LESSON 5 - ACTIVITY 1 - READING AND INTERPRETING WEATHER MAPS

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Objectives
Materials
Background Information
Key Questions
Vocabulary
Procedure
Evaluation

Objectives

  1. Identify the symbols used on weather maps.
  2. Read weather maps.

Materials

  • transparency of a weather map
  • printout of weather symbols
  • outline map of the United States
  • transparency of weather symbols

Background Information

A weather map is an indispensable tool to a meteorologist. They use it to compile and illustrate weather data that has been collected from observation stations. Weather maps include data for temperature, cloud type and cover, air pressure, precipitation, and wind speed and direction.

Weather map image (print in landscape mode) NOAA

Weather maps use various symbols to represent the weather. Fronts are drawn as heavy lines. Triangles and semi-circles are used to illustrate cold and warm fronts respectively. Thin lines, called isobars, are used to represent pressure. The type of precipitation as well as the temperature are also shown on a weather map.

Weather symbols image NOAA

Key Questions

  1. Why symbols are used to denote weather conditions on a weather map?
  2. What type of weather data is found on a weather map for any given reporting station?

Vocabulary

  • no vocabulary for this section

Procedure

1. Students will familiarize themselves with what a weather map looks like and the type of information contained on it. Begin by showing your students a national weather map from your local newspaper. You might want to make it into an overhead transparency so all of your students can see it. Or, you can send your students to http://www.nauticus.org/ccweathermap.html on Nauticus's web site to view an interactive weather map. Ask your students to identify the weather conditions associated with the symbols they see. Explain to your students that weather forecasters use these maps to forecast the weather. Give your students a brief introduction to the National Weather Service and how it operates.

2. Explain to your students that we will systematically go through each weather symbol one at a time. They will understand the meaning of the symbol and the standardized location for it on the weather map. There is not enough room on a weather map to include all of the weather details in full text so meteorologists us symbols to represent current weather conditions. Use the document linked below to create a student handout and an overhead transparency of the most common weather symbols used. Discuss each one with your students.

Weather Symbols Handout NOAA

Direct your students to the activity page for this lesson. Have your students access the internet to gain practice in reading a weather map.

3. Explain to your students that they will be creating their own weather service network that will receive weather data from the thirteen cities listed below. Hand out an outline map of the United States to your students. Have them locate the 13 cities that they will be collecting weather data from.

Outline map of the US about.com

Explain to your students that they will chart their data and when all of the data is collected, they will make a 24 hour prediction based on what they have learned about weather patterns.

Here are the instructions for your students for this lesson which covers activities 1 through 6:

  1. Use the internet site listed in the student's pages to gather daily weather information for the 13 cities. Record the temperature, cloud cover, precipitation, wind speed and direction, humidity, and air pressure.
  2. Record the daily information in a spreadsheet.
  3. Create graphs to compare the data collected.
  4. Include the same weather data for your local area.
  5. Summarize your data in your journal.

4. To begin, have your students complete the following:

  1. Mark the cardinal directions on your map.
  2. Access the student's pages and print the page that lists the 13 cities for this activity. Write the code for each city in the correct location on your map.

Code: City, State

  1. KBIL: BILLINGS, MONTANA
  2. KDFW: DALLAS, TEXAS
  3. KDEN: DENVER, COLORADO
  4. KTPA: TAMPA, FLORIDA
  5. KSTL: ST LOUIS, MISSOURI
  6. KJAN: JACKSON, MISSISSIPPI
  7. KPHX: PHOENIX, ARIZONA
  8. KBOS: BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS
  9. KHSE: CAPE HATTERAS, NORTH CAROLINA
  10. KPHL: PITTSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA
  11. KGEG: SPOKANE, WASHINGTON
  12. KCMH: COLUMBUS, OHIO
  13. KOKC: OKLAHOMA CITY, OKLAHOMA

Since large bodies of water can affect the weather, have your students label the oceans, large lakes, and major rivers near their cities.

C. Verify that the students have labeled their maps correctly.

Evaluation

Verify that the students have labeled their weather map correctly.

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