Weather
What is Weather?
• Weather is the condition of the Earth’s
Atmosphere at a given time.
• It can change drastically in a 24 hour period.
What causes Weather?
• All elements of weather are the direct
result of energy from the sun.
• The sun’s rays hit earth and the land
absorbs the heat unevenly.
• This uneven heating causes changes in
weather.
The Water Cycle
Read Drippy and the Water Cycle
Check it out (video and quiz)
http://teacher.scholastic.com/activities/studyjams/water_cycle/
The Water Cycle
• The sun heats up the water-
evaporation
• The water vapor (gas)
condenses into clouds
• The clouds become saturated
and precipitation is the
result.
• The precipitation pools in
lakes, oceans and rivers.
Waiting to evaporate again.
• Act out the water cycle with
instruments and dance
• Lable the Water Cycle on page
16 and pg 295
Clouds
• Clouds come in many shapes and forms.
• Some are high in the sky, while others are so
low they touch the ground.
• No matter what shape or elevation, clouds form
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the same way, by having water vapor condense
onto small solid particles like dust, sea salt, and
pollution
Make A Cloud in A bottle
Types of Clouds
Two videos Clouds then type of
clouds
Clouds
• Clouds serve several important functions.
• They provide rain and snow.
• They also help retain heat, so it doesn’t escape
quickly back into space.
• On hot days, clouds provide shade
Types of Clouds
• There are Four main
types of clouds
• Cirrus- found high in the
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atmosphere
Cumulus- found in midatmosphere
Stratus- found in the
low atmosphere
Nimbus- storm clouds.
Cirrus
• They are thin, wispy
clouds blown by high
winds into long
streamers.
• They usually mean
fair to pleasant
wheather.
Cumulus
• They are puffy clouds
that sometimes look
like pieces of floating
cotton
• They can develop into
a giant
cumulonimbus, which
is a thunderstorm
cloud
Nimbus (Cumulonimbus)
• They are thunderstorm
clouds that form if
cumulus clouds continue
to grow vertically.
• Lightning, thunder, and
even violent tornadoes
are associated with the
cumulonimbus.
Stratus
• are uniform grayish clouds that
often cover the entire sky.
• They resemble fog that does
not reach the ground.
• Usually no precipitation falls
from stratus clouds, but
sometimes they may drizzle.
Can you identify these clouds?
DO page 13 and Create a
cloud poster using cotton
balls and labels
Matching Game
http://eo.ucar.edu/webweather/cloudmat
ch.html
Precipitation
• When there is too much moisture, the water will
fall as precipitation.
• Precipitation will fall in two main forms: rain or
snow depending on the temperature of the air
through which the moisture will fall.
• Other forms of precipitation are sleet and hail.
Forms of Precipitation
Rain
• When droplets of
moisture join together
becoming heavy
enough to fall to the
ground.
Snow
• If the air is cooled
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below the freezing
point of water, the
condensing moisture
is quickly freeze into
ice crystals.
The ice crystals join
to make snowflakes
Snowflakes are
always six sided.
Hail
• Formed in
cumulonimbus
(storm) clouds. They
are frozen droplets of
moisture.
• BLM #9
Sleet
• When falling rain
starts off in warmer
air, but passes
through air below
freezing, the rain
drops cool and freeze
onto surfaces when
they hit the ground.
Fog
• Some clouds do not form in the sky. They
form closer to the earth and then
everything looks grey.
Make it Rain Activity
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Large, wide-mouth container, such as a mayonnaise jar
Hot water
Ice cubes
Small plate to hold ice cubes
Index card 1. Pour two inches of very hot tap water into
the glass container and cover with the plate. Allow water
to sit for a few minutes.
2. Place ice cubes on the plate.
3. Watch what happens. The cold plate causes the
moisture in the warm air to condense and form water
droplets. This is the same thing that happens in the
atmosphere as warm, moist air rises and meets colder
temperatures high in the atmosphere. Water vapor
condenses and forms precipitation that falls to the Earth
as rain, sleet, hail, or snow.
What does weather include?
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Air temperature
Cloud cover
Amount of sunlight
Relative humidity: The amount of water vapor in the air is referred
to as humidity. The more water that is in the air there is, the higher
we say that the humidity has risen.
Precipitation: The amount of water that falls to the earth in the form
of rain, sleet, hail or snow
Wind speed
Wind direction
Air Pressure :The force that is applied on everything on the Earth
caused by the weight of the air.
• Make Your Own Weather Activity (change humidity and temp)
http://www.scholastic.com/kids/weather/
Weather Network (Short and Long Term Predictions)
http://www.theweathernetwork.com/?ref=topnav_weather_news_hom
epage
• Look at Canadian Weather(Very Cool!!!!)
http://www.weatheroffice.gc.ca/canada_e.html
• Reading A Forecast Tip
http://eo.ucar.edu/webweather/forecasttips.html
• Read a Weather Report and Complete the Weather Map
– http://www.edheads.org/activities/weather/
• Weather Maps as Homework (see handouts)
• Create a Weather Report (fill out outline at home and use
powerpoint to present)
Weather Tools
What are they? What
do they do?
