Weather and
Weather Forecasting

Procedures:  1. You will work in groups of two or three students.  The groups will be determined by your teacher.       Each person in the group will be responsible for his/her own part of the presentation and his/her grade will be based on the rubric.

2.  Each person in your group will do research to find information to answer the following questions.      a.  What instruments are used to forecast the weather?      b.  What information does each of these instruments give a meteorologist?      c.  What information is included in a weather forecast?      d.  What information is included on a weather map?      e.  What is the difference between a weather report and a weather forecast?

3.  Think about the best sources to find the information.  Complete pre search plan. Each group member will be responsible for recording the information on all five questions.       The main topic is weather forecasting.  The questions should be used to create the sub topics on the note cards.  Each time you change resources, you will need a new note card.

4.  As you are taking notes, you will need to complete a bibliography.  You must have a minimum of Two different print and at least One non-print resource.  It is very important that the bibliography be filled out completely and correctly since it will also be graded.  As soon as you begin taking notes using a particular resource, you fill out the bibliography form.  DO NOT WAIT TO DO IT LATER!

Presentation: 5. Your presentation will have four parts.  One student will present a national weather report, one will present a regional weather report (New York State), and one student will present a local weather report.  Together will your teacher decide which student will do each presentation.  The fourth part will be a weather forecast.  All three students need to work together using the information from their individual reports to predict an appropriate weather forecast for the next day.  Even though all three students will work cooperatively creating the presentation, you will need to decide who will present the forecast.

6.  Next, using your note cards and the information you learned in class, create a weather map or chart on one of the following:       NATIONAL WEATHER MAP - the map must include:                     a.  at least one high pressure system           b.  at least one low pressure system           c.  two different fronts with appropriate weather conditions for each front.           d.  two different kinds of precipitation           e.  one hazardous weather system or condition REGIONAL WEATHER MAP - the map must include:           a.  current temperatures for at least five cities in New York State           b.  one front with the appropriate weather conditions           c.  precipitation in the appropriate places on the map           d.  winds           e.  a weather proverb appropriate for the conditions on the map (weather proverbs can be found by doing a web search using the key words, "weather proverb" LOCAL WEATHER MAP - the map must include:           a.  current temperature           b.  current air pressure           c.  current relative humidity           d.  precipitation recorded           e.  record high and low temperatures for the day           f.  current high and low temperatures for the day                * Your map should include a title, key and compass.  Your chart should include a title.

7.  After that, each person will need to write a script for giving a weather report.  The script should be an explanation of the weather conditions you have drawn on your map or shown on your chart.

                             

8.  Together with the other students in your group, and based on the information  from the national, regional, and local weather reports, write a script and make a visual aid for forecasting tomorrow's weather conditions.  Be sure to include:             a.  high temperature           b.  low temperature           c.  any precipitation that may occur           d.  general sky conditions