Wandering Wanda’s Wonderful Weather Journey (Part III)

Dozier Elementary Erath, Louisiana Our Class Joined WANDERING WANDA TO FIND OUT WHETHER “WEATHER” IS IMPORTANT OR NOT? By: Ms. Stacy Bodin’s 2002-03 Second Grade Class Dozier Elementary Erath, Louisiana

To help Wanda, the first thing our class did was to found out what we knew and what we wanted to know about weather.

Then our class gathered weather information from books, from the Internet and even videos to help us understand more about weather.

Next came our research to answer our questions about the weather Next came our research to answer our questions about the weather. We found amazing information.

Like Wanda, we wanted to know …. what are clouds? We found out that clouds are made of tiny drops of water and specks of dust.

We also wanted to know what is rain? We learned that air holds moisture. If the air cools, or if it is holding too much moisture, the air drops the moisture. This is rain.

To help us better understand rain and clouds, we gathered information about the water cycle. We learned so much about this.

Information from our weather center told us that the water cycle begins when the water from puddles, rivers or oceans evaporates. Water vapor then forms and clouds are made.

Our class decided to work on several experiments to help us understand evaporating water and condensation. First, we put very hot water in a bowl and put clear plastic wrap tightly on top. We saw little drops of water form.

Then we placed water in a large ziploc bag and blew air in it Then we placed water in a large ziploc bag and blew air in it. Then we closed it tight. We left it overnight. The next morning we found little drops of water had formed at the top of the bag. This is condensation.

Can you see the drops that formed in the ziploc bag Can you see the drops that formed in the ziploc bag? That’s how rain is formed. When the water evaporates, it forms water vapor. Then clouds are made. When the clouds get too heavy and the droplets bump together, water falls from the clouds. That’s rain.

When a lot of rains falls too quickly or continuously over a long period of time, flooding can occur. Here is a picture of a man sitting on his steps during a 1940 flood in south Louisiana.

All these things helped our class see how the water cycle affected the weather. Then we learned even more after this.

Now we wanted to know…. what is wind? We found out that warm air rises. Cool air moves down. They mix and push together. If they move fast, it is called wind.

So we worked on an experiment that showed us how warm air rises. Our class placed water in a container. Then gently we dropped in a blue ice cube. Then we very carefully dropped red drops on the side with warmer water. The red coloring went up. The colder blue coloring went down.

Then it was time for our next weather question….. What is lightning? We learned that lightning is a giant spark of electricity flashing through the sky. It heats the air so quickly that we can see the hot air.

Then of course, we wanted to know about thunder. The giant spark of electricity in lightning makes the air very hot. When the air bumps into the cooler air around it, this causes a cracking sound. This is called thunder.

Then that led us to the question…. what is a tornado Then that led us to the question…..what is a tornado? A tornado is a storm that is shaped like a funnel which extends from a cloud. It is very dangerous and deadly. People should avoid being near a tornado when it comes near.

That made us think of the worst storm of all That made us think of the worst storm of all. Now we wanted to know……What is a hurricane? A hurricane is a very serious and dangerous storm. It travels well over water. Hurricanes have strong winds of 75 miles an hour or more, tornadoes, rain and an eye. People leave their homes when hurricanes came into their area.

After we understood rain and stormy weather, we decided we wanted to know….How do you measure temperature?

We placed warm water in a container then we placed the thermometer in it. After we saw the temperature, we dropped in ice and watched the mercury on the thermometer go down. The temperature dropped from 78 degrees to 26 degrees. We learned the colder the weather, the lower the thermometer will read.

That made us think of snow and sleet. What is snow and sleet That made us think of snow and sleet. What is snow and sleet? Snow and sleet are both forms of frozen precipitation.

After all of the research, Wanda now feels she knows more about weather. Don’t you?

Wanda now wants you to play a fun weather riddle game with her Wanda now wants you to play a fun weather riddle game with her. Are you ready?

I play a part in the water cycle I play a part in the water cycle. When water evaporates, water vapor forms. I then form. Rain drops or snow falls from me. What am I?

I am very dangerous. I am a storm which extends from a cloud I am very dangerous. I am a storm which extends from a cloud. I have very strong winds. People go into ditches or in halls when I come around. What am I?

I occur after a flash of lightning I occur after a flash of lightning. You can tell how far away I am by counting seconds after the flash occurs. I am loud. What I am?

I am a flash of electricity in the sky. I am dangerous I am a flash of electricity in the sky. I am dangerous. I can strike people. What am I?

Wanda found out that warm air rises and cool air moves down Wanda found out that warm air rises and cool air moves down. They mix and push together. If they move fast, I form. What am I?

When water evaporates, water vapor forms. Then clouds form When water evaporates, water vapor forms. Then clouds form. When the water droplets get too heavy I fall from the clouds. What am I?

I am a very serious and dangerous storm. I travel well over water I am a very serious and dangerous storm. I travel well over water. I have strong winds, tornadoes, rain and an eye. People leave their homes when I came into their area. What am I?

I am bright red on hot days. I am a weather instrument. People use me to measure temperature. I am bright red on hot days. What am I?

Wandering Wanda learned so much about weather through her wonderful journey with you. Hope you had fun too!

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