The Most Common Weather
Tools Are:
• Thermometer
• Wind Vane
• Anemometer
• Barometer
• Rain Gauge
• Create your own tool at home
Thermometer
• A thermometer is a
weather tool used to
measure the
temperature.
Wind Vane
• By observing wind
vanes, we can know
the direction of the
wind. Knowing the
direction of the wind
is an important part in
predicting the
weather.
• Make Your Own
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Weather Vane
You'll need these materials:
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a long wooden dowel (about the size of a broom stick)
an aluminum pie plate
a 12 inch long piece of wood (A sturdy ruler would work)
nails
a metal washer
hammer
glue
small saw (or serrated knife)
wire (for mounting)
scissors (strong enough to cut aluminum)
Begin with the 12 inch piece of wood. Use the small saw (or serrated knife) to cut a vertical slit at each end of the
stick. The slit should be about one half inch deep. At the midpoint (exactly halfway) of the top of the stick,
hammer one nail all the way through the stick. Then turn the wood around the nail several times until the stick
turns easily around the nail.
Refer to the pattern picture and cut the head and tail from the aluminum plate. Glue the head into the slot at one
end of the wooden stick. Glue the tail into the other end. Allow time for the glue to dry before you take the vane
outside.
Attach the weather vane to the long wooden dowel by placing the metal washer on the end of the dowel and
then hammering the nail through the wooden stick and into the wooden dowel. (Refer to the picture.) Make sure
that the vane moves freely and easily around the nail.
Now you are ready to mount your weather vane outside. If you mounted your rain gauge on a fence, you may
want to mount your weather vane near it. Position the wooden dowel beside the fence and secure it with wire.
Try to get the vane as high above the fence as you can while still keeping the dowel steady and secure.
The head of the pointer will always point to the direction from which the wind is blowing. For example, if the
head points to the NorthEast, then the wind is blowing from the NorthEast. It's as simple as that. (A common
mistake is to think that the wind is blowing toward the NorthEast.) Record your wind direction readings in your
weather journal.
Anemometer
• Wind speed is an
important part of
weather.
• An anemometer is
a weather tool that
measures wind
speed.
Barometer
• Barometers are
important to
measuring air
pressure. Air
pressure can help
you predict good
or bad weather.
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Make a simple barometer
Make a Barometer
Do you know what the air pressure is today? You can find out for yourself by measuring the air
pressure on a barometer.
Materials
small coffee can
plastic wrap
scissors
straw
index card
rubber band
Instructions
COVER the top of the can with plastic wrap. USE a rubber band to hold the plastic wrap in place. The
cover should be taut making the can airtight.
PLACE the straw horizontally on the plastic wrap so that two-thirds of the straw is on the can.
TAPE the straw to the middle of the plastic wrap.
TAPE the index card to the can behind the straw.
Carefully RECORD the location of the straw on the index card.
After 15 minutes, RECORD the new location of the straw on the index card.
Continue CHECKING and RECORDING the straw location as often as desired.
Be careful not to place your barometer near a window, as the barometer is sensitive to temperature
as well as air pressure.
What's happening
High pressure will make the plastic wrap cave in, and the straw go up. Low pressure will make the
plastic wrap puff up, and the straw go down. Check your measurements with a real barometer.
What happens to your barometer when a big storm comes? Can you use your barometer to predict a
storm?
Rain Gauge
• A rain gauge is a
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weather tool used to
collect rain.
Using measurements
on the side of the rain
gauge, you can see
how many inches it
rained.
Temperature
• Temperature is amount of heat in a substance.
Expressed in degrees Fahrenheit or Centigrade
(Celsius)
• Temperature is measure by an instrument called
a thermometer.
• BLM#1-measuring temperature around the room.
Assignment
• Keep track of the weather using the
forecast
(http://www.theweathernetwork.com/wea
ther/cancitiesmb_en?ref=homeprovince)
and compare that to what your tools say
• Pg 319
Forecasting the Weather
• You have keep track of the weather for
ten days.
• Was the weather forecast accurate?
• Why is it so difficult to predict the
weather?
Factors that influence weather in
different areas.
• Land Elevation
• Location- lattitude and longitude
• The sun
• Cloud cover
• Air pressure
• Earth’s orbit (seasons)
Weather Folklore
• Weather Folklore
• If crows fly low, winds going to blow; If crows fly high, winds going to die.
• Whether it’s cold or whether it’s hot; We shall have weather, whether or not!
• No weather is ill, if the wind is still.
• NEWS and weather; they travel together.
• A sunshiny shower won’t last half an hour.
• Rain, rain go away; come back another day.
