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Wind, Fronts and Storms
INTRODUCTION TO THE AIMS TEACHING MODULE (ATM)
Rationale . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4
Organization and Management . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5
Features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6
INTRODUCING WIND, FRONTS AND STORMS
Themes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11
Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11
Objectives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11
PREPARATION FOR VIEWING
Introduction to the Program . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13
Introduction to Vocabulary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13
Discussion Ideas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13
Focus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13
Jump Right In . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14
AFTER VIEWING THE PROGRAM
Suggested Activities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15
Vocabulary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .19
Checking Comprehension . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .20
Solar Energy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .21
Judging the Speed of Wind . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .22
What is Precipitation? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .23
The Sun and Earth . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .24
Clouds Tell the Weather . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .25
Clouds Moving In . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .26
Checking Vocabulary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .27
Test . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .28
SE C T I O N 1
(Blue)
SECTION 2
(Purple)
SE C T I O N 3
(Green)
SECTION 4
(Red)
ADDITIONAL AIMS MEDIA PROGRAMS . . . . . . . . . . . . . .30
ADDITIONAL READING SUGGESTIONS . . . . . . . . . . . . . .30
ANSWER KEY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .31
1
© Copyright 1994 AIMS Media A Multimedia Group
All Rights Reserved. No part of this work may be reproduced or transmitted without written permission of AIMS Media with
these exceptions: Persons or schools purchasing this AIMS Teaching Module may reproduce consumable ATM pages,
identified in Section 4, for student or classroom use.
AIMS Media is a leading producer and distributor of educational programs serving schools and libraries for
nearly 40 years. AIMS draws upon the most up-to-date knowledge, existing and emerging technologies, and
all of the instructional and pedagogical resources available to develop and distribute educational programs in
film, videocassette, laserdisc, CD-ROM and CD-i formats.
Persons or schools interested in obtaining additional copies of this AIMS Teaching Module, please contact:
AIMS Media
1-800-FOR-AIMS
1-800-367-2467
AIMS TEACHING MODULE
2
WRITTEN BY JULIE
KOERNER
Congratulations!
You have chosen a learning program
that will actively motivate your students
AND provide you with easily accessible
and easily manageable instructional
guidelines designed to make your
teaching role efficient and rewarding.
The AIMS Teaching Module provides
you with a video program keyed
to your classroom curriculum,
instructions and guidelines for use,
plus a comprehensive teaching
program containing a wide range
of activities and ideas for interaction
between all content areas. Our
authors, educators, and consultants
have written and reviewed the AIMS
Teaching Modules to align with the
Educate America Act: Goals 2000.
This ATM, with its clear definition of
manageability, both in the classroom
and beyond, allows you to tailor
specific activities to meet all of your
classroom needs.
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© Copyright 1994 AIMS Media A Multimedia Group
RATIONALE
In today’s classrooms, educational
pedagogy is often founded on
Benjamin S. Bloom’s “Six Levels of
Cognitive Complexity.” The practical
application of Bloom’s Taxonomy is
to evaluate students’ thinking skills on
these levels, from the simple to the
complex: Knowledge (rote memor y
skills), Comprehension (the ability to
relate or retell), Application (the ability
to apply knowledge outside its origin),
Analysis (relating and differentiating
parts of a whole), Synthesis (relating
parts to a whole), and Evaluation
(making a judgment or formulating
an opinion).
The AIMS Teaching Module is
designed to facilitate these intellectual
capabilities, AND to integrate
classroom experiences and
assimilation of learning with the
students’ life experiences, realities, and
expectations. AIMS’ learner verification
studies prove that our AIMS Teaching
Modules help students to absorb,
retain, and to demonstrate ability to
use new knowledge in their world.
Our educational materials are written
and designed for today’s classroom,
which incorporates a wide range of
intellectual, cultural, physical, and
emotional diversities.
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© Copyright 1994 AIMS Media A Multimedia Group
ORGANIZATION AND
MANAGEMENT
To facilitate ease in classroom
manageability, the AIMS Teaching
Module is organized in four sections,
identifiable by their color across the
top of the page and at the side tab
margin. You are reading SECTION 1,
INTRODUCTION TO THE AIMS
TEACHING MODULE (ATM).
SECTION 2,
INTRODUCING THIS ATM
will give you the specific information
you need to integrate the program into
your classroom curriculum.
SECTION 3,
PREPARATION FOR VIEWING
provides suggestions and strategies for
motivation, language preparedness,
readiness, and focus prior to viewing
the program with your students.
SECTION 4,
AFTER VIEWING THE PROGRAM
provides suggestions for additional
activities plus an assortment of
consumable assessment and extended
activities, designed to broaden
comprehension of the topic and to
make connections to other curriculum
content areas.
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© Copyright 1994 AIMS Media A Multimedia Group
FEATURES
INTRODUCING EACH ATM
SECTION 2
Your AIMS Teaching Module is
designed to accompany a video
program written and produced by
some of the world’s most credible
and creative writers and producers
of educational programming. To
facilitate diversity and flexibility in
your classroom, your AIMS Teaching
Module features these components:
Themes
The Major Theme tells how this AIMS
Teaching Module is keyed into the
curriculum. Related Themes offer
suggestions for interaction with other
curriculum content areas, enabling
teachers to use the teaching module
to incorporate the topic into a variety
of learning areas.
Overview
The Overview provides a synopsis of
content covered in the video program.
