Weather Web Quest Introduction Task Process Resources Evaluation Conclusion

The Water Cycle | Cloud Types and Formation | Local Weather | Weather Across the USA | Climate

Introduction: Science curriculum includes a goal that states "the learner will build an understanding of weather and climate". This is a comprehensive web quest designed to be used over a period of days. The Task: You will use the Internet to gather information that address the various curriculum competencies. The Process: The Water Cycle

1. Print the worksheet. 2. Use the following links to complete the worksheet questions. http://www.mbgnet.net/fresh/cycle/index.htm http://www.mbgnet.net/fresh/cycle/concepts.htm http://www.mbgnet.net/fresh/cycle/cycle.htm

3. Using what you know about the water cycle, create a slide show using Kid Pix or Hyperstudio that illustrates the various parts of the water cycle.

Cloud Types and Formation.

1. Print the worksheet. 2. Use the following links to complete the worksheet questions. http://www.srh.noaa.gov/bna/educate/VATHENA_2/weather/pricloud/index.html http://www.fi.edu/weather/events/fog.html http://ww2010.atmos.uiuc.edu/(Gh)/guides/mtr/cld/dvlp/cnvct.rxml

3. Observe the sky for five days and identify the types of clouds seen. Use the chart to record your data. Local Weather

1. Print the worksheet. 2. Go to http://www.weather.com/outlook/recreation/local/27292 and record the current conditions in the first column of your worksheet. 3. Return to http://www.weather.com/outlook/recreation/local/27292 daily for four more days to complete the worksheet. 4. Use a spreadsheet program to graph the information. Weather Across the USA

1. Print the worksheet. 2. Use the following links to record current weather conditions in each of the cities.

Lexington, NC http://www.weather.com/outlook/recreation/local/27292

St. Louis, MO http://www.weather.com/outlook/recreation/local/USMO0787

Los Angeles, CA http://www.weather.com/outlook/recreation/local/USCA0638

Juneau, AK http://www.weather.com/outlook/recreation/local/USAK0116

Honolulu, HI http://www.weather.com/outlook/recreation/local/USHI0026

3. Use a spreadsheet program to graph the information.

Climate

1. Print the worksheet. 2. Use the following links to complete the worksheet. http://www.infoplease.com/ce6/CE011513.html http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0762183.html

3. Use a spreadsheet program to graph the data that you collected in the chart.

Resources: Here are some additional weather resources: http://www.weather.com http://usatoday.com/weather/wfront.htm http://www.earthwatch.com/index.html

Evaluation:

Go to http://www2.davidson.k12.nc.us/webquests/weather/weatherquiz.html to complete an on-line quiz based on what you have studied. When you finish the quiz and your score appears on the screen, show your score to the teacher. Name: ______Date: ______Period: ______8th Grade Science Mr. Vorstadt Weather Web Quest Page 1 The Water Cycle Click on http://www.mbgnet.net/fresh/cycle/index.htm. Answer the following questions. 1. Define "water cycle". ______2. What fraction of the earth’s surface is covered in water? ______

3. What percentage of all the Earth’s water is in a form that is useable to humans and land animals? ______Click on http://www.mbgnet.net/fresh/cycle/concepts.htm. Answer the following questions. 1. Evaporation is the process where a liquid changes from its ______state to a ______state.

2. Why is evaporated water so clean? ______3. Condensation occurs when a ______is changed into a ______.

4. Condensation is the opposite of ______.

5. When the ______and ______are right, the small droplets of water in clouds form larger droplets and precipitation occurs. Click on http://www.mbgnet.net/fresh/cycle/cycle.htm. Answer the following questions. 1. Using the terms "evaporation", "condensation", and "precipitation", explain the water cycle in your own words. ______

2. What factor is most important in determining whether water is a solid, liquid, or gas? ______

3. Is the amount of water on Earth always changing or is it a constant amount? ______Page 2 Cloud Types and Formation

Click on http://www.srh.noaa.gov/bna/educate/VATHENA_2/weather/pricloud/index.html. Answer the following questions. 1. What does the word "Cirrus" mean? ______2. Are cirrus clouds low or high? ______

3. What are the large clouds that sometimes look like huge puffs of cotton? ______

4. What root word tells us that a cloud brings rain? ______5. Which type of cloud usually covers the whole sky and brings gray days? ______Click on http://www.fi.edu/weather/events/fog.html. Answer the following questions. 1. Fog is a ______based on the ground, rather than in the atmosphere.

2. Fog forms when there is a lot of ______near the ground, or when the air near the ground cools to the dew point. Click on http://ww2010.atmos.uiuc.edu/(Gh)/guides/mtr/cld/dvlp/cnvct.rxml. Complete the missing information. 1. As the earth is heated by the sun, bubbles of ______rise upward from the warm surface.

2. If a thermal (vapor) is able to rise high enough to cool to its ______point, the moisture condenses and becomes visible as a ______.

Local Weather Week of 3/9/11 to ______

Date 3/9/11

Time 8:08 Barometric 30.55 in Pressure Temperature 300F Relative 57% Humidity Wind Direction ESE

Wind Speed 17 mph

Precipitation 20%

General Weather Cloudy Conditions 410

Weather Across the USA

Los Angeles, City Name Lexington, NC St. Louis, MO Juneau, AK Honolulu, HI CA

Barometric Pressure

Temperature

Relative Humidity

Wind Direction

Wind Speed

Precipitation

General Weather Conditions

Pa ge 5 Climate:

Click on http://www.infoplease.com/ce6/weather/CE011513.html to complete this question.

1. Climate is the average condition of the atmosphere near the earth's surface over a long period of time, taking into account ______, ______, humidity, wind, ______pressure, and other phenomena.

2. Click on http://www.infoplease.com/ce6/weather/A0857393.html to complete this question

3. The major influence governing the climate of a region is its ______.

4. Click on http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0762183.html to complete the table below.

Mt. Washington Miami Charlotte New Hampshire Florida North Carolina

January Average Temp

April Average Temp

July Average Temp

October Average Temp

Average Rainfall in inchesinches

Average Days with Rainfall

Average Snowfall Clim ate Graph

s 100 t n u o m 80 a l l a Mt. Washington NH f n i 60 Miami Fl a R Charlotte N.C d n a 40

. p m e

0 Jan Average April Average July Average Oct Average Average Temp. Temp. Temp. Temp. Rainfall in inches Averages