• Clear moon, frost soon.
• The moon and the weather may change together, but change of the moon does not
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change the weather.
From twelve ‘til two tells what the day will do.
The more rain, the more rest; fair weather’s not always best.
When sea birds fly to land there truly is a storm at hand.
To talk of the weather is nothing but folly; when it rains on the hill, it suns in the
valley.
It rains as long as it takes rain to come.
The sharper the blast, the sooner it’s past.
Yellow streaks in sunset sky, wind and daylong rain is nigh.
• Year of snow, fruit will grow.
• The chill is on, near and far, in all the months that have an ‘R’.
• Rainbow at noon, more rain soon.
• The south wind brings wet weather...the north wind, wet and cold together; the
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west wind always brings us rain…the east wind blows it back again.
When a cow tries to scratch her ear it means a shower is very near.
Onionskin is very thin, mild winter is coming in. Onionskin is thick and tough winter
will be cold and rough.
Ice in November to walk a duck, the winter will be all rain and muck.
Rain before seven, quit by eleven.
When the stars begin to huddle the earth will soon begin to puddle.
Evening red and morning gray speed the traveler on his way. Evening gray and
morning red bring down rain upon his head.
Rainbow in the east, sailors at peace. Rainbow in the west, sailors in distress.
Pale moon doth rain, red moon doth blow, white moon doth neither rain nor snow.
When the dew is on the grass, rain will never come to pass.
Rainbow in the morning, shepherds take warning; rainbow at night, shepherds’
delight.
A Bunch of Hot Air.
• Cold air contracts or sinks.
• The air molecules get closer together, which
makes the air heavier or more dense.
• Hot air expands or rises. The molecules get
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further apart, become less dense and they get
lighter.
Do experiment with 2 paper bags and a light
source
Warm and Cold Fronts
Wild Weather
Thunderstorms
Hurricanes
Tornadoes
Research Project
• Pick A Wicked Weather
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Flood
Tornado(make a twister- http://eo.ucar.edu/webweather/tornact4.html
Hurricane
Tsunami
Thunderstorm make a thunderstorm http://eo.ucar.edu/webweather/tornact2.html
Your
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Project
Title
Describe it
Where does this weather generally occur?
Effects on Earth, humans and other living things
Safety
Resources
5 pictures
Worksheet for students
Bonus: experiment or hands-on activity
Outline
• Research It using these sites
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http://www.wartgames.com/themes/weather/dangerous-weather.html
Flood
• Flood Simulator
http://library.thinkquest.org/C003603/sims/flooding/index.html
Flood of the Century
Brandon Flood 2011
Weather vs. Climate
• Sort cards from page 290 into weather
and or climate zones
• Class Activity
Stormy
Weather
Tornado
Safety and
Trivia
Water Cycle
Clouds
Weather
Vocabulary
1pt
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2 pt
2 pt
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2pt
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3 pt
3 pt
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4 pt
4 pt
4pt
4 pt
4pt
5pt
5 pt
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5 pt
Nature’s way
of recycling
water
What is the
water cycle?
The process of
water changing
into an
invisible gas
called water
What is
evaporation?
Amount of
water vapor in
the air
What is
humidity?
The process of
water vapor
turning into
water droplets
What is
condensation?
Water that is
found
underground
What is
groundwater?
Gray clouds
that cover the
lower part of
the sky; rain or
snow falls from
What are
stratus clouds?
White, puffy
clouds that look
like piles of
cotton; they are
known as fairweather clouds
What are
cumulus
clouds?
Thin, feathery
clouds that appear
high in the sky;
they are a sign that
rain or snow is on
the way
What are cirrus
clouds?
Cloud that
forms at the
earth’s surface
What is fog?
Tall, dark clouds
that mean
thunderstorms
with heavy rain
and strong winds
What are
cumulonimbus
clouds?
The state of
the air at a
certain time
and place
What is
weather?
Scientists who
study weather
Who are
meteorologists
?
Instrument
that shows
wind direction
What is a wind
vane?
Measures wind
speed
What is an
anemometer?
The weather of
a place over a
long time
What is
climate?
Most common
type of storm
What is a
thunderstorm?
Spinning cloud
with a funnel
shape
What is a
tornado?
Large, powerful
storm that
occurs over
large bodies of
water
What is a
hurricane?
Water overflow
that is caused
by a large
amount of
rainfall
What is a
flood?
Another name
for a hurricane
What is a
typhoon?
Where you
should go
during a
tornado if you
are in a house
What is the
basement?
Where you
should go during
a tornado if you
are in a school
or public
What is the
lowest level of
the building?
April through
June
What are the
months that
the most
tornadoes
occur?
What you
should do if
you’re in a car
during a
tornado
What is pull
over and get
out of the
vehicle?
Scale used rate
the damage
and speed of
tornadoes
What is the
Fujita scale
(F-scale)?