Building a Weather Station

Teaching weather to elementary school children can often be a challenge. For students that age, weather is rain, snow and sun. Concepts like barometric pressure, humidity and wind direction are completely new, and it may be hard for them to fully understand what they have to do with weather. One way of explaining the whole concept and all of the interactions involved in weather is to build a weather station.
When using a weather station, be sure to have the students keep a weather journal. They can record their observations of the weather station, along with their observations of the weather. Using the journals, you can show them patterns, such as changes in air pressure before and after it rains, which will help them understand how the different factors interact. Building the Station A weather station is made up of several devices for measuring aspects of weather. Any or all of those devices can be used for your classroom. While there are some ideas presented for making simple versions of weather station devices, you can always opt to have your students try to design them, then test them to see if they work. • Rain gauge. A rain gauge is used for measuring rainfall. An open jar with a ruler taped to the side makes a simple rain gauge. Another option is to mark measurements on the side of the jar using a permanent marker. The idea is to use something the students can see through in order to measure the amount of water in the container. Keep in mind that rain is often accompanied by wind, so you want your rain gauge to be secured to keep it from blowing over. • Barometer. A barometer measures air pressure. An easy barometer can be made using a drinking straw, a glass with straight sides, a ruler and a stick of chewing gum. Tape the ruler to the inside of the glass, making sure the numbers can be seen from the outside. Tape the straw to the ruler, taking care to keep the bottom of the straw away from the bottom of the glass. An easy way to do it is to position the straw with the bottom half of an inch up the ruler. Fill the glass halfway with water, and chew the stick of gum until it is soft. Suck water halfway up the straw, then use the soft stick of gum to seal the top of the straw and trap the water. Mark the top of the water level in the straw. As air pressure changes, the water will move up and down through the straw. • Weather vane. The weather vane points to the direction from which the wind is blowing. There are several combinations of products that can be used to make simple weather vanes. The trick is to have a directional indicator of some sort that will turn freely when the wind blows but does not fall over or crumple in the rain. • Hygrometer. A hygrometer measures humidity, which is the amount of moisture in the air. There are several variations of hair hygrometers that are easy to make and use. The barometer and hygrometer, as well as a thermometer if you decide to use one, should be kept in a waterproof container to protect them from the weather. Try to keep them in a shady location to avoid false readings caused by the absorbed heat from sunlight. Also, never check the weather station during storms. Team Activities Every student has a different level of competency, and every student has a different area in which they excel. Because of this, it is often helpful to have students work in teams. Team activities help each student take part in the area in which they perform well, and keeps anyone from feeling self-conscious about their performance. • Let the students take part in building the weather station. Don’t just build one and tell them what it is. Each team of students can either be responsible for one section of the weather station or for an entire weather station. • Have design competitions. Again, divide students into teams. Teams compete to see who can design the best barometer, rain gauge, or other component for the weather station. Teams can also compete to see who can design the best overall weather station. Try to think of other games involving your weather stations. The hands-on involvement helps make the concepts more real to them, which makes it easier to learn. Building a weather station and making weather fun will encourage your students to learn.



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