Ideas for Learning

What you can learn

• How to measure the weather using a range of different of instruments
  • Temperature
  • Precipitation (rain)
  • Humidity
  • Air pressure
  • Wind speed and direction
• Compare the readings from different instruments and learn how to take more accurate measurements with the instruments mounted inside a Stevenson screen
• Learn about different types of thermometers and how they work
• Learn about humidity and why a human hair can be used in a hygrometer
• How air pressure correlates with the weather outside and how storm systems affect pressure (low pressure = rainy, high pressure = dry)
• See how the time and the position of the sun, using a compass and clock, affects the instrument readings (screened vs direct sunlight)
• Learn how to record and analyze data

Ideas for Using the Weather Stations

• In general, this weather station can be used to teach students about data collection and analysis
• In addition, it can be used to help illustrate weather related science concepts and also basic physics and measurement science.
• Fun and easy idea: report the weather as part of the daily school morning announcements (include the temperature, rainfall from the prior day or week, barometric pressure, etc.)
• Create a spreadsheet for students from all five schools to input weather data in and compare results

1. Rain Gauge

• Track the daily rainfall in a chart and calculate weekly and monthly totals. Graph electronically or manually the weekly and monthly totals.
  • The rain gauge is scientific grade and clearly shows rainfall with 0.01” precision
• Compare the rainfalls between the different elementary schools
  • Rainfall amounts can vary by a surprising degree even between small distances. The National Weather Service (NWS) cannot track these local variations, but they have examples of where one part of a town gets little rain and a few streets away there is significant downpour

2. Thermometer

• Compare the temperature readings on the four different thermometers (even the electronic hand-held anemometer has a built-in thermometer)
  • In science, it is important to pay attention to the quality of each instrument and how it is used.
  • In the weather stations, the thermometer inside the Stevenson Screen is of highest quality and in the best location (not in sunlight and not directly mounted on the board which can absorb heat). On a hot sunny day, you may see the greatest difference. Keep track of the difference between the large liquid filled thermometer on the board and the one in the Stevenson screen
• If possible, check the temperature multiple times per day: it can vary greatly during a day

3. Barometer

• Teach a unit on what is air pressure and why does it matter. Ask the students “Have you heard the weather report when they talk about a low pressure system?” As air pressure increases, the weather tends to become more clear. Pressure decreases the weather is more stormy. Then, go measure and see changes in action on the weather station.
• Set the barometer arrow to point at the current reading and note it down. Come back the next day and see how much it has moved. See if the weather is also changing

4. Hygrometer

• What is humidity? Teach the concepts in class or on post materials to the website. Use the weather station to take readings. Measure it on a dry sunny day vs. wet and/or rainy.
• Is there a relationship between the humidity and cloud cover?

5. Anemometers/Wind Vane

• Notice how fast wind speed and direction changes. Learn the difference between gusts and wind speed. Look at the wind cups. They give you a visual indication of the wind speed..

6. Clock/Compass

• Learn how to use a compass to determine the direction of the wind and sun
• See how the time and the position of the sun, using a compass and clock, affects the instrument readings (screened vs direct sunlight)
  • What sun directions and times of day allow sunlight to hit the Stevenson screen?

7. How do the instruments work?

• Contracting and expanding
  • Thermometer liquid expands in heat and contracts in cold. Measuring the amount of expansion tells the temperature
  • Human hair in the hygrometer expands and contracts with the humidity. The dial responds to the hair movement
• Notes about data:
  • If an electronic database of the rain data (spreadsheet) is used that all elementary schools can access, the student teachers can input the data that was collected by the students. The data can then be compared to the other schools’ data. By only allowing student teachers or specified student representatives to edit the master spreadsheet, there would be less chance for errors in the data