Adopt a City - Weather Unit

updated Dec. 2005

Task 1 - Finding your city
  1. Record today's weather, using our weather station, in your "Englewood, NJ Weather Log" handout.
  2. What city did you get?  Circle the name of your city on your handout and write it on your USA map.
  3. Find and color your state on your blank map of the US : Blank USA map
  4. Look at a map of your state, can you find your city?  USA Atlas
  5. Plot your city on the Blank USA map
Task 2 - Start Recording your city's weather:
  • Record today's weather, using our weather station, in your "Englewood, NJ Weather Log" handout.
  1. What is your city's zip code? US Zip Codes
  2. Using the zip code and weather website, find the current weather conditions and record in your "Adopted City Weather Log " handout: Weather website
  3. What is the latitude and longitude of your city? (You can find this on the weather website in the top right corner, after you put in your zip code)
  4. What time zone is your city in? Time Zone website
  5. Watch this BrainPOP movie on weather (advanced)
Task 3 - Start Recording your city's astronomy data:
  1. On the Weather website, scroll down to "Astronomy Data"  and record the Sunrise, Sunset, Day Length, and Moon Rise Data for Englewood, NJ and your adopted city.
Task 4 - State Facts
  • From this point forward, record today's weather for NJ and your adopted city, as well as the Astronomy data for both NJ and your adopted city.

Using these web sites - Enchanted Learning  and  50 States, find the following:

  1. What is your state's motto?  New Jersey's motto is: "Liberty and prosