This material is archived and will no longer be updated. Please visit our new format website for current education resources.

Weather

 

These items are designed for the teacher to use in the classroom or as background reference material.

Categories of educational information on this page include:

GENERAL WEATHER RELATED MATERIALS

HURRICANES

SUN SAFETY

DROUGHT AND THE WATER CYCLE

TORNADOES

LIGHTNING

TRAINING AND BACKGROUND MATERIALS

GENERAL WEATHER-RELATED MATERIALS

• A Guide to Developing a Severe Weather Emergency Plan for Schools - this guide has been designed for schools, but it can be used by people who work in businesses, shopping malls, depots, hotels and hospitals.
  www.nws.noaa.gov/er/lwx/swep/

• JetStream - An Online Weather School -JetStream is designed to help educators, emergency managers, or anyone interested in learning about weather and weather safety. The website includes tutorials about weather phenomena interspersed with "Learning Lessons" which can be used in classroom. The website is arranged by weather topics including: wind patterns, cloud formations, thunderstorms, lightning, hail, damaging winds, tornados, tropical storms, cyclones and flooding. Want to Make a Cloud Spotter Wheel? To make this handy wheel which tells about the various kinds of clouds and shows the appropriate picture, click here.
  www.srh.noaa.gov/jetstream/

• NOAA Environmental Visualization Lab- Animations, data visualizations, satellite imagery and other visually stunning datasets of Earth. Updated daily.
  http://www.nnvl.noaa.gov/

• Masters of Disaster - This project, developed by the Red Cross, helps teachers integrate disaster safety concepts into their regular lesson plans. NOAA works with the Red Cross and other federal agencies to help protect our citizens from weather disasters. (This is a not a U.S. Government website. NOAA is not responsible for the content of external internet sites).
  www.redcross.org/disaster/masters

• How the Weather Service Gets the Word Out - This document shows how the National Weather Service (NWS) strives to utilize the latest technologies available for the dissemination of climate, water, and weather data and information. Timely access to weather information is provided through NWS systems, including the - National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Weather Radio (NWR) - NOAA Weather Wire Service (NWWS) - Emergency Managers Weather Information Network (EMWIN) - Interactive Weather Information Network (IWIN) Teachers will find information about resources from the American Meteorological Society and Project Atmosphere including the formation of the Atmospheric Education Resource Agent (AERA) network, DataStreme, AAAS, the American Geological Institute, and others, with information about audiovisual materials, computer software, and data sources.
  www.nssl.noaa.gov/resources

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• Resource Listing for Weather and Climate Instruction - This document is intended to assist those who teach weather and climate at any level from pre-school through introductory college level courses, by listing some of the available instructional resources. Teachers will find information about resources from the American Meteorological Society and Project Atmosphere including the formation of the Atmospheric Education Resource Agent (AERA) network, DataStreme, AAAS, the American Geological Institute, and others, with information about audiovisual materials, computer software, and data sources.
  http://www.nssl.noaa.gov/edu/resources

• Science with NOAA Research - This web page provides middle school science students and teachers with research and investigation experiences using on-line resources. Teachers will find information that will help them prepare students for investigating the various sites in this program. Even if the teacher does not have much experience in using web-based activities in science classes, the directions are easy to follow. Topics include tornadoes, lightning, hurricanes, and forecasting.
  www.oar.noaa.gov/k12/

• National Severe Storm Laboratory's Weather Room - This page provides general information for kids, parents, and teachers. Elementary school coloring books are available for printing and use for weather education. There is information about tornadoes, hurricanes, lightning and thunderstorm, with weather lessons on the basic introduction to map analysis and interpretation, and information about weather careers.
  www.nssl.noaa.gov/edu/

• EXPLORES! Using Satellite Data - Florida State University implements the NOAA Direct Readout Program from the polar orbiting satellites. To date the university has installed over 230 weather satellite ground stations designed to receive live imagery from NOAA 12, 14, and 15 satellites (as the constellation now stands), and also supports WEFAX in about 1/4 of these schools. This site includes postings of APT, WEFAX and GVAR imagery received at FSU, plus weather satellite interpretation messages. (This is a not a U.S. Government website. NOAA is not responsible for the content of external internet sites).
  www.met.fsu.edu/explores

  
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• National Climatic Data Center - This web site is a pathway to connect both national and global climate data sets used by the government and the private sector. The Center acts as the Nation's scorekeeper regarding the trends and anomalies of weather and climate.
  www.ncdc.noaa.gov/ol/climate/climateextremes.html

• Climate Prediction Center - The Climate Prediction Center serves the public by assessing and forecasting the impacts of short-term climate variability and emphasizing enhanced risks of weather-related extreme events. Educational materials include information on the ENSO cycle, and fact sheets and monographs.
  www.cpc.ncep.noaa.gov/products/outreach/education.html

• Office of Meteorology Publications - You can make your own copies of publications by downloading Adobe Acrobat and printing the many available publications.
  www.nws.noaa.gov/om/

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  HURRICANES

• Hurricane Basics - This booklet offers teachers many resources and information about hurricanes including how they form and grow. It also includes the cycle of Atlantic storm names for the years 2005 through 2010 and a tracking chart for the Atlantic/Caribbean Sea site.
  www.climate.noaa.gov/education/hurricanes/hurricane_basics.pdf
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  SUN SAFETY

• Sun-Wise School Program - NOAA partnered with the U.S. EPA to help educators raise sun safety awareness. EPA has developed the SunWise School Program, a national education program for grades K-8. SunWise Partner Schools sponsor classroom and schoolwide activities that raise children's awareness of stratospheric ozone depletion, UV radiation, and simple sun safety practices. SunWise is a collaborative effort of schools, communities, teachers, parents, health professionals, environmental groups, meteorologists, educational organizations, and others. With everyone's help, sun protection can grow beyond classrooms to the entire community. epa.gov/sunwise/summary.html
  
  

• Sun-Wise School Program - NOAA partnered with the U.S. EPA to help educators raise sun safety awareness. EPA has developed the SunWise School Program, a national education program for grades K-8. SunWise Partner Schools sponsor classroom and schoolwide activities that raise children's awareness of stratospheric ozone depletion, UV radiation, and simple sun safety practices. SunWise is a collaborative effort of schools, communities, teachers, parents, health professionals, environmental groups, meteorologists, educational organizations, and others. With everyone's help, sun protection can grow beyond classrooms to the entire community.
  www.epa.gov/sunwise/summary.html
  
  
  
  

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  DROUGHT and THE WATER CYCLE

• Drought Science for Educators - One of NOAA's partners in dealing with the causes and the effects of drought is the National Drought Mitigation Center. This site helps teachers of grades 5-12 incorporate drought into their lectures. (This is a not a U.S. Government website. NOAA is not responsible for the content of external internet sites).
  drought.unl.edu

• Real Time Drought Conditions - Real time drought conditions, data resources and links to education materials.
  http://www.drought.gov/portal/server.pt/community/drought.gov/202

• The Water Cycle Game - This game explains the complexity of the water cycle through role-playing as a molecule of water. Students can gain a better understanding of the complexity of the movement of water.
  response.restoration.noaa.gov/watercyclegame

  
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  TORNADOES

• VORTEX: Unraveling the Secrets - A Storybook This project, Verification of the Origins of Rotation in Tornadoes Experiment, helps teachers and students understand facts about tornadoes and shows how the scientific method of making observations, collecting data, and developing and testing hypotheses to reach an informed conclusion is used.
  www.nssl.noaa.gov/noaastory/
  
  
  

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  LIGHTNING

• The National Lightning Safety Page - Here's lots of information about lightning safety.
  www.lightningsafety.noaa.gov/more.htm
  
  
  

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  TRAINING AND BACKGROUND MATERIALS

• The Teacher at Sea Program - This program allows a teacher in grade K-16 to apply for the opportunity to serve as a researcher on NOAA Ships. The current application materials and ship schedules are available on-line. A complete application consists of Form A: Participant's Application; forms B and C: Supervisor and Colleague Recommendations; and the Medical History Questionnaire. You need to send your completed application packet at least 3 months prior to your desired sailing date.
  www.tas.noaa.gov

• How the Weather Works - Home Page - The Weatherworks pages will provide informaiton about educational services and activities, WWW links, teacher courses, weather FAQs, and school-to-school weather projects, including National SKY AWARENESS WEEK. (This is a not a U.S. Government website. NOAA is not responsible for the content of external internet sites).
  www.weatherworks.com

  • Colleges and Universities with Degree Programs in the Atmospheric, Oceanic, Hydrologic, and Related Sciences - This compilation is provided for those individuals interested in pursuing a career in these sciences. The information provided by the schools listed, where complete, includes the college/university name, address, department offering the degree(s) with phone numbers, specific degrees offered, and home page information. (This is a not a U.S. Government website. NOAA is not responsible for the content of external internet sites).
  /www.ametsoc.org/amsucar_curricula/index.cfm

  • The USA Today Weather Page - How the Weather Works - This page provides graphics and text that examine various weather phenomena, including the basics of things such as winds, what goes on in thunderstorms, tornadoes or hurricanes, or how dust from the Sahara Desert sometimes crosses the Atlantic Ocean. (This is a not a U.S. Government website. NOAA is not responsible for the content of external internet sites).
  www.usatoday.com/weather/wworks0.htm

  • The University of Illinois Online Guides - The WW2010 Online Guides (formerly known as the Guide to Meteorology). These guides include resources on meteorology, climate, remote sensing and global change. These topics are presented not as individual sciences, but as integral components of a much larger system that affects the planet on which we live. Available Online Guides include Meteorology, Remote Sensing, Reading and Interpreting Weather Maps, and Projects & Activities. These curriculum aids provide teachers with a blueprint for integrating web-based educational resources into the classroom. (This is a not a U.S. Government website. NOAA is not responsible for the content of external internet sites).
  ww2010.atmos.uiuc.edu/(Gh)/guides/home.rxmlm

  • The Societal Aspects of Weather - The University Corporation for Atmospheric Research is a consortium of universities that educate scientists and pursue research to enrich our understanding of the earth systems. This page provides information from studies of environmental change on topics including tornadoes, summer and winter weather, lightning, and El Niño and La Niña. (This is a not a U.S. Government website. NOAA is not responsible for the content of external internet sites).
  sciencepolicy.colorado.edu/socasp

  • The Automated Weather System Helps Teach Weather in the Classroom - The award-winning AWS School WeatherNet Program promotes technological literacy and develops the higher-order thinking skills necessary for students of all grade levels to succeed in the Information Age. The AWS WeatherNet Classroom is a unique, online exploratory classroom customized for each school. Currently used in more than 6,000 schools nationwide, it is designed by educators and meteorologists to meet the needs of students and teachers who seek to make the most of the Internet experience in their classrooms or at home. The most amazing feature of WeatherNet Classroom is the ability to include current, local and national weather into the teacher's lessons! (This is a not a U.S. Government website. NOAA is not responsible for the content of external internet sites).
  www.aws.com/aws_2001/default.asp
  
  

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