Weather
By:
Molli-Anne Brown
NYS Standards:
MST Standard 4: Students will understand and apply scientific concepts, principles, and theories pertaining to the physical setting and living environment and recognize the historical development of ideas in science.
Key Idea 2: Many of the phenomena that we observe on Earth involve interactions among components of air, water, and land.
Physical Science 2.1b Weather can be described and measured by:
• Temperature
• Wind speed and direction
• Form and amount of precipitation
• Weather changing from day to day and through the seasons
Goals:
- Students will know 4 types of severe weather/natural disasters.
- Students will know the weather tools and understand how they are used.
- Students will understand what weather is.
How to use the book:
Students can use this book to gain more knowledge about weather. Through-out the book it will describe instruments used to measure weather as well as some of the severe weather that takes place. Students can use the coaches at the bottom that can assist the students on more information related to the topic . Students must highlight the text before they begin to hear it read to them. There is also a glossary of terms for students to use if they do not understand a word.
The weather is just the state of the atmosphere at any time, including things such as temperature , precipitation , air pressure and cloud cover. Daily changes in the weather are due to winds and storms. Seasonal changes are due to the Earth rotating around the sun.
The Sun shines more directly near the equator bringing these areas more warmth. However, the polar regions (opposite ends of the globe) are at such an angle to the Sun that they get little or no sunlight during the winter, causing colder temperatures. These differences in temperature create a restless movement of air and water in great swirling currents to distribute heat energy from the Sun across the planet.
There are many instruments that can be used to measure weather. One that many people use on a daily basis is a thermometer . A thermometer measures the temperature outside and will tell you if it is warm or cold out. The thermometer is measured in Celsius and Fahrenheit.
Often you will see Meteorologists using an instrument known as an anemometer . An anemometer measures speed as well as the direction of wind. Some may even use a weather vane to figure out the direction in which the wind is traveling.
Another useful instrument meteorologists use to measure weather is a tool called a barometer . A barometer measures the air pressure and will be able to tell if is going to rain , snow, or any sort of precipitation .
Severe weather happens everyday, all around us. The weather that causes severe weather can be life threatening. Some of the severe weather storms include: Tornadoes , Hurricane s, Snow Storms (Blizzards ), Thunderstorms , and Floods.
A tornado is a violent rotating column of air extending from a thunderstorm to the ground. The most violent tornadoes are capable of large amounts of damages with wind speeds of up to 300 mph. They can destroy large buildings, uproot trees and hurl vehicles hundreds of yards.
A blizzard is a long-lasting snowstorm with very strong winds and heavy snowfall. You need three things to have a blizzard ; cold air at the surface, lots of moisture, and lift. Warm air must rise over cold air. Blizzards can even strand cars on highways for hours or even days.
http://www.weatherwizkids.com/
A thunderstorm is a storm with lightning and thunder. Its produced by a cloud, usually producing gusty winds , heavy rain and sometimes hail.
A flash flood is sudden flooding that occurs when floodwaters rise rapidly with no warning within several hours of an intense rain . They often occur after intense rainfall from slow moving thunderstorms .