Its purpose is to give you a summary
of the subject matter and to enhance
your introductory preparation.
Objectives
The ATM learning objectives provide
guidelines for teachers to assess what
learners can be expected to gain from
each program. After completion of the
AIMS Teaching Module, your students
will be able to demonstrate dynamic
and applied comprehension of
the topic.
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© Copyright 1994 AIMS Media A Multimedia Group
PREPARATION FOR VIEWING
Discussion Ideas
AFTER VIEWING THE PROGRAM
SECTION 3
Discussion Ideas are designed to
help you assess students’ prior
knowledge about the topic and to
give students a preview of what
they will learn. Active discussion
stimulates interest in a subject and
can motivate even the most reluctant
learner. Listening, as well as speaking,
is active participation. Encourage
your students to participate at the
rate they feel comfortable. Model
sharing personal experiences when
applicable, and model listening to
students’ ideas and opinions.
SECTION 4
In preparation for viewing the
video program, the AIMS Teaching
Module offers activity and/or
discussion ideas that you may use
in any order or combination.
Introduction To The Program
Introduction to the Program is
designed to enable students to recall
or relate prior knowledge about the
topic and to prepare them for what
they are about to learn.
After your students have viewed
the program, you may introduce
any or all of these activities to
interact with other curriculum content
areas, provide reinforcement, assess
comprehension skills, or provide
hands-on and in-depth extended
study of the topic.
Focus
Introduction To Vocabulary
Introduction to Vocabulary is a
review of language used in the
program: words, phrases, usage.
This vocabulary introduction is
designed to ensure that all learners,
including limited English proficiency
learners, will have full understanding
of the language usage in the content
of the program.
Help learners set a purpose for
watching the program with Focus,
designed to give students a focal
point for comprehension continuity.
Jump Right In
Jump Right In provides abbreviated
instructions for quick management
of the program.
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© Copyright 1994 AIMS Media A Multimedia Group
SUGGESTED
ACTIVITIES
The Suggested Activities offer ideas
for activities you can direct in the
classroom or have your students
complete independently, in pairs, or
in small work groups after they have
viewed the program. To accommodate
your range of classroom needs, the
activities are organized into skills
categories. Their labels will tell you
how to identify each activity and help
you correlate it into your classroom
curriculum. To help you schedule
your classroom lesson time, the
AIMS hourglass gives you an estimate
of the time each activity should
require. Some of the activities fall
into these categories:
Meeting Individual
Needs
These activities are designed to aid
in classroom continuity. Reluctant
learners and learners acquiring
English will benefit from these activities
geared to enhance comprehension
of language in order to fully grasp
content meaning.
Curriculum Connections
Many of the suggested activities are
intended to integrate the content of
the ATM program into other content
areas of the classroom curriculum.
These cross-connections turn the
classroom teaching experience into
a whole learning experience.
Critical Thinking
In The Newsroom
Critical Thinking activities are
designed to stimulate learners’ own
opinions and ideas. These activities
require students to use the thinking
process to discern fact from opinion,
consider their own problems and
formulate possible solutions, draw
conclusions, discuss cause and effect,
or combine what they already know
with what they have learned to
make inferences.
Each AIMS Teaching Module contains
a newsroom activity designed to help
students make the relationship between
what they learn in the classroom and
how it applies in their world. The
purpose of In The Newsroom is to
actively involve each class member in
a whole learning experience. Each
student will have an opportunity to
perform all of the tasks involved in
production: writing, researching,
producing, directing, and interviewing
as they create their own classroom
news program.
Cultural Diversity
Each AIMS Teaching Module has an
activity called Cultural Awareness,
Cultural Diversity, or Cultural
Exchange that encourages students
to share their backgrounds, cultures,
heritage, or knowledge of other
countries, customs, and language.
Hands On
These are experimental or tactile
activities that relate directly to the
material taught in the program.Your
students will have opportunities to
make discoveries and formulate ideas
on their own, based on what they
learn in this unit.
Extended Activities
These activities provide opportunities
for students to work separately or
together to conduct further research,
explore answers to their own
questions, or apply what they
have learned to other media or
content areas.
Link to the World
These activities offer ideas for
connecting learners’ classroom
activities to their community and
the rest of the world.
Writing
Every AIMS Teaching Module will
contain an activity designed for
students to use the writing process
to express their ideas about what they
have learned. The writing activity may
also help them to make the connection
between what they are learning in
this unit and how it applies to other
content areas.
Culminating Activity
To wrap up the unit, AIMS Teaching
Modules offer suggestions for ways
to reinforce what students have
learned and how they can use their
new knowledge to enhance their
world view.
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© Copyright 1994 AIMS Media A Multimedia Group
VOCABULARY
CONSUMABLE
ACTIVITIES
Every ATM contains an activity that
reinforces the meaning and usage of
the vocabulary words introduced in
the program content. Students will
either read or find the definition of
each vocabulary word, then use the
word in a written sentence.
CHECKING
COMPREHENSION
Checking Comprehension is designed
to help you evaluate how well your
students understand, retain, and recall
the information presented in the AIMS
Teaching Module. Depending on your
students’ needs, you may direct this
activity to the whole group yourself,
or you may want to have students work
on the activity page independently, in
pairs, or in small groups. Students can
verify their written answers through
discussion or by viewing the video
a second time. If you choose, you can
reproduce the answers from your
Answer Key or write the answer
choices in a Word Bank for students
to use. Students can use this completed
activity as a study guide to prepare
for the test.
