wandering wandas wonderful weather journey (part iii)

WWandering andering

WWanda’s anda’s

WWonderful onderful

WWeathereatherJJourneyourney

(Part III)(Part III)

Our Class Our Class Joined Joined

WANDERING WANDERING WANDA TO WANDA TO FIND OUT FIND OUT WHETHER WHETHER

“WEATHER”“WEATHER” IS IMPORTANT IS IMPORTANT

OR NOT?OR NOT?By: Ms. Stacy Bodin’s 2002-By: Ms. Stacy Bodin’s 2002-0303

Second Grade ClassSecond Grade ClassDozier Elementary Dozier Elementary

Erath, LouisianaErath, Louisiana

To help Wanda, the first thing To help Wanda, the first thing our class did was to found out our class did was to found out what we knew and what we what we knew and what we wanted to know about wanted to know about weatherweather..

Then our class gathered Then our class gathered weather weather information from books, information from books, from the Internet and even videos from the Internet and even videos to help us understand more about to help us understand more about weather.weather.

Next came our research to Next came our research to answer our questions about the answer our questions about the weatherweather. We found amazing . We found amazing information.information.

Like Wanda, we wanted to know…. what are cloudsclouds?

We found out that clouds are made of tiny drops of water and specks of dust.

We also wanted We also wanted to know what is to know what is rainrain??

We learned that We learned that air holds moisture. air holds moisture. If the air If the air coolscools, or , or if it is holding too if it is holding too much moisture, much moisture, the air drops the the air drops the moisture. This is moisture. This is rain.rain.

To help us better To help us better understand understand rain rain and and clouds,clouds, we gathered we gathered information about the information about the water cycle.water cycle. We learned so We learned so much about this.much about this.

Information Information from our from our

weather weather center center told us that told us that

the the water cyclewater cycle begins when begins when

the water from the water from puddles, rivers puddles, rivers

or oceans or oceans evaporatesevaporates. . Water vaporWater vapor

then forms and then forms and cloudsclouds are are

made.made.

Our class decided to work on Our class decided to work on several experiments to help us several experiments to help us understand understand evaporating waterevaporating water and and condensationcondensation. First, we put very hot . First, we put very hot water in a bowl and put clear plastic water in a bowl and put clear plastic wrap tightly on top. We saw little wrap tightly on top. We saw little drops of water form.drops of water form.

Then we placed water in a large Then we placed water in a large ziploc bag and blew air in it. Then ziploc bag and blew air in it. Then we closed it tight. We left it we closed it tight. We left it overnight. The next morning we overnight. The next morning we found little drops of water had found little drops of water had formed at the top of the bag. This formed at the top of the bag. This is is condensation.condensation.

Can you see the drops that Can you see the drops that formed in the ziploc bag? That’s formed in the ziploc bag? That’s how how rain rain is formed. When the is formed. When the water water evaporates,evaporates, it forms water it forms water vapor. Then vapor. Then clouds clouds are made. are made. When the When the cloudsclouds get too heavy get too heavy and the droplets bump together, and the droplets bump together, water falls from the water falls from the clouds.clouds. That’s That’s rainrain..

When a lot of When a lot of rains falls too rains falls too

quickly or quickly or continuously continuously over a long over a long

period of time, period of time, floodingflooding can can

occur. Here is a occur. Here is a picture of a man picture of a man

sitting on his sitting on his steps during a steps during a 1940 1940 floodflood in in

south Louisiana.south Louisiana.

All these things helped All these things helped our class see how the our class see how the water water cyclecycle affected the weather. affected the weather. Then we learned even more Then we learned even more after this.after this.

Now we wanted to Now we wanted to know…. what is know…. what is wind?wind?

We found out that We found out that warm airwarm air rises. Cool rises. Cool airair moves down. moves down. They mix and push They mix and push together. If they together. If they move fast, it is move fast, it is called called wind.wind.

So we worked on an So we worked on an experiment that showed us experiment that showed us how how warm airwarm air rises. rises.

Our class placed Our class placed water in a container. water in a container. Then gently we Then gently we dropped in a blue dropped in a blue ice cube. Then we ice cube. Then we very carefully very carefully dropped red drops dropped red drops on the side with on the side with warmerwarmer water. The water. The red coloring went red coloring went up. The up. The colder colder blue blue coloring went down.coloring went down.

Then it was time for Then it was time for our next weather our next weather question…..question…..

What is What is lightninglightning??

We learned thatWe learned that lightninglightning is a giant is a giant spark of electricity spark of electricity flashing through the flashing through the sky. It heats the air sky. It heats the air so quickly that we so quickly that we can see the hot air.can see the hot air.

