Get Outside!

Weather Forecasting

Class Description:

After learning some of the historic changes in earth's climate, students will collect data on today's weather, then do demonstrations to understand cloud formation and low pressure systems. An outdoor game will explain the jet stream and its effect. Finally, students will use their new knowledge to create a forecast for the next day at Wolf Ridge.

Outcomes

Upon completion of the Weather Forecasting class students will be able to:

  • Predict the chance of rain and the trend in temperature for the next 12 hours, using wind direction.
  • Interpret the chance of storms in the next 24 hours based upon a surface weather map from a TV or newspaper.
  • Evaluate a newspaper article on climate change.
  • Recall that low pressure systems follow the jet stream and bring storms.
  • Recall that winds, clouds, precipitation occur when warm and cold air collide with one another.

Minnesota Graduation Standards

Wolf Ridge has aligned the Center's entire curriculum to Minnesota Department of Education Academic Standards. As the primary student audience at Wolf Ridge is from 4th-12th grade, the matrices address these grade levels. Teachers may request that their students focus upon a specific benchmark while attending Wolf Ridge. The Wolf Ridge Curriculum Standards Matrix addresses benchmarks in

  • Science
  • Math
  • History and Social Science
  • Language Arts
  • Arts

Wolf Ridge Curriculum Concepts

  • The sun is the primary source of energy on earth.
  • Gases in the earth's atmosphere change constantly and affect global climate and regional weather.
  • Humans have a great ability to alter natural systems, and a responsibility to consider the effects of our actions.
  • Natural laws of the atmosphere help us to predict future weather conditions.
  • See entire Wolf Ridge Curriculum Framework

Time
3 hours total
1 hour outdoors

Audience
4th grade - adult

Activity level
easy

Travel
1/4 mile

Total uphill travel
none

150 px wide please

Wolf Ridge holds a Minnesota weather record!