Discusses efforts to determine the future of arid lands using climatic data of the past and present. (MLH)

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has produced a distance learning series of four 60-minute video programs with an accompanying Web site and companion teacher guides designed for students in grades 3-5. The story lines of each program or episode involve six inquisitive school children who meet in a treehouse. They seek the…

Details of how observers on a moving ship can furnish an accurate report of wind velocity are provided. A method employing vector addition and some trigonometry is covered. Wind velocity is initially indicated through an anemometer and a wind vane. Ships are urged to radio weather data. (MP)

Provides a discussion of and instructions for preparing an efficient observation log to fit the personal interests and needs of the observer. A sample log for observing weather-related phenomena is included. (JN)

Discusses the need for ships enabling researchers to work in rough weather, thus expanding research capabilities; suggests a prototype semisubmerged ship which would meet research requirements. (DC)

Wind chill is detailed and noted as an estimate of how cold the wind makes a person feel in cold weather. A worksheet master that provides a table of temperatures and wind speeds is provided along with a set of problems. Answers to the brief question set are provided. (MP)

Traces the path of weather forecasts from the time they are made by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration until the time they are received by the public through the mass media. The purpose of the article is to provide geography teachers with basic information on weather forecasts, interpretation of forecast terms, and indications…

Included are instructions and diagrams for building weather instruments (wind vane, Celsius temperature scale, and anemometer) from simple tools and Tri-Wall, a triple-thick corrugated cardboard. Ordering sources for Tri-Wall are listed. Additional weather instruments that can be constructed are suggested. (CS)

Describes the use of weather satellites in providing an exciting, cohesive framework for students learning Earth and space science and in providing a hands-on approach to technology in the classroom. Discusses the history of weather satellites and classroom satellite tracking. (JRH)

Describes an activity in which students use actual weather data to construct statistical experiments to determine whether a particular month of the year is colder than in the past. Students work in groups to make generalizations, formulate hypotheses, apply statistical methods to test the hypotheses, and draw conclusions. (MDH)

Reviews 30 weather-related Web sites, including readability level, under the subjects of air pressure, bad meteorology, clouds, droughts, floods, hurricanes, lightning, seasons, temperature, thunderstorms, tornadoes, water cycle, weather instruments, weather on other planets, and wind. (LRW)

Childhood today is very different from what it was for previous generations, and a sizable part of the difference has something to do with the changing amount of outdoor play time. Early childhood educators are in a powerful and unique position to make sure that children's exposure to the outdoors and its ever-changing wonders is woven into the…

This essay is entitled "The 'I' of the Storm" in order to stress the very personal nature of teaching in the immediate, post-Katrina semester of Fall 2005. The University of New Orleans (UNO) was the only university in the city to open that semester, and many traumatized instructors, the author included, were serving the thousands of…

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) commissioned TERC to complete a review of science education standards for all 50 states. The study analyzed K-12 Earth science standards to determine how well each state addresses key Earth-science content, concepts and skills. This report reveals that few states have thoroughly integrated…

Although weather, including its role in the water cycle, is included in most elementary science programs, any further examination of raindrops and snowflakes is rare. Together rain and snow make up most of the precipitation that replenishes Earth's life-sustaining fresh water supply. When viewed individually, raindrops and snowflakes are quite…