WEATHER PROJECT
The procedures: “Tasks”
1. Document (journal) the weather conditions for two weeks. (primary study and data)
2. Look for patterns in the primary data--two variables that mimic or react
similarly (up and down together) or in opposition (separate, then converge)
indicating a direct or inverse relationship.
3. Formulate a question about the reactions of the two variables to further investigate
4. Make a hypothesis or prediction about a possible future outcome.
5. Document two more weeks of additional data for confirmation. (secondary study)
6. Analyze the secondary data and check for the amount of support of your hypothesis.
7. Construct and organize all observed data into a table. These are the statistics.
8. Make a graph of the statistics from the data table for the two variables investigated.
9. State the results by comparing the statistics from the outcome of the
first two weeks of data with the second two weeks of data.
10. Summarize the entire project.
a. What the project was all about, include an abbreviated set of procedures.
b. What you observed the first two weeks. How many times? Direct or Inverse?
c. What you decided for further investigation.
d. The final results and data comparisons from the primary study
verses the data from the secondary study.
-How many times? Direct or Inverse
-the amount of support to your hypothesis.
-conclusions about the relationship stated in the problem;
(So, is there or is there not some kind of a relationship?)
-reasons for the outcome are optional.
Type your report if you want to try and earn a possible ‘A’ for the project, otherwise, < = ‘B’ .
Due date = ______, April / May ______
(day) (circle month) (date)
Write up your investigation in an Outline Format. Probably going to be two pages long.
Rubric:
(2 pt) Typewritten
(1 pt.) Name and hour
(1 pt.) Title: ( Your choice, however, include the two pieces of data studied )
(1 pt.) Problem: ( This should be in the form of a question and inquire about
whether there is a relationship between the two variables)
(1 pt.) Hypothesis: ( Your guess at the answer to the above question-whether there
is a direct or inverse relationship between the two variables)
(2 pt.) Procedures: ( What was this all about? What you did from start to finish )
(3 pt.) Data table: ( The numbers/statistics or data representing the two variables)
(3 pt.) Graph(s): ( Via Microsoft Word, Microsoft Excel, or any other programs)
(2 pt.) Results: ( The outcome of the investigation. Includes your initial
observations or statistics comparing how often the variables
reacted the first two weeks with how often they reacted
as you hypothesized the second two weeks.)
(4 pt.) Summary: ( the project in review, a wrap up, and/or conclusions )
a. What the project was all about, including an abbreviated set of procedures.
b. What you observed in the first two weeks:
- how many times, and
- was it a direct or inverse relationship.
c. What you decided to do for further investigation.
d. The final results and comparisons:
- primary study and data verses the secondary study and data.
(How many times? Direct or Inverse)
-state the amount of support to your hypothesis.
-conclusions about the relationship stated in the problem;
(Is there or is there not some kind of a relationship?)
-reasons for the outcome are optional.
Total = 20 pts.
GRADING SCALE
Total points: 20 multiplied by 5 for an approximate total of 100 points.
Grade scale: Qtr. 4 Description
A = 90-100 Well beyond the usual expectation; typed.
Colorful, neat, organized, eloquent.
B = 80-89 Meets or slightly exceeds expectations; or just not typed.
Nothing fancy.
C = 70-79 Got it done, but just the minimum requirements--average effort.
A last minute job, but done in a frenzy the night before?
D = 60-69 Below minimum standards—some content incomplete or missing.
Looks like you weren’t too interested in doing this.
F = 59 & U Not complete / not turned in.
Ten points off per day late. After five days late, don’t bother. After that, it’s a zero.
Responsible, caring students find reasons to get things done right and turned in on time.
Kids that don’t care, and/or rush through it to just “get it done”, make excuses.
Example excuses are: sudden computer crashes or printer problems at home.
There are dozens of computers here at school and plenty of opportunities during and after
school to use them. You could always work on it at home, save it on a flash, bring it in, or
email it to yourself at school, and print it here.
If you can’t find a solution, hand write it.
Waiting until the last minute may limit your options.
Start on it early enough to discover and remedy problems.
You have one week after the last data taking day. That’s a week and two weekends.
Weather Journal Notes
Precipitation means water amount. (FYI: In winter, you must melt the snow into water first, then measure)
On average, 10” of snow will melt into approximately 1” of water. Note: there is a 10:1 ratio, here.