The AIMS Teaching Module provides
a selection of consumable activities,
designed to specifically reinforce the
content of this learning unit. Whenever
applicable, they are arranged in
order from low to high difficulty level,
to allow a seamless facilitation of the
learning process. You may choose to
have students take these activities
home or to work on them in the
classroom independently, in pairs
or in small groups.
TEST
The AIMS Teaching Module Test
permits you to assess students’
understanding of what they have
learned. The test is formatted in
one of several standard test formats
to give your students a range of
experiences in test-taking techniques.
Be sure to read, or remind students
to read, the directions carefully
and to read each answer choice
before making a selection. Use the
Answer Key to check their answers.
CHECKING
VOCABULARY
The Checking Vocabulary activity
provides the opportunity for students
to assess their knowledge of new
vocabulary with this word game or
puzzle. The format of this vocabulary
activity allows students to use the
related words and phrases in a
different context.
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© Copyright 1994 AIMS Media A Multimedia Group
ADDITIONAL AIMS
MEDIA PROGRAMS
After you have completed this AIMS
Teaching Module you may be interested
in more of the programs that AIMS
offers. This list includes several related
AIMS programs.
ADDITIONAL READING
SUGGESTIONS
AIMS offers a carefully researched list
of other resources that you and your
students may find rewarding.
ANSWER KEY
Reproduces tests and work pages
with answers marked to all activities
and tests.
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© Copyright 1994 AIMS Media A Multimedia Group
THEMES
Wind, Fronts and Storms
Weather, what makes it, and how it
affects nature are related themes in
the earth science curriculum. Patterns
of change and systems and
interactions are major themes in
Wind, Fronts and Storms.
OVERVIEW
The dictionary definition of the word
weather is the state of air or atmosphere
at a given time or place. We know that
weather is all around us. It is changing
all the time.
Wind, Fronts, and Storms begins with a
study of air masses: how they are
formed and how changing temperature
and air pressure make them move and
collide with other air masses, creating
fronts and causing wind and rain.
Several types of storms are discussed,
including thunderstorms, tornadoes, and
hurricanes. Students will learn how the
condensation of water vapor in the sky
forms different kinds of clouds, and how
the force of gravity causes precipitation,
pulling water droplets down from clouds.
OBJECTIVES
To define air mass and explain
what makes air masses move
To demonstrate how wind is caused
To explain how condensation
forms clouds, fog and dew
To define precipitation and tell
how it is caused
To explain how storms are caused,
and tell how they can be beneficial
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© Copyright 1994 AIMS Media A Multimedia Group Wind, Fronts and Storms
Use this page for your individual notes about planning and/or effective ways to manage this
AIMS Teaching Module in your classroom.
Our AIMS Media Educational Department welcomes your observations and comments.
Please feel free to address your correspondence to:
AIMS Media
Editorial Department
9710 DeSoto Avenue
Chatsworth, California 91311-4409
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© Copyright 1994 AIMS Media A Multimedia Group Wind, Fronts and Storms
INTRODUCTION TO
THE PROGRAM
To open the unit on weather, ask student
volunteers to describe today’s weather.
How does it compare to yesterday’s
weather, and the weather on the same
date one or two months ago? Ask students
to tell what factors they think might
have an effect on the weather.
INTRODUCTION TO
VOCABULARY
Ask students to offer their own definitions
of weather. Ask them what changes
in the weather can affect, for example,
how they feel, how they dress, what
they do. Encourage use of words such
as warm, cold, hot, wet, sunny,
gloomy, windy.
DISCUSSION IDEAS
Discuss how unexpected changes in
weather can affect people’s plans, such
as rain forcing cancellation of a ball
game, or a snowstorm causing school to
be closed.
Have students tell what they learn when
they read, listen to, or watch a weather
report. What kinds of things does the
report tell them? How does the weather
report affect decisions we make?
FOCUS
As students watch Wind, Storms and
Fronts, ask them to think about how
specific weather patterns make them feel.
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© Copyright 1994 AIMS Media A Multimedia Group Wind, Fronts and Storms
JUMP RIGHT IN
HOW TO USE THE WIND,
FRONTS AND STORMS AIMS TEACHING MODULE
Preparation
Viewing
WIND, FRONTS AND STORMS
Read Wind, Fronts and Storms
Themes, Overview, and
Objectives to become familiar
with program content and
expectations.
Use Preparation for Viewing
suggestions to introduce the topic
to students.
Set up viewing monitor so that all
students have a clear view.
Depending on your classroom
size and learning range, you
may choose to have students
view Wind, Fronts and Storms
together or in small groups.
Some students may benefit from
viewing the video more than one
time.
After Viewing
WIND, FRONTS AND STORMS
Select Suggested Activities
that integrate into your classroom
curriculum. If applicable, gather
materials or resources.
Choose the best way for students
to work on each activity. Some
activities work best for the whole
group. Other activities are designed
for students to work independently,
in pairs, or in small groups.
Whenever possible, encourage
students to share their work with
the rest of the group.
Duplicate the appropriate
number of Vocabulary,
Checking Comprehension,
and consumable activity pages
for your students.
You may choose to have students
take consumable activities home,
or complete them in the classroom,
independently, or in groups.
Administer the Test to assess
students’ comprehension of
what they have learned, and
to provide them with practice
in test-taking procedures.
Use the Culminating Activity
as a forum for students to display,
summarize, extend, or share what
they have learned with each other,
the rest of the school, or a local
community organization.
