localmet3

Weather...or...Weather Not?

Online Meteorologists

Your Task:

Your class has been divided into teams each with a different responsibility to reach the final goal. Your task is to gather, analyze and display meteorological data from online sources. How you do this is your choice. But working as a collaborative group will save you time and make your part of the project richer.
All good researchers keep journals or logs of what they do and find out. You are a good researcher and your journal will be a useful tool for you when you begin to finalize your plan and when you are sharing with the class at the end of each period.

Be sure to record:

What were your research questions?
What data or information did you collect?
What were your sources?
What other resources did you use?
What did you find out?
What other questions do you have?

You will also need to assess your work by completing your online Science Journal at the end of the week and by using the Rubrics for the Online Meteorologists and the Teamwork Rubric to assess your work during the week.

Much weather information is available on the Internet. Together with team members make a list of weather information that you think you might find on the Internet. What kinds of information will you need to access? Your team will be a main source of information for the Production Team. Decide what information you will provide to them. Be sure to keep careful records in your daily science journal. Discuss how your information can add to the data supplied by the Local Meteorologists. You will need to work with the Production Team to make sure they have the information they need to have an accurate and complete weather report.

Be sure to contact other schools where classes are also involved in weather observations and share the Local Meteorologists data with them. Your teacher will provide you with the classes' e-mail addresses.

As you are doing your research, several experts are available online to respond to your questions. They are listed in the Help Online section.

Resources:

The Southeast Regional Climate Center - http://www.dnr.state.sc.us/climate/sercc/education.html
This is the education page sponsored by the Southeast Regional Climate Center in Columbia, SC. Try the Daily Climate Quiz and test your weather knowledge. Also on this page are severe weather guidelines, weather information by subject and schools on-line.

Kids Web Weather Links - http://www.npac.syr.edu/textbook/kidsweb/weather.html
This is the Kids Web site that contains 7 popular sites to go to for weather studies. The sites include an automated school weather network that allows schools to collect, distribute and access meteorological data, multimedia materials on weather phenomena, instructional modules about meteorology, hurricane impacts, satellite images and weather forecasts for the US.

The Franklin Institute Science Museum - http://www.fi.edu/weather/satellite/satellite.html
This page explains how satellites have effected weather forecasting and weather data collection.

WeatherBug.com - http://www.weatherbug.com/AWS/default.asp?cid=9
The WeatherBug site allows schools across the country to post their real-time weather data on the Web. Check with your teacher to see if your school has this capability. If so, work with the local Meteorologists to get your school's data recorded. This is also a good site to check what the weather is at schools in other parts of your state and other regions of the country. Find this information at: http://aws.com/globalwx.html

The Weather Eye at KGAN - http://weathereye.kgan.com/cadet/forecast/figgerbottom.html
This site will give you information on forecasting using clouds, wind and your senses. You can use this information and try giving the forecast!

Dan's Wild Wild Weather Page - http://www.wildwildweather.com/
This is another site that has really good stuff about weather. Check out how radar and satellites are used. Take the weather quizzes while you are there!

Help Online:

Do you have a term that you do not understand? This site will help. http://www.weather.com/glossary/a.html

Are you looking at a weather map and don't know what the symbols mean? Go to: http://grads.iges.org/pix/symbols.html

If you want data from the National Weather Service office in Columbia, SC, go to: http://www.nws.noaa.gov/er/cae/

Do you want to ask an expert how they make a forecast? E-mail btanner@wistv.com

Another expert who may answer your questions is Jack Williams of USA Today. Go to http://www.usatoday.com/weather/askjack/sendquest.htm

Dan Satterfield, the Chief Meteorologist for WHNT-TV in Huntsville, Alabama, also will answer questions. Contact Dan at askdan@wildwildweather.com

The Weather Project
Home Page

Rubrics

Weekly Science Journal

Images from http://www.awesomeclipartforkids.com

Created for the Fermilab LInC program sponsored by Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory Education Office and Friends of Fermilab, and
funded by United States Department of Energy, Illinois State Board of Education, North Central Regional Technology in Education Consortium which is operated by North Central Regional Educational Laboratory (NCREL), and the National Science Foundation.

Author(s): Wanda McMichael, Linda Payne, Emmie Thirlwell
School: Sheridan Elementary, Orangeburg Consolidated School District #5, Bamberg-Calhoun-Orangeburg Math/Science Hub
Created: March 4, 2001 - Updated: April 18, 2001
URL: /lincon/w01/projects/weather/onlinemet.html