Download Weather Unit - FLE 4th Grade

Weather Unit
How does sunlight affect air temperature?
water,, which warms up the air above it.
It warms up the ground or water
The sunlight does not warm up the air much because the molecules are
too far apart and they don’t have much mass.
Sunlight warms up water better than air, but not as well as solid ground.
Sunlight warms up solid ground the best.
1. What causes changes in air temperature?
Sunlight warms up the ground and water during the day, and the ground
and water cool off at night.
2. How do different surfaces on the Earth affect air temperature?
Sunlight warms up water better than air, but not as well as solid ground.
Sunlight warms up solid ground the best.
3. How is air temperature measured?
With a thermometer!
How does temperature affect air movement?
1. How does air temperature affect air pressure and wind?
Warm air will rise, and cool air will sink, so cool air will push under warm
air, which makes wind.
Cool air is heavier than warm air, so cool air has higher pressure (or
warm
weight), and w
arm air has lower pressure (or weight).
2. How is air pressure measured?
With a barometer!
3. How are wind direction and speed measured?
Wind Direction: Wind Vane! (like a metal arrow and animal on top of a
barn)
Wind Speed: Anemometer! (like a set of small cups pushed by the wind)
What causes clouds and precipitation?
1. How do clouds form?
Water vapor rises from liquid water (evaporation).
As it goes up further from the ground it cools and becomes liquid water
(condensation). The water drops all together make a cloud.
2. How are clouds different?
Some are make of water drops, and some are made of ice crystals.
Some take up a little space, and some spread out in the sky.
3. Please name and describe 4 types of clouds:
Cumulus—
—medium or low altitude puffy c
clouds
Cumulus
louds of water vapor. A lot of
cumulus might mean rain in a couple of days. Just a few mean warm
weather.
Cirrus—
—high, wispy clouds of ice crystals that usually mean cool, clear
Cirrus
weather.
Stratus—
—wide, flat, low clouds that usually bring rain or snow.
Stratus
Cumulonimbus
mulonimbus—
—tall, dark storm clouds that cause lightning.
Cumulonimbus
Extra Credit—
Credit—Contrails: Condensation trails left when an airplane flies
through water vapor.
4. What are different kinds of precipitation?
Rain—
—water drops falling from the sky.
Rain
Sleet—
—little ice pe
pellets
Sleet
llets like candy sprinkles, falling with rain or snow.
Hail—
—large ice chunks (quarter, golf
golf--ball sized, or even baseball sized)
Hail
that can fall in spring or summer.
Snow—
—Ice crystals that float down.
Snow
5. How are precipitation and humidity measured?
Precipitation:
Precipitation: Rain Gauge or Snow Rod.
Humidity: Hygrometer (wetness indicator)
6. How does water move through a cycle? Create a picture or diagram to
illustrate, then use words to describe it, including evaporation, condensation,
precipitation, and runoff.
How do meteorologists predict weather?
1. What are air masses and fronts?
2. How do meteorologists track and predict weather across the country and
across oceans?
3. What are six types of tools meteorologists use to measure weather conditions
for:
Wind direction and Speed—Wind Vane and Anemometer.
Temperature-- Thermometer
Air Pressure-- Barometer
Humidity (water vapor in air) Hygrometer
Rainfall Rain Gauge or Snow Rod
Severe Weather
1. Please compare and contrast hurricanes and tornadoes.
Hurricanes form over water, last for weeks, and have storms that spin
around an eye that has clear weather. They cause most of their damage
with flooding and storm surge (high waves), but the wind is dangerous
too. Our hurricanes start over the Atlantic Ocean.
Tornadoes form over land or water, last for a few minutes, and do most of
their damage from the high winds. Many occur in Tornado Alley, in the
states on the Plains.