Meteorology, Environmental science
This unit of study has two primary functions. It allows students to meet state standards for meteorology as well as to compare and contrast outdoor field science with more controlled “lab” science. The outcomes focus on weather data collection, air pressure, relative humidity, layers of the atmosphere, wind and energy in the atmosphere, weather fronts, and the prediction of weather based on data collection. Students will begin to understand how predicting the weather based on controlled labs is often easier and than predicting weather based on real-time data collected in the field.
Why introduce students to this real aspect of science? It should help them understand the limitations and complexities inherent in science. An example from another field might make this more relevant. Biomedical researchers often develop cancer treatments based on a “mouse model.” Treatments that are successful on mice are administered to people in controlled trials. But human biochemistry is far more complex than that of a mouse, so the treatments are often ineffective. There are thousands of reasons for why the new drug therapy did not work - part of them are related to the fact that biomedical researchers cannot control the variables in people as they can in mice.
The correlary for weather is that we are in the early stages of understanding all of the variables inherent in predicting weather and their interplay. In fact, supercomputers programmed to factor in these variables often fail to predict weather accurately. Why? Scientists clearly cannot model what they do not fully understand. Therefore it is important for students to understand the limitations of field and lab science (the difficulties in collecting data and in using models to predict the weather, etc.).
6 - 8 and 9 - 12
The activities highlighted below are fleshed out in detail. Click the links to access them!
| Week | Topic/Activity | Key Concepts |
| 1 | What is weather? Data collected to predict weather. Air pressure and different types of fronts |
Key factors affecting weather. Air pressure and its impact on the weather we experience. Making predictions based on data. Comparing and contrasting lab and field science. |
| 2 | Relative humidity |
What is relative humidity, determining relative humidity, applying relative humidity data to predicting weather, and comparing and contrasting lab and field science |
| 3 | Layers of the atmosphere, energy in the atmosphere, and global winds and local winds
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What are the four major layers of the atmosphere and how do they support and impact life on earth? What are the critical aspects of each layer? How does energy in the atmosphere drive weather? Why do global wind patterns occur and what are they? Making predictions based on data. Comparing and contrasting lab and field science |
| 4 | Predicting weather based on real-time data and student-derived data. Tracking weather |
Comparing/contrasting lab and field science. How predictions based on weather data compare to actual weather events. |
| Day | Topic/Activity | Key Concepts |
| 1 | Introduce basic vocabulary and terms for the unit: Weather, relative humidity, air, air pressure, humidity, temperature, atmosphere, wind, prediction, field science and lab science. You may have students look up the definitions and add them to unit vocabulary list. Demonstrate air pressure - see Air pressure crushes a can Homework - textbook reading or supplementary reading on air pressure |
Air pressure is the force that air exerts on an area.
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| 2 | Briefly discuss air pressure. Possible demonstration: Air pressure and egg in and out of bottle Discuss factors affecting air pressure: Temperature (density), humidity |
Air with temperatures lower than the surrounding air has higher density (water molecules) and thus higher pressure. Humid air is less dense than dry air and therefore has lower air pressure per unit volume. (This will be reviewed again when relative humidity is introduced.) |
| 3 | Do the activity Air Pressure- It Matters!. Intended for grade 8. Try to do it during a block period so there's adequate time. | Air pressure is the force that air exerts on an area. |
| 4 | Take time to review the air pressure labs. Walk through at least two labs and check for clarification. Give out notes on what to expect when high and low pressure regions are over a given region. Homework - have students collect air pressure data at home and make observations about these weather conditions: visibility, temperature, cloud cover, wind speed and direction. Have students write a paragraph about what they assumed the weather would be like according to their data. |
What does a change in air pressure mean to us? Can we make accurate assumptions about will happen with the weather? Can we confirm our assumptions outside?
