Automatic Weather
Recording
Automatic Weather
RecordingMany schools now have automatic weather recording stations. Data
on temperature, humidity, pressure, rainfall, wind direction and
speed can be downloaded hourly, daily and monthly. Files can be save
in CSV format and then displayed, graphed and analysed eg using
Excel.
Schools are exchanging data and experiences.
To find out more try:
Automatic weather system (Weather Reporter) available from:
The Advisory Unit :
Computers in Education (UK)
In Oxford we are very fortunate to have access to the Radcliffe
Observatory which has a long and continuous record of local weather.
For a nominal sum you can obtain details of monthly recordings for
past years eg mean temperature, maximum & minimum, grass,
concrete & soil temperatures, rainfall, highest daily rainfall,
rain days, sunshine hours, wind speed & gusts, frost days, fog
and much more.
Ddata can be entered onto a spreadhseet package such as Excel or
Claris Works eg to calculate yearly averages for particular
figures.
Radcliffe Observatory: phone: 01865-271940
Kids as Global Scientists
(KGS)
The aim of the KGS is to use the Internet to encourage middle school
student enquiry and research to learn about science both locally and
through interactions with peers and resources worldwide.
The project focuses on maximizing the educational potential of an
Internet- based middle school weather curriculum.
This curriculum begins with students collecting their own weather
data, such as wind speed and direction, cloud observation, or tests
for acid rain or snow.
Local understandings are then enhanced and expanded through the use
of the Internet and its resources, which include correspondence with
peers and mentors world-wide, real-time and archival satellite and
weather imagery.
Distinctive features of the project include classroom learning that
includes peer coaching and information exchange world-wide with a
variety of connectivity levels and local customization by teachers
and students at each site.
Sites are organised into appropriate clusters based on age-group and
cultural/geographic diversity.
KGS ProgrammeThe 8-week programme runs from January to March, with three
phases:
Phase 1
Students get to know one another and begin discussions about their
local weather, as well as begin research into their topic (Winds,
Precipitation, Temperature and Pressure, or Clouds and Humidity)
Phase 2
Students work to become local experts via a 2-week coordinated data
collection period.
Phase 3
The focus is on sharing of knowledge, and discussions of what one has
learned. Throughout the entire period, there are hands on classroom
experiments and demonstrations, on-line activities using BlueSkies
and the Web, and suggestions for interdisciplinary activities.
Students correspond via email and message boards available as
Web-pages. These boards are organized by content group and cluster
group to keep the number of messages per board to a
manageable level. Each message board has one or 2 mentors assigned to
it, and they are encouraged to initiate discussions with the
students.
Included in the curriculum are instructions on how to build some
basic weather equipment, such as rain gauges and a simple barometer.
Many schools consult the Weather Channel, newspapers, TV news, and,
of course, the Internet, for data they cannot collect themselves.
Another data source is the StormGod service, which provides a daily
forecast via email. For information about this, send an email message
to:
stormgod@cirrus.sprl.umich.edu with the message " help".
Suggested (but not required) equipment includes:
The KGS teacher listserv allows teachers participating in the
project to communicate with each other electronically, at times of
their own choosing. KGS teachers use the listserv to share ideas with
each other, discuss problems that arise during the KGS project, and
even make new friends.
Holly Devaul
Project Manager
Kids as Global Scientists
University of Colorado
Campus Box 249
Boulder, CO 80309-0249
303-492-3424
303-492-7090 (FAX)
kgs@spot.colorado.edu
http://www-kgs.colorado.edu
KGS at Radley College
Radley College was one of 80 schools worldwide to study weather and
exchange data using E-Mail and Message Boards on the World Wide Web
as part of the KGS project.
Group7 Schools
Schools were divided into seven global groups. Radley is in Group 7,
linked with 10 other schools, mostly US 8th/9th grade (ie UK Year 10
- Removes):
Aims
Equipment: max & min thermometer, barometer, rain
gauge, psychrometer, cloud chart, anemometer as well as the Radley
Automatic Weather Station.
E-Mail or Message Board weather questions & predictions to other
schools and contact university meteorologists at University of
Colorado, Boulder, US.
http://www.umassd.edu/specialprograms/isn/Newfiles/aboutfolktales.html
Radley Groups and KGS Weather Topic Content Areas
There are 4 groups (2-4 students per group) each working on one of
the weather topics.
There are Student Activity Sheets on chosen topics. BlueSkies
software is used either on or off-line for "live" maps of humidity,
wind & pressure and weather data for US cities. The maps form a
basis for discussion and questions are then E-mailed to contact
schools about aspects of the weather that have been identified.
1. Clouds & Humidity
Cloud formation, appearance, daily cover & type, humidity,
particle pollution
2. Wind
Wind readings of speed, direction, wind chill; particle pollution,
daily pollution
3. Precipitation
Precipitation, daily readings, measurement of droplet size and
snowflake preservation
4. Temperature & Pressure
Temperature & pressure, daily max & min & pressure
readings.
Timings
Decide groups, explore the system, prepare and post photo-audio
essay.
Phase 1: "Getting Started"
Groups send introductory notes to KGS Message Board and Email other
schools.
Phase 2: "Becoming Local Experts"
Collect daily weather data for two weeks
Phase 3: "Sharing Expertise"
