TITLE: WEATHER FORECASTING
AUTHOR: JIM L. TORGERSON, NORTH SEVIER MIDDLE
SCHOOL, SALINA, UTAH
GRADE LEVEL: Appropriate for grades 6-8.
OVERVIEW: The students will be able to forecast the
weather up to 48 hours.
PURPOSE: By gaining an understanding of how to
forecast weather, the students will be able use weather
reports for their personal benefit.
OBJECTIVE(s): STUDENTS WILL BE ABLE TO:
1. Tell what weather is.
2. Read barometer, anemometer, wind vane,
hygrometer,(psychrometer) and thermometer.
3. Understand basic cloud formations relationship
to weather.
4. Forecast the weather for two days.
RESOURCES/MATERIALS:
You will need the following materials:
1. thermometer
2. barometer (recording barometer would be the best
type)
3. weather vane
4. anemometer
5. weather charts
6. hygrometer
7. paper and pencil for notes.
Make sure students have had experience labeling
weather maps before starting this activity.
Resources:
EARTH SCIENCE TEXT BOOK, WEATHER AND CLIMATE TEXT
BOOKS, ENCYCLOPEDIA, ANY COMMUNICATION RESOURCES (i.e.
: National Weather Service, Local weather service, TV
and radio stations) THAT RELATE TO WEATHER THAT ARE
AVAILABLE.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION:
Students will need to have covered basic weather
topics such as fronts, high and low pressure areas, use
of meteorological instruments, etc. before beginning
this activity. You can do this by having students
watch T.V. or newspaper or National Weather Service
weather reports daily. Using this information along
with the demonstration reading from the instruments in
your school the students can make weather charts of
cold and warm fronts, high and low pressure systems,
etc. Also you need to cover the cloud types with
pictures and actual viewing.
ACTIVITIES AND PROCEDURES:
Each day, for two or three weeks have students use
a thermometer, barometer, wind vane, anemometer, and
hygrometer to take measurements of the current weather
conditions.
MAKE SURE STUDENTS KNOW HOW TO USE EACH OF THE WEATHER
GATHERING INSTRUMENTS.
Because of the lack of instruments, you may have
to rotate the weather report assignment so each student
has an opportunity to participate. Use these
measurements to make a current weather map each day.
Using their weather maps and view of clouds, have
students forecast the weather for the next two days.
Have students do this for one week and check their own
accuracy. Discuss how knowing what the weather will be
doing can save lives and/or make people more
comfortable.
CROSS-CURRICULUM IDEAS:
Math: Have students keep track of high and low
temperature in both F degrees and C degrees for one
week. Graph those temperatures and figure the mean
average for the week.
English: Do a narrative of the life of a cloud.
Art: Draw and color different types of clouds.
History: Keep track of location and damage of all
significant storms in the next three months.
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John Kurilecjmk@ofcn.org