The Weather

What does the word weather mean? Weather describes the conditions in the atmosphere at any time and these weather conditions may change suddenly especially from one season to another.

Different Weather Conditions Sunny – When the weather is warm and hot such as in summer Cold - When the weather is cool and freezing such as in Winter

Foggy – When a clouds base is on or close to the ground Cloudy - When the atmosphere is full of or covered with clouds which make up tiny water droplets

Snowy - When small droplets of water fall from the cloud and due to the air being freezing, snow forms Windy - Moving air Rainy - When small droplets of water in the cloud join together and fall off

Stormy – A heavy fall of rain and snow, accompanied by heavy lightning Lightning - A brilliant electric spark discharged in the atmosphere occurring between clouds Stormy – A heavy fall of rain and snow, accompanied by heavy lightning

How does the weather affect us? The weather affects us in different ways. For example it affects our moods, what we wear, our leisure activities and our mode of travel. The weather also affects the human body and this is mainly done by extreme temperatures and wind.

Measuring Weather The science of studying weather is called meteorology. Weather scientists or meteorologists (people who study the weather), measure temperature, rainfall, humidity, sunshine and cloudiness. They also make predictions and forecasts on how the weather would be in the following days. This is important for giving people advance notice of severe weather.

Measuring Temperature The temperature, or the hotness or coldness of a substance may be measured using a thermometer. A scale on the thermometer can be read to find out what the temperature is. Celsius (◦C) is the most common scale for the thermometers.

First Activity Divide the students into groups of four Provide to each group a thermometer and a beaker Explain to the students that they are ought to place the thermometer within the beaker and put it near the window Leave the beaker and the thermometer for 5 minutes

Second Activity Look outside your window. Observe the weather and write the following: the day the time the season the weather condition how hot or cold the temperature is according to you (hypothesis) the actual temperature measured

Third Activity – Make it Rain Provide the following materials for each group: a big jar, warm water, a cold plate, ice cubes and a plastic bag Perform the following instructions: place the ice cubes in the plastic bag pour some warm water into the jar and cover it with the cold plate Hold for a while the plastic bag with the ice cubes just above the cold plate and observe what happens Observe and write what happens to the ice cubes

The End