Weather Forecasting and to the Measuring Weather Data, Instruments, and Science That Make Forecasting Accurate

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Delta Science Reader WWeathereather ForecastingForecasting

Delta Science Readers are nonfiction student books that provide science background and support the experiences of hands-on activities. Every Delta Science Reader has three main sections: Think About . . . , People in Science, and Did You Know?

Be sure to preview the reader Overview Chart on page 4, the reader itself, and the teaching suggestions on the following pages. This information will help you determine how to plan your schedule for reader selections and activity sessions.

Reading for information is a key literacy skill. Use the following ideas as appropriate for your teaching style and the needs of your students. The After Reading section includes an assessment and writing links.

VERVIEW Students will O understand the main factors that cause The Delta Science Reader Weather weather and produce weather changes Forecasting introduces students to the learn about the various instruments for world of weather forecasting and to the measuring weather data, instruments, and science that make forecasting accurate. Students will explore identify some of the elements of severe the six main weather factors—temperature, weather, and distinguish between weather air pressure, wind, humidity, precipitation, and climate and cloudiness—as well as discover the discuss the function of nonfiction text difference between weather and climate. elements such as the table of contents, The book also contains a biographical headings, tables, captions, and glossary sketch of tornado expert Tetsuya Theodore Fujita and information about two other kinds interpret photographs and graphics— of weather scientists: climatologists and diagrams, illustrations, weather maps— hurricane hunters. Students will find out to answer questions how a weather satellite works and how complete a KWL chart to track new different types of winds get their names. knowledge

delta science modules Weather Forecasting 103 © Delta Education LLC. All rights reserved. Permission to reprint for classroom use only. READING IN THE EFORE READING CONTENT AREA SKILLS B Build Background • Compare and contrast a variety of weather instruments Access students’ prior knowledge of • Classify weather data weather forecasting by displaying the book • Understand cause and effect and inviting students to share what they relationships in weather conditions know about the topic from their personal experiences and hands-on science • Think critically about why and how explorations. weather forecasting affects daily life •Preview and predict what the text will Most students have probably seen weather be about forecasters on television or heard weather •Make predictions about outcomes reports on the radio. Discuss how they • Skim and scan text think weather forecasters gather the information they need to accurately predict • Set a purpose for reading the weather. Many students may suggest •Draw conclusions about how something that weather reporters use computers to will work based on prior knowledge help them. Ask: What types of information •Interpret graphic devices do the computers tell weather reporters? • Summarize and restate information (Students may mention wind speed and direction, temperature, precipitation, cloudiness, or humidity.) Let students know that all of these things—and more— NONFICTION TEXT ELEMENTS are part of weather forecasting. Explain that they will be learning much more about Weather Forecasting contains a table the weather. of contents, headings, photographs, illustrations, diagrams, labels, captions, Begin a KWL chart by recording any facts or maps, map keys, tables, boldfaced terms, ideas that students have about weather and a glossary. forecasting in the K column. Ask students to maintain their own charts as they read.

CONTENT VOCABULARY K W L + What What What What The following terms are introduced in I Know IWant I Learned I Want to to Know Explore context and defined in the glossary: Further air mass, air pressure, anemometer, atmosphere, barometer, cirrus cloud, climate, cold front, convection, cumulus cloud, evaporate, forecast, front, global warming, humidity, hurricane, hygrometer, isobar, local winds, meteorologist, nimbus cloud, occluded front, precipitation, prevailing winds, rain gauge, relative humidity, stationary front, station model, stratus cloud, surface map, tornado, troposphere, warm front, water cycle, weather, weather balloon, weather map, weather station, wind vane.

104 delta science reader © Delta Education LLC. All rights reserved. Preview the Book instruments forecasting Invite students to scan the pages of Weather Forecasting. Explain that scanning is a way of meteorology looking ahead at the important parts of a air book before reading it. When they scan, they pressure should check the table of contents and the weather headings, look briefly at the graphics, quickly factors read the captions, notice the boldfaced terms, temperature and see what types of questions might be precipitation asked. Remind students that scanning is an wind important way to preview what they are going humidity cloudiness to read. It introduces them to the ideas they will be reading about. A concept web for meteorology. Call attention to the various nonfiction text elements and discuss how they can help Set a Purpose students organize and understand what they read. For example, ask: How do the headings Discuss with students what they might in the table of contents help you know what expect to find out when they read the book, you will learn about? What predictions can based on their preview. Encourage them to you make about what you are going to read use the questions on their KWL charts to set based on the photographs and illustrations? an overall purpose for reading. Explain that the words in boldface type are important words related to weather forecasting. Point out that these words are GUIDE THE READING defined in the glossary. Choose one word Preview the book yourself to determine the and have students find its definition in the amount of guidance you will need to give for glossary. each section. Depending on your schedule and the needs of your class, you may wish to After the preview, ask: What questions do consider the following options: you have about weather forecasting that you hope this book will answer? Have them • Whole Group Reading Read the book write these questions in their KWL charts. aloud with a group or the whole class. They may also wish to include the headings Encourage students to ask questions and that are in the form of questions. Remind make comments. Pause as necessary to them that they will be completing their charts clarify and assess understanding. after they finish their reading. • Shared Reading Have students form Preview the Vocabulary pairs or small groups and read the book together. Pause students after each text You may wish to preview some of the section to clarify as needed and to discuss vocabulary words before reading, rather than any questions that arise or have been waiting to introduce them in the context of answered. New questions can be added the book. Possibilities include a word wall, to the KWL chart. vocabulary cards, sentence strips, or a concept web. • Independent Reading Some students may be ready to read independently. Have them For example, let students work in small groups rejoin the class for discussion of the book. to develop webs for weather forecasting terms, Check understanding by asking students to like the one shown here for meteorology. explain in their words what they read.

delta science modules Weather Forecasting 105 © Delta Education LLC. All rights reserved. Tips for Reading have to work inside or outside; to decide whether to wear a coat or not; • If you spread the reading out over to make travel plans; to predict several days, begin each session by whether there will be a drought; to reviewing the previous day’s reading prepare for a storm.) and previewing what will be read in the upcoming session. • After reading page 2, be sure that students understand all of the science • Check and assess understanding concepts. To assess comprehension, after each section by having students ask, In what layer of the atmosphere paraphrase in their own words what they does weather occur? (troposphere) have read. Encourage students to take What causes change in the weather? turns in this process. (movement of air masses) What is the study of weather called? (meteorology) • Begin each text section by reading or having a volunteer read aloud the • Have students make inferences based heading. Discuss what students expect on their reading. Ask, How would a to learn, based on the heading. Have scientist know if another planet, such students examine any illustrations or as Venus, had weather? (Scientists graphics and read accompanying could find out whether the planet was captions or labels. surrounded by an atmosphere. A planet that has no atmosphere would have • Help students locate context clues to no weather.) the meanings of words in boldfaced type. Remind them that these words •As students look at the atmospheric are defined in the glossary. labels in the illustration, ask, What do each of the words have in common? • As appropriate, model reading strategies (The words all end in -sphere.) Ask if students may find helpful for nonfiction: anyone knows what the word sphere adjust reading rate, ask questions, means. (round) If necessary, explain that paraphrase, reread, visualize. the atmosphere is like a multi-layered blanket of air around the earth. Think About . . . (pages 2–9) •As students read the caption under the Page 2 Why Do We Predict the Weather? graphic, ask, How do you think the layers of the atmosphere change • Before students read, ask them to as they get farther from the earth’s brainstorm answers to the question: surface? (Accept reasonable ideas, and Why do you care about what the ask students to give their reasons for weather will be tomorrow? (Students their suggestions. As needed, point out may suggest that they care because that generally the air gets thinner and they want to know what to wear the colder the higher you go.) Some may next day; they want to know if their suggest that the upper layers of the sports will be in rain or shine; they want atmosphere are hotter because they to know whether to leave windows are closer to the sun. Parts of the open or shut in their rooms.) thermosphere, heated by ultraviolet rays and X-rays, can become very hot. Then have them look at the heading In the lower atmosphere, however, the at the top of page 2. Ask them what sun warms the earth, and the earth in reasons other people might have for turn warms the air around it. So in the predicting the weather. (Students may troposphere, the farther from Earth, the suggest to determine if people will colder the atmosphere.

106 delta science reader © Delta Education LLC. All rights reserved. •If necessary, provide help with the • Continue tracing the water cycle with pronunciation of precipitation (pri-sip-uh- the diagram as a guide. Ask, What is TAY-shuhn) and meteorologist (mee-tee- condensation? (water vapor changing back ur-OL-uh-jist). Reinforce the idea that the to small droplets of water) Have students weather “reporters” on television and think of an example of condensation. (dew radio are often meteorologists—scientists on the grass in the mornings; drops of who study the weather. water on the window after a pot of water has been boiling; water on the walls of the •Remind students to expand their word bathroom after a shower; cloud formation) webs as they read each section. •Look again at the heading on page 3. Can Pages 3, 4, 5 How Is Weather Data students answer the question? Have them Gathered? try to summarize the different ways to collect weather data described on pages 3 •As students read page 3, be sure that and 4. Ask volunteers to restate the main they understand the science concepts. ideas from these two pages. (Weather Ask, How do meteorologists record air data collecting involves recording pressure? (by using a barometer) How wind speed, air pressure, temperature, can a barometer show if the weather humidity, precipitation, and cloudiness.) will be rainy? (Low air pressure is a sign of rain.) Point out that in low pressure • Before students begin to read page 5, air masses, air rises and cools, forming have them look first at the photograph clouds and precipitation. and read the caption. Discuss the purpose of the structure pictured. Then read the •Point out the boldfaced term convection. first paragraph. Ask, What is a Cotton Help students locate context clues to the Region Shelter? (It is a box located at meaning of the word. weather stations that contains weather instruments. The instruments can be • Ask, How are a wind vane and an “outside” but not harmed by the weather. anemometer different? (One measures It is also called a Stevenson screen.) wind direction, and the other measures wind speed.) • Ask, Why do you think there are so many weather stations across the United • As students continue reading about States? (The more stations there are, the collecting weather data, be sure that they more data can be collected and the more understand the science concepts. Ask, accurate weather information will be.) What is humidity? (water vapor in the air) Remind students that water vapor is •Students may be fascinated by the idea of the gas form of water. Then ask, How do weather balloons. Explain further that clouds form? (When warm air rises and weather balloons are launched from cools in the upper atmosphere, water almost 1,000 sites all over the world twice vapor condenses back into liquid water a day. Ask, What do the instruments on droplets.) What does relative humidity weather balloons measure? (temperature, measure? (the amount of water vapor in humidity, air pressure, and wind speed) the air compared with the greatest amount Then ask students to think critically: Why that could be in the air at that temperature do you think a balloon is an effective and pressure) way to measure these weather data? (It can send signals back from a variety of • Have students look at the diagram on altitudes. It can get higher than a tower or page 4. Ask, What part does the sun play weather station.) in the water cycle? (The sun heats the water on Earth, causing it to evaporate, or •Point out that the word radar is an change from liquid to gas in the air.) acronym for radio detecting and ranging.

delta science modules Weather Forecasting 107 © Delta Education LLC. All rights reserved. Ask, What can radar locate? map and interpret the weather data for (precipitation) that location. Ask a volunteer to point out high- and low-pressure areas and •Students have learned about several warm and cold fronts. Where is there instruments that measure or collect a high-pressure area? (far north of weather data, such as the barometer, Minneapolis, at the top of the map) the anemometer, the thermometer, and Who can remember what the weather the hygrometer. Ask them what all is like in high-pressure areas? (fair) these words have in common. (the root Where is there a low-pressure area? word meter) Ask, What do you think (just north of Detroit, over the Great meter means? (to measure) Lakes) What does the low pressure tell you about what the weather is likely Page 6 What Do Weather Maps Show? to be? (probably rainy or stormy.)

