Past Courses-6th Grade Adopt a City Project
Daily Weather Information for Postville and your adopted city:
Be sure to open YOUR copy of the spreadsheet. Remember, it's in your Google Drive and should be in your science folder. It should be called "Your Name Weather Log"
Weather Project Resources
-Click the map and find the map of your choosing
-Required map-Fronts, Sky, Winds, Temps.
-Choose the Date you are looking for.
-Several other types of maps below the main one
-Click on the main map for more details
-Daily Weather Data
-International Locations, climatology, etc.
Task 1: Identify different areas of cloud cover
Task 2: Analyze Temperatures over United States
Task 3: Learn and use Station Models
Task 4: Learn about Humidity and conduct an investigation
Task 1 - Finding your city
Record today's weather, using this site: http://www.wunderground.com/ in your Postville Weather Log.
What city did you get? Make sure to put what city you adopted in your Adopt a City Weather Log title.
Find and color your state on your blank map of the US http://www.50states.com/tools/usamap.htm If you have an international location, use this link: http://www.eduplace.com/ss/maps/pdf/world_country.pdf You will have to print the maps off.
Look at a map of your state, can you find your city? http://www.infoplease.com/atlas/usa.html
Or, if you have an international location, use this link: http://www.infoplease.com/atlas/
Plot your city on the your USA map or your World Map
Task 2 - Start Recording your city's weather:
1. Record today's weather, using this site: http://www.wunderground.com/ in your
Postville Weather Log.
2. What is your city's zip code? http://www.usps.com/zip4/citytown_zip.htm or for
International Locations: http://www.embassyworld.com/Zip_Codes/
3. Using the zip code and http://www.wunderground.com/, find the current weather
conditions and record in your Adopt a City Weather Log.
4. What is the latitude and longitude of your city? (You can find this on the weather website
in the top right corner, after you put in your zip code) Record this on your map.
5. What time zone is your city in? Use this site: http://www.time.gov/ or this one for
international sites: http://www.timeanddate.com/worldclock/ Record this on your
map.
Task 3 - Start Recording your city's astronomy data:
1. Record today's weather, using this site: http://www.wunderground.com/ in your Postville Weather Log.
2. Using the zip code and http://www.wunderground.com/, find the current weather
conditions and record in your Adopt a City Weather Log.
3. Play the interactive and answer the discussion questions on the back of your map.
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/vanished/jetstr_giving.html
Discussion Questions:
The animation describes how warm tropical air is "drawn toward the cold North and South poles." Can you explain why this is so?
Why do you think the warm tropical air sinks when it reaches the poles?
How does Earth's rotation affect the direction of the jet streams?
How does the jet stream affect the weather where you live?
4. On the Weather website, scroll down to "Astronomy Data" and record the Sunrise,
Sunset, Day Length, and Moon Rise Data (Go to your st. info page to find this.) for Postville
and your adopted city.
Task 4 - State Facts
From this point forward, record today's weather for Postville and your adopted city, as well as the Astronomy data for both Postville and your adopted city.
Using these web sites - Enchanted Learning and 50 States, find the following:
What is your state's motto? New Jersey's motto is: "Liberty and prosperity"
What is the capital of your state?
What is the largest city in your state?
Admission to statehood -When did your state become an official state of the union? (Month, day and year)
Out of the 50 states, your state was number _________ .
State Flag:
What is the background color of your flag?
What other colors are found on your flag?
Are there any words on your flag? What does it say?
List the symbols on your flag and describe what they represent.
If you have an international location, use:
https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/gt.html
https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/docs/flagsoftheworld.html
1. Choose 5 facts about your country.
2. What is a major city in your country?
3. What is the capital city of your country?
4. Country Flag:
What is the background color of your flag?
What other colors are found on your flag?
Are there any words on your flag? What does it say?
List the symbols on your flag and describe what they represent.
Answer your questions on the back of your map.
Turn in your map.
Task 5 - Isotherms
From this point forward, record today's weather for Postville and your adopted city, as well as the Astronomy data for both Postville and your adopted city.
What is an isotherm? An isotherm is a line connecting locations with equal temperature. Isotherm maps show where temperatures are relatively high and low, and also where temperature changes are gradual or dramatic over a distance.
What do they look like? Isotherms for current weather:
http://www.uni.edu/storm/wximages/index.htmthen
Interactive Tutorial for drawing Isotherms:
1. Click on this site: https://courseware.e-education.psu.edu/public/meteo/meteo101demo/Examples/Images/Section2/contour_tool_t0203.swf
2. A new window will open.
3. Where it says: "Select isotherm" Click on the box and choose 50. Then click "Draw Line". Watch as the pencil draws a line with temperatures less than 50 degrees on one side, and temperatures greater than 50 on the other side.
4. Click on the box and choose 80. This one is different because it shows a closed isotherm. Inside the circle it is greater than 80 degrees and outside the circle it is less than 80 degrees.
5. Using your mouse (shown as a pencil on the screen), draw the isotherms for 40 degrees on the computer screen.
6. Check your work: "Select isotherm" click on the box and choose 40 degrees. Then click "Draw Line". Compare your line to the line drawn.
7. On your worksheet, draw in the correct isotherm using a pencil. Print off from this site: https://courseware.e-education.psu.edu/public/meteo/meteo101demo/Examples/Images/Section2/contourT_print0203.gif
8. You can erase or clear the practice lines at any point by using the "erasing" or "clear practice button". Continue until all isotherms have been drawn in (60 & 70 degrees)
9. Click on "colorize", and the isotherms will be drawn and colored in. Color the isotherms on your worksheet also.
Rules for drawing isotherms:
Draw your isotherm in a neat and smooth line instead of a jagged line. (trace lightly in pencil. then go over when done.)
An isotherm should begin and end at an edge of the map, or, alternatively, loop around and close on itself
An isotherm should never branch or fork
Isotherms should be drawn at equal intervals.
Isotherm exercises:
Practice Map A (Printed)- Color the isotherms using the color code: 100 - red, 90 - pink, 80 - orange, 70 yellow, 60 lt green, 50 dk green, 40 lt blue, 30 dk blue, 20 lt purple, 10 dk purple, 0 brown, -10 gray
OR-make your own color key.
Map B- (Teacher will provide) Draw Isotherms in 10 degree intervals then color.
Turn in your maps.
Task 6 - Air masses
Record today's weather for Postville and your adopted city, as well as the Astronomy data for both Postville and your adopted city.
What is an air mass? An air mass is a large body of air that has similar temperature and moisture properties throughout
Use these websites to find out about air masses:
Print off this worksheet:
http://www.middleschoolscience.com/airmasses.pdf (Cross off NJ & write IA)
Task 7 - Winter Storms
Record today's weather for Postville and your adopted city, as well as the Astronomy data for both Postville and your adopted city.
2. Interactive Lesson On Winter Weather
Click on this link to find the link and the page on which you will collect your data.
You will need to print the Winter Weather page off.
This project was modified from the project on middleschoolscience.com