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Description

Aim: To introduce young people to the various aspects of weather, enabling them to begin to understand about its processes and how it influences us. Taken from the BB Company Section Discoverer Pro Pack, Community, Nature and environment I2

Resources

Activity 1
• Video/DVD Camcorder
• Laptop & projector or Flip chart paper/pens or large poster map of UK
• UK Weather template
• Weather Forest presentation

Activity 2
• Laptop
• The Day After Tomorrow’ theatrical trailer
• Poster paper & felt pens

Activity 3
• Styrofoam plate
• Drawing pin
• Pencil with eraser-end
• Aluminium pie pan
• Small piece of wool fabric

Instructions

Activity 1 - Weather Forecast

Aim: To script and record a weather forecast.

Instructions:
• Split participants into groups of 3 or 4. The task is for each group to produce and present (whilst being filmed) their own weather forecast.

• You will need to transfer the Weather Forecast’ presentation from the CD to your computer/laptop. Each group will need to produce a series of slides showing a weather forecast over a period of several days, using the map and symbols provided in the template slideshow.

• Each group will need to decide which person in their group will be the ‘presenter, or alternatively they may want to take it in turns to present part of the forecast.

• If you do not have access to a laptop/computer or projector, you can use a large pin-up poster of the UK, or even sketch a series of maps onto a flip chart. You will need to print off copies of the weather map & symbols worksheet for each group.

Tips / Advice:
• If would be of benefit if you could record a weather forecast and show it to the young people. This will help them obtain ideas on how to script and perform their own forecast.
• For fun you may want to prompt the groups to throw some leaves or squirt some water/hold umbrella over the weather presenter when they mention strong winds or rainfall, or to put on a scarf or sunglasses to reflect the weather,

Safety Issues / Risk Assessment:
Ensure that trailing power leads do not pose a potential trip hazard,

Activity 2 - Global Warming

Aim: To encourage thinking about the impact and effect of global warming.

Instructions:
• Global warming is a global issue that has become more and more prominent during the last ten years. It is very likely that young people will have studied aspects of this at school.

• Show ‘The Day After Tomorrow’ film trailer or clip from the DVD to the group.

• Split into 3 groups, preferably with a mixed age range in each. On poster paper, ask:
— Group One to write down the causes of global warming (i.e. burning of fossil fuels, increased use of vehicles, deforestation, country growth/development).
— Group Two to write down the effects (i.e. more extreme weather events, sea level rise, temperature increase/decrease, changes to local vegetation patterns).
— Group Three to think up possible solutions to global warming (use of various renewable energy resources, political agreements quotas, recycling, energy conservation).

• You will find that most young people will have some knowledge of the topic from their schooling. Alternatively, there is a range of material on websites that you could use as prompts, some of which are listed below.

• Each of the 3 groups will then present their posters to the other two groups.

• Ask the other groups to add to the findings.

Tips / Advice:
You could watch the whole DVD of ‘The Day After Tomorrow’, to prompt a discussion as an alternative evening.

Safety Issues / Risk Assessment:
Ensure that trailing power leads do not pose a potential trip hazard.

Activity 3 - Make Your Own Lightning

Aim: The purpose of this activity is to observe lightning formation.

Instructions:
1. Push the drawing pin Through the centre of the aluminium pie pan from the bottom.
2. Push the eraser end of the pencil into the drawing pin (The pencil becomes the handle to lift the pan).
3. Put the Styrofoam plate upside-down on a table. Rub vigorously the underside of the plate with the wool for one minute.
4. Pick up the pie pan using the pencil ‘handle’, and place it on top of the upside-down plate.
5. Touch the pie pan with your finger. If you don’t feel anything when you touch the pan, try rubbing the plate again.

Ask the group:
• What happened when you touched the metal pie pan?
• What caused it?
• How do you think this experiment relates to the formation of lightning?

it’s all about static electricity. Lightning happens when the negative charges (electrons) in the bottom of a cloud (and your finger) are attracted to the positive charges (protons) in the ground (and the pie pan). The resulting spark is like a mini-bolt of lightning.

The accumulation of electric charges has to be great enough to overcome the insulating properties of air. When this happens, a stream of negative charges pours down towards a high point where positive charges have clustered due to the pull of the thunderhead.

The connection is made and the protons rush up to meet the electrons. It is at that point that we see lightning. A bolt of lightning heats the air along its path causing it to expand rapidly. Thunder is the sound caused by rapidly expanding air.

Tips / Advice:
• Try turning the lights out before touching the pan. Do you see anything when you touch the pan?
• After charging, try holding the plate just above your head. What happens to your hair?

Safety Issues / Risk Assessment:
Any person with known heart problems should not attempt this activity.

For full details see the BB Company Section Discoverer Pro Pack, Community, Nature and environment I2

Tags

• community
• company
• discoverer
• Nature and environment
• weather
• weather chart
• weather forecast

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