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© Copyright 1994 AIMS Media A Multimedia Group Wind, Fronts and Storms
SUGGESTED ACTIVITIES
Hands On
Your students can perform these experiments to determine which heats faster, sand or
water. Use two equal-sized plastic bowls or boxes. Fill one with 2 inches of sand and
the other with 2 inches of water. Set them side by side in the sun or under a heat lamp,
and have students measure the temperature every ten minutes to determine which
warms faster.
50 Minutes
Extended Activity
To determine whether the air heats faster over land or water, have students perform this
experiment: Fill one small jar with water and another with sand. Place each jar in a
separate plastic shoe box. Place a thermometer over the jar, then cover the shoe box,
and place the boxes, covered, in the direct sun light or heat lamp. Have students check
the temperature over the sand and water every ten minutes to determine which warms
faster.
50 Minutes
Connection to Art
Form three groups of students and have them use magazine pictures or create their own
illustrations of the three kinds of clouds. Provide students with a variety of materials and
let each group use their imagination and creativity to design their poster. Then have
them put the posters on display.
60 Minutes
Hands On
Students can perform this experiment to create weather fronts. Have a student cut a
thick piece of cardboard to make a tight-fitting center divider for a plastic shoe box.
Fill one 16 ounce jar with very hot water and five drops of red food coloring, and
another 16 ounce jar with very cold water and five drops of blue food coloring. Have
two students simultaneously pour the two colored waters into each side of the box, then
tell a third student to quickly remove the center divider. What happens? (The cool water
will pull downward, forcing the warm water to cover it as the two “fronts” collide.)
15 Minutes
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© Copyright 1994 AIMS Media A Multimedia Group Wind, Fronts and Storms
Extended Activity
Ask student volunteers to find out what the wind chill factor is and how it is determined.
10 Minutes
Hands On
Your students can form clouds in the classroom by performing this experiment. Use
two equal-sized plastic cups or containers. Chill one cup with ice or in the freezer,
and place very hot water and drops of food coloring in the other cup. Carefully
connect the rims of both cups together with the cold cup on top, making it airtight.
Then place more ice cubes on top (actually the bottom of the cold cup). Have students
observe and describe what happens.
20 Minutes
Extended Activity
Ask students to use their conclusions from the above experiment to predict whether
clouds form more easily over an ocean or over a desert. Tell students to support
their predictions during a class discussion.
10 Minutes
Extended Activity
Separate the students into the number of working groups you select, and assign, or
let each group choose, an animal to research. Tell each group to find out what
characteristics the animal has to enable it to survive the weather conditions in its
environment. Your students may want to make a chart showing their findings.
50 Minutes
Hands On
You can show your students how to determine the dew point in the classroom.
Fill a tin or aluminum can half-full of water that is about room temperature. Use a
thermometer to measure the temperature. Have students slowly add ice cubes and
stir them into the water, measuring the temperature every few minutes. Instruct
students to carefully observe the outside shiny surface of the can as they cool the
water inside it. As soon as the shiny surface begins to “fog,” instruct them to
measure the temperature. Tell students that the water cooled the can, which in turn
cooled the air outside it, bringing the humidity in the air to 100 percent, causing
condensation to form on the outside of the can.
20 Minutes
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© Copyright 1994 AIMS Media A Multimedia Group Wind, Fronts and Storms
Connection to Language Arts
Let your students work in small groups to write acrostics using vocabulary words from
the Wind, Fronts and Storms learning unit. You can make a suggested list of words
they might choose from, such as earth, wind, storm, cloud. In acrostics, the word is
written vertically, and the first (or last, if you choose) letter of each word begins a word
or phrase that works together to express an idea, such as the example below:
30 Minutes
H eat
E nergy
A ctivates
T iny particles
Critical Thinking
Review the three types of clouds, and discuss which clouds you and your students see
most often in your environment. Encourage students to talk about what they might predict
about the weather by the look of clouds in the sky, or the feel of the humidity in the air.
15 Minutes
Writing
Have students work in groups to create a weather newspaper or write a news magazine
feature. Some students can be responsible for collecting the weather information on a
daily basis, while others can compile the data every Friday. Remind students that the
news articles need to answer who, what, when, where, why and how. Have each student
group make an outline of content. Then have groups work together to write their rough
drafts. The newspaper articles can be written on Fridays and illustrated with student
drawings.
Ongoing
Cultural Exchange
Ask students who have ever lived in another country or another geographical location
to tell about the weather there. Ask them to describe the physical characteristics of the
land, the kinds of outdoor activities people enjoy, the kinds of animals and plant life
that live there, and the kinds of clothes people wear to adapt to the climate.
20 Minutes
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© Copyright 1994 AIMS Media A Multimedia Group Wind, Fronts and Storms
In the Newsroom
Have newsroom writer/researchers select a location with a climate very different from
where you live. Tell them they must prepare a news story about extreme weather in this
location, and tell how that weather affects the people, the land, and the economy.
Examples might be: a hurricane, a tornado, a drought, a heat wave, a snowstorm. If
applicable, have more than one reporter present the story from different angles. Let
students prepare backdrops for the news report. Have students make a video or audio
recording to review at a later date.
60 Minutes
Writing
If they have not already done so, have students reread the rough drafts of their weather
newspaper or newsmagazine features. Tell them to revise and rewrite their articles, and
be sure to edit their final story to check their spelling and punctuation.
