Name:

Measure the Weather

Weather element

What we use to measure it

Temperature

Rain

Cloud Cover

Wind Speed

Wind Direction

Air Pressure

Why do meteorologists use instruments to measure weather instead of their

senses?

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Atmosphere
Earth is surrounded by a thin blanket of air called the
__________________.
What is the weather?
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
Air has two important properties:
1.
________________________________________
2.
________________________________________
What is the water in the air called?
_____________________________________
The __________ ___________ is when water is recycled over and over
again.

Condensation is:
______________________________________________________
Evaporation is:
________________________________________________________
Precipitation is:
_______________________________________________________

Water Cycle Experiment

Materials:

Procedure: What are the steps to this experiment?

Diagram: Draw/Label the experiment?

Conclusion: How did the water move from the big bowl into the
small bowl?
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Temperature

What is temperature?
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
The instrument used to measure temperature is called a
________________.

Match the following:

When the liquid in the thermometer
gets warmer

It shrinks and the liquid goes down

When the liquid in the thermometer

It takes up more space and rises up
gets cooler
Label the thermometer:
Red: 30 C
Green:

43 F

Blue:

36 C

Pink:

-20

Yellow:

-20 F

Orange:

100 F

Temperature Experiment
Materials:

Procedure: What are the steps to this experiment?

3 Places inside my
school
1.
1.

Prediction

Temperature
recorded
1.

2.

2.

2.

3.

3.

3.

Conclusion: Why do you think it was warmer in some places

compared to others?

Precipitation
Rain, snow, and hail are all called:
____________________________________.
The instrument used to measure rain is called a
_______________________.
Rain gauges are containers that measure the amount of rain in:
a) Centimeters (cm)
b) Meters (m)
c) Millimeters (mm)
d) Kilometers (km)
Why do you want to check the rain gauge every day? What might happen if
you do not check a rain gauge for several days?
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Why is it harder to measure snowfall than rainfall?
________________________________________________________

Label the rain gauge at:

Red: 3mm
Green:

5mm

Blue

8mm

Precipitation Experiment
Materials:

Procedure: What are the steps to this experiment?

Day it rained

Amount of rain (mm)

Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday & Thursday
Friday

Conclusion: Why is it harder to determine how much rain fell

on Thursday, compared to how much fell on Monday?
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Cloud Cover
What is a cloud?
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
_________________________ look at the sky and estimate how much of
it is covered by clouds.
Match each cloud type with its description:
Cumulus

Dark, heavy water-droplet clouds. Rain or

snow very likely.

Altocumulus

High wispy ice clouds. Means good weather

or change in the weather.

Cirrus

Fluffy lower clouds. Means fair weather

unless they grow tall.

Stratocumulus

Giant thunderhead clouds. Thunderstorms

with heavy rain, hail, winds, and lightning.

Cumulonimbus

Flat layer of low clouds. Light rain or

drizzles.

Stratus

Think blue-gray blanket-like clouds. Rain or

snow is likely.

What types of clouds are outside today? How do you know?

________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
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Cloud Cover Experiment

Materials:

Procedure: What are the steps to this experiment?

Diagram: Draw/Label the experiment?

Conclusion: Describe what you saw. Did you see a cloud form?
Why do you think the water was behaving in that way?
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Wind Speed
Meteorologists call moving air ______________________.
They can measure the wind in three ways:
1. ___________________________________
2. ___________________________________
3. ___________________________________
What sense do we use to determine wind?
____________________________
What is the Beaufort Scale?
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
When leaves and small twigs on trees are constantly moving on land, it is a
________ force on the Beaufort scale.
Wind speed is:
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
The instrument used to measure wind speed is called an
________________.
In Canada, wind speed is measured in:
a) Centimeters per hour (cm/h)
b) Kilometers per hour (km/h)
c) Millimeters per hour (mm/h)
d) Kilometers per minute (km/min)

Wind Speed Experiment

Materials:

Procedure: What are the steps to this experiment?

Observating the weather outside:

Degrees:
Using the anemometer:
Speed:
Effect on objects:
Using the Beaufort Scale:
Force:

Conclusion: What does the anemometer tell you about the

wind? What does the Beaufort Scale tell you about the wind?
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Wind Direction
Where the wind is coming from is called
______________________________.
A south wind comes from the ______________.
An east wind comes from the ______________.
If the wind is coming between the south and east, it is called the
____________________ wind.
What is a weather vane?
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
How does a weather vane or wind vane work?
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
Weather vanes are usually put in:
a) Inside
b) On the ground
c) Under water
d) High places outside
Why do we want them placed there?
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________

Wind Direction Experiment

Materials:

Procedure: What are the steps to this experiment?