• If possible, make available some •Ask students to draw conclusions about newspaper weather maps of your their reading by asking, Why do you local area. Let students try to identify think meteorologists use a map symbols on the local map and interpret instead of a chart or list to view their meanings based on the body text weather data? (Students may suggest and the map and key. that a map helps them to see weather patterns. A map will help them see what •Ask students as they read: What is a has been happening in areas around station model? (a cluster of numbers their location and help them predict and symbols that explain weather what might happen where they are. A data from weather stations) What are map can use symbols to give a lot of isobars? (lines on the maps connecting information.) stations with similar air pressure) What is a weather front? (a boundary between Page 7 How Are Weather Forecasts two unlike air masses, such as a cold air Made? mass and a warm air mass) Why does weather from a warm air mass last •As students read page 7, be sure that longer than weather from a cold air they can recall and comprehend what mass? (because warm air masses travel they read. Ask, What causes weather slower than cold air masses) systems to move? (prevailing winds) Then ask, What is the usual pattern of •Draw students’ attention to the prevailing winds in the United States? boldfaced word isobars. Let them know (The winds move from west to east.) that the prefix iso- comes from the Help students apply knowledge by Greek word that means “same.” Then asking where the weather in your local point out that the root word bar in area usually comes from. (Answers will isobar (and barometer) means “heavy” vary depending on location.) or “weight.” What do you think isobar means? (“same weight”; isobars •Help students draw conclusions by connect stations with the same weight asking, How do clouds help of air, or air pressure) meteorologists make weather forecasts? (Different kinds of clouds •Give students time to examine the bring different kinds of weather. By weather map and the key of weather observing the clouds in the sky, you can symbols. Go over the symbols to be tell something about what the weather sure students understand how they will be.) Review the four different kinds represent different weather conditions. of clouds with students, and have them Invite students to choose a city on the add the cloud names to their webs.

108 delta science reader © Delta Education LLC. All rights reserved. • Ask, Why do you think weather •Ask students to make inferences about forecasting is more accurate today than what they read. For example, ask: Why it was twenty years ago? (Students may do you think it is harder to predict a respond that today the instruments are thunderstorm that forms within an air more sophisticated and accurate. Today mass? Why do most thunderstorms occur we have computers to help forecast and during the summer? interpret the data.) Point out that weather forecasts can be wrong. Invite students to • Ask students what they know about share their experiences with making plans tornadoes. Perhaps they live or have lived based on a weather forecast that turned in an area where tornadoes occur. Explain out to be wrong. Speculate about why that there is a “tornado season,” a time of weather forecasts may not be correct all year when they are more likely to occur. the time. This season usually lasts from March through July. • Ask students to look at the photograph on page 7 and to think about what •Ask students to compare and contrast information is being shown here. Ask, tornadoes and thunderstorms. Invite Based on what you can see in this them to create a chart that outlines the picture, what types of information do similarities and differences. Under you think the meteorologist is giving in similarities students might note high this report? (Have students support their winds, severe weather, detected by radar. answers with evidence from the graphic.) Under differences they might list that tornadoes have a funnel-shaped cloud, • Ask students to think about the job of a spinning winds, higher winds, and meteorologist. What types of background, extremely low pressure. A thunderstorm education, and training do you think has an anvil-shaped cloud, thunder and a person would need to become a lightning, heavy rain, and it can form meteorologist? (Students may suggest within an air mass, not just along a front. college education, science education, some math ability, the ability to analyze Page 9 How Do Weather and Climate data and draw conclusions about what Differ? they see. Television meteorologists would also have to learn how to communicate • Have students look at the heading on well in front of the camera or an audience.) page 9. Ask them to think about the question. Page 8 How Is Severe Weather Predicted? • After they read page 9, ask, What is the • Before they read page 8, have students main difference between climate and brainstorm a list of severe weather types. weather? (Weather changes from day to They may come up with a list including day and place to place, but climate is the tornadoes, hurricanes, thunderstorms, average weather conditions over a large blizzards, typhoons, and windstorms. region for a long period of time.) What are Earth’s six types of climate? (tropical, dry, •To check comprehension, ask, What temperate, cold, polar, and highland) What causes a thunderstorm? (warm, moist air did you learn about Earth’s climate? rising quickly along a cold front) What type of air pressure do you find in a •Students may have heard of global tornado? (very low) How fast can a warming. Ask them to speculate about tornado move? (70 mph) How can what might happen to the earth if the you tell if a thunderstorm may be planet’s overall climate were to get approaching? (If you can see an anvil- very much warmer. Encourage interested shaped cloud with a dark bottom, it can students to research global warming on signal a storm.)

delta science modules Weather Forecasting 109 © Delta Education LLC. All rights reserved. the Internet and share their findings Home park were turned over and many with the class. shingles were torn off roofs when a tornado hit Alantown. Ask, Based on •Give students time to examine the map. the Fujita scale, what type of tornado Discuss what it shows about Earth’s swept through Alantown? (F1) Several climates. Ask students to think about families were left homeless and carless what life might be like for someone after a tornado swept through Jake’s who lives in another climate. Have them Landing. Ask, What type of tornado brainstorm ways everyday life would twisted through Jake’s Landing? (F4) be different. (Accept all reasonable answers and ideas.) Further Facts People in Science (pages 10–13) Tetsuya Theodore Fujita

Page 10 Tetsuya Theodore Fujita • Began his study of meteorology when he heard thunder approaching in his •Students will be reading about a hometown in Japan and measured the scientist who studied tornadoes distance between the lightning and the and thunderstorms. After they read thunder. the biographical sketch, check comprehension with questions such • Discovered a book in the trash by as: Where does a tornado come from? American meteorologist Horace Byers (It is a violent spinning of air that and began corresponding with him. hits the earth from the bottom of a thunderstorm cloud.) On what did • In 1956 became research professor Fujita base his system of classifying and senior meteorologist at the tornadoes? (on the amount of damage University of Chicago alongside they could produce) What new Horace Byers. discoveries did Fujita make? (He discovered that one thunderstorm • Established Severe Local Storms could produce more than one tornado Project (SLSP). and that some tornadoes have more than one vortex, or funnel.) •Created the Fujita scale in 1971.

• Ask students what they think about •Began his study of downbursts and Fujita’s work. Why do you think it is microbursts following a plane crash important to classify tornadoes in 1975. according to type of damage? (Accept all reasonable answers. Students may • In later life studied typhoons and the suggest that it is important to classify El Niño phenomenon. them so that people will know what to Page 11 Climatologists expect when the tornado comes; scientists need to keep track of how •Look at the heading on page 11. If many tornadoes of what force are necessary, provide help with the occurring in a certain area so they can pronunciation of climatologists (klye- track the climate and forecast future muh-TOL-uh-jists). Ask students to storms.) predict what they think a climatologist might do. (They study Earth’s climate • Ask students to look at the Fujita scale to find out how it is changing.) After chart. Ask them to imagine that they are reading, ask students how a climatologist listening to a news report of a tornado. is like an historian. (They both study Here’s what they hear: Last night several pieces of the past to get a sense of what homes in the Shady Lanes Mobile

110 delta science reader © Delta Education LLC. All rights reserved. happened. This helps them to analyze what able to think and react quickly; you would is happening today and to predict what have to be committed to discovering more might happen in the future.) about hurricanes.)

• Ask, Why do climatologists go to glaciers • Ask, In what ways do hurricane hunters to find out about Earth’s past? (The thick save lives? (They save lives by recording ice in glaciers preserves trapped gas the information about wind speed and bubbles and materials that tell the story of path of the hurricane so that residents in the earth’s past climate.) its path can be warned and evacuated.) Ask students to imagine that a hurricane • Ask students to think about a warning has been posted for your city or climatologist’s career. Ask, What do you town. They will not have to be evacuated, think might be the most exciting part of but they will have to prepare quickly for being a climatologist? (Students can the storm. What are some things you speculate that it might be very exciting to might do to prepare? (Take in any find a new clue to the history of climate or furniture or bicycles or plants that are not make a discovery that would help protect tied down around their home; fill up Earth’s climate from changing.) Why do empty bottles with water; go to the store you think it is important to learn about and get batteries and candles and extra climate of the past? (to be able to detect water; be sure there is canned food patterns; to predict how human activity available in case power for cooking goes affects climate and what might happen to out; tape up their windows so that the Earth’s climate years from now; to help wind won’t break them; power up cell people make decisions about use of phones; locate flashlights and battery- energy resources) operated radios; unplug all electrical appliances.) Encourage students to make Pages 12, 13 Hurricane Hunters a list of all the things they might do to prepare for a hurricane. •Tell students that now they will read about a career choice they may never have • Ask students, Which career would considered before: hurricane hunting. you prefer, being a climatologist or Before they read, ask students what they a hurricane hunter? Why? Encourage think a hurricane hunter might do and students to give detailed answers about why. (Students may speculate that their choices. hurricane hunters follow hurricanes with instruments to see when and where they • Have students look at the hurricane chart might hit land.) on page 13. Ask them to explain the chart and any conclusions they can make based • Be sure students understand what makes on it. a storm a hurricane. Ask, At what wind speed does a storm become a hurricane? • Ask students to apply what they know (119 kph, or 74 mph) What kind of damage about weather to answer this question: can a hurricane do? (It can wreck buildings What do you think happens to the and flood streets.) How do hurricane barometer just before a hurricane hits? hunters track hurricanes? (by flying an (It shows the air pressure falling rapidly airplane directly through the eye of the and steadily.) hurricane and taking instrument readings) • Hurricane hunter aircraft are equipped •Ask students to look at the picture of the with special tools and carry them into hurricane hunter airplane on page 13. weather systems. Can students recall Ask, What type of personality do you another weather instrument that performs think you would have to have to be a a similar function? (a weather balloon) hurricane hunter? (You would have to be

