Weather+Technology

toc __** Weather in the Science Classroom **__ Using technology in the classroom is almost a necessity for students to be engaged in a well rounded way. Technology can allow students to view simulations, animations, real weather circumstances and so much more. Teaching a weather unit using different technologies available on the internet can really provide an amazing opportunity for both you and your students. Below I've listed some of the sites I've come across through searching, word of mouth, listservs, etc.

= = = = =1. American Meteorological Society=

The [|AMS Weather Education Resource Page] is the place where information is found or can be located that provides weather and weather education information for students, parents, teachers and the general public.

[|United States Weather]

- [| Air Quality] - [| Floods] - [| Hurricanes] - [|Image Galleries] - [|Lightning] - [|National Weather Service] - [|Radar] <span style="background-color: #ffffd9; color: blue; font-family: Verdana,Geneva,Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-decoration: none;">[|- Satellite] <span style="background-color: #ffffd9; font-family: Verdana,Geneva,Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">- <span style="background-color: #ffffd9; color: blue; font-family: Verdana,Geneva,Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-decoration: none;">[|Station data] <span style="background-color: #ffffd9; font-family: Verdana,Geneva,Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">- <span style="background-color: #ffffd9; color: blue; font-family: Verdana,Geneva,Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-decoration: none;">[|Surface Weather Map] <span style="background-color: #ffffd9; font-family: Verdana,Geneva,Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">- <span style="background-color: #ffffd9; color: blue; font-family: Verdana,Geneva,Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-decoration: none;">[|Upper Air] <span style="background-color: #ffffd9; font-family: Verdana,Geneva,Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">- <span style="background-color: #ffffd9; color: blue; font-family: Verdana,Geneva,Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-decoration: none;">[|Tornadoes]

=2. Satellite Meteorology= [|Satellite Meteorology] provides scientists and educators with exciting tools for investigation, inquiry and analysis. This Satellite Meteorology course was developed <span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 140%; text-align: -webkit-left;">for middle and high school science classes. Modules were designed to serve as  stand-alone lessons, however, **<span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium; text-align: -webkit-left;">they strongly encourage a sequential approach ** **<span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium; text-align: -webkit-left;">to the material **. They have cool hands-on activities, the ability to identify clouds <span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 140%; text-align: -webkit-left;"> from below above, and allows for monitoring of wild weather and global conditions. <span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 140%; text-align: -webkit-left;">It has great access to [|Real Time and Imagery and Data].

[|Introduction] The evolution of remote sensing technology [|Weather Satellites and Orbits] A brief history followed by an explanation of satellite orbits and instruments [|The Electromagnetic Spectrum] Making the connection between light (electromagnetic radiation) and satellite images [|Cloud Identification] Ten Common Cloud Types and some background on how they are formed [|Satellite Images] Visible, Infrared, and Water Vapor Images - the three essential image types all meteorologists use [|Satellite Winds] Using satellite images to track winds [|Weather Forecasting] Using Satellite Images in Weather Forecasting [|Wild Weather] Thunderstorms, Tornadoes, Hurricanes, Blizzards... [|Monitoring the Global Environment] Using satellites to monitor the health of Earth [|The Advanced Baseline Imager] Improvements slated for the GOES-R launch

=3. Online Guides - Meteorology= <span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 18px; text-align: -webkit-left;">The [|Online Meteorology Guide] is a collection of web-based instructional modules that use multimedia technology and the dynamic capabilities of the web. These resources incorporate text, colorful diagrams, animation, computer simulations, audio and video to introduce fundamental concepts in the atmospheric sciences. The pages link to relevant classroom activities and current weather products to reinforce topics discussed in the modules and allow the user to apply what has been learned to real-time weather data. Available modules are listed below.

[|**Light and Optics**] The interaction between light and atmospheric particles and the colorful optical effects that result. **[|Clouds and Precipitation]** Cloud classifications and the processes by which clouds and precipitation develop. **[|Forces and Winds]** Forces that influence the flow of air and how they interact to produce wind. **[|Air Masses and Fronts]** The most common types of air masses and fronts, plus a look at the different types of advection. **[|Weather Forecasting]** General forecasting methods, important surface features, plus forecasting tips for different scenarios. **[|Severe Storms]** The online version of NOAA's Severe Storm Spotters Guide. Investigates the different types of thunderstorms, their associated components, plus an in depth look at tornadoes. **[|Hurricanes]** The anatomy of hurricanes, how they develop and why they are so dangerous. **[|El Niño]** Why El Niño develops and the global impact it has on weather patterns and economics. **[|Hydrologic Cycle]** The circulation and conservation of the earth's water.

