Download Station Activity Information Station Students will read a passage and

Station Activity
Information Station
Students will read a passage and then complete a task to help increase science literacy and deepen their
understanding of the science concept.
Observation Station
Students will have images, illustrations or actual samples that show application or processes. They will
need to apply their observational skills to complete questions.
Calculation Station
Students use math skills such as graphing, analyzing data, measurement or calculating using formula
Investigation Station
Students will work with one another to explore concepts through hands-on activities/lab work
Communication Station
This could involve students in a number of different activities – interviews, videos, making posters or
brochures or essays. It is about communicating in different ways to show what they know.
Creation Station
Students create models or designs to solve a problem – a STEM type activity
These station activities could form the basis of a DBQ with a culminating writing task. Alternatively
they could be used to allow students to demonstrate their mastery of standards in a variety of ways,
using their individual learning styles and strengths.
Sample Earth Science Station Activity: Meteorology
Information Station
What is an air mass?
An air mass is a large body of air. It can cover hundreds of thousands of miles. The conditions of the air
are relatively the same throughout the air mass. In other words, the temperature and humidity (moisture
content) of the air is the same. An air mass moves. It moves because of global wind currents. The
direction of its movement depends on where it formed, the direction of wind currents and the position of
Earth relative to the sun (Earth’s tilt). As an air mass moves, it changes the weather conditions of a
location. It changes the temperature and humidity of the air. It can also create weather disturbances.
Classifying Air Masses
Two factors determine what the air is like in an air mass:
1. Did the air mass form near the poles or the equator?
An air mass that forms near the poles (>60°) is called a polar air mass. An air mass that forms near the
equator (<30°) is called a tropical air mass
2. Did the air mass form over water or over land?
An air mass that forms over land is called a continental air mass. An air mass that forms over water is
called a marine air mass
Types of Air Masses
There are 4 types of air masses. We abbreviate them with 2 letters (as written below).
1. Continental Polar (cP): cold, dry and stable air
2. Continental Tropical (cT): hot and dry air, stable “aloft” air and unstable surface air
3. Maritime Polar (mP): cool, moist and unstable air
4. Maritime Tropical (mT): warm, moist and usually unstable air
Maritime air masses are associated with unstable air and stronger weather disturbances. There is more
moisture in the air of a maritime air mass, increasing the possibility of rain, snow and storms. Many text
consider a 5th air mass known as continental arctic (cA). This air mass forms during the winter directly
above the North Pole. It is an “extreme” version of a continental polar air mass.
Jet Stream
Strong currents of air flow between polar (cold) and tropical (hot/warm) air masses high up in the
atmosphere. We call these currents jet streams. Jet streams always move west to east.
Weather Associated with the Air Masses in the United States
Continental Polar air masses form over Canada. They move down from North Pole, bring bitterly cold
and dry air to the northern United States during the winter. Maritime Polar air masses often form over the
NE Pacific Ocean and move towards the NW United States. These air masses pick up moisture from the
ocean. As they move over land, they bring precipitation in the form of rain or snow (depending on the
temperature).
Continental Tropical air masses often form over Mexico during the summer. These air masses move
northward, bring hot and dry air to the southwest United States. If these air masses stagnate (stop
moving), they can cause heat waves and droughts.
Maritime Tropical air masses often form over the Gulf of Mexico. They bring warm and humid
conditions, rain and thunderstorms to the southeast United States. Maritime Tropical air masses can form
over the SE Pacific Ocean, but not as readily as the mT air masses in the Gulf of Mexico.
1. What is an air mass?
2. What type of air mass would form over warm water near the equator?
3. What type of air is associated with a continental polar air mass?
4. Where would a maritime polar air mass form? Give an example.
5. What is the difference between a maritime polar air mass and a continental tropical air mass?
6. How do air mass that form over and around the United States affect the climate in the United States?
Observation Station
1. The station model below shows some weather conditions at a location on Earth’s surface.
Which present weather symbol represents the most likely type of precipitation occurring at this location?
2. Answer the next 10 questions by referring to the station model.
a) What is the air pressure? _________________
b) What is the air temperature? __________________
c) What is the dew point temperature? _____________________
d) What is the amount of precipitation in the last 6 hours? _______
e) What is the wind direction? _______________________
f) What is the wind speed? __________________________
g) What is the visibility? ____________________________
h) What is the present weather? ______________________
i) What is the percent cloud cover? ___________________
j) Explain the barometric trend in words. _______________________________________
Calculation Station
1. If the air temperature is 20°C and the relative humidity is 58%, what is the dewpoint?
(1) 5°C
(2) 12°C
(3) 15°C
4) 38°C
2. What is the dewpoint when the dry-bulb temperature is 12°C and the wet-bulb temperature is 7°C?
(1) 1°C
(2) -5°C
(3) 28°C
(4) 48°C
3. If the dry bulb temperature is 10°C and the wet bulb temperature is 6°C, what is the dew point
temperature?
4. If the dry bulb temperature is 16°C and the wet bulb temperature is 10°C, what is the dew point
temperature?
1. What is the relative humidity if the dry-bulb temperature is 16°C and the wet-bulb temperature is
10°C?
(1) 45%
(2) 33%
(3) 14%
(4) 4%
2. If the dry bulb temperature is 5°C and the wet bulb temperature is 3°C, what is the dew relative
humidity?
3. What happens to relative humidity as the difference between the wet bulb and dry bulb temperatures
decreases?
Communication Station
Label the air masses on the map. Consider the latitude and whether the masses formed over land or water.
Draw arrows to show their general movement. Then draw a large arrow to show how the jet stream would
flow move across the United States