Folk Tales, Survival and Weather

Mountain Men

People close to nature and in survival situations need to be aware of the weather and how to handle themselves.  The History Channel's Series, Mountain Men, shows how various men around the country survive.  You can follow this link to Fighting the Weather (2 minute video) with clips from those guys.










Follow this link to photos of the melting of the Great Lakes this year.

This video is on the Northern Lights:




See you next week!  We'll be having some fun in class!

Surviving Winter

Animals have different ways to survive winter:

Adaptation

Migration

Hibernation

Hibernation: The Big Sleep 

Getting Ready for Spring!

Plant Hardiness Zone Map from the USDA

Microclimates

Freezing Fog, Winter Storms, Flooding and Safety

Freezing Fog

Supercool

CoolScience -- Experiment

 Winter Storm in TN

• Check out this video from WBIR 
• Storm Damage more Widespread than Tornado video from WBIR

Some of your fellow coop members helped in White County and will help this weekend with other emergency relief.  Please say a prayer for those that help in emergencies and work on a list of how you can help others during weather emergencies.  

Weather Resources

• Glossary of Weather Terms from NOAA
• Winter Storms (Snow) from Exploring Nature Educational Resources (check out the benefits of snow) 

Water to Snow -- Is it REALLY 1 inch of water to 1 foot of snow?

• NASA Spacemath
• Community Collaborative Rain, Hail, and Snow Network (Snow to Water Ratios)

Being Prepared for an Emergency: 

• Being a Hero is FUN  (games)
• Student Tools for Emergency Preparedness (FEMA)
• Be A Hero (Youth Emergency Preparedness -- FEMA)
• Owlie's Weather Book (PDF)

What do you think might happen to all that snow when the weather turns warmer?  How about ALL the snow in Boston?  This may cause some snowmelt flooding, if you have watched much weather forecasts you may have heard warnings about that.  Weather forecasts can help keep us safe -- can you think of ways the forecast helps people?  

I hope to see you next week and hear your ideas!  

SNOW!!!

Science of Snow

We'll be missing class because of the ice and snow, but hopefully you will still be learning and exploring the interesting weather all around!  

We'll be learning about Wilson Bentley next week, so here is a video about him.

Learning about snowflakes reminds us how BIG our God is and how He creates amazingly detailed things, creatures and people!  

I have heard we may have thunder snow tomorrow, and I was surprised to find out all the different types of snow.  

The conditions for ice is different than for snow.  Yesterday we saw sleet, freezing rain and snow.  

We will also be crafting some snowflakes, so please check out these links to practice; 

• Instructables -- How to make a 6-pointed snowflake

•  Make-A-Flake (less messy)
• Super-Simple Gigantic 3D Snowflake Tutorial

Hope you stay warm and have a wonderful snow day!  See you next week!  

Wind, Wind and Wind

Straw Art Activity 

We worked on a small art project.  The blue and green watercolors were used to create a sky/grass background.  Students blotted the paint while wet to create clouds.  While the paintings dried we talked about wind and explored two poems about wind.

The Wind

Robert Louis Stevenson

I saw you toss the kites on high

And blow the birds about the sky;

And all around I heard you pass, 

Like ladies' skirts across the grass --

O wind, a-blowing all day long, 

O wind, that sings so loud a song!

I saw the different things you did, 

But always you yourself you hid.

I felt you push, I heard you call, 

I could not see yourself at all --

O wind, a-blowing all day long, 

O wind, that sings so loud a song!

O you that are so strong and cold, 

O blower, are you young or old?

Are you a beast of field or tree, 

Or just a stronger child than me?

O wind, a-blowing all day long, 

O wind, that sings so loud a song!

Who Has Seen the Wind

Christina G. Rossetti

Who has seen the wind?

Neither I nor you;

But when the leaves hang trembling

The wind is passing thro'.

Who has seen the wind?

Neither you nor I;

But when the trees bow down their heads

The Wind is passing by.

Winds move across our planet because of convection -- the transfer of heat from one place to another most often with liquids and gases (oceans and atmosphere).  

Here are some links to learn more about convection: 

• Steve Spangler Science Colorful Convection Currents
• STEM Works -- Wind Energy (links to lots of experiments and activities)
• NOAA Convection Currents PDF
• Convection and Wind PDF

and some about the Coriolis Effect: 

• Coriolis Effect National Geographic Education
• The Coriolis Effect in Action How Stuff Works

Here are some additional resources for exploration of Winds:

• Maps for the Classroom (Compass Rose)
• The Lad Who Went to the North Wind
• Weather Folklore and Sayings (NOAA)
• Aquarius Visit to an Ocean Planet
• Prevailing Winds Map Activity
• NASA Investigating Climate System Winds

Next week we'll be getting to more specific kinds of weather.  See you soon!  

Air Pressure!!!

Experiments Galore

We did several experiments last Wednesday.  If you want to do more research and follow-up about the science, here are some links: 

Follow this link to Steve Spangler Science to find out how it works: http://www.stevespanglerscience.com/lab/experiments/incredible-can-crusher


Egg in a Bottle:

• http://www.weatherwizkids.com/experiments-egg-bottle.htm

Follow this link for more information on how it works: http://www.stevespanglerscience.com/lab/experiments/flying-ping-pong-ball

If you are really motivated to learn more about air pressure, check out Ducksters Physics For Kids.  It includes the formulas that go along with this science!

The last video includes a way to create your own barometer, and I encourage you to try that!  We'll be exploring some more fun things next Wednesday.  See you soon!

Water!!!

Water is essential for life!  And as an observant student said, "most all weather has some water in it."

Yesterday we explored water in some interesting ways:

• The Water Hole by Graeme Base
• Molecular Model of Water Using Magnets
• Cloud in a Jar Experiment
• Rain in a Jar Demonstration
• Observations of the Day's Weather
• The Water Cycle
• States of Matter (solid, liquid and gas -- water) Observations
• Zome Tool Molecular Mania

The Earth (Globe) was also used to introduce the concepts of revolution and rotation.  

Tides were mentioned too.  We may get back to these later in the semester.

Here are some additional links for further exploration:

• H2O University 
• DeSTEMber Activity (Water Cycle)
• Water Properties PDF File (Middle-High School)
• Steve Spangler Science -- Leak Proof Bag (Air Pressure)
• How is ice different from water?

Welcome to Weather

WELCOME!  

This class and blog are designed for older Elementary age students to explore weather concepts through an integrated curriculm approach.    

Over the Spring semester at Five Rivers Coop we will study topics ranging from meteorological events to weather vocabulary and systems.

Titles for upcoming classes are:

• Snow and Ice -- "The Cold Never Bothered Me Anyway"
• Precipitation  -- "Singing In the Rain"
• Rainbows: Colors and Conditions -- "Somewhere Over the Rainbow"
• Big Yellow Star -- "You are My Sunshine"
• Summer Breeze to Hurricane Gale -- "Blowin' in the Wind"
• It's Electric -- It's more than "Greased Lightning"
• Weather Events around the World -- "It's a Small World Afterall"
• Climate, Weather, and Seasons -- "In Summer"

Classes will include hands-on activities and will be full of lots of active learning!