=4. [|Online Guides - Instructional Resources and Curriculum]= This is a web-based instructional resources gold mine! Formerly known as the Guide to Meteorology, this site has expanded resources beyond the scope of meteorology to other disciplines like climate, remote sensing and global change. They compiled them in an attempt to present these topics not as individual sciences, but as integral components of a much larger system, learning about the planet on which we live. The topics include the following.

[|**Meteorology**] Instructional modules that introduce topics in meteorology from fronts to El Niño. **[|Remote Sensing]** Instructional modules that introduce remote sensing technologies and their applications in meteorology. **[|Reading and Interpreting Weather Maps]** Instructional resources that provide valuable information for the correct interpretation of weather products accessible (or soon to be accessible) from WW2010. **[|Projects & Activities]** Curriculum aids that provide teachers with a blueprint for integrating web-based educational resources into the classroom.

= 5. SciStarter = <span style="color: #333333; font-family: MuseoSlab500,'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 120%;">[|SciStarter] brings together the millions of citizen scientists in the world and the thousands of potential projects offered by researchers, organizations, and companies. It also brings the resources, products, and services that enable citizens to pursue and enjoy these activities. The site aims to enable and encourage people to learn about, participate in, and contribute to science through both informal recreational activities and formal research efforts. They also want to inspire greater appreciation and promote a better understanding of science and technology among the general public.

Projects are listed for you to participate in, along with the necessary things you need to know to complete the project. Here is an example project called [|OPAL Climate Survey].

Categories include: [|Climate and Weather] [|Animals] [|Archaeology] [|Astronomy & Space] [|Biology] [|Birds] [|Chemistry] [|Computers & Technology] [|Ecology & Environment] [|Geology & Earth Science] [|Health & Medicine] [|Insects] [|Nature & Outdoors] [|Ocean & Water] [|Physics] [|Sound]

=6. Global Warming Facts & Our Future=

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=7. [|NOAA Games - Planet Arcade]= [|NOAA] calls these games, but they are so much more. There are some great simulation opportunities to help students understand some of the concepts surrounding weather. The two I particularly recommend are [|Lightning and Thunder] and [|Storm Tracker].



=8. [|NOAA Education Archive]= **<span style="color: #004040; font-family: 'comic sans ms',verdana,arial;">The links below are designed for teachers to ** **<span style="color: #004040; font-family: 'comic sans ms',verdana,arial; font-size: 120%;">use in the classroom or ****<span style="color: #004040; font-family: 'comic sans ms',verdana,arial; font-size: 120%;">as background ****<span style="color: #004040; font-family: 'comic sans ms',verdana,arial; font-size: 120%;">reference material. Since the creation ****<span style="color: #004040; font-family: 'comic sans ms',verdana,arial; font-size: 120%;">of this page, there has been an updated ****<span style="color: #004040; font-family: 'comic sans ms',verdana,arial; font-size: 120%;">website created with newer material. I'll post that as Number 9 on my list. ** <span style="color: #004040; font-family: 'comic sans ms',verdana,arial;">**You can find information about tornadoes, hurricanes, flash floods, tsunamis and all kinds of hazardous weather.** || <span style="color: #004040; font-family: 'comic sans ms',verdana,arial;">**You can find information about climate change, earth science and sciences as it relates to our planet.** || <span style="color: #004040; font-family: 'comic sans ms',verdana,arial;">**This category includes information about fish, marine mammals, our coasts, navigation and the many facets of the waters that surround our nation.** || <span style="color: #004040; font-family: 'comic sans ms',verdana,arial;">**This category includes information about satellites and space.** ||
 * [[image:http://www.education.noaa.gov/images/cl.jpg width="110" height="108" caption="Weather" link="http://www.education.noaa.gov/tweather.html"]] || <span style="color: #004040; font-family: 'comic sans ms',verdana,arial;">**[|Weather]**
 * [[image:http://www.education.noaa.gov/images/cli.jpg width="110" height="108" caption="Climate Change" link="http://www.education.noaa.gov/tclimate.html"]] || <span style="color: #004040; font-family: 'comic sans ms',verdana,arial;">**[|Climate Change and Our Planet]**
 * [[image:http://www.education.noaa.gov/images/co.jpg width="110" height="108" caption="Oceans and Coasts" link="http://www.education.noaa.gov/tocean.html"]] || <span style="color: #004040; font-family: 'comic sans ms',verdana,arial;">**[|Oceans and Coasts]**
 * [[image:http://www.education.noaa.gov/images/space.jpg width="110" height="108" caption="Satellites and Space" link="http://www.education.noaa.gov/tspace.html"]] || <span style="color: #004040; font-family: 'comic sans ms',verdana,arial;">**[|Satellites and Space]**
 * [[image:http://www.education.noaa.gov/images/tr.jpg width="110" height="108" caption="Training & Other Opportunities" link="http://www.education.noaa.gov/ttraining.html"]] || <span style="color: #004040; font-family: 'comic sans ms',verdana,arial;">**[|Training & Other Opportunities]**This category includes information about Operation Pathfinder, the Bridge, NOAA's Teacher at Sea Program, as well as external links to other websites. ||

=9. [|NOAA Educational Resources]= <span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 12px;">This NOAA Education Resources portal is designed to assist educators in accessing these materials from one centralized interface. The content here is a sampling of NOAA's education resources and more can be found at each linked location. Linked resources are organized into Collections, which provide the user with a toolkit of materials and activities suitable for integration into a variety of educational settings. Collections are not grade specific but resources are labeled for grade appropriateness where applicable. Additional NOAA resources which support educator professional development, academic scholarship, career exploration, and education grants are also available.

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=10. [|The Jason Project]= The **[|JASON Project]** is a [|middle school] science [|curriculum] program that is designed to motivate and inspire students to pursue interests and careers in science, technology, engineering and mathematics.

The [|JASON Project]'s approach to science education immerses students in challenging, real-world situations where they are connected with – and mentored by – top scientists from organizations like [|NASA], [|NOAA] , the [|U.S. Department of Energy] and parent company [|National Geographic Society]. JASON creates these connections using multiple technologies – including educational games, videos, live interactivity and social networking – to embed its partners' cutting-edge research in rigorous curricula. There are many topics, including weather, geology, physics and chemistry. [|Digital Labs],



=11. [|Edheads - Weather]= **<span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #444444; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">Learn how to report and predict the weather at the ** **<span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #444444; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">underground W.H.E.D. ** **<span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #444444; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">weather caves. Either ** **<span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #444444; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">the weather or take over the Predict-o-Matic ** **<span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #444444; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">and predict the weather three ** **<span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #444444; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">days into the future. **
 * <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #444444; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">follow along with the Weather-tron to help report **

=12. [|Utah Education Network]=

Cloud Match Drag the photos of clouds on left to the correct name for that cloud on the right. || Edhead's Weather Learn how to report and predict the weather at the underground W.H.E.D. weather caves! || Let the sun shine, or make the wind blow by changing the temperature and humidity. ||  Professor B's Thunder and Lightning Secrets Fill in the blanks, using the words from the drop down boxes below. || Weather Flash! Help Stan the Weatherman out with his forecasts. || Wild Weather Adventure! Be the first to pilot your Weather Airship from San Francisco, California, USA, all the way around the world and back across the USA to Miami, Florida. || Weather Reporter Report and predict the weather. ||  ||
 * [[image:http://www.uen.org/weather/images/cloud_match.jpg width="56" height="56" align="left" caption="Cloud Match" link="@http://www.nasa.gov/audience/forkids/games/G_Cloud_Memory_and_Matching.html"]]
 * [[image:http://www.uen.org/weather/images/weather.jpg width="56" height="56" align="left" caption="Interactive Weather Maker" link="@http://teacher.scholastic.com/activities/wwatch/sim/game.htm"]] Interactive Weather Maker
 * [[image:http://www.uen.org/weather/images/weather.jpg width="56" height="56" align="left" caption="Interactive Weather Maker" link="@http://teacher.scholastic.com/activities/wwatch/sim/game.htm"]] Interactive Weather Maker
 * [[image:http://www.uen.org/weather/images/flash.jpg width="56" height="56" align="left" caption="Weather Flash!" link="@http://www.powertolearn.com/games/weatherflash.html"]]
 * [[image:http://www.uen.org/weather/images/flash.jpg width="56" height="56" align="left" caption="Weather Flash!" link="@http://www.powertolearn.com/games/weatherflash.html"]]
 * [[image:http://www.uen.org/weather/images/reporter.jpg width="56" height="56" align="left" caption="Weather Reporter" link="@http://edheads.org/activities/weather/frame_loader.htm"]]
 * [[image:http://www.uen.org/weather/images/reporter.jpg width="56" height="56" align="left" caption="Weather Reporter" link="@http://edheads.org/activities/weather/frame_loader.htm"]]

=13. [|About.com Weather]=

Weather Games and Simulations - <span style="display: inline !important; font-family: inherit; font-size: 14px; text-decoration: inherit;">Educational and Fun Games

<span style="background-color: initial; color: #3366cc; font-family: inherit; font-size: 12px; text-decoration: inherit;">FEMA Weather Games and Puzzles for Kids <span style="color: #4d4a42; display: block; font-family: inherit; font-size: 11px; text-decoration: inherit;">An amazing array of weather games await you at FEMA. While there are other earth science related activities also listed, most of the games are weather related. Examples include the snowman game, the disaster maze, and lightning and thunderstorm quiz materials. While dedicated to a younger audience, there are tons of options for having fun with the weather. <span style="background-color: initial; color: #3366cc; font-family: inherit; font-size: 12px; text-decoration: inherit;">The Scholastic Interactive Weather Maker <span style="color: #4d4a42; display: block; font-family: inherit; font-size: 11px; text-decoration: inherit;">Kids will get a kick out of this Flash program where you decide the weather for a day. Variables that can be manipulated include the relative humidity and the temperatures at the equator and poles. The site links into a Weather Watch page which increases student knowledge in the atmospheric sciences by giving lessons on cloud observations, weather forecasting, and the use of weather instruments. <span style="background-color: initial; color: #3366cc; font-family: inherit; font-size: 12px; text-decoration: inherit;">[|Create a Hurricane] <span style="color: #4d4a42; display: block; font-family: inherit; font-size: 11px; text-decoration: inherit;">Several hurricane activities are listed here which demonstrate the power of hurricane force winds. In one game, you can create your own hurricane by choosing ocean temperatures and wind speeds. In another game, you can see the winds needed to destroy a home. Finally, you can use the Tropical Cyclone Tracker to see the path of a hurricane. <span style="background-color: initial; color: #3366cc; font-family: inherit; font-size: 12px; text-decoration: inherit;">The Weather Wizards from National Geographic <span style="color: #4d4a42; display: block; font-family: inherit; font-size: 11px; text-decoration: inherit;">I love this activity. This weather game puts you in the driver's seat of a storm chase vehicle. As you answer a series of questions about tornadoes, you drive closer and closer to a tornado that has been spotted on the ground. Every correct question brings you 10 miles closer to the tornado! <span style="background-color: initial; color: #3366cc; font-family: inherit; font-size: 12px; text-decoration: inherit;">Weather Flash from Power to Learn <span style="color: #4d4a42; display: block; font-family: inherit; font-size: 11px; text-decoration: inherit;">This weather game makes you the forecaster. As you listen to Stan the Weatherman, you have to match the weather map with the forecast he gives. With rules and hints to help along the way, you have to be quick and get six forecasts correct to win. Just read the forecast and drag the correct items over to the weather map. <span style="background-color: initial; color: #3366cc; font-family: inherit; font-size: 12px; text-decoration: inherit;">The Hurricane Name Game from the Southeast Regional Climate Center <span style="color: #4d4a42; display: block; font-family: inherit; font-size: 11px; text-decoration: inherit;">Do you know what names are retired for hurricanes? Each of the images in this weather challenge asks you to match the satellite image of a famous and very damaging hurricane to the names. While it can be difficult, there are hints that can be seen in the background when you look at the locations on the US map. <span style="background-color: initial; color: #3366cc; font-family: inherit; font-size: 12px; text-decoration: inherit;">The Wild Weather Adventure from NASA Space Place <span style="color: #4d4a42; display: block; font-family: inherit; font-size: 11px; text-decoration: inherit;">One to four players can compete in this fun weather game. The object of the game is to be the first to pilot your Weather Airship from San Francisco, California all the way around the world and back across the USA to Miami, Florida. The game is very simple to play but also technologically advanced. While many games are simple weather crosswords, this game has a full game board, spinner, and great weather and geography questions to challenge most any age level. One of the best weather games out there! <span style="background-color: initial; color: #3366cc; font-family: inherit; font-size: 12px; text-decoration: inherit;">The Cloud Concentration Game <span style="color: #4d4a42; display: block; font-family: inherit; font-size: 11px; text-decoration: inherit;">Learn the types of clouds from lenticular and mammatus to cumulus and stratus with this fun weather matching game. The images are spectacular and very accurate. Also included in the activities link are various weather lessons including how to make a tornado in a jar, how to determine the distance to a thunderstorm, and how to make lightning. An excellent site for teachers and students. <span style="background-color: initial; color: #3366cc; font-family: inherit; font-size: 12px; text-decoration: inherit;">The Hurricane Name Game from Channel One <span style="color: #4d4a42; display: block; font-family: inherit; font-size: 11px; text-decoration: inherit;">Channel One television has presented an interactive weather tool which allows users to familiarize themselves with the names of hurricanes. As you click on the letters of the alphabet, you get information on famous storms that may (or may not) share your own name. <span style="background-color: initial; color: #3366cc; font-family: inherit; font-size: 12px; text-decoration: inherit;">Weather Map Symbols Concentration Game <span style="color: #4d4a42; display: block; font-family: inherit; font-size: 11px; text-decoration: inherit;">Using weather map symbols as the cards for an interactive game of concentration can help students to understand the meaning of different weather symbols used on forecasting maps. While it can be played purely as a game, there is also a link to show the meaning of each symbol. <span style="background-color: initial; color: #3366cc; font-family: inherit; font-size: 12px; text-decoration: inherit;">Predict and Report the Weather with EdHeads <span style="color: #4d4a42; display: block; font-family: inherit; font-size: 11px; text-decoration: inherit;">See if you can do a weather forecast for 3 cities over 3 days with this fun interactive weather game. There are multiple levels of difficulty to make the game more challenging. This is one weather game you don't want to miss if you are trying to learn how weather maps work and how the weather forecast is produced across the US. <span style="background-color: initial; color: #3366cc; font-family: inherit; font-size: 12px; text-decoration: inherit;">Weather Map Symbols Game <span style="color: #4d4a42; display: block; font-family: inherit; font-size: 11px; text-decoration: inherit;">While looking at an animated weather map, you must test your knowledge of fronts, air masses, and temperatures. Each of the weather maps is covered with the weather symbols indicating a forecast for the United States. Questions at the bottom of the map ask you to click on the areas where there are the highest temperatures, most chance of rain, wind speeds, and more.

= 14. [|Sky Diary] = <span style="color: #4d4a42; display: block; font-family: inherit; font-size: 11px; text-decoration: inherit;"> <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #222222; display: block; font-family: arial,sans-serif; font-size: large; text-decoration: inherit;">This kids' weather site offers facts, links and <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #222222; display: block; font-family: arial,sans-serif; font-size: large; text-decoration: inherit;">pictures on pages about tornadoes, lightning, <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #222222; display: block; font-family: arial,sans-serif; font-size: large; text-decoration: inherit;">hurricanes and storm chasing.
 * [[image:http://skydiary.com/kids/bullet.gif align="left" link="http://skydiary.com/kids/tornadoes.html"]][[image:http://skydiary.com/kids/xtornadoes.gif link="http://skydiary.com/kids/tornadoes.html"]] ||
 * [[image:http://skydiary.com/kids/bullet.gif align="left" link="http://skydiary.com/kids/lightning.html"]][[image:http://skydiary.com/kids/xlightning.gif link="http://skydiary.com/kids/lightning.html"]] ||
 * [[image:http://skydiary.com/kids/bullet.gif align="left" link="http://skydiary.com/kids/hurricanes.html"]][[image:http://skydiary.com/kids/xhurricanes.gif link="http://skydiary.com/kids/hurricanes.html"]] ||
 * [[image:http://skydiary.com/kids/bullet.gif align="left" link="http://skydiary.com/kids/chasing.html"]][[image:http://skydiary.com/kids/xchasing.gif link="http://skydiary.com/kids/chasing.html"]] ||

=15. [|The Weather Dude - Nick Walker]=

=16. Kid's Projects= =

= =17. [|Intensity Scale]= Click on the image below for an interactive intensity scale that measures storm damage.