Project Description
Wicked Weather
Air in the atmosphere is always on the move, carrying clouds, rain, and snow around the globe. Model and experiment with these air and water movements; and even erupt your own flurry of snow.
Level: Available for Foundation to Level 2.
Duration: Available in a 60 or 90 minute format. We recommend a 90 minute format if budget and timetabling constraints allow.
Numbers: Each workshop can cater to a maximum of 30 children. However, smaller groups have better access to equipment and the facilitator.
State: VIC, NSW & QLD
Learning Outcomes
Our weather changes because the air in the Earth’s atmosphere is always moving and changing.
Weather impacts many aspects of our lives such as what we wear, what we eat, where we holiday, where we live, and what sort of houses we live in.
Clouds are made of condensed water vapour. When water vapour in clouds cools and condenses, rain drops form.
The Earth rotates and revolves on a tilted axis. This gives us the seasons.
Rainwater is fresh water, even if it originally came from the ocean. This is important as plants need fresh water to grow.
Snow is made up of tiny, frozen water crystals.
UV radiation from the Sun can be damaging to our skin and eyes.
Sometimes we have ‘extreme weather events’ such as tornadoes.
Activities
Compare the steam produced by a boiling water to the formation of a cloud. Observe a simulation of rain forming and falling.
Use basic laboratory equipment to make a simple model of the water cycle.
Each student erupts snow polymer, and explores its texture and properties.
Students conduct some simple tests to determine whether the material used in T-shirts and sunglasses blocks UV radiation.
Each student makes a simple UV detector to keep.
Observe a simulation of a tornado.
90 minute workshops also include these activities:
Exciting demonstration of an instant cloud in a bottle.
Demonstration of a cloud in a bottle with ethanol under pressure.
Model how the rotation of the Earth affects the way air moves around the world.
Victorian Curriculum Links
Observable changes occur in the sky and landscape; daily and seasonal changes affect everyday life (VCSSU046)
Earth’s rotation on its axis causes regular changes, including night and day (VCSSU061)
Participate in guided investigations, including making observations using the senses, to explore and answer questions (VCSIS051)
NSW Curriculum Links
Recognises observable changes occurring in the sky and on the land and identifies Earth’s resources (ST1-10ES-S)
Questions, plans and conducts scientific investigations, collects and summarises data and communicates using scientific representations (ST2-1WS-S)