Diagram: Draw/Label the experiment?

Label the compass rose:

Conclusion: What direction was the wind blowing? How did you
know?
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Temperature
1. Use pages ____ to _____ in your textbook to fill out your
Temperature worksheet.

Temperature Experiment
1. Choose three different places inside or outside the school that you think
would have different temperatures. Fill in the three places under the
3 places inside my school column.
2. Predict what temperature you think it is going to be in each location
(remember to write *C beside each number).
3. Each student needs to take a thermometer and their worksheet to each
place.
4. To use the thermometer, place the thermometer into the location with
the bulb on the bottom. Wait a few seconds (or when the red line stops
moving) and then read the number beside where the red line has
stopped. Record your results in the temperature recorded column.
5. Return to class and fill in the remaining information for your
experiment: materials, procedure and conclusion.

Precipitation
1. Use pages ____ to _____ in your textbook to fill out your
Precipitation worksheet.

Precipitation Experiment
1. Make sure that the water level in your rain gauge is at 0mm.
2. Take the jar labeled Monday and pour it into your rain gauge.
Record the amount that it rained on Monday by counting how many
millimeters (mm) the water level changed (the small lines on the ruler).
3. Pour out the Monday water by getting the levels back to 0.
4. Pour in Tuesdays rain fall and record how many mm it rained on
Tuesday. Return the levels back to 0.
5. Pour in both Wednesdays and Thursdays rain fall at the same time.
Record how many mm it rained on both days combined. Return the
levels back to 0.
6. Pour in Fridays rain fall and record how many mm it rained on Friday.
Return the levels back to 0.
7. Fill in the remaining information for your experiment: materials,
procedure and conclusion.

Cloud Cover
1. Use pages ____ to _____ in your textbook to fill out your Cloud
Cover worksheet.
2. As well, use the cloud wheel to learn the different cloud types.

Cloud Cover Experiment

1. THIS EXPERIMENT MUST BE DONE WITH TEACHER
SUPERVISION.
2. Place the glass container on the table.
3. Inside the container, pour boiling water until it is half way full.
4. Cover the container with the paper plate.
5. Watch the experiment at eye level. What is happening inside the
container? Are clouds forming? How are the clouds forming?
6. Fill in the remaining information for your experiment: materials,
procedure, diagram and conclusion.

Wind Speed
1. Use pages ____ to _____ in your textbook to fill out your Wind
Speed worksheet.

Precipitation Experiment
1. Take the anemometer and this sheet of paper with the Beaufort Scale
outside. Each student also needs to take a pencil and their weather
worksheet.
2. Hold the anemometer by the straight edge, with the curved edge
pointing down. Make sure that the string is lined up with the 0 mark on
your scale.
3. Hold the anemometer at arms-length. What number does the string
move to (estimate the number if it does not fall on an exact number)?
Record the number under degrees. Look at the chart on the back to
tell you what speed the wind was moving.
4. Observe your surrounds and the effect that the wind is having on
different objects. Look at the chart on the back to record what force
the wind is traveling at.
5. Return to class and fill in the remaining information for your
experiment: materials, procedure and conclusion.

ANEMOMETER:
Degrees
0
5
10
15
20
25

Speed (mph)
0
7
9
10
12
13

BEAUFORT SCALE:
Force
0
1
2
3

Description
Calm
Light Air
Light Breeze
Gentle Breeze

Moderate Breeze

5
6

Fresh Breeze
Strong Breeze

Moderate Gale

Effect on Objects
Smoke rises straight up
Smoke drifts lightly with wind
Wind is felt on face, leaves rustle
Leaves and small twigs on trees
are constantly moving, flags flap
Dust, leaves, and paper on the
ground are raised up, small
branches in trees move.
Small trees with leaves sway
Large branches of trees move,
flags beat
Whole trees sway, resistance is
felt when walking against the
wind, flags extend straight out

Wind Direction
1. Use pages ____ to _____ in your textbook to fill out your Wind
Direction worksheet.

Precipitation Experiment
1. Take the weather vane and compass outside along with a pencil and your
weather worksheet.
2. Hold the compass in front of you to determine which direction is north,
east, south and west.
3. Another student holds the weather vane at arms-length. Watch as the
weather vane moves with the small triangle pointing in a direction.
Record the direction that the weather vane is pointing (the direction
that the small triangle is pointing).
4. Hold out your finger and see if you can feel which way the wind is
moving. Did the weather vane point in the right direction? If it did not,
why do you think it was not able to point in the right direction?
5. Return to class and fill out the remaining information for your
experiment: materials, procedure, diagram and conclusion.