WEATHER WATCHER WEBQUEST
Name:
Weather Watchers WebQuest Instructions and Worksheet Type your answers in “RED” or “Blue” color. As you type, the next questions will move down to allow room to type complete answers. When finished, save this document as, and submit to my drop box in my public folder as: Period_Weather_LastName.
NOTE: To successfully complete this WebQuest activity, you must read the directions and follow them as directed. Don’t just skip to the questions or you may not be able to find the answers.
Part 1. Explore Weather 1) Read this short section first, then - after reading it - go to http://urbanext.illinois.edu/treehouse/ You will need headphones if you have them. There are 4 sections along the top (Seasons & Temperature, Air Pressure & Wind, Clouds & Moisture, and Rock ’N Roll Weather. Explore each of the four areas entirely (go all the way through them). Some of the information that they cover should be familiar to you. Pay attention to it, because it will help you predict our weather.
2) Then click on the “Activities” tab at the bottom of the treehouse. In that section, complete the ID a Cloud and the Forecasting Under Pressure activities. Fully complete these two activities. You can look at the other two if you want, but you don’t need to.
* You may return to this site later if you feel it will be helpful in completing the activities.
Part 2. Weather Watchers Web Quest
Introduction You are working towards completing the requirements you need to become a certified meteorologist for our school. To do this, you must show that you can check weather data, prepare a simple weather forecast, and predict the weather for the next two days. You will be using the Internet to gather information you will be including in your weather forecast.
The Task You will participate in activities that will test your knowledge of weather, gather information from the Internet, and use the information you have found to prepare a daily weather report and predict the weather forecast for at least two days. Go to the web sites provided and complete the activities listed in the Process section below. Then answer the questions.
First go to the National Weather Service Site (http://weather.noaa.gov/radar/ ) and click on the top words – Most Recent National Composite. Look at the map of the United States. Then check your local radar conditions by clicking on the map near where your town is located. Use the national and local radar maps to answer the following questions. Also, click on the link: http://www.accuweather.com/en/us/illinois/weather-radar for another useful local radar.
A.Where in the USA is there currently large areas of precipitation?
A.Is there any precipitation in your State? If so, where?
C. Using the radar conditions map, is there precipitation in your area now?
D. Do you think there will be precipitation in your area soon? Why or why not?
F. What information can you gather from these two maps that may help you forecast the weather?
2. Visit The Weather Channel (www.weather.com) site to gather information about the current weather conditions in your area right now. To get to your local weather conditions, you will have to type in your zip code in the box in the upper right corner of the page.
A. What can you find out about current conditions in our area from this site? (Note: some of this information is easy to find, some you have to look harder or think about)
Temperature: ______Cloud Cover: ______
Wind: ______Dew Point: ______
Humidity: ______Barometer: ______
A.Find a way to determine what the temperature is in degrees Celsius. What is the current Celsius temperature? ______
3. Visit Dan’s Wild, Wild Weather Page (www.wildwildweather.com) to check on the cloud conditions in your area and to learn more about the different types of clouds and what they mean in weather forecasting by doing the steps in this paragraph. To look at clouds, click on the word clouds on the left side of the page. Scroll down to the clouds chart photos and choose the one that looks most like what you see outside your window today. Next, scroll to the bottom of the page and click on “Cloud Types”. Click on the type of cloud (high, mid, or low level) and find the type you already chose as today’s type. See if you still agree with your decision. If not, continue searching the types until you decide on today’s cloud type.
A.Using the charts on the web page, what type of clouds are in your area right now?
B. List two facts about these clouds.
I. How might this information help you forecast the weather?
4. Visit Accuweather (www.accuweather.com) to check other radar and satellite maps and gather data on the high and low temperatures over the next several days. To gather information for your area, you will have to type in your zip code in the box near the top of the page. Then, at the top of the page, click on “radar & maps” to see any precipitation in our area. Next click on Satellite at the top of the page to see any cloud cover in our area. Finally, click on “Forecast maps” and “Weather maps” to see the current temperature and other conditions in our area.
A.Radar – Is there precipitation in our area at this time?
A.Satellite – What kind of cloud cover is over our area?
I. Maps – What is the estimated high temperature for the day?
I. Using the chart at the bottom of this web page, find the listed current temperature for today.
E. Using the charts, find the expected low and high temperatures for the next two days.
1.Using your text book and any other sources, complete the following review of terms by explaining what each term is AND THEN provide information regarding the type of weather associated with it. Do both parts!
Warm Front -
Cold Front -
High -
Low -
Part 3: Weather Forecasting
Using the information you have gathered from the text book and web sites you have visited, write down your weather predictions for the next two days. Feel free to go back and look at any of the sites you need to for information. DO NOT GO TO ANY WEB SITES THAT PROVIDE PREDICTIONS OF THE WEATHER FOR THE NEXT TWO DAYS! You are also to draw maps of where you expect the following to be for the next two days. Use the blank maps of the United States and put the following on your maps: - Fronts - High / Low pressure systems - Temperatures (at least a few in different parts of the country (either put both high and low temps or just one or the other) - Any other information you want to include
A. Your Day One Prediction (Tomorrow)
A.Your Day Two Prediction
* After you have made your predictions, try to find some weather maps that are on some of the sites that predict the next couple of days weather. See if your 2- day prediction matches their prediction for our area.
C. Was your prediction close to the forecast on the web site you chose for comparison? Why or why not? Explain.
1. After you complete your worksheet, go back to Dan’s Wild, Wild Weather Page (www.wildwildweather.com) and try the word search and puzzles under the Games and Puzzles link for fun. EXTRA CREDIT (or at the decision of the teacher maybe part of the assignment, and may be done individually or with a small group of students)
Video Tape a weather report. Using a computer or video camera, create a weather report similar to what you see on television when meteorologists give their report. Include information on today’s weather, but most importantly on the next two day’s weather. Be specific in explaining why you predict the upcoming weather.