Hello and welcome the Team K.S.W.I.T Weather 101 page!! The members of the Kentucky Severe Weather Intercept Team take great pride in teaching others about weather science and how weather works. We hope you enjoy the information and have fun learning!!
Below are a few fun projects you can do at home
Spring is on the horizon, and with it some showers and sunshine to make the flowers bloom. This is the perfect season to study the weather and get your students outdoors for hands-on activities. From studying thunder and lightning to creating a windsock and thermometer, here are 25 fun weather activities for the classroom that will help keep your students engaged and learning.
1. Start with a weather journal.
What you need: Construction paper, scissors, glue, preprinted labels, crayons, recording pages.
What to do: Have students fold a large piece of construction paper in half to make a book cover. Staple a stack of recording pages (see samples) into the middle. Use scissors to cut out clouds, the sun, and raindrops, and glue onto cover. Draw in snow and fog. Glue labels as illustrated onto cover. Then allow students a few minutes each day to journal the weather outside.
What to do: Have students fold a large piece of construction paper in half to make a book cover. Staple a stack of recording pages (see samples) into the middle. Use scissors to cut out clouds, the sun, and raindrops, and glue onto cover. Draw in snow and fog. Glue labels as illustrated onto cover. Then allow students a few minutes each day to journal the weather outside.
2. Make it rain.
What you need: Clear plastic cup or glass jar, shaving cream, food coloring.
What to do: Fill the cup with water. Squirt shaving cream on top for the clouds. Explain that when clouds get really heavy with water, it rains! Then put blue food coloring on top of the cloud, and watch it “rain”.
3. Create your own miniature water cycle.
What you need: Ziploc bag, water, blue food coloring, Sharpie pen, tape.
What to do: Pour 1/4 cup of water and a few drops of blue food coloring into bag. Seal tightly and tape the bag to a (preferably south-facing) wall. As the water warms in the sunlight the water will evaporate into vapor. As the vapor cools, it will begin changing into liquid (condensation) just like a cloud. When the water condenses enough, the air will not be able to hold it and the water will fall down in the form of precipitation.
4. Ice and heat make rain.
What you need: Glass jar, plate, water, ice cubes
What to do: Heat water until it is steaming, then pour into jar until it is about 1/3 full. Place plate full of ice cubes on top of jar. Watch as condensation builds and water begins to stream down the sides of the jar.
What to do: Heat water until it is steaming, then pour into jar until it is about 1/3 full. Place plate full of ice cubes on top of jar. Watch as condensation builds and water begins to stream down the sides of the jar.
5. Watch the fog roll in.
What you need: Glass jar, small strainer, water, ice cubes.
What to do: Fill the jar completely with hot water for about a minute. Pour out almost all the water, leaving about 1 inch in the jar. Place the strainer over the top of the jar. Drop 3-4 ice cubes in the strainer. As the cold air from the ice cubes collides with the warm, moist air in the bottle, the water will condense and fog will form.
What to do: Fill the jar completely with hot water for about a minute. Pour out almost all the water, leaving about 1 inch in the jar. Place the strainer over the top of the jar. Drop 3-4 ice cubes in the strainer. As the cold air from the ice cubes collides with the warm, moist air in the bottle, the water will condense and fog will form.
Click the link below for games for kids! Enjoy!
Weather for Kids - Free Games, Experiments, Projects, Activities, Science Online (sciencekids.co.nz)www.sciencekids.co.nz/weather.html
Summary
Students use their senses to describe what the weather is doing and predict what it might do next. After gaining a basic understanding of weather patterns, students act as state park engineers and design/build backyard weather stations to gather data and make weather forecasts.
Students use their senses to describe what the weather is doing and predict what it might do next. After gaining a basic understanding of weather patterns, students act as state park engineers and design/build backyard weather stations to gather data and make weather forecasts.
Engineering Connection
Who cares about the weather?
A lot of people do, including engineers! Engineers have designed modern weather forecasting equipment, including weather balloons, satellites, Doppler radar, and computer simulation programs to help meteorologists make accurate weather forecasts. Engineers have also designed the automatic weather station (AWS), which collects weather data automatically in remote areas such as the mountains or Antarctica. Engineers design and build the high-tech equipment that is used for weather forecasting. They test the equipment to make sure that it is safe to use and can withstand severe atmospheric conditions. Other engineers contribute to weather forecasting equipment by designing the electronics, circuitry and software so the equipment can sense, measure and relay weather data accurately.
Learning Objectives
After this activity, students should be able to:
After this activity, students should be able to:
- Observe and make predictions about the weather using their senses and the clouds.
- Describe the relation between weather patterns and wind speed, air pressure, temperature and precipitation.
- Make a weather forecast based on sensory observations, cloud characteristics and collected weather data.
- Develop a model that describes how unequal heating of the Earth causes patterns of atmospheric and oceanic circulation that determine regional climates.
Materials List
Each group needs:
- Wind Vane Worksheet
- cardstock
- pencil with eraser
- pencils and markers
- straight pen
- scissors
- small piece of modeling clay
- hot glue
- plastic straw
- compass
- piece of cardboard
Weather Tool #2: Barometer
- Barometer Worksheet
- 2-liter plastic bottle
- food coloring
- clear plastic cup
- water
- marker
Weather Tool #3: Thermometer
- Thermometer Worksheet
- maximum/minimum thermometer
- tape
- climatology data for your area
Weather Tool #4: Rain Gauge
- Rain Gauge Worksheet
- wide glass
- masking tape
- straight, thin jar (a graduated cylinder works best)
- water
- ruler
- Weather Forecasting Worksheet, one per student
- Weather Station Worksheet, one per team
- Forecasting with Clouds Reference Sheet, one per team
- 1 large box or crate to put the different weather forecasting tools together as a weather station
- The following materials for each weather forecasting tool:
- Wind Vane Worksheet
- cardstock
- pencil with eraser
- pencils and markers
- straight pen
- scissors
- small piece of modeling clay
- hot glue
- plastic straw
- compass
- piece of cardboard
Weather Tool #2: Barometer
- Barometer Worksheet
- 2-liter plastic bottle
- food coloring
- clear plastic cup
- water
- marker
Weather Tool #3: Thermometer
- Thermometer Worksheet
- maximum/minimum thermometer
- tape
- climatology data for your area
Weather Tool #4: Rain Gauge
- Rain Gauge Worksheet
- wide glass
- masking tape
- straight, thin jar (a graduated cylinder works best)
- water
- ruler
Worksheets and Attachments
Weather Forecasting Worksheet (for Parts 1 and 2) (doc)
Weather Forecasting Worksheet (for Parts 1 and 2) (pdf)
Weather Station Worksheet (for Part 4) (doc)
Weather Station Worksheet (for Part 4) (pdf)
Tool #1: Wind Vane Worksheet (doc)
Tool #1: Wind Vane Worksheet (pdf)
Tool #2: Barometer Worksheet (docx)
Tool #2: Barometer Worksheet (pdf)
Tool #3: Thermometer Worksheet (doc)
Tool #3: Thermometer Worksheet (pdf)
Tool #4: Rain Gauge Worksheet (doc)
Tool #4: Rain Gauge Worksheet (pdf)
Forecasting with Clouds Reference Sheet (doc)
Forecasting with Clouds Reference Sheet (pdf)
Below are videos you can watch for fun weather projects at home!!