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| 5 | Start class by collecting data from the students and determining where each student lives in and around town. Analyze the data - see if students could confirm outside what they assumed in regards to air pressure and correlating weather conditions. |
Same as above |
| 6 | Students will develop an understanding of the different types of fronts. Have them compare and contrast weather maps with fronts denoted. Have students determine the relationships between different types of fronts and resulting weather. |
Types of air masses. How air masses move (as fronts). Types of fronts: Cold fronts, warm fronts, stationary fronts, and occluded fronts |
| 7 | Introduce vocabulary: humidity, relative humidity, dew point condensation, evaporation, sublimation. Develop the concept of "water in the air" - compare an ice cold glass with a warm glass of water; observe condensation on the exterior of glass. Have the students form hypotheses. Have students develop a list of other examples of condensation: breath on mirror, ice on car, hot shower, breath on a cold day, and dripping air conditioner |
Physical changes of states of matter (water), the water cycle. The relationship between temperature and states of matter (water) |
| 8 | Develop the relationship between temperature and the water carrying capacity of air. Develop the concept of endothermy (evaporation) and exothermy (condensation). Have students develop examples of how changes from S-L-Gas are endothermic and from G-L-Solid are exothermic:
Demonstrate endothermic concept with a thermometer and wet towelette. |
Fundamental thermodynamic principles Changes of matter Correlation between temperature and absolute humidity |
| 9 | Develop the concept of saturation (100% relative humidity). Develop an understanding of the relationship between relative humidity and rate of evaporation and subsequent degree of endothermy. Develop an understanding of the relationship between air pressure and the carrying capacity of the air (possible cloud in a bottle demonstration). Have students find the relative humidity of the classroom air as compared with the outside air using simple sphygmomanometers and relative humidity charts. |
Relationships between air pressure and humidity Relative humidity |
| 10 | Develop the concept of "dew point" using dew point graphs and charts. Have students find the dew point of the classroom as compared with outside. Have students take relative humidity measurements in different areas (near body of water etc..) |
Dew point |
| 11 | Reserve the school computer lab for this lesson. Have students go http://ww2010.atmos.uiuc.edu. Click the "current weather" link and then the "surface weather" link. Have students take notes about current dew points, barometric pressure, and temperature in various areas around the country (maybe where relatives live). Try to get additional tutors since this website will have students asking great questions! |
Geographic data collection
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| 12 | Introduce the inverse relationship between altitude and temperature and latitude and temperature. Have students brainstorm examples of evidence for these relationships. They should develop an understanding of why temperature changes with both latitude and altitude. |
Relationships between altitude and temperature, and latitude and temperature |
| 13 | Access the Temperature/Altitude Relationships activity. Intended for grades 6 - 8. Have students compare temperatures on the ground and those at 3000 feet. Have them graph the points on an Alt/Temp graph and make predictions about temperatures at higher altitudes using the graph. |
Graphing. The relationship between altitude and temperature |
| 14 | Use the computer lab again. Have students go to http://weather.unisys.com. Click on "constant height plots" link and have students find the temperature at numerous altitudes above their surface point. Have them graph all of the points. Discuss the results |
Using technology to collect data |
| 15 | Students will understand the relationship between temperature and air density. Demonstrate convection. Students will develop an understanding of resulting air pressure where warm air rises or cooler air falls. Introduce the role of convection in creating wind and prevailing wind patterns. |
Relationship between temperature and pressure. Convection. Wind patterns |
| 16 | Start the final aspect of unit. Explain that now they will tie all their information together. They will make weather predictions based on data that they collection along with data collected on the Internet. The teacher should videotape a local weather report and get a five-day prediction of the week's weather. Review day — review the data students will collect to help them predict the weather: air pressure, relative humidity, wind speed and direction, temperature (high and low), and the location of fronts. Assign groups to collect respective data. On a daily basis, post a color US map with location of fronts denoted. |
Making predictions. Making predictions based on data compared to actual events. Key question to be answered: How will the use of student-collected data and computer-collected data compare with one another in terms of their ability to accurately predict the weather? |
| 17 | Watch an example of a weather report. Have students analyze how the data are used to make predictions. Make note of how weather fronts aid in making predictions. Have students report on their data. Post it on the classroom weather data board. Have students write about the relationship between the data collected and the actual weather of the day. Model how to do this. Access the following activities: |
Using data to make predictions Making inferences based on data |
| 18 | Have students report on their data. (Post on the classroom weather data board.) Have students journal about the relationship between the data collected and the actual weather of the day. Model how to do this. Ask students how collecting weather data can help people socially, economically, politically. Show a video that exemplifies how collecting weather data is critical to all aspects of society. |
Using data to make predictions Making inferences based on dat Impact of weather on society |
| 19 | Have students report on their data. Post it on the classroom weather data board. Have students journal on the relationship between the data collected and the day's actual weather. . Based on the data collected, have students predict the weather for the next few days (trends in barometric pressure, relative humidity, temperature, and wind speed and direction). They can do this as a class or in small groups. |
Using data to make predictions. Making inferences based on data. Barometric pressure, relative humidity, temperature, and wind speed and direction. |
| 20 | Have students report on their data. Post it on the classroom weather data board. Have students journal on the relationship between the data collected and the day's actual weather. Have students report back on their weather predictions. Have each group present a map depicting the direction in which they think that the major weather fronts will move. |
Using data to make predictions Relationship between data and making inferences |
| 21 | Have students watch the weather report videotaped by the teacher at beginning of week. Have them journal about the accuracy of the prediction. The most critical aspect of this journal entry and subsequent class discussion is: Does the data actually collected support or refute the predictions made 5 days earlier by local weather people? How does the data collected outside during the week compare to predictions made about the week? |
Weather predictions and reality (How do they compare? Are they accurate?) Lab versus outdoor science Data versus inferences in terms of making predictions
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