Chapter 10 Lesson 1, "Weather Conditions and Measurements"

Materials:

• Worksheet, "Weather conditions and measurements"

Objective:

• Students will explain what weather is.
• Students will describe how temperature s measured.
• Students will define ai pressure and humidity.
• Students will tell how wind speed, wind direction, and precipitation are measured.

Anticipatory Set:* Students will pretend that they are going camping this weekend and will develop a list of all the things they will need. How do they know what to bring. What are they predicting about this weekend to develop a good list. Point out the number of things they listed that are dependent on the weather. Tell them that it is going to be 90 degrees above 0 this weekend. How would their list change?

Teacher Input:* What am I describing if I tell you that it is 25 degrees out, sunny, humid, and windy. What is weather? Define weather. If you studied the weather you would be called a ____________.

When you talk about weather, what is the first thing you talk about? What instrument can you use to measure temperature, (thermometer) Are all thermometers the same? (spring thermometer, mercury/alcohol thermometer) What are the two main scales used to measure temperature? Which do scientists use?

Another thing to measure weather is Air Pressure, What is air pressure? (column of air) What tool can you use to measure air pressure, (barometer) There are two different kinds of barometers, mercury barometer, and a aneroid barometer) Remind students about high and low pressure. How can you tell a quick change in air pressure, such as (going up in an airplane.) Where else can you feel a change in air pressure? What can air pressure tell you about the weather. (Rising barometer) means better weather coming, (dropping barometer) means rain coming.

If I told you that the weather was (sticky) or (muggy, not just hot!) what am I describing? (humidity) What is humidity? What can hold more moisture, cold or warm air? If I said the air had a relative humidity of 95% what do I mean. How does that affect us when we go outside to exercise? Does anyone recognize the name (Cory Stringer)? Who was he? (Professional Football player died of a heat stroke on a hot humid day) How can we determine the relative humidy. Show, (psychometer, sling psychrometer, psychrometer chart)

Another weather characteristic can me measured with a anemometer. What does an (anemometer) measure? What tool shows the direction of the wind (wind vane). Is the direction of the wind the way it is coming from or the way it is going?

The last characteristic of the weather that is common to measure is precipitation. How do we measure precipitation? (rain gauge) Are all rain gauges the same? (gauge 1, gauge 2, gauge 3, gauge 4) How is snow measured (meter stick). How is hail measured (depth on ground and size of hail)

Guided Practice:* Each site will answer one of the questions from Page 235. Bonus Question, e-mail the answer for 3 bonus points on the chapter 9 test.

Independent Practice:* Students will complete the worksheet, "Weather Conditions and Measurements"

Check for Understanding:* Students will complete the quiz on Lesson 1, Weather Conditions and Measurements.

Duration:

30 minutes + 10-15 for Independent Practice (Could be longer if taken for homework).

Alaska Content Standards Addressed in this lesson:

• SCI A-4 Students will understand observable natural events such as tides, weather, seasons, and moon phases in terms of the structure and motion of the earth (Earth);

• SCI A-15 Students will use science to understand and describe the local environment (Local Knowledge); and: