WEATHER WATCH

Lesson Plan

Level: Juniors

Girls will earn the Weather Watch Badge after completing all the activities.

• Items that you will need to provide:

Paper towels

18" pieces of string

1 ½" Styrofoam balls

Tape

Compass (one per girl), these can be checked out at the Council

Copies of word puzzle and symbol handout

Hot water

Large piece of plastic wrap

Matches

Ice cubes

Today we are going to earn the Weather Watch badge. Can anyone tell me what people who study the weather are called? They are meteorologists. Today we will learn how you can study the weather. Are you ready? Great!

There are four basic elements of weather: wind, temperature, moisture & air pressure. Each on of these can affect the other. Meteorologists use tools to predict the weather and then they let us know those predictions, which are called forecasts. We will make some of these tools later.

WEATHER MAPS (badge requirement #1) - approximately 30 minutes

Items needed:

• Weather placemats (1 per girl or pair up)

• Wet/Dry erase laminated US maps (1 per girl or pair up)

• Dry or Wet erase markers ONLY

• Paper towels to clean maps off (wet towels if using wet erase markers)

How many of you read the weather in the paper or watch the weather on the news? If you said you do, then you have seen the maps that meteorologists use. These maps contain symbols to show what type of weather is in each area of the United States. Look at your placemats and find the box in the lower left-hand corner of the map. This is a map key, which explains what the symbols mean.

The first symbols you will see are for fronts. When the weather changes from day to day or week to week, this usually means that a front has passed through the area. A warm front, which brings warm air, is shown by a line of half circles. A cold front, which brings cold air, is shown by a line of triangles or peaks. A occluded front occurs when a cold front follows a warm front and lifts the warm air off the ground. Does anyone know what happens when two fronts meet? This usually causes stormy or bad weather.

The next set of symbols represents precipitation. On this map snow is shown by flakes and rain is represented by an "R". On other maps areas may be shaded different colors to show different types of precipitation. Does anyone know what color might be used to show snow? Of course, white. Rain is usually shown by green shades. However, it is always important to look at the key to see what the symbols or colors represent.

One tool used to measure precipitation is a rain gauge. We will make several weather tools in our next exercise.

The third set of symbols represents cloud cover. Cloud cover is shown by shaded circles. On this map the circles are either not shaded at all, half-shaded, or fully shaded. Can anyone tell me what a fully shaded circle represents? Good!

Wind speed is another weather factor represented by symbols. The wind speed symbols have different lines to represent how fast the wind is blowing. Does anyone know what it is called when the wind makes the temperature colder? It is called the wind chill factor. For instance, the temperature may be 32 Degrees, but if there is a 20 mph wind blowing out of the north (where the cold air comes from), then the wind chill may be 25 Degrees, as an example. Wind can also change how fast a warm or cold front is moving through the area. If the wind is strong then a front might move fast and a storm could be over quickly. If the wind speed is slow then the front might move very slow and cold stay around for days. Wind speed is measured by an anemometer.

Air Pressure, which is only shown on the map and not in the key, is symbolized by different letters. Can anyone find the area of high pressure on the map? High pressure is shown by an "H". This areas of high pressure usually means the weather is calm and sunny. Where is the area of low pressure? Low pressure is shown by an "L". This area of low pressure usually means stormy weather. Air pressure is measured by a barometer. When the barometer rises, and the numbers get higher, then high pressure is moving in. When the barometer falls, and the numbers get lower, then low pressure is moving in.

Now take your map and draw weather of your own using the symbols that we just talked about. When you are done you can give us your weather forecast, just like the meteorologists do.

Approximately 50-60 minutes

Items needed:

• Thermometers (1 per girl or pair up)

• Piece of paper and pencil (1 per girl or pair up)

• Small jars or cans (1 per girl or pair up)

• Straws (1 per can)

• Rulers

• Permanent markers

• Protractors (pair up, 1 per pair)

• 18" pieces of string (1 per pair)

• 1 ½" Styrofoam balls (1 per pair)

• Tape

• Compass (One per girl, or facilitator can just do this)

Thermometer are used to measure temperature. Take your thermometer and stand in the sun for a few minutes and then read what it says in both Fahrenheit, which is "F", and Celsius, which is "C". Write these numbers down. Now go back to the shade and hold the thermometer there for a few minutes. Write down the readings you took. Were the readings different? Did anyone have the same readings? The actual temperature readings are taken in the shade. The sun can greatly increase the temperature.

Rain gauges are used to measure the amount of rainfall. (If girls would like to take these home, please provide straws for them, do not allow the girls to take home the straws from the Weather Watch Tub)

1. Take your straws and permanent markers and mark the straw at ¼ inch intervals. (Facilitator may need to instruct on which marks to use). 2 inches worth of marks are enough..

2. Fill the cans with 1 inch of water. (This does not have to be exact, but the water should not be any higher than the marks on the straw.)

3. Dip the straw straight into the can all the way to the bottom. Place your finger over the hole in the top of the straw, then lift the straw out of the can.

How much water was in the can? This can also be done at home. Just leave a can or jar outside and check the can after it rains.

Anemometers measure wind speed.

1. Take your protractors and examine how they are marked in angles. Now look at your wind speed chart. When this experiment is done, the angles will equal the wind speed.

2. Take your string and knot it through the hole on the protractor. If there is not a hole, use scotch tape to secure the string to the bottom of the protractor.

