Weather Tracking Experiment- Teaching Tots Science

So we are finally getting into teaching content.  I thought about starting with language skills, but the weather tracking experiment is one you can start now and continue throughout the year.  So I decided to start there.

This is a great example of an activity that can involve most (if not all) learning domains.  You learn math skills through graphing and charting.  Get the hang of estimation skills with real-life feedback.  Then you work on writing, reading, and creating paragraphs.  If you make a pen-pal in a different part of the world who is doing the same experiment, then you can even involve geography as you learn about each other’s climate and culture.

The activity in this blog post is designed to teach everything from estimation skills (math) to the difference between weather and climate, to the scientific method.  So without further ado, let’s learn about the weather.

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Weather Tracking Gear

For this activity, you are going to need (total cost: $12- $45):

Thermometer 

This one has a humidity gauge (hygrometer) as well, which can be useful, but any analog outdoor thermometer will work.  It is nice to have a thermometer that has both Celsius and Fahrenheit so you can teach both at the same time.  

Why does it have to be analog?  Part of the experiment is learning how to read scientific equipment and charts.  An analog thermometer is like a chart and sets the stage for reading bar graphs and other analog equipment.  

Rain Gauge 

This one is good and only 3 dollars, or you can make your own by taking a straight-sided glass or bottle and measuring out a ruler along the side.  Leave it out in the yard to catch the rain.  Make sure you use something that has a wide mouth.

Barometer

You could buy one, or you could make one.

To make a barometer, you need a glass jar and a glass bottle.  Why glass?  Because plastic warps with temperature.  You need something that will hold its shape.   

Take your glass bottle and turn it upside down into your glass jar. The mouth of the jar should be a good fit for the shoulder of the bottle and the neck of the bottle should not touch the bottom of the jar.

Then fill the jar with water until the water level is higher than the mouth of the bottle by at least an inch. Put the bottle upside down in the jar and mark the water level with a sharpie (this may be easier if you color the water). Then take note of if the water level is higher or lower than that line every day. Soon you will see a pattern, when the pressure is high it is sunny, and when the pressure is lower it is rainy.

Another way to make a barometer is to throw a rubber band over the mouth of an empty jar and add a skewer or straw to the top (see DIY Barometer Variation 2 picture above). Mark the location of the straw and track if the pressure goes up or down from your zero point. The straw will raise or lower based on the pressure. Then you can compare it with the weather to determine what causes sunny or rainy weather.

Setting Up Your Weather Tracking Experiment 

Once you have all your tools, it is time to set up your weather station.  Pick an out of the way spot outside and make sure it’s not in direct sunlight.  You don’t want to accidentally trip on the weather station, and it won’t give you correct readings in the sun.  

Now that you have your spot, set up your station.  The barometer can be gently placed on the ground in a covered area (rain will change your readings).  Mount the thermometer in a spot where it is easy for you and the child to read.  Then stake or tie your rain meter in a place where it is exposed to the elements.  

As you set up each piece of equipment, show your child how to read them and record the readings.  Then pick one or two times a day where they will go outside and record the weather.  Initially, you may need to help them with their readings, but once they get the hang of it they can go out and record all on their own.

When picking a consistent time to record the weather, consider how the temperature in your area usually behaves.  If you really want to do it right, you should pick the time that tends to have your area’s “low” temperature of the day, and then and then choose the time that typically peaks with the “high” temperature recording.  If you don’t have time to record the temperature twice, you can get away with a single reading in the afternoon and do everything based on the “high” temperature.

Recording Data

Every day, the child/children should go out and record their readings and the observable weather (rain/sun/snow, etc.).  This handy chart will keep everything in the same place and help them see trends.  

After they are finished recording the weather every day, ask them the following questions:

1. Is the temperature/ pressure/ humidity today higher or lower than yesterday?
2. How many inches of rain did we get?
3. What do you think the temperature/ pressure/ humidity tomorrow is going to be?
4. What do you think the temperature/ pressure/ humidity will be next week?
5. Do you notice any trends or associations? (ie- the temperature is lower in the morning than the afternoon or the pressure’s correlation with rain/ storms)
6. Based on today’s readings, what do you think the weather is going to be like this afternoon/ tomorrow morning?

Have them write out their answers in their notebooks in full sentences.  For younger students, you can write out what they dictate and have them draw an accompanying picture.  Middle tier students might need you to provide the sentence stems (ie- today the weather is _____).  Older students should be able to form a paragraph themselves and may even be able to do writing on comparing multiple days/ months.

Do this every day for the whole school year.  As you finish each month’s chart, compare it to last month’s chart and see if you can find any trends.  When you look at the daily weather, you are teaching weather understanding and prediction.  When you look at all the charts for the year, you are working on understanding climate and seasonal changes.  

Make the Experiment Global

This activity is great to do as just your family, but when you do the activity and compare results with others all kinds of possibilities emerge.

Maybe you and your child’s friends all do the activity together.  You can compare temperature readings in the area and see if there are local landmarks that affect the weather (like lakes, oceans, mountains, etc.).  At the same time, you are learning about the geographic features of your town.

Branch out more and you could do the activity at the same time as someone else across the world.  From their data and communicating with them, you could learn about their geography and culture.

To Sum Up

This one activity can cover many of the things your child needs to learn this year, while also being immersive and fun. Let me know in the comments below if you would like a way to connect with others and compare your weather data.

Next week we will be going over some more activities for your tots. So please share this with anyone you think might need it. See you next week!

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