Then of course, Then of course, we wanted to we wanted to know about know about

thunderthunder..

The giant spark of The giant spark of electricity inelectricity in lightning lightning makes the air very makes the air very hot.hot. When the When the air air bumps bumps into the into the cooler aircooler air around it, this causes a around it, this causes a cracking sound. This is cracking sound. This is called called thunder.thunder.

Then that led us to the Then that led us to the question…..what is a question…..what is a tornadotornado??

A A tornadotornado is a is a stormstorm that is shaped that is shaped like a funnel which extends from a like a funnel which extends from a

cloudcloud. It is very dangerous and . It is very dangerous and deadly. People should avoid being deadly. People should avoid being near a near a tornadotornado when it comes near. when it comes near.

That made us think of the That made us think of the worst storm of all. Now worst storm of all. Now we wanted to know……we wanted to know……What is a What is a hurricanehurricane??

A A hurricanehurricane is a very is a very serious and dangerous serious and dangerous stormstorm. It travels well . It travels well over over water.water. Hurricanes Hurricanes have have strong winds strong winds of 75 of 75 miles an hour or more,miles an hour or more, tornadoes, raintornadoes, rain and an and an eyeeye. People leave . People leave their homes when their homes when hurricaneshurricanes came into came into their area. their area.

After we understood After we understood rainrain and and stormy weatherstormy weather, we , we decided we wanted to decided we wanted to

know….know….How do you How do you measuremeasure temperature? temperature?

We placed We placed warm waterwarm water in a container then in a container then we placed the we placed the thermometer thermometer in it. After we saw in it. After we saw the the temperaturetemperature, we dropped in , we dropped in iceice and and watched the mercury on the watched the mercury on the thermometerthermometer go go down. The down. The temperature temperature dropped from 78 dropped from 78 degrees degrees to 26 to 26 degreesdegrees. We learned the . We learned the coldercolder the weather, the lower the the weather, the lower the thermometerthermometer will will read.read.

That made us That made us think of think of snow snow

and and sleetsleet. What . What is is snow snow andand

sleetsleet??

Snow Snow andand sleet sleet are both forms are both forms

ofof frozen frozen precipitationprecipitation..

After all of After all of the the

research, research, Wanda now Wanda now

feels she feels she knows more knows more

about about weatherweather. .

Don’t you?Don’t you?

Wanda Wanda now wants now wants you to play you to play

a fun a fun weatherweather riddle riddle

game with game with her. her.

Are you Are you ready?ready?

I play a part in the I play a part in the water cyclewater cycle. When . When water evaporateswater evaporates, , water vaporwater vapor forms. forms. I then form. I then form. Rain Rain dropsdrops or or snowsnow falls falls

from me. from me.

What am I?What am I?

I am very I am very dangerous. I am a dangerous. I am a

stormstorm which which extends from a extends from a

cloud.cloud. I have very I have very strong strong windswinds. . People go into People go into

ditches or in halls ditches or in halls when I come when I come

around. around.

What am I? What am I?

I occur after a I occur after a flash flash of of

lightninglightning. You . You can tell how far can tell how far away I am by away I am by

counting counting seconds after seconds after

the the flashflash occurs. occurs. I am loud. I am loud.

What I am?What I am?

I am a I am a flashflash of of electricityelectricity in the sky. I in the sky. I

am am dangerous. I dangerous. I

can strike can strike people. people.


Wanda found Wanda found out that out that warm airwarm air

rises and rises and coolcool airair moves moves

down. They down. They mix and push mix and push together. If together. If they move they move

fast, I form. fast, I form.


When When water water evaporatesevaporates, , water vaporwater vapor forms. Then forms. Then cloudsclouds form. form.

When the When the water water dropletsdroplets get too get too heavy I fall from heavy I fall from

the clouds. the clouds.


I am a very serious I am a very serious and dangerous and dangerous stormstorm. I travel . I travel

well over well over waterwater. I . I have have strong strong

winds, tornadoes, winds, tornadoes, rainrain and an and an eye.eye.

People leave their People leave their homes when I homes when I

came into their came into their area. area.


I am aI am a weather weather instrument.instrument.

People use me People use me to to measure measure

temperature.temperature.

I am bright red I am bright red on hot days. on hot days.


Wandering Wandering Wanda Wanda

learned so learned so much about much about

weather weather through her through her wonderful wonderful

journey with journey with you. Hope you you. Hope you had fun too!had fun too!

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