3. With a small piece of tape, attach the string to the Styrofoam ball.

4. Let’s go outside and measure the wind speed. First we will determine which direction the wind is coming from. We can feel the wind, and then face that direction. The compass will tell us whether it is North, South, East or West.

5. Now hold your protractors with the flat side up. Stand so the ball will be blown from the direction the wind is coming from. When the string moves, see what angle it lands on. Remember this number.

6. Now look at the wind speed charts. Find the angle your string was closet to and follow that across to the wind speed.

What was everyone’s wind speed? When meteorologists announce the wind speed they will say it is coming from the North, South, West, Northwest, etc. at ___miles per hour (mph).

WEATHER SMARTS (badge requirement #5) - Approximately. 30 minutes

Items needed:

• none

A weather emergency or disaster is when severe or very bad weather occurs. Can you tell me what weather emergencies could occur in our area of the country? Tornado, flood, fire - home or wild, earthquake, winter storms, severe thunderstorms

Now we will learn several ways you and your family can prepare for a disaster. The first way is by making a disaster supply kit. Does anyone know some of the items you might include in the kit?

Water - 3 day supply. 1 gallon per person per day. So if you have 4 people in your family, you would have 12 gallons of water stored. These will be used for drinking, cooking and washing.

Food - 3 day supply of non-perishable food. What are some examples of this? Canned meats, canned fruit and vegetables, canned soup and canned juice; sugar; peanut butter and jelly; granola bars; crackers or other high-energy snacks; vitamins; good-tasting snacks; special diet or baby food if thee is someone with special needs.

First Aid Kit - Put basic supplies in this such as bandages, wraps, etc.

Clothes - 1 change for each person. Include shoes, rain gear, warm clothing and blankets. If there is a baby make sure you stock some diapers.

Miscellaneous - Ice melt for winter storms, flashlights, battery radio, candles.

These items should be kept in one area. It should be out of the way, especially where small children cannot reach it, but it should be easy to get to in case of a disaster.

There are several ways to prepare for various disasters. Does anyone have any ideas?

Floods - Do not put valuables in the basement, which is more likely to flood. Buy flood

insurance if you live in a flood prone area. Discuss this with your family.

Earthquakes - Keep heavy objects on low shelves. Bolt shelves and tall objects, such

as bookshelves, to the walls.

Fires - Keep dead branches and brush away from the outside of the house. Make sure

there are flame-resistant shingles on your roof. Do not ever leave a camp fire

unattended.

Many times, but not always, weather disasters can be seen coming. If you are watching T.V. or listening to the radio and there is a watch, this means that the disaster, such as a tornado, flood, or storm may occur. The conditions are right. If there is a warning this means the disaster is occurring and you should take the appropriate action. Discuss with your family what you would do at your house if any of these disasters occurred.

CLOUDS (badge requirement #3) - Approximately15 minutes

Items needed:

• Cloud symbol handout (puzzle will be used in next part, so make sure correct side is up)

Did anyone notice if there were any clouds in the sky today? Were they dark or light? were they puffy or layered on top of one another? Was it clear, partly cloudy, or mostly cloudy? Clouds can give you an idea of what the weather will be like that day. If dark clouds are in the west part of the sky, then a storm could be coming. Clouds usually roll in from the west or southwest. By looking at your handout you can see the different types of clouds and the symbols used to represent them. There are high, middle and low clouds. The high clouds have the "cirro" prefix attached to the name. "Alto" means middle. "Nimbo" means rain.

High Clouds - Cirrus = thin, wispy, and feathery. Cirrocumulus = thin and patchy, hard to see. Cirrostratus = thin, sheet-like, can look like gauze.

Middle Clouds - Altostratus = dense sheets of gray or blue, may look striped. Altocumulus = patches or layers of puffy/roll-like clouds, gray or white.

Low Clouds - Stratus = Low sheet, like fog, can only produce drizzle and not heavy rain. Nimbostratus = true rain clouds, darker than other types. Stratocumulus = masses, rolling or puffy layer, do not produce rain but can change into nimbostratus.

Let’s go back outside and see what type of clouds are in the sky today.

WEATHER GAME (badge requirement #7) - Approximately 15 minutes

Items needed:

• Cloud Types word puzzle (1 per girl)

• Pencils

Complete this puzzle to learn more about clouds. If girls are having trouble, help them.

MAKE YOUR OWN WEATHER (badge requirement #10) - Approximately 15 minutes

Items needed:

• Hot water (as hot as you can get it but not boiling)

• Large piece of plastic wrap

• Matches

• Ice Cubes

• Clear liter plastic bottle, cut down to 6-8 inches tall

1. Cut a piece of plastic wrap large enough to drape over the top of the bottle

2. Put several pieces of ice on the plastic wrap and set it aside

3. Fill the bottle 1/3 full with hot water

4. Light a match and throw it into the bottle

5. Quickly place the plastic wrap with the ice on top of the bottle

6. Wait and watch to see a rain cloud appear

What is the cloud that formed? It is not smoke. It’s water droplets forming on the smoke particles. The water vapor rises from the hot water and when it gets to the cool air near the ice it cools and begins to sink, turning into water droplets. This forms a cloud. Droplets that form on the underside of the plastic may become so heavy that they start to fall as rain.

Review with the girls:

• Weather maps

• Weather instruments

• Disasters

• Clouds

• Warm and cold air coming together

This page last edited on Monday October 30, 2006.

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