What is
Weather?
Intro the Weather
Investigation 1, Part 1
Quick Write
• What is weather?
-as a table group, create a
circle map when thinking
about and answering the
questions
Today’s Weather
• Normal?
• If not, what weather would you expect?
• Does the same weather happen
everywhere on Earth today?
Things That Fall from the Sky
• What surprised you about the weather
shown in the video?
• Discuss/Share
Severe Weather
• What is ‘severe weather’?
• Weather that is dangerous or causes
damage
• Experienced severe weather?
• Other severe weather?
http://www.weather.gov/om/severeweather/resources/ttl7-09.pdf
Part 2: Hurricanes
• As you watch the video think about the
following questions:
• What is a hurricane?
• What conditions are necessary for a
hurricane to form?
Hurricane Discussion Questions
• What is a hurricane?
• An area of low pressure into which air
rushes, creating powerful winds that
spiral around a central eye.
Hurricane Discussion Questions
• What conditions are necessary for a
hurricane to form?
• Area of low pressure
• Ocean temperatures at least 81F.
Hurricanes
• Discuss the following questions:
• What kind of damage occurs during a
hurricane?
• What are some things people have tried to
lessen the effects of a hurricane?
• Where and when have some of the most
devastating hurricanes happened?
• How do meteorologists monitor hurricanes?
Hurricane Discussion Questions
• What kind of damage occur during
hurricanes?
• Wind and water damage. Flooding.
• What are some things people have
tried to lessen the effects of a
hurricane?
• Moved entire cities, improved hurricane
forecasting, built seawalls, and built
houses on stilts.
Hurricane Discussion Questions
• Where and when have some of the
most devastating hurricanes
happened?
• Galveston 1900, Belize 1961, Caribbean
Islands 1988, Bangladesh 1991, and
Florida 1992.
• How do meteorologist monitor
hurricanes?
• Ground observations, aircraft
observations, and satellite images.
Meteorology
• The scientific study of Earth’s weather
What does it mean?
-Ancient Greeks thought anything that
fell from the sky was a meteor,
including rain, snow and hail
What does it mean?
-Today, meteorology only includes the
study of weather
-Planetary scientists study meteors
Meteorologist
• A person who studies the causes and
effects of Earth’s weather
• Meteorologists study weather in order to
make predictions or “forecasts”
• They use instruments to measure the temperature,
humidity, pressure, wind speed, rainfall, and air quality.
Some meteorologists use photographs and data from
satellites to predict the weather. Usually they feed their
information into a computer. In return, they receive
charts, maps, and diagrams that help them to predict the
weather in their locale.
Notes
• Severe weather: weather that is
dangerous or causes damage
• Hurricane: an area of low pressure into
which wind rushes, creating powerful
winds that spiral around a central eye
• For a hurricane to form, the ocean
temperature needs to be 81 degrees F
(21 C) or higher and you need an area of
low pressure (rising air)
• Damage during hurricanes: wind and
water damage and flooding
Notes: continued
• Meteorology: the scientific study of
Earth’s weather
• Meteorologist: a person who studies the
causes and effects of Earth’s weather
• Forecast: a prediction about weather
Weather
Forecasts
Who would use a forecast? Why?
Homework
• Bring in a copy of a local weather
forecast to discuss tomorrow.
• Online
www.weather.com
http://www.nws.noaa.gov
• Newspaper
Reading
• Read the article “Naming Hurricanes” on
page 3 of the Resource book.