delta science modules Weather Forecasting 111 © Delta Education LLC. All rights reserved. Hurricane Hunters stays over one location by moving at the same speed Earth rotates, or it • The idea for hurricane hunting came passes over the same locations at the in 1969, after the devastation of same times each day.) How is a hurricane Camille. satellite powered? (It uses energy from the sun.) How are satellite pictures • Since 1978 names for hurricanes have sent back to Earth? (via radio waves) alternated yearly between male and female names. Two alphabetical lists • If possible, direct students to two of names are repeated every six websites that show more about years. Names of especially destructive GOES weather satellites and their hurricanes are retired and not used output: the National Oceanic and again. Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) site at www.noaa.gov/satellites.html and • Hurricane hunters gather tropical the National Aeronautics and Space storm data from June through Administration (NASA) site at November and winter storm and http://rsd.gsfc.nasa.gov/goes. blizzard data from November through April. Further Facts •Missions usually last around 11 hours GOES Weather Satellites and cover thousands of miles. The first artificial satellite was launched •The airplanes fly at around 300 mph by the Soviet Union in October 1957. It and data are collected every 30 was called Sputnik I. Now more than seconds. 3,500 satellites orbit the earth. Two are weather satellites called Geostationary •Key instrument is the dropsonde, Operational Environmental Satellites, or which is dropped from the plane every GOES, which together monitor two- 400 miles and when in the eye. It thirds of the earth’s surface. The first takes readings as it falls through GOES mission was in 1975; the most the storm. recent GOES was launched in 1997. The GOES weather satellites are about 2 m •Weather data collected from hurricane (6–7 ft.) long and weigh 4,640 pounds. hunters have improved forecasting Images from GOES show data by 25 percent. • day and night cloud cover and height Did You Know? (pages 14–15) •land surface temperatures Page 14 How Weather Satellites Work • sea surface temperatures • Before they read the text, ask students •winds calculated by cloud motion to read the title. If necessary, provide help with the pronunciation of satellite •locations of forest fires (SAT-uh-lite). Ask, What is a satellite? (Accept reasonable responses; a satellite • water vapor at various altitudes is a vehicle made to orbit Earth and take pictures of Earth’s surface.) • heat or energy leaving the earth

• Check students’ understanding of the •estimates of precipitation amounts concepts on page 14. Ask, How does GOES satellites are also sometimes a satellite take pictures of the same used to locate survivors of airplane spots on Earth day after day? (It either crashes or shipwrecks, or hikers lost on

112 delta science reader © Delta Education LLC. All rights reserved. a mountain. NASA launches and maintains Further Facts the GOES satellites, and NOAA oversees Winds their day-to-day operations. Hundreds of winds have been named. Page 15 Winds Have Names Wind names sometimes come from ancient legends and sometimes reflect local •Read together the heading on page 15 culture. For example, and make a class list of names of winds that students already know. After they • Barber: a damp, icy, downhill wind in have read page 15, compare the list with Canada and the northern U.S. that the names they discover in their reading. freezes on contact with hair and beards.

