Weather Activities
Sea and Land Breezes Lab Activity…………………….page 2
Cloud in a Jar Lab Activity……………………………..page 6
Make Your Own Barometer…………………………….page 9
Make Your Own Snowflake…………………………….page 12
Acid Rain Lab Activity…………………………………page 16
Sea and Land Breezes
Activity Summary:
Students may conduct this experiment in groups of three or four to help them understand the movement of air over land and water. They will be able to explain what happens when air is heated or cooled. They will discover how temperature of the air affects air pressure. Using what they learned in the experiment, the students will be able to explain how temperature and changes in air pressure causes wind and summarize why the direction of the wind at the seashore changes.
Subject:
Science: Unifying Concepts and Processes, Earth Science, Science as Inquiry
Grade Level:
Target Grade: _6th__
Upper Bound: _7th__
Lower Bound: _5th__
Time Required: _30-45 minutes__
Activity Team/Group Size: _3-4__
Reusable Activity Cost Per Group [in dollars]: _$20__
Expendable Activity Cost Per Group [in dollars]: _$2__
Activity Introduction / Motivation:
Ask the students if they have ever been to the beach. Do they remember which way the wind was blowing? Ask if anyone might know why the wind blows in a certain direction. Then give the students this brief introduction:
Wind is air in motion. On a sunny day, warm air rising from land heated by the sun flows toward the cooler water when the air sinks. The cooler air then rushes in toward land again to replace the warm air that is rising. This cycle continues as long as the daytime heating continues from the sun. Since air moves inland from the water, the wind is called a sea breeze. At night, the opposite cycle occurs. Since the land cools more quickly than water, air over the warmer water rises and flows toward cooler land where the air sinks. This reverse cycle of wind blowing out to sea is called a land breeze.
Materials List:
- 2 small containers, such as 200 mL beakers per group
- Room-temperature water
- Sand or potting soil
- 2 thermometers per group
- Ring stand
- String
- 1 lamp with 60 W or higher bulb (if it is a bright day and have access to outdoors, may substitute lamp for sunlight)
Activity Plan:
2. / Place the bulb of one of the thermometers in the soil to a depth of 1 inch.
3. / Fill the other container with room-temperature water.
4. / Use string to tie the thermometer to a ring stand. The bulb of the thermometer should hang in the water to a depth of 1 inch.
5. / Allow the thermometers to adjust to the temperatures of the soil and water. Record the temperature of each on a piece of paper.
6. / Place the lamp directly above the containers of soil and water so that it is an equal distance from each.
7. / Turn the lamp on and begin recording the temperature from the 2 containers once every minute.
8. / After 10 minutes, turn the lamp off and continue recording the temperatures every minute for 10 more minutes.
9. / Graph the information you recorded.
Assessment:
1. / Did the soil or water absorb heat faster? How can you explain this?2. / Which substance lost heat faster? How do you explain this?
3. / According to this experiment, what would happen to the land and water during a sunny day at the beach?
4. / What would happen to the land and water at the beach at night?
5. / Which would be hotter during the day, the air above the land or the air above the sea?
6. / What happens to air when it is heated?
7. / What happens to air when it is cooled?
8. / During the day at the beach, would the wind blow from the sea to the land or from the land to the sea? Why?
9. / Which way would the wind blow at night? Why?
Learning Objectives:
TEKS 6th Grade Science Objectives:
6.2 (B) Collect data by observing and measuring
6.2 (E) Construct graphs, tables, maps, and charts to evaluate data
6.4 (A) Collect, analyze, and record information using scientific tools
6.14 (C) Describe components of the atmosphere and its role in weather change
Background & Concepts for Teachers:
During the day, the sun heats both land and water. Because of its lower specific heat value (the heat in calories required to raise the temperature of one gram of a substance one degree Celsius), land heats faster and cools more rapidly than water. Since land takes in more heat and releases it more rapidly than does water, the air above land heats more rapidly than the air above water. The heated air above land rises, which creates an area of low pressure. The air above the sea is cooler, creating an area of higher pressure. The cooler air in the area of high pressure above the sea moves to the area of low pressure over land. This is called a "sea breeze" because the breeze is coming from the sea.
At night, land continues to cool more rapidly than water, which means the sea is now warmer than the shore. Now the air above the sea becomes warmer than the air above the land. The warm, rising sea air creates an area of low pressure, and the cooler air above land creates an area of higher pressure. The air again moves from higher (over the land) to lower (over the sea) pressure. This breeze is called a "land breeze."