However, wet, heavy snow will melt into more water, while drier, lighter, fluffier snow will melt into less water.
So in winter, to find out the precipitation amount, simply use the following formula: snow depth x 1/10 .
Or, to find the snow depth from the precipitation total, use the following formula: precip x 10/1 .
Cloud cover symbols: Used like a pie graph.
Clear Partly cloudy Partly sunny Overcast Obscured (=can’t tell)
(No clouds) (mostly sunny) (1/2) (mostly cloudy) (cloudy) (it’s foggy, hazy)
Cloud type: go outside or over to the window. Your choices are:
cirrus (thin, white, feathery wisps, sometimes with ends curled up),
cirrostratus (looks like a fine, white veil pulled across the sky-can still see the outline of the sun),
cirrocumulus (looks like white mini marshmallows or fish scales)
altocumulus (smaller, higher level white puffs with gray bottoms, like cotton balls),
altostratus (looks like a gray/white sheet pulled over the atm.-can approximate where the sun is),
stratus (looks like a gray blanket pulled over the atmosphere-sun cannot be approximated),
stratocumulus (some breaks in the stratus clouds, some streams of sunlight apparent),
cumulus (large, lower level, white clouds, with flat bottoms, like piles of cotton balls ),
nimbostratus (if snowing or raining).
cumulonimbus (if a thunderstorm is occurring-summertime)
N
Wind Direction (Wind Rose)
nw ne
This is a reading of where the wind is coming from or coming out of. W E
You use one the eight compass directions. See right. sw se
S
Current Weather: Use symbols that mean what’s going on out there right now, if anything.
Haze Ground fog Fog Drizzle Rain Snow
(in low area) (A stratus cloud
on the ground)
R
Thunderstorm Sleet Hurricane
Weather Journal (part 1)
Task 1: Wk 1 / Date: / // / / / / / / /
Observations / Sample / Monday / Tuesday / Wednesday / Thursday / Friday / Sat. (opt) / Sun. (opt)
High Temp. (oF) / 80
(prev. day) / 70
/ 60
50 /
40 / 52
30
20
/ 10
Low Temp. (oF) / 50
(prev. day) / 40
/ 30 /
20 / 38
/ 10
0
-10
Precip. (prev. day) / 0. 25”
Class Temp. (oF) / 80
(currently) / 70
60
50 /
40 / 54
30
/ 20
10
0
Relative / 90
Humidity (%) / 80
(current R.H.) / 70 /
60 / 72%
/ 50
/ 40
30
Barometric / 30.4
Pressure / 30.2
(inches of Hg) / 30.0
(current B.P.) / 29.8 /
/ 29.6 / 29.89”
/ 29.4
29.2
Dew Pt. (oF) / 60
(current D.P.) / 50
40
30 /
20 / 33
/ 10
0
-10
Cloud cover % /
Cloud Type / cumulus
Wind Dir. / NW
Wind Speed / 17
Currentweather / / .
Task 1: Wk 2 / Date: / /
/ / / / / / / /
Observations / Sample / Monday / Tuesday / Wednesday / Thursday / Friday / Sat. (opt) / Sun. (opt)
High Temp. (oF) / 80
(prev. day) / 70
/ 60
50 /
40 / 52
30
20
/ 10
Low Temp. (oF) / 50
(prev. day) / 40
/ 30 /
20 / 38
/ 10
0
-10 /
Precip. (prev. day) / 0. 25
Class Temp. (oF) / 80
(currently) / 70
60
50 /
40 / 54
30
/ 20
10
0
Relative / 90
Humidity (%) / 80
(current R.H.) / 70 /
60 / 72%
/ 50
/ 40
30
Barometric / 30.4
Pressure / 30.2
(inches of Hg) / 30.0
(current B.P.) / 29.8 /
/ 29.6 / 29.89”
29.4
29.2
Dew Pt. (oF) / 60
(current D.P.) / 50
40
30 /
20 / 33
10
/ 0
-10
Cloud cover % /
Cloud Type / cumulus
Wind Dir. / NW
Wind Speed / 17
Currentweather / / .
TASK 2 and 3: PATTERNS / Development of a SCIENTIFIC QUESTION
After collecting two weeks of data, look for patterns in two of the variables.
Your choices are between Class Temp., Relative Humidity, Barometric Pressure, and Dew Pt.
What do you see?
Is there a relationship between...
______and ______
What did you observe that lead you to wonder about this possible relationship?
______
______
Was this a direct or inverse relationship? ______
Note: Direct=one variable follows the other. Inverse=one variable does the opposite of the other.
Check with classmates to see what other relationships were observed and list below:
1. ______
2. ______
3. ______
Maybe you see that a different relationship is stronger than the one you saw.
It is okay to re-consider and look into a different relationship.
Make up your mind about what to analyze and list below.
Your final choice for a question (i.e. the problem) to investigate on your own:
What is the relationship between…
______and ______?
Task 4: Development of a Hypothesis for a Field Study
Restate your final choice of a question posed for further investigation:
What is the relationship between…
______and ______?
A hypothesis is an educated guess as to what the answer or solution might be to a
particular problem. The “educated” part comes from observations that you have made.
Your hypothesis (or possible answer) for your selected question:
Based on my observations, I think that when….
______
______
______
______
Weather Journal (part 2)
Task 5: Wk 1 / Date: //
/ / / / / / / / /
Observations / Sample / Monday / Tuesday / Wednesday / Thursday / Friday / Sat. (opt) / Sun. (opt)
High Temp. (oF) / 80
(prev. day) / 70
/ 60
50 /
40 / 52
30
20
/ 10
Low Temp. (oF) / 50
(prev. day) / 40
/ 30 /
20 / 38
/ 10
0
-10
Precip. (prev. day) / 0. 25
Class Temp. (oF) / 80
(currently) / 70
60
50 /
40 / 54
30
/ 20
10
0
Relative / 90
Humidity (%) / 80
(current R.H.) / 70 /
60 / 72%
/ 50
/ 40
/ 30
Barometric / 30.4
Pressure / 30.2
(inches of Hg) / 30.0
/ 29.8 /
(current B.P.) / 29.6 / 29.89
/ 29.4
/ 29.2
Dew Pt. (oF) / 60
(current D.P.) / 50
40
30 /
20 / 33
/ 10
0
-10
Cloud cover % /
Cloud Type / cumulus
Wind Dir. / NW
Wind Speed / 17
Currentweather / / .
Task 5: Wk 2 / Date: / /
/ / / / / / / /
Observations / Sample / Monday / Tuesday / Wednesday / Thursday / Friday / Sat. (opt) / Sun. (opt)
High Temp. (oF) / 80
(prev. day) / 70
/ 60
50 /
40 / 52
30
20
/ 10
Low Temp. (oF) / 50
(prev. day) / 40
/ 30 /
20 / 38
/ 10
0
-10
Precip. (prev. day) / 0.25
Class Temp. (oF) / 80
(currently) / 70
60
50 /
40 / 54
30
/ 20
10
0
Relative / 90
Humidity (%) / 80
(current R.H.) / 70 /
60 / 72%
/ 50
/ 40
/ 30
Barometric / 30.4
Pressure / 30.2
(inches of Hg) / 30.0
(current B.P.) / 29.8 /
/ 29.6 / 29.89
/ 29.4
/ 29.2
Dew Pt. (oF) / 60
(current D.P.) / 50
40
30 /
20 / 33
/ 10
0
-10
Cloud cover % /
Cloud Type / cumulus
Wind Dir. / NW
Wind Speed / 17
Currentweather / / .
Task 6: Weather data analysis
State what happened in the primary verses the secondary data taking periods
and comment on how your original hypothesis panned out for the relationship you
chose to investigate.
After the first two weeks: What did you see? How many times out of the total days?
______
______
After the second two weeks: What did you see? How many times out of the total days?
______
______
Conclusions about a relationship: Is there a relationship? What is it?
______
______
Task 7 and 8: Weather data illustration (Model).
Develop a rough sketch of a graph to illustrate the results from your field study. It will be a visual representation of the concept, a model, illustrating the relationships of the variables.
Variable 1
------
Variable 2
______
Week 1 Week 2 Week 3 Week 4
Task 7 and 8: Data Table and Graph.
Note: You can use any word processing/graphing program, but here are two possibilities: