Wind and Temperature
Wind and Temperature
Kit required: thermometer (glass or digital),
anemometer/ventimeter (to measure wind speed), simple map of school
with main buildings, fields. Your figures will be plotted on this
map.
Collecting the results: split the school into areas to be
studied by each group. Groups visit their selected points and record
temperature and wind speed in kph (km per hour) onto their maps. It
may be useful to use two different colours or put circles around the
temperature readings to avoid any confusion. Recordings can be made
during one lesson or throughout a longer period of time.
Plotting the results: plot all of the results onto one
"master" map and either photocopy or share the results for each
pupil. The data can then be plotted in a number of ways: a simple
thermometer can be drawn to show temperature at each location (shade
in a vertical red band to indicate the temperature). Wind speed can
be plotted as an arrow (longer or thicker lines could show stronger
winds) and possibly wind direction. A more complicated idea could be
to draw lines joining places with the same temperature (isotherms).
You may need some help in choosing a suitable isotherm interval
(perhaps every 2 degrees?) and the exact plotting of the isotherms.
They should be gentle curves and must never cross other
isotherms.
Explaining your results: try to see any patterns or trends.
Are temperatures higher near to buildings or lower on shaded north
sides or under trees? Did temperatures change during the day? Were
wind speeds greater in open spaces or in narrow spaces between
buildings?
"GCSE Projects on Weather Topics" available to
Royal Meteorological
Society members
1 Measure variations in temperature below ground and below different
surfaces.
2 Measure variations in urban temperature by taking transect lines
along main roads into the city centre to check the urban heat island
effect at various times of day and night.
3 Monitor rainfall intensity by checking rainfall every 30 minutes on
a day with active fronts.
4 Measure the variations in rain drop size by measuring splashes on
blotting paper.
5 Variations in evaporation rates during the day using a dish of
water and relate to temp/wind.
6 Measure variations of wind speed with height and over different
surfaces eg concrete, grass etc
7 Check how wind speed varies around buildings, trees, upwind and
downwind.
Project
CloudWatchThe Cloudwatch project will be running again in 2000. Details can be found at: http://atschool.eduweb.co.uk/radgeog/MetNetEur/cwatchlogo.html
The RMS ran a mass observation exercise involving about 100
schools across the country making cloud observations for the week
13-17 May, 1996. The aim was to see if a good picture of cloud cover
over the UK could be built up from a relatively small number of
school observations. These observations were combined to form a map
of cloud cover over the country and compared with satellite
images.
This was a very useful exercise and added interest and motivation to
the learning process as well as encouraging schoolchildren to be
observant. The Geography National Curriculum stresses the need to
involve children in field studies and this project demonstrated the
links between ground observations and remote sensing from
satellites.
Clouds are a vital part of our environment. As part of the water
cycle they transport water evaporated from the oceans to inland
areas, giving rain that allows crops to grow and food to be produced.
Their presence determines whether we get floods or droughts and the
supply of water is of crucial importance in many parts of the
world.
Clouds are ideal subjects for observation since no instruments are
required. Over a period of a week they are almost certain to vary in
type and amount. Discussing their formation could lead on to concepts
of evaporation, condensation and convection.
The RMS CloudWatch Pack included an instruction sheet, colour cloud
chart and an observation booklet.