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Student Worksheet Student Worksheet - Activity 2: Use the Internet to observe Weather

INSTRUCTIONS

Part 1: Data Tables
Use the following two tables to record your weather data:

  1. Current Conditions
    2.
  Class Instruments Internet Barrow, AK
Latitude, Longitude:

NA

    
Time Conditions last updated:      
Temperature: ºC ºC ºC
Sky Conditions:      
Wind:      
Wind Direction:      
Wind Speed:      
Precipitation Type:      
Precipitation Amount: mm mm mm
Air Pressure: units mb mb
  1. Temperature for the last seven days
  7 days ago 6 days ago 5 days ago 4 days ago 3 days ago 2 days ago Yesterday
Your City ºC ºC ºC ºC ºC ºC ºC
Barrow, AK ºC ºC ºC ºC ºC ºC ºC

Part 2: Use the Internet to observe weather
  1. Class Instruments: Record your measurements in the column marked "Class Instruments" using the weather instruments you made in the previous activity.
     NOTE: If you are combining Activities 1 and 2, you should record your measurements as you build each of the instruments.
     
  2. Your City / Town
    1. Go to the Weather Underground site.
    2. Enter the name of your city in the "Fast Forecast" box which is in the upper left hand corner and click the return button on your keyboard. If the exact location is not in the database then select the next closest city or town.
    3. Locate the latitude and longitude on the right-hand side of the screen in the navy blue bar and write it in the "Current Conditions" data table.
    4. Locate the current weather conditions in the center of the page and write the time the conditions were last updated, the current temperature, wind, air pressure, etc. in the "Current Conditions" data table.
    5. Scroll down to "Historical" below the current conditions and select the date for yesterday and then click on "GO".
    6. Write the "Mean Temperature" in the corresponding column for your city / town (i.e. yesterday) in the Temperature for the last seven days Data Table.
    7. Click the "Previous Day" link and write the mean temperature in the 2 days ago column.
    8. Repeat until you complete for the seven days.
    9. After you've entered the data, click the back button.
       
  3. Barrow, AK
    1. Return to the Weather Underground site and enter Barrow, AK in the "Fast Forecast" window.
    2. Repeat the steps above and enter the corresponding information into both Data tables.
    3. After you've entered the data, click the back button.
    4.

Part 3: Analyze the Data
  1. Class Instruments vs. the Internet: Compare and contrast the weather you collected for your city with the data from the Internet for your city.
    1. Complete the bar graph comparing the temperature you collected with the class instruments with the data from the Internet for your city / town:

Bar Graph: Class Instruments vs. the Internet

  1. Is your temperature the same as reported on the web site? If not, can you think of any reasons why they're not the same?


     
  2. Will the temperature be the same tonight? tomorrow? in one week? in one month? Why or why not?





     
  3. Why is it important to use standardized terminology for sky conditions? Are your sky conditions the same as reported on the web site? If not, can you think of any reasons why they're not the same?







     
  4. Does your wind data (direction and speed) match the data from the web? If not, can you think of any reasons why they're not the same?







     
  5. For air pressure, you used general units while the Internet posted the measurement in mb. How could you correlate the two?






     
  6. What are some of the other items listed on the weather web page? What do they measure?





     
  1. Your location vs. Barrow, AK: Compare and contrast your city with the weather data from Barrow, AK.
    1. Was the weather similar or different? Describe the similarities and differences.


       
    2. Complete the bar graph comparing the temperature in Barrow, AK with your city.

Bar Graph: Your location vs. Barrow, AK

  1. Were the temperature similar or different in both cities?

     
  2. What reason (s) do you think might account for the similarities or differences?
    (Hint: there are several)







     
  1. Temperature for the last seven days: Analyze the changes in temperature for the last week and compare the two cities.
    1. Make a line graph comparing the temperature from your city and Barrow, AK for the last seven days vs. time. It is recommended to use two different colors for each of your graphs.

Line Graph: Your City and Barrow, AK

  1. For your city, did the temperature go up, down, or stay the same over the past week?




     
  2. For Barrow, AK, did the temperature go up, down, or stay the same over the past week?



     
  3. How did the two cities compare?






     

Homework (optional):
 Do you think weather is the same all over the world? Choose a city in another country where a family member or friend lives and write a short narrative about what you think the weather is like there. In your paragraph, try to answer the following questions:
  • Do you think the temperature in your relative's town will be warmer or colder then in your own? Why?
  • How would this affect their lives? For example, their house, clothes, etc.
  • What type of precipitation might you expect? Why?
  • Will the wind speed be higher or lower? Why?
    •

 

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