Activity Extensions:
This activity can be used in conjunction with other activities in order to explain in more depth the impact of wind and convection current on temperature.
Safety Issues:
___ If the thermometers are glass, remind the students to be careful with them.
___ If using a lamp for a heat source, remind the students that the bulb gets very hot.
Activity Scaling:
___ If you want to shorten the activity because of time constraints, you could have the students only record the temperature of the water and soil when the temperature is rising after 3, 6, 9, and 12 minutes. Discuss with the students why the temperature of the soil rose faster than the water.
References:
Cloud in a Jar
Activity Summary:
Where does rain come from? Most people realize that it has something to do with clouds, but what causes clouds to form in the first place? When rising water vapor rises, it cools and condenses. But temperature is not the only factor that determines how fast a cloud forms. In this experiment, students will discover if dust present in the air has an effect on cloud formation as well.
Subject:
Science: ___
Unifying Concepts and Processes, Earth and Space Science, Science as Inquiry
Grade Level:
Target Grade: _6th__
Upper Bound: _7th__
Lower Bound: _5th__
Time Required: _ approximately 20 minutes__
Activity Team/Group Size: _2-3__
Reusable Activity Cost Per Group [in dollars]: _$3.00__
.
Expendable Activity Cost Per Group [in dollars]: _$3.00__
Activity Introduction / Motivation:
Write on the board “April Showers Bring May Flowers”. Then ask the students, what brings April showers? Most people realize that it has something to do with clouds, but what causes clouds in the first place.
Next, have the students form a hypothesis on whether dust in the air helps clouds form.
Materials List:
2 clean, large glasses or jars of the same size (pickle or mayonnaise jars work well)
2 large (12-inch) latex balloons
scissors
warm water
some chalk dust or smoke (from erasers)
4 to 6 large thick rubber bands
red marker
a freezer, refrigerator, ice chest, or cold day
Activity Plan:
1. Cut off the ends of the latex balloons, and have the dusty erasers ready.
2. Pour about 50 mL of warm water into the bottom of each jar.
3. Take one cut balloon and stretch it completely over the top of the first jar. Wrap 2 or 3 rubber bands around the top edge to make sure the balloon makes a tight seal.
4. Over the second jar, clap the dusty chalkboard eraser so the chalk dust goes into the bottle. Quickly seal up the second jar the same way as the first. Using the red marker, label the jar with an X.
5. Place both jars in a cool place for 10 minutes.
6. When the time is up, take the two jars out and compare the insides.
Assessment:
Ask the students to compare the cloud formation to the presence or absence of dust. What relationship, if any, do they notice?
How did the results compare with their hypothesis?
Learning Objectives:
6.14 (C) Describe components of the atmosphere and its role in weather change
Background & Concepts for Teachers:
When rising water vapor cools due to changes in temperature and air pressure, it needs a surface on which to condense. These surfaces are small particles of dust, smoke, or salt in the air. Another name for these particles is condensation nuclei. They are most abundant in the lower troposphere over urban areas, and are quite small relative to the size of a raindrop. The troposphere is the lowest layer of the atmosphere, and contains approximately 95% of the mass of air in the Earth’s atmosphere. It extends about 10 to 15 kilometers above the Earth’s surface, and all weather processes take place here.
Activity Extensions:
Have the students write a short answer to the following question:
How might this experiment help meteorologists predict the weather?
Troubleshooting Tips: If it is difficult to see the “cloud”, try darkening the classroom and shining a flashlight at the top of the bottle.
Activity Scaling: This lab may also be done as a class demonstration to shorten the time.
References: This activity was modified from the following website:
Make Your Own Barometer
Activity Summary:
A barometer is a weather instrument that measures atmospheric pressure. Generally, a drop in pressure indicates a storm is approaching, while a rise in pressure is indicative of good weather. In this experiment, students will make simple barometers and record data over the course of a week to determine the relationship between air pressure and weather.
Subject:
Unifying Concepts and Processes, Earth and Space Science, Science as Inquiry
Grade Level:
Target Grade: _6th__
Upper Bound: _7th__
Lower Bound: _5th__
Time Required: _~30 minutes (with data collection over 5 days)__
Activity Team/Group Size: _3-4__
Reusable Activity Cost Per Group [in dollars]: _$3.00__
Expendable Activity Cost Per Group [in dollars]: _$3.00__
Activity Introduction / Motivation:
Have the students make a hypothesis on the relationship between air pressure and weather.
Materials List:
glass or beaker with straight sides
12 inch ruler
tape
stick of chewing gum
one foot of clear plastic tubing
water
Activity Plan:
1. Stand the ruler in the glass and hold it against one side. Tape the ruler to the inside of the glass, while making sure the numbers are visible.
2. Stand the plastic tubing against the ruler in the glass. Make sure the tubing is not touching the bottom of the glass by positioning the tubing ½ inch up the ruler. Secure the tubing by taping it to the ruler.
3. Chew the stick of gum so it is soft.
4. Fill the glass halfway up with water. Use the plastic tube like a straw and draw water about halfway up the tube. Quickly move the gum over the top of the tube to seal it.
5. Make a mark on the ruler to record where the water level is in the tube. For the next five days, keep the barometer in a relatively safe place (on a windowsill or protected area outside) and chart the water level in the tube.
Assessment:
Have the students answer the following questions:
1. Was the air pressure most often high or low?
2. Compare the type of weather to the amount of air pressure. What kind of relationship, if any, do you notice?
3. How did the results compare with your hypothesis?
4. What conclusions about the relationship between air pressure and weather can you draw based on this experiment?
5. If the barometer shows high pressure, what kind of weather might you expect?
6. If the barometer shows low pressure, what kind of weather might you expect?
Learning Objectives:
TEKS 6th Grade Science Objectives:
6.2 (B) Collect data by observing and measuring
6.2 (E) Construct graphs, tables, maps, and charts to evaluate data
6.4 (A) Collect, analyze, and record information using scientific tools
6.14 (C) Describe components of the atmosphere and its role in weather change
Background & Concepts for Teachers:
The water in the tube rises and falls because of air pressure exerted on the water in the glass. As the air presses down (increased atmospheric pressure) on the water in the glass, more water is pushed into the tube, causing the water level to rise. When the air pressure decreases on the water in the glass, some of the water will move down out of the tube, causing the water level to fall. This change in barometric pressure corresponds with forecasting weather. Decreasing air pressure often indicates the approach of a low pressure area, which often brings clouds and precipitation. Increasing air pressure often means that a high pressure area is approaching, bringing with it clearing or fair weather.
Safety:
You must stress that students are not allowed to eat in the science lab at any time, and this will be the only time they will be able to chew gum in the classroom!
Activity Extensions:
To extend this activity, have the students check the barometer periodically and then predict the forecast for the next day based on low or high pressure. Another suggestion is to have the students explore the relationship between pressure and elevation by researching weather forecasts in regions of high and low elevation.
References:
This activity was modified from the following website:
Make Your Own Snowflake
Activity Summary:
If there are no snowflakes on the ground, cook one up in the lab! Use this experiment as a fun, inexpensive activity that brings physical science concepts into earth science curriculum. This experiment introduces students to crystal formation and structure, precipitation, solutions, and safe lab practices. It works equally well as a demonstration or as a hands-on activity for middle school students.
Subject:
Science: Earth and Space Science, Science as Inquiry, Science and Technology, Physical Science
Grade Level:
Target Grade: _6th__
Upper Bound: _7th__
Lower Bound: _5th__
Time Required: __45 minutes to an hour (must sit overnight)_
Activity Team/Group Size: _2-3__
Reusable Activity Cost Per Group [in dollars]:$35
Expendable Activity Cost Per Group [in dollars]:$8
Activity Introduction / Motivation:
Start the experiment by asking the students introductory questions about snow.
What makes up snow?
What causes snow?
Why are no two snowflakes the same?
Quickly provide some background information on snow.
Background & Concepts for Teachers:
What makes up snow?
Snowflakes are made up of many ice crystals clumped together that form when water vapor changes directly from a gas to a solid. In very cold air, water molecules cling on to particles, forming tiny ice crystals. As more water molecules freeze onto the crystal, they join at angles to form a unique six sided structure. Nearly all snow crystals have six sides, but they vary in shape.The ice crystals also contain tiny bits of dirt that the wind has blown around the atmosphere (scientists even believe some specks come from space). These ice crystals cluster together to form individual snowflakes. One snowflake can be made up of anywhere between two and 200 separate snow crystals.
What causes snow?
Snowflakes come from clouds, which are really just big clusters of water vapor. This water vapor scatters and forms ice crystals or rain in the clouds, depending on the temperature. The temperature must be below zero degrees Celsius (32 degrees F) for the water to turn into ice crystals. As the crystals grow, they fall with increasing speed. They may collide with one another to create snowflakes. The particles of snow may vary in size, from crystals almost invisible to the unaided eye to snowflakes one inch or more in diameter