BoM - Learn About Weather The Bureau of Meteorology has many brochures which are useful for school projects. They may be downloaded directly from the internet or ordered as printed copies. Go to the Alphabetic List of Topics or Publications for a list of available materials and details on how to obtain them. Scientists in Schools Staff of the Bureau of Meteorology participate in the Scientists in Schools program on a voluntary basis. SciCommunity, a list of science outreach activities around Australia Look for science outreach events around Australia via the SciCommunity website. Visits to other science organisations The Sydney Observatory, Observatory Hill, The Rocks, Watson Road Open for booked, 90-minute school visits guided by a meteorology educator. Newcastle Museum, Honeysuckle Way There will be a new home for the museum this year (2011), and construction is under way. tel: (02) 4974 1400, email: nrmuseum@ncc.nsw.gov.au Melbourne Museum, 11 Nicholson Street, Carlton Come and see the real thing. Weather Kit
BoM - Climate Education Climate affects every part of our lives - from when and where we go on holiday to how our food is produced and what it costs. Knowing about the climate can help us in many ways, such as helping us plant crops at the right time, designing comfortable houses to live in or planning for possible climate change. Climate & Weather: what's the difference? Climate is what you expect; Weather is what you get. Climate is about long-term records, trends and averages; Weather is the day to day experience. Climate is the sum or synthesis of all the weather recorded over a long period of time. If weather is the watch then climate is the calendar. Climate Education Links Climate of the 20th Century: Major Australian climate events of the 20th Century. Climate of Australia: Climate zones, averages, variability and maps. Climate Change: Long-term climate trends in Australia. Climate and People: How climate influences the urban environment, health and sport.
Differences Between Climate and Weather In this activity, students collect weather data over several days or weeks, graph temperature data, and compare the temperature data collected with long-term climate averages from where they live. Understanding the difference between weather and climate and interpreting local weather data are important first steps to understanding larger-scale global climate changes. Activity takes about three class periods and daily measurements throughout a school year. Some additional graphing and measuring materials are needed. Discuss this Resource»Learn more about Teaching Climate Literacy and Energy Awareness» Teaching Tips Student groups need to be motivated to do the measurements correctly and reliably over the defined period. About the Science Very well-organized field-based activity that engages students in collection of weather data, graphing of the data, researching climate data and understanding the differences between weather and climate. About the Pedagogy Technical Details/Ease of Use
How do seasonal temperature patterns vary among different regions of the world? Students use the GLOBE Student Data Archive and visualizations to display current temperatures on a map of the world. They explore the patterns in the temperature map, looking especially for differences between different regions and hemispheres and zoom in for a closer look at a region that has a high density of student reporting stations (such as the US and Europe). Students compare and contrast the patterns in these maps, looking for seasonal patterns. Activity takes about three 45-minute class periods. Discuss this Resource»Learn more about Teaching Climate Literacy and Energy Awareness» Climate LiteracyAbout Teaching Climate Literacy The tilt of Earth’s axis relative to its orbit around the Sun results in predictable changes in the duration of daylight and the amount of sunlight received at any latitude throughout a year. About Teaching Principle 1 Other materials addressing 1c Environmental observations are the foundation for understanding the climate system. Teaching Tips
Flashlights on Earth This three-part, hands-on investigation explores how sunlight's angle of incidence at Earth’s surface impacts the amount of solar radiation received in a given area. The activity is supported by PowerPoint slides and background information. The activity takes two class periods: one to set up and one to conduct the experiments. The activity requires access to a globe, flashlights, and batteries. Discuss this Resource»Learn more about Teaching Climate Literacy and Energy Awareness» Climate LiteracyAbout Teaching Climate Literacy The tilt of Earth’s axis relative to its orbit around the Sun results in predictable changes in the duration of daylight and the amount of sunlight received at any latitude throughout a year. About Teaching Principle 1 Other materials addressing 1c Excellence in Environmental Education Guidelines Benchmarks for Science LiteracyLearn more about the Benchmarks Explore the map of concepts related to this benchmark Teaching Tips About the Science About the Pedagogy
Earth's Albedo Climate LiteracyAbout Teaching Climate Literacy Sunlight reaching the Earth can heat the land, ocean, and atmosphere. Some of that sunlight is reflected back to space by the surface, clouds, or ice. Much of the sunlight that reaches Earth is absorbed and warms the planet. About Teaching Principle 1 Other materials addressing 1a The interconnectedness of Earth’s systems means that a significant change in any one component of the climate system can influence the equilibrium of the entire Earth system. About Teaching Principle 2 Other materials addressing 2f Excellence in Environmental Education Guidelines Benchmarks for Science LiteracyLearn more about the Benchmarks Light and other electromagnetic waves can warm objects. Explore the map of concepts related to this benchmark Teaching Tips Positive and negative aspects of the model should be discussed beforehand with students. About the Science Earth's Albedo is Earth's reflectivity of solar radiation by a given surface. About the Pedagogy
Earth's Energy Cycle - Albedo Topics Grade Level Activity can also be used as an engagement activity for high school students. About the Science Providing an observable example of the effect of albedo on temperature is very useful in demonstrating the importance of albedo to students. About the Pedagogy Hands-on activity fosters student understanding of how local, regional, and global albedo effects are critical to predicting global climate change. Technical Details/Ease of Use User must go to different websites for module background and unit background. Have you used these materials with your students? Please use this space only for discussion about teaching with these particular materials. Join the Discussion Log in to reply
Urban Heat Islands In this activity, students learn about the urban heat island effect by investigating which areas of their schoolyard have higher temperatures - trees, grass, asphalt, and other materials. Based on their results, they hypothesize how concentrations of surfaces that absorb heat might affect the temperature in cities - the urban heat island effect. Then they analyze data about the history of Los Angeles heat waves and look for patterns in the Los Angeles climate data and explore patterns. Activity takes about two 45-min class periods. Additional materials are required. Discuss this Resource»Learn more about Teaching Climate Literacy and Energy Awareness» Climate LiteracyAbout Teaching Climate Literacy Climate is determined by the long-term pattern of temperature and precipitation averages and extremes at a location. About Teaching Principle 4 Other materials addressing 4a Environmental observations are the foundation for understanding the climate system. Energy Literacy Teaching Tips