Weather Instruments

Fourth grade has become weather experts! Students have spent a lot of time studying clouds and the water cycle, and we know that clouds can tell us a lot about the weather. Fourth Graders…the “budding meteorologists”… had such fun exploring weather tools today in science lab. First, students began working in small groups by viewing a collection of weather instruments. Students worked collaboratively to determine which instrument matched the correct weather instrument name card. This quick beginning activity encouraged thoughtful discussion as fourth grade explored and observed the possible uses of each instrument. After a moment of exploring and discussing, we talked about each instrument as a class and reviewed each instrument’s purpose. We learned that an anemometer measures the speed of wind. A rain gauge gathers rainfall and measures how much it rains. A wind vane shows wind direction. A thermometer is used to measure temperature, and we know this is an important weather tool, as it helps us know how to dress each day. The barometer is used to determine air pressure. We learned that the barometer is a very important weather tool because it tells us everything about the weather. Higher air pressure signals a rainy day. Lower air pressure predicts a clear, sunny day. After reviewing and exploring some important tools that meteorologists use each day to collect weather data, fourth grade had an opportunity to create their own weather tools. Students gathered in small groups, followed directions on individual instruction cards, and used materials to create their own weather tool to later use at school to learn more about the weather. We make a nice class collection of the following: wind vanes, anemometers, barometers, and rain gauges. Exploring weather by collecting hands on data and using weather instruments is interesting!