•Draw students’ attention to the wind type • Kona: a Hawaiian wind that blows from called the doldrums. Ask if anyone has the southwest bringing heavy rains. ever heard this word before. Tell them • Sonora: a warm wind that blows from about the expression “down in the Mexico into the southwestern U.S. doldrums.” Explain that this expression means feeling depressed or sad. Make • Williwaw: a frigid, strong wind in Alaska. the connection to the wind name by explaining that the expression originated • Santa Ana winds: very warm, dry, gusty when sailors who were sailing in the area winds in southern California, often of the doldrums would get discouraged responsible for the spread of forest fires. because their ships would not make very much headway sailing in the light winds. • Cat’s Paw: a breeze that is only strong Sometimes they would be stalled or stuck enough to cause a ripple in water. in the same place for weeks. • Diablo: northern California version of •Remind students to list the types of winds the Santa Ana winds. on their KWL charts. • Jet stream: high-altitude bands of air • Ask students which winds are most that travel up to 300 kph (190 mph). likely to affect them. (Answers will vary depending on location.) • Kohilo: a gentle breeze in Hawaii. • Knik wind: a strong southeast wind in • Have students look at the map of the the vicinity of Palmer, Alaska. global wind patterns and read the caption and labels. Which winds are blowing • Nor’easter: a strong wind that closest to the equator? (trade winds) blows across New England from the Speculate about where these winds got northeast, usually bringing stormy their name. Which winds are blowing weather. in the Arctic and Antarctic area? (polar winds) • Shawondasee: means “lazy wind,” from Algonquin language; a late summer •If necessary, provide help with the wind from the south. pronunciation of chinook (shih-NOOK) and sirocco (suh-ROK-oh). Ask: What is the difference between these two types of wind? (A chinook blows from the west down the Rocky Mountains. A sirocco blows from the south out of the Sahara Desert.)

Complete the KWL chart you began with Use the questions that follow as the basis students before reading by asking them to for a discussion of the book or for a written share the answers to their questions in the or an oral assessment. W category. Call on volunteers to retell each of the sections in the text. Then have 1. What are the weather factors and what do students use the information in the chart to they tell about the weather? (The six write brief summary statements. factors are: temperature [tells how warm or cold it is], air pressure [helps predict Discuss with students how using the KWL changes in the weather], humidity strategy helped them understand and [whether the weather will be wet or dry], appreciate the book. Encourage them to wind [tells what direction the weather is share any other reading strategies that moving; helps tell how fast the weather is helped them with their reading, such as moving], precipitation [tells what type of making inferences, drawing conclusions, water will be falling from the clouds], and making generalizations, comparing and cloudiness [tells whether skies will be contrasting, predicting, and classifying. clear, rainy, or stormy].)

Direct students’ attention to the fourth 2. What are some of the instruments used column in the chart and ask, What to collect weather data? (The barometer questions do you still have about measures air pressure; the anemometer forecasting weather? What would you measures wind speed; the hygrometer like to explore further? Record students’ measures humidity; radar tracks responses. Then ask, Where might you be precipitation; satellites take pictures of able to get this information? (Students storms, cloud cover, and wind patterns might mention an encyclopedia, science from high above Earth; and computers books, and the Internet.) track all of the information and help put it together in moving pictures for You may want to obtain a copy of Watching analysis.) Weather (Accidental Scientist series, Owl Publishing). This book explains simple ways to forecast the weather using information gathered through everyday observation.

Present the following as writing assignments.

1. How do you think your life might be different if there were no meteorologists to forecast the weather? (Students may suggest that they wouldn’t be able to plan their days as well; they wouldn’t be able to plan for snow days or sports activities; they might not be able to work or plan their income if they work outdoors.)

2. Which of the instruments for measuring or forecasting weather do you think is the most important? Why? (Students can choose one of the instruments they read about and express their reasons for believing it is most important.)

Science Journals: You may wish to have students keep the writing activities related to the reader in their science journals.

References and Resources

For trade book suggestions and Internet sites, see the References and Resources section of this teacher’s guide.