25 Minutes
Culminating Activity
Have students demonstrate how air masses can affect each other in the atmosphere by
preparing skits to illustrate creation or causes of different winds, fronts and storms.
Allow students to be creative by making “costumes” or writing dialogue to enhance
their presentations. Then encourage them to show their skits to the class or to the whole
school.
90 Minutes
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© Copyright 1994 AIMS Media A Multimedia Group Wind, Fronts and Storms
Name
VOCABULARY
Below is a list of words and phrases from Wind, Fronts, and Storms. Read each word or phrase and its
definition. Then use a separate piece of paper to write each word or phrase in a sentence.
air mass:
a large amount of air with similar temperature, pressure, and humidity
air pressure:
the weight of air
anemometer:
cloud:
the instrument meteorologists use to measure wind speed
a visible mass of water droplets in the sky
cirrus clouds:
high, wispy clouds made of ice
stratus clouds:
broad, low layers of clouds
cumulus clouds:
condensation:
dew:
piles of billowy, flat-bottomed clouds
the change of water vapor into liquid
water vapor that has condensed on earth’s surface
dew point:
front:
the temperature at which water vapor changes to liquid
the sloping boundary between two contrasting air masses
precipitation:
rain, snow, sleet, or hail that falls from the clouds
storm:
severe weather conditions, such as strong winds, rains, lightning, or snow, formed by air masses colliding
wind:
the movement of air over a large area
prevailing wind:
a constant wind that moves in the same direction in a specific area
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© Copyright 1994 AIMS Media A Multimedia Group Wind, Fronts and Storms
Name
CHECKING COMPREHENSION
Read each question or statement. Write the answer or complete the sentence on the line provided.
1. A large amount of air with similar temperature, pressure and humidity is called an _______________.
(air mass, air front)
2. Local winds, mountains, oceans, temperature differences and the earth’s rotation affect the
________________ of air. (movement, mood)
3. What is caused when two air masses meet?
______________________ (hot air, a front)
4. The amount of water vapor in the air is called the ______________________. (humor, humidity)
5. Water vapor condenses into liquid at the ________________________. (dew point, breaking point)
6. Clouds are formed when water vapor condenses into ____________________. (water droplets, tornadoes)
7. What are cirrus clouds made of? ______________________ (water, ice)
8. What is fog? ______________________________ (low-lying clouds, air pollution)
9. Which is a good example of precipitation?
________________________ (heat, rain)
10. Two different air masses can collide to cause a ________________________. (river, storm)
11. Storm clouds cause static electricity by rubbing the atmosphere. When this static electricity
discharges, we see ________________________. (stars, lightning)
12. What causes tornadoes?
__________________ (updrafts, downdrafts)
13. Where are hurricanes form e d ?__________________________________ (over oceans, over mountains)
14. What causes air to move, creating wind?
__________________________________________
(hail storms, temperature and pressure differences)
15. What does it mean when the word nimbus is added to a cloud name?
______________________
(precipitation, pressure)
20
© Copyright 1994 AIMS Media A Multimedia Group Wind, Fronts and Storms
Name
SOLAR ENERGY
Energy from the sun is called solar energy. Look at the diagram below that shows what happens to the
energy from the sun. Then fill in the pie graph to show what happenes to that solar energy.
21
© Copyright 1994 AIMS Media A Multimedia Group Wind, Fronts and Storms
Name
JUDGING THE SPEED OF WIND
In 1806, Francis Beaufort, an admiral in the British Navy, devised a scale to help people judge the
speed of wind. Beaufort’s scale was based on the wind’s visible effects, such as trees being uprooted.
That was before the invention of the anemometer, a device that actually measures wind speed.
Study the chart below to see how Beaufort described various wind velocities, and how these descriptions
relate to wind speed, given in “kilometers per hour.” Chart the wind speed in your area for two weeks,
using the appropriate numbers from the chart.
Number
Description
Type of Wind
Wind Speed (km/h)
0
Smoke rises straight up
Calm
0–1
1
Smoke drifts
Light air
1–5
2
Wind felt on face, leaves rustle
Light breeze
6–12
3
Flag blows straight out
Gentle breeze
13–18
4
Loose papers blow
Moderate breeze
19–28
5
Small trees sway
Fresh breeze
29–38
6
Hats blow off, branches move
Strong breeze
39–50
7
Hard to walk against the wind
Moderate gale
51–61
8
Small branches break off trees
Fresh gale
62–74
9
Damage to buildings
Strong gale
75–87
10
Trees uprooted
Whole gale
88–101
Sun
Mon
Tue
Wed
Thu
Fri
Sat
Sun
Mon
Tue
Wed
Thu
Fri
Sat
22
© Copyright 1994 AIMS Media A Multimedia Group Wind, Fronts and Storms
Name
WHAT IS PRECIPITATION?
Precipitation is water from clouds that falls to the earth. Precipitation can take various forms, depending
on conditions in the atmosphere.
Examine the chart below and notice the symbols for the different types of precipitation. In the column
marked symbol, draw the symbol for the type of precipitation described in the definition column.
TYPE OF PRECIPITATION
SYMBOL
Clouds that form close to the earth
Droplets that start to freeze as they
begin their fall to earth
Droplets in the form of a light mist
falling to the ground
Droplets of water that freeze
around ice crystals as they ride up
and down inside a storm cloud —
and fall to earth in the form of ice
balls
Vapor that changes into flakes due
to freezing
Water vapor that forms drops and
falls to the ground
Heavy amounts of falling drops of
water
23
© Copyright 1994 AIMS Media A Multimedia Group Wind, Fronts and Storms
Name
THE SUN AND EARTH
Look at the picture of the sun and the Earth. Write these labels on the diagram.
EQUATOR
SUN
SOUTH POLE
NORTH POLE
EARTH
24
© Copyright 1994 AIMS Media A Multimedia Group Wind, Fronts and Storms
Name
CLOUDS TELL THE WEATHER
Did you ever notice how many different kinds of clouds there are? The different kinds of clouds mean
different kinds of weather. Look at the four types of clouds shown here. In the appropriate boxes, write
what the cloud is called, what it looks like, and the kind of weather it usually means. The Word Bank
below should be helpful.
TYPE OF CLOUD
WHAT IT’S
CALLED
WHAT IT
LOOKS LIKE
THE KIND OF WEATHER
IT MEANS
WORD BANK
cumulus
steady drizzle
thunderstorms
stratus
cumulonimbus
smooth layers
high, wispy clouds
cirrus
dark, billowing
fair, occasional showers
fluffy, white clouds
fair
© Copyright 1994 AIMS Media A Multimedia Group Wind, Fronts and Storms
25
Name
CLOUDS MOVING IN
Look at these scrambled words and phrases. Read the definition in parenthesis. Write the unscrambled
word on the line. Use the Word Bank if you need help.
1. eic classtry (frozen particles)
2. wrate prova (moist particles)
3. sneedcon (turn into liquid)
4. sclodu (condensed vapor)
5. ira amss (two of these form a front)
6. thea greeny (power from the sun)
7. wed tinop (where vapor condenses)
8. sledport (tiny particles of water)
9. ira erusserp (the weight of the atmosphere)
10. hearmestop (it surrounds the earth)
WORD BANK
atmosphere
ice crystals
heat energy
air mass
air pressure
water vapor
clouds
droplets
dew point
condense
© Copyright 1994 AIMS Media A Multimedia Group Wind, Fronts and Storms
26
Name
CHECKING VOCABULARY
Find the words in the word bank below. They may go up or down, left to right, backwards, upside-down,
or diagonally.
WORD BANK
air mass
cloud
cumulus
dew point
storm
air pressure
cirrus
condensation
front
wind
anemometer
stratus
dew
precipitation
prevailing wind
27
© Copyright 1994 AIMS Media A Multimedia Group Wind, Fronts and Storms
Name
TEST
Read each statement. Then read each answer choice and fill in the bubble next to the best answer.
1. An air mass is a large amount of air that __________________________________.
o covers a large space
o moves fast
o has similar temperature, weight and humidity
o causes rain, thunder, lightning and most storms
2. The movement of an air mass can be affected by winds and______________________________________.
o oceans and mountains
o temperature differences
o the earth’s rotation
o all of the above
3. The anemometer measures __________________________.
o wind speed
o water vapor in the air
o the air’s weight
o heat
4. Two air masses meet to form
o a front
o wind
o a storm
o a cloud
__________________________.
5. When air is filled with all the water vapor it can hold, it ______________________________.
o causes precipitation
o makes storms
o forms a cloud
o is saturated
28
© Copyright 1994 AIMS Media A Multimedia Group Wind, Fronts and Storms
Test, Page 2
6. The temperature at which water vapor will condense is known as the __________________________.
o boiling temperature
o dew point
o barometric pressure
o humidity level
7. Billions of tiny droplets of water vapor changed back into water form __________________________.
o rain
o dew
o clouds
o wind
8. Rain, sleet, hail, and snow falling from the clouds are forms of ______________________________.
o cold fronts
o colliding air masses
o condensation
o precipitation
9. Storms are caused by __________________________________.
o two air masses colliding
o clouds blowing away
o the wind blowing south
o water vapor
10. One benefit of storms is that they _______________________________________.
o release pressure from clouds
o are often predictable
o clean and cool the air
o lower the earth’s temperature
29
© Copyright 1994 AIMS Media A Multimedia Group Wind, Fronts and Storms
ADDITIONAL AIMS MEDIA PROGRAMS
If you found Wind, Fronts, and Storms a valuable teaching tool, you might also appreciate:
Temperature, Pressure, and Humidity – 8401AT
Solar Activity – 8284AT
Exploring Our Solar System – 8060AT
The It’s Chemical Series
It’s Chemical: Density in Solids – 8150AT
It’s Chemical: Phase Changes – 8151AT
It’s Chemical: Density in Liquids – 8148AT
It’s Chemical: Density in Gases – 8149AT
Electrical Current and Magnetism – 8381AT
The Green Earth Club Series: Solar Energy – 8604AT
I Like Series: I Like Clouds – 1512AT
The Protecting Our Environment Series
Reduce – 8255AT
Reuse – 8254AT
Recycle – 8253AT
ADDITIONAL READING SUGGESTIONS
Branley, Franklin. It’s Raining Cats and Dogs, Houghton Mifflin, Boston 1987.
Hollman, Hal. Light and Electricity in the Atmosphere, Holiday House, New York, 1967.
Mandell, Muriel. Simple Weather Experiments, Sterling Publishers, New York, 1990.
Mason, John. Weather and Climate, Silver Burdett, New Jersey, 1991
Smith, Howard. Weather, Doubleday, New York, 1990.
Suzuki, David. Looking at Weather, John Wiley and Son, New York, 1988.
Wyler, Rose. Raindrops and Rainbows, J. Messinger, New Jersey, 1989.
30
© Copyright 1994 AIMS Media A Multimedia Group Wind, Fronts and Storms
ANSWER KEY for page 19
Name
VOCABULARY
Below is a list of words and phrases from Wind, Fronts, and Storms. Read each word or phrase and its
definition. Then use a separate piece of paper to use each word or phrase in a sentence.
air mass:
a large amount of air with similar temperature, pressure, and humidity
air pressure:
the weight of air
the instrument meteorologists use to measure wind speed
anemometer:
cloud:
a visible mass of water droplets in the sky
high, wispy clouds made of ice
cirrus clouds:
stratus clouds:
broad, low layers of clouds
cumulus clouds:
condensation:
dew:
piles of billowy, flat-bottomed clouds
the change of water vapor into liquid
water vapor that has condensed on earth’s surface
dew point:
front:
the temperature at which water vapor changes to liquid
the sloping boundary between two contrasting air masses
precipitation:
rain, snow, sleet, or hail that falls from the clouds
storm:
severe weather conditions, such as strong winds, rains, lightning, or snow, formed by air masses colliding
wind:
the movement of air over a large area
prevailing wind:
a constant wind that moves in the same direction in a specific area
ANSWERS WILL VARY
31
© Copyright 1994 AIMS Media A Multimedia Group Wind, Fronts and Storms
ANSWER KEY for page 20
Name
CHECKING COMPREHENSION
Read each question or statement. Write the answer or complete the sentence on the line provided.
AIR MASS
1. A large amount of air with similar temperature, pressure and humidity is called an _______________.
(air mass, air front)
2.Local winds, mountains, oceans, temperature differences and the earth’s rotation affect the
MOVEMENT
________________of
air. (movement, mood)
3.What is caused when two air masses meet?
A
FRONT
______________________
(hot air, a front)
HUMIDITY
4.The amount of water vapor in the air is called the ______________________.
(humor, humidity)
DEW POINT
5. Water vapor condenses into liquid at the ________________________.
(dew point, breaking point)
DROPLETS
6. Clouds are formed when water vapor condenses into WATER
____________________.
(water droplets, tornadoes)
ICE
7.What are cirrus clouds made of?______________________
(water, ice)
LOW-LYING CLOUDS
8.What is fog? ______________________________
(low-lying clouds, air pollution)
9.Which is a good example of precipitation?
RAIN
________________________ (heat, rain)
10. Two different air masses can collide to cause a________________________.
STORM
(river, storm)
11.Storm clouds cause static electricity by rubbing the atmosphere. When this static electricity
LIGHTNING
discharges, we see ________________________
. (stars, lightning)
12.What causes tornadoes?
UPDRAFTS
__________________
(updrafts, downdrafts)
OCEANS
13.W h e re are hurricanes form e d OVER
?__________________________________
(over oceans, over mountains)
14.What causes air to move, creating wind?
TEMPERATURE
AND PRESSURE DIFFERENCES
__________________________________________
(hail storms, temperature and pressure differences)
15.What does it mean when the word nimbus is added to a cloud name? PRECIPITATION
______________________
(precipitation, pressure)
32
© Copyright 1994 AIMS Media A Multimedia Group Wind, Fronts and Storms
ANSWER KEY for page 21
Name
SOLAR ENERGY
Energy from the sun is called solar energy. Look at the diagram below that shows what happens to the
energy from the sun. Then fill in the pie graph to show what happenes to that solar energy.
Reflected by the earth
ABSORBED BY THE EARTH
ABSORBED BY THE ATMOSPHERE
REFLECTED BY CLOUDS AND DUST
33
© Copyright 1994 AIMS Media A Multimedia Group Wind, Fronts and Storms
ANSWER KEY for page 22
Name
JUDGING THE SPEED OF WIND
In 1806, Francis Beaufort, an admiral in the British Navy, devised a scale to help people judge the
speed of wind. Beaufort’s scale was based on the wind’s visible effects, such as trees being uprooted.
That was before the invention of the anemometer, a device that actually measures wind speed.
Study the chart below to see how Beaufort described various wind velocities, and how these descriptions
relate to wind speed, given in “kilometers per hour.” Chart the wind speed in your area for two weeks,
using the appropriate numbers from the chart.
Number
0
Description
Type of Wind
Wind Speed (km/h)
Smoke rises straight up
Calm
0–1
1
Smoke drifts
Light air
1–5
2
Wind felt on face, leaves rustle
Light breeze
6–12
3
Flag blows straight out
Gentle breeze
13–18
4
Loose papers blow
Moderate breeze
19–28
5
Small trees sway
Fresh breeze
29–38
6
Hats blow off, branches move
Strong breeze
39–50
7
Hard to walk against the wind
Moderate gale
51–61
8
Small branches break off trees
Fresh gale
62–74
9
Damage to buildings
Strong gale
75–87
10
Trees uprooted
Whole gale
88–101
Sun
Mon
Tue
Wed
Thu
Fri
Sat
Fri
Sat
ANSWERS WILL VARY
Sun
Mon
Tue
Wed
Thu
34
© Copyright 1994 AIMS Media A Multimedia Group Wind, Fronts and Storms
ANSWER KEY for page 23
Name
WHAT IS PRECIPITATION?
Precipitation is water from clouds that falls to the earth. Precipitation can take various forms, depending
on conditions in the atmosphere.
Examine the chart below and notice the symbols for the different types of precipitation. In the column
marked symbol, draw the symbol for the type of precipitation described in the definition column.
TYPE OF PRECIPITATION
SYMBOL
Clouds that form close to the earth
Droplets that start to freeze as they
begin their fall to earth
Droplets in the form of a light mist
falling to the ground
Droplets of water that freeze
around ice crystals as they ride up
an down inside a storm cloud —
and fall to earth in the form of ice
balls
Vapor that changes into flakes due
to freezing
Water vapor that forms drops and
falls to the ground
Heavy amounts of falling drops of
water
35
© Copyright 1994 AIMS Media A Multimedia Group Wind, Fronts and Storms
ANSWER KEY for page 24
Name
THE SUN AND EARTH
Look at the picture of the sun and the Earth. Write these labels on the diagram.
EQUATOR
SUN
SOUTH POLE
NORTH POLE
EARTH
EARTH
SUN
NORTH POLE
EQUATOR
SOUTH POLE
36
© Copyright 1994 AIMS Media A Multimedia Group Wind, Fronts and Storms
ANSWER KEY for page 25
Name
CLOUDS TELL THE WEATHER
Did you ever notice how many different kinds of clouds there are? The different kinds of clouds mean
different kinds of weather. Look at the four types of clouds shown here. In the appropriate boxes, write
what the cloud is called, what it looks like, and the kind of weather it usually means. The Word Bank
below should be helpful.
TYPE OF CLOUD
WHAT IT’S
CALLED
WHAT IT
LOOKS LIKE
THE KIND OF WEATHER
IT MEANS
CUMULONIMBUS
DARK,
BILLOWING
THUNDERSTORMS
STRATUS
SMOTH LAYERS
STEADY DRIZZLE
CUMULUS
FLYFFY, WHITE
CLOUDS
FAIR, OCCATIONAL
SHOWERS
CIRRUS
HIGH, WISPY
COULDS
FAIR
WORD BANK
cumulus
steady drizzle
thunderstorms
stratus
cumulonimbus
smooth layers
high, wispy clouds
cirrus
dark, billowing
fair, occasional showers
fluffy, white clouds
fair
37
© Copyright 1994 AIMS Media A Multimedia Group Wind, Fronts and Storms
ANSWER KEY for page 26
Name
CLOUDS MOVING IN
Look at these scrambled words and phrases. Read the definition in parenthesis. Write the unscrambled
word on the line. Use the Word Bank if you need help.
1. eic classtry (frozen particles) ICE CRYSTALS
2. wrate prova (moist particles) WATER VAPOR
3. sneedcon (turn into liquid) CONDENSE
4. sclodu (condensed vapor) CLOUDS
5. ira amss (two of these form a front) AIR MASS
6. thea greeny (power from the sun) HEAT ENERGY
7. wed tinop (where vapor condenses) DEW POINT
8. sledport (tiny particles of water) DROPLETS
9. ira erusserp (the weight of the atmosphere) AIR PRESSURE
10. hearmestop (it sur rounds the earth) ATMOSPHERE
WORD BANK
atmosphere
ice crystals
heat energy
air mass
air pressure
water vapor
clouds
droplets
dew point
condense
38
© Copyright 1994 AIMS Media A Multimedia Group Wind, Fronts and Storms
ANSWER KEY for page 27
Name
CHECKING VOCABULARY
Find the words in the word bank below. They may go up or down, left to right, backwards, upside-down,
or diagonally.
WORD BANK
air mass
cloud
cumulus
dew point
storm
air pressure
cirrus
condensation
front
wind
anemometer
stratus
dew
precipitation
prevailing wind
39
© Copyright 1994 AIMS Media A Multimedia Group Wind, Fronts and Storms
ANSWER KEY for page 28
Name
TEST
Read each statement. Then read each answer choice and fill in the bubble next to the best answer.
1. An air mass is a large amount of air that __________________________________.
o covers a large space
o moves fast
o has similar temperature, weight and humidity
o causes rain, thunder, lightning and most storms
2. The movement of an air mass can be affected by winds and______________________________________.
o oceans and mountains
o temperature differences
o the earth’s rotation
o all of the above
3. The anemometer measures __________________________.
o wind speed
o water vapor in the air
o the air’s weight
o heat
4. Two air masses meet to form
o a front
o wind
o a storm
o a cloud
__________________________.
5. When air is filled with all the water vapor it can hold, it ______________________________.
o causes precipitation
o makes storms
o forms a cloud
o is saturated
40
© Copyright 1994 AIMS Media A Multimedia Group Wind, Fronts and Storms
ANSWER KEY for page 29
Test, Page 2
6. The temperature at which water vapor will condense is known as the __________________________.
o boiling temperature
o dew point
o barometric pressure
o humidity level
7. Billions of tiny droplets of water vapor changed back into water form __________________________.
o rain
o dew
o clouds
o wind
8. Rain, sleet, hail, and snow falling from the clouds are forms of ______________________________.
o cold fronts
o colliding air masses
o condensation
o precipitation
9. Storms are caused by __________________________________.
o two air masses colliding
o clouds blowing away
o the wind blowing south
o water vapor
10. One benefit of storms is that they _______________________________________.
o release pressure from clouds
o are often predictable
o clean and cool the air
o lower the earth’s temperature
41
© Copyright 1994 AIMS Media A Multimedia Group Wind, Fronts and Storms