Students learn about weather phenomena and the methods used for weather study. They learn to measure temperatures, wind speed and direction, the amounts of rain and snow, and the amount of cloud cover. In studying causes and patterns of air movements, students learn about the effects of uneven heating and cooling and discover the same patterns of air movement in indoor environments as are found outdoors. They also learn about human actions that can affect weather and climate and study the design and testing of clothing used as protection against the weather.
Climate or Weather?
Climate refers to long term weather trends in a particular region and can vary throughout the world.
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Does Air Contain Moisture?
Prove it!
Air does in fact contain moisture! When you studied the water cycle you discovered that when water reaches a certain temperature, it can evaporate into the air even if you see it in the air.
You may have noticed that in the morning the grass is damp, but it didn't rain. That is called dew. Dew forms when the evaporated water in the air cools and starts to form water droplets on objects around it like grass. Can you think of other ways to prove that moisture is in the air? What are other examples of moisture in the air? |
States of Matter
Indoors and Outdoors Environments
Where do you think in a indoor or outdoor environment, is the warmest and coolest air temperatures?
To the left, right, top, bottom? North, South, East, West? Where is the warmest and coolest air?
To the left, right, top, bottom? North, South, East, West? Where is the warmest and coolest air?
Warm Weather v.s. Cold Weather
Fronts
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Patterns of Air Movement
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High pressure systems means that we will have clear skies. High pressure = Happy system
The air slowly falls down as it cools. Low pressure systems means that we will have cloudy and rainy skies. Low pressure = Lifts (the air rises up) Hot air quickly rises! That hot air that rises quickly will condense quickly, creating clouds. When clouds get too full of moisture, they are forced to precipitate! |
Precipitation
Hail
Hail forms when water droplets don't melt as they fall from the sky. When they are small they can be swept back up into the very top of the cloud which is very cold. If winds are strong, they can move around the cloud and collect more water on them which makes them larger. Eventually gravity pulls them down when they get too heavy to be swept back up into the atmosphere. |
Measuring Wind Speed and other Weather
We can measure wind speed using an anemometer. The cups on this device collect air which causes them to spin. By counting the number of spins one cup makes in 60 seconds.
Clouds, Clouds, Clouds
High level: heights of 5-13 km
Cirrus
Fibrous, threadlike, white feather clouds of ice crystals, whose form resembles hair curls.
Cirrostratus
Milky, translucent cloud veil of ice crystals, which sometimes causes halo appearances around moon and sun.
Cirrocumulus
Fleecy cloud; Cloud banks of small, white flakes.
Medium level: heights of 2-7 km
Altocumulus
Grey cloud bundles, sheds or rollers, compound like rough fleecy cloud, which are often arranged in banks.
Altostratus
Dense, gray layer cloud, often evenly and opaquely, which lets the sun shine through only a little.
Low level: heights of 0-2 km
Stratocumulus
Cloud plaices, rollers or banks compound dark gray layer cloud.
Stratus
Evenly grey, low layer cloud, which causes fog or fine precipitation and is sometimes frazzled.
Clouds with large vertical extending at heights of 0-13 km
Cumulus
Heap cloud with flat basis in the middle or lower level, whose vertical development reminds of the form of towers, cauliflower or cotton.
Cumulonimbus
In the middle or lower level developing thundercloud, which mostly up-rises into the upper level.
Nimbostratus
Rain cloud. Grey, dark layer cloud, indistinct outlines.
Cirrus
Fibrous, threadlike, white feather clouds of ice crystals, whose form resembles hair curls.
Cirrostratus
Milky, translucent cloud veil of ice crystals, which sometimes causes halo appearances around moon and sun.
Cirrocumulus
Fleecy cloud; Cloud banks of small, white flakes.
Medium level: heights of 2-7 km
Altocumulus
Grey cloud bundles, sheds or rollers, compound like rough fleecy cloud, which are often arranged in banks.
Altostratus
Dense, gray layer cloud, often evenly and opaquely, which lets the sun shine through only a little.
Low level: heights of 0-2 km
Stratocumulus
Cloud plaices, rollers or banks compound dark gray layer cloud.
Stratus
Evenly grey, low layer cloud, which causes fog or fine precipitation and is sometimes frazzled.
Clouds with large vertical extending at heights of 0-13 km
Cumulus
Heap cloud with flat basis in the middle or lower level, whose vertical development reminds of the form of towers, cauliflower or cotton.
Cumulonimbus
In the middle or lower level developing thundercloud, which mostly up-rises into the upper level.
Nimbostratus
Rain cloud. Grey, dark layer cloud, indistinct outlines.
Here are some pictures to go along with the clouds!
Weather Phenomena
These weather phenomena can be very dangerous whether it happens to you at your house, in the car, or while you are vacationing. Are you prepared for some of these unexpected types of weather?
Do you have an emergency kit it your house or car?
If you are vacationing some where tropical, do you have a safety plan if something happens?
Do you have an emergency kit it your house or car?
If you are vacationing some where tropical, do you have a safety plan if something happens?
Our Orbit Around The Sun
The Earth is on a tilt and spins around an axis (Just like the pencil in the Earth I showed you). When the Earth makes one full turn, that is one full day.
Due to the Earth being on a tilt, parts of the sun heat the Earth up differently. The equator is where the Sun's rays are spread over a narrow area of the Earth. That is why areas around the equator are very hot. Areas are cooler when the Sun's rays are spread over a wider area.
Due to the Earth being on a tilt, parts of the sun heat the Earth up differently. The equator is where the Sun's rays are spread over a narrow area of the Earth. That is why areas around the equator are very hot. Areas are cooler when the Sun's rays are spread over a wider area.
