowcast Handbook .
- Use your compass to find the wind direction.
- For air temperature use your thermometer or look it up on weather.gov .
- Extreme temperatures: use a thermometer if you have one, or skip this
- Barometric pressure: find on weather.gov for your location
Now try your hand at making a forecast.
The current weather is the key to predicting the future weather! You will use the data you collected in your Nowcast to make your Forecast.
To make your forecast you will need:
- Data collected on your Nowcast Weather Report Worksheet.
- Forecast Handbook .
- Forecast Worksheet (print sheet or use other paper).
- Nature Journal and pencil.
- weather.gov .
Remember, you are predicting the weather, so you will be using the data you collected in the Nowcast combined with the information on your Forecast sheets. Have your Nowcast sheet ready to look at for the information you will need.
Helpful Hints:
- The top half of the Forecast report sheet gives you most of the information you need to interpret the data from your Nowcast
- The Forecast Handbook gives you additional information
- The forecast sheet refers to changes in barometric pressure: check weather.gov to see how the barometric pressure has changed since you checked it the first time
Optional:
Once you have finished your forecast, you can put on your weather reporter voice and report the weather to someone in your family!
Extension Activity
Choose two predictions you made in your forecast, for example, your prediction about cloud cover. In your nature journal, or on a separate piece of paper, explain the principle that led you to that prediction and what evidence (data) you collected that supports that principle. What are potential weaknesses in your predictions? Why?
Other Sites to Explore
Weather science activities for kids: https://www.weather.gov/learning
Citizen Science Opportunities
National Weather Service Citizen Science pdf: https://www.weather.gov/media/wrn/citizen_science_page.pdf
