Meteorology for Kids: How to Observe and Forecast the Weather (Ages 7 to 8)

What can you observe and measure to help you predict the weather? What tools and information do meteorologists use? What do the symbols on surface maps and station model plot maps mean, and how can they help you know what changes will happen where you are? Can you build your own weather station? Do animals and plants react to changes in the weather? Answer these and other questions as you become more of an expert kid meteorologist in "Meteorology for Kids: How to Observe and Forecast the Weather."

Through lively and interactive discussions, weather observations, teacher demonstrations, opportunities for hands-on activities, vivid images, diagrams, and current weather data, students will better understand how to predict weather changes during this exciting and fun 8-week semester class. 

The teacher will invite each learner to keep a weather log of observations or data from official sources. Based on this information and weather patterns, the learners will learn what predictions they can make. They will follow the weekly weather with the class and analyze weather maps and other information. In doing so, they will master what symbols on a weather map mean, like isobars, dotted lines, numbers, fronts, radar overlays, and high and low pressure areas. Our class will follow weather changes such as snowstorms, record-level cold or warmth, soaking rains, high winds, possible severe weather, and where the weather is calm. The learners will also have opportunities to build and use their own weather instruments from materials they might have at home. 

The teacher will perform demonstrations to help increase the kids' understanding of weather, and they will have opportunities to perform these activities themselves after class. Plus, many of the kids have stories of fascinating weather experiences they will want to share with their classmates! A goal is for each learner to become more of a meteorology expert when this class ends.

More specifically by week:

Class 1: The students will learn what clues there are in things like clouds, wind direction, air pressure, and temperature that can help them predict weather changes. They will discover what scientists are observing that animals and plants do during certain weather changes. The teacher will make a wind vane, and he will invite them to do the same and test it out. He will invite them to start a weather log and enter data they observe or find out from other sources. 

Class 2: The students will observe ways to show changes in air pressure and be invited to try them. The teacher will make a barometer, and he will invite the students to do the same and begin using it. The students will learn what it could mean when barometric pressure rises or falls. 

Class 3: The students will learn to recognize 27 types of clouds and what weather could happen when they see them.

Class 4: The students will see how things like air pressure, wind direction, and wind speed look on a weather map and begin to learn how to use them to forecast what might happen where they live. They will check their skills on how to measure rainfall and snowfall depth. The teacher will make a rain gauge and invite them to do the same and begin using it. They will explore how the weather changes when a front moves through.

Class 5: The teacher will make an anemometer, and he will invite the students to do so and test it out. They will begin learning about official surface weather plot symbols (for precipitation, pressure, temperature, wind direction, wind speed, sky cover, and cloud type) and begin using them.

Class 6: The students will see how meteorologists use tools like satellite photos, computer models, Doppler radar, and other things to help forecast the weather. The students will learn about the Doppler effect, which enables meteorologists to identify possible tornadoes on radar.

Class 7: The students will increase their expertise about what makes air feel comfortable or uncomfortable to us – wind chill, the heat index, the dew point, and relative humidity. They will observe the evaporation of water over time and learn how changes in humidity affect the weather.

Class 8: The class will analyze today's weather map, combining all the things they have learned in class. They will try their hand at forecasting upcoming changes in the weather where they live, and in other parts of their country. We will tell and listen to fun and fascinating weather stories.