The Earth is also on an orbit around the sun. One full orbit around the Sun is one year. As you can see in the picture below, the tilt of the Earth doesn't change as it orbits the sun. Do to the Earth being on a tilt, we have different seasons. During the Summer Solstice the tilt of the Earth provides us with more direct sunlight. This is the longest day of the year in summer. During the Winter Solstice the tilt of the Earth does not provide us with as much direct sunlight.
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Did you know
The Earth retains and releases heat at different rates.
Mountains, oceans, lakes, and deserts all affect weather.
Mountain
The temperature around mountains gets colder as the altitude increases. As the wind blows moist air towards the mountains it starts to rise to high altitudes. We learned that when moist air hits high altitudes it starts to condense and form precipitation. Desert
During the summer the land is much warmer than the water. It's made up of many different materials which absorb the Sun's rays differently. Texture also matters. Rougher and dryer materials absorb more radiation than smoother and wetter materials. |
Soil
Soil loses its heat much faster. Darker materials absorb more sun rays than lighter materials. Land covered in forests or snow warms and cools very differently from a city blanketed with asphalt streets and concrete buildings. Ocean
Water is a slow conductor of heat, thus it needs to gain more energy than the sand or dry land in order for its temperature to increase. The Earth's oceans are more important than the land as a source of the heat energy which drives the weather. Not only do the oceans cover more than 2/3 of the Earth's surface, they also absorb more sunlight and store more heat. Additionally the oceans retain heat longer. The Sun's rays also penetrate the oceans to a depth of many meters, but only heat up the top layer of the sand or soil. Water has to lose more energy than the sand (dry land) in order for the temperature to decrease. Sources |
Human Action
Greenhouse Effect
Greenhouse Effect or Global warming is caused by a build up of certain gasses in the atmosphere. These gasses form a layer which allows sunlight though, but traps the heat in, just like a greenhouse.
What creates carbon dioxide and methane?
Carbon dioxide is formed from the burning of many types of fuel such as gasoline, coal, oil, and wood. While methane is a fossil fuel often used in home furnaces, but also is made by animals when they digest food.
Causes of the Greenhouse Effect
1. Burning of fossil fuels
2. Cutting down the rain forest
3. Gases produced by humans, animals, and insects.
Greenhouse Effect or Global warming is caused by a build up of certain gasses in the atmosphere. These gasses form a layer which allows sunlight though, but traps the heat in, just like a greenhouse.
What creates carbon dioxide and methane?
Carbon dioxide is formed from the burning of many types of fuel such as gasoline, coal, oil, and wood. While methane is a fossil fuel often used in home furnaces, but also is made by animals when they digest food.
Causes of the Greenhouse Effect
1. Burning of fossil fuels
2. Cutting down the rain forest
3. Gases produced by humans, animals, and insects.
Forecasting Weather
Even though the weather man is not always right in the morning, we are very lucky that we can get an idea of what the weather will be in a day/week.
Keeping Warm
Program of Study Outcomes
1. Predict where, within a given indoor or outdoor environment, one is likely to find the warmest and coolest temperatures.
2. Describe patterns of air movement, in indoor and outdoor environments, that result when one area is warm and another area is cool.
3. Describe and demonstrate methods for measuring wind speed and for finding wind direction.
4. Describe evidence that air contains moisture and that dew and other forms of precipitation come from moisture in the air.
5. Describe and measure different forms of precipitation, in particular, rain, hail, sleet, snow.
6. Measure at least four different kinds of weather phenomena. Either student-constructed or standard instruments may be used.
7. Record weather over a period of time.
8. Identify some common types of clouds, and relate them to weather patterns.
9. Describe the effects of the Sun’s energy on daily and seasonal changes in temperature— 24-hour and yearly cycles of change.
10. Recognize that weather systems are generated because different surfaces on the face of Earth retain and release heat at different rates.
11. Understand that climate refers to long term weather trends in a particular region and that climate varies throughout the world.
12. Recognize that human actions can affect climate, and identify human actions that have been linked to the greenhouse effect.
13. Appreciate how important it is to be able to forecast weather and to have suitable clothing or shelter to endure various types of weather.
14. Test fabrics and clothing designs to choose those with characteristics that most effectively meet the challenges of particular weather conditions; e.g., water resistance, wind resistance, protection from cold.
1. Predict where, within a given indoor or outdoor environment, one is likely to find the warmest and coolest temperatures.
2. Describe patterns of air movement, in indoor and outdoor environments, that result when one area is warm and another area is cool.
3. Describe and demonstrate methods for measuring wind speed and for finding wind direction.
4. Describe evidence that air contains moisture and that dew and other forms of precipitation come from moisture in the air.
5. Describe and measure different forms of precipitation, in particular, rain, hail, sleet, snow.
6. Measure at least four different kinds of weather phenomena. Either student-constructed or standard instruments may be used.
7. Record weather over a period of time.
8. Identify some common types of clouds, and relate them to weather patterns.
9. Describe the effects of the Sun’s energy on daily and seasonal changes in temperature— 24-hour and yearly cycles of change.
10. Recognize that weather systems are generated because different surfaces on the face of Earth retain and release heat at different rates.
11. Understand that climate refers to long term weather trends in a particular region and that climate varies throughout the world.
12. Recognize that human actions can affect climate, and identify human actions that have been linked to the greenhouse effect.
13. Appreciate how important it is to be able to forecast weather and to have suitable clothing or shelter to endure various types of weather.
14. Test fabrics and clothing designs to choose those with characteristics that most effectively meet the challenges of particular weather conditions; e.g., water resistance, wind resistance, protection from cold.