What's the Weather
Teaching unit - lesson ideas and activities

Science Cross curriculum Perspectives
How the weather affects us Creative Arts Indigenous
Clouds English Multicultural
Predicting the weather Human Society and Its Environment Technology
Severe weather Mathematics

Science

Topic 1: How can I study the weather?

How the weather affects us

Activity - Weather - a printable worksheet from Bureau of Meteorology

Temperature

Air temperature - from Weather Kit, Bureau of Meteorology. A fact sheet on how air temperature is measured

How to measure temperature using a Thermometer - from Weather Kit, Bureau of Meteorology

Precipitation

Precipitation - from Weather Kit, Bureau of Meteorology. A fact sheet on various forms of precipitation

Snowflakes ~ Symmetry in Motion - from Department of Education Michigan Technological University. A winter ecology lesson plan

Making Snow Crystals - from Project Atmosphere. An activity to make snow crystals

Make-a-Flake - from Look and Feel, web designers, requires Shockwave

Wind

Wind - from Weather Kit, Bureau of Meteorology. An introduction to the Beautford Wind Scale

How to measure wind speed using a cup anemometer - a lesson plan from Weather Kit, Bureau of Meteorology

How to measure wind direction using a Compass - a lesson plan from Weather Kit, Bureau of Meteorology

Activity - Measuring Wind Speed - a worksheet from Bureau of Meteorology

Make your own Anemometer - classroom activity from the Franklin Institute Online

Making an anemometer - a science project from California Energy Commission

Air pressure

Air pressure - fact sheet from Weather Kit, Bureau of Meteorology

How to measure air pressure using a Barometer - fact sheet from Weather Kit, Bureau of Meteorology

 

Humidity

Humidity - from Weather Kit, Bureau of Meteorology

How to measure humidity using a Hygrometer - from Weather Kit, Bureau of Meteorology

Keeping a Weather Log

Observation Sheet - for a classroom activity from Weather Kit, Bureau of Meteorology

Keeping a Daily Weather Log - lesson plan from Michigan Reach Out

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Topic 2: Clouds

Background information

Weather Wiz Kids - an introduction to weather; including clouds

Clouds - fact sheet from Weather Kit, Bureau of Meteorology

What causes clouds?

A PET cloud - a lesson plan from Bureau of Meteorology

 

Classifying clouds

How to identify cloud cover and cloud types - fact sheet from Weather Kit, Bureau of Meteorology

Activity - Clouds that warm, clouds that cool - printable worksheet from Bureau of Meteorology

Mr McCloud's cloud quiz - interactive quiz from Bureau of Meteorology

Atmosphere Investigation: Clouds 1 Measurement Data Sheet - worksheet from The Globe Project

Atmosphere Investigation: Clouds 7 Measurement Data Sheet - worksheet from The Globe Project

Observing Cloud Type - fact sheet from The Globe Project

Cloud Key - lesson plan from Scholastic (pdf, 150kb)

Different Types of Clouds - lesson plan from Maths/Science Nucleus

Contrail Chart - from Contrail Education, The Globe Program, NASA

Estimating cloud cover

Estimating cloud cover: A simulation - from The Globe Program (pdf, 86kb)

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Topic 3: Forecasting the Weather and Reading Weather Maps

Forecasting the weather - from Bureau of Meteorology. An introduction and web module about forecasting weather and its influences

Meteorology - What is it? - a worksheet from Bureau of Meteorology

Precipitation Along Fronts - from World Weather 2010 Project

Short range forecasting by plants and animals - from Atmospheric Chemistry Department, Max Planck Society

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Topic 4: Severe weather

National Warnings Summary - from Bureau of Meteorology. This page provides a summary of the valid weather warnings issued in each State.
This page automatically refreshes every 2 minutes. Click on the warning link for more information.

Australian Severe Weather - images for cyclones, tornadoes and all weather conditions

Severe Weather Events - from Bureau of Meteorology

Severe Storms

Severe Storms: Facts, Warnings and Protection - from Bureau of Meteorology

Explanation of Graphical Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in New South Wales - from Bureau of Meteorology

Billy, Maria and the Thunderstorm - a printable colouring-in book with text, from National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration

Cyclones (Hurricanes)

Cyclones - from Queensland State Disaster Management Group. An introduction to cyclones

Hurricanes - includes background information and classroom activities from Weather Wiz Kids, please note US spelling and measurements

Tornadoes
Tornado near Coonabarabran 20/01/2005 - from Australian National University. Case study of a tornado in NW NSW, near Siding Springs

Tornadoes - includes background information and classroom activities from Weather Wiz Kids

Bushfires

Bushfire Weather - from Bureau of Meteorology. An introduction to bushfires; including state specific information

 


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Creative Arts

Miscellaneous and examples

Historic Weather Art - from National Atmospheric and Oceanographic Administration. A collection of images found in Nineteenth Century and early Twentieth Century of popular meteorological works that were produced before the advent of easily operated and transported cameras.

 

Snowflakes and Symmetry

KaleidoDraw - demonstration module for this art software from Protozone, allows six fold symmetry, both mirror and rotational

Make-a-Flake - from Look and Feel, web designers, requires Shockwave

Snow Art - from Jill Britton. A classroom activity

 

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English

 

Weather Poetry - from National Atmospheric and Oceanographic Administration. A collection of beautiful poems, mediocre poems, and terrible poems - sometimes showing pride of belonging to the Weather Bureau, love of the weather phenomena which they observed and predicted, and occasionally a little friendly competition between World War II era men and women weather folks.

 

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Mathematics

Snowflakes and Symmetry

KaleidoDraw - demonstration module for this art software from Protozone, allows six fold symmetry, both mirror and rotational

Symmetry of Snowflakes - images of snowflakes

Make-a-Flake - from Look and Feel, web designers, requires Shockwave

Wilson A. Bentley (The Snowflake Man) - Owned and Operated by the Jericho Historical Society, Jericho, Vermont; Hometown of Wilson A. Bentley

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Indigenous perspective

Indigenous Weather Knowledge - from Bureau of Meteorology. An introduction to Indigenous weather knowledge methods

The Lost Seasons - a science feature from the ABC

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Multicultural perspective

Weather folklore

Weather Folklore - from Weather Wiz Kids

 

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Technology

Snowflakes and Symmetry

KaleidoDraw - demonstration module for this art software from Protozone, allows six fold symmetry, both mirror and rotational

Make-a-Flake - from Look and Feel, web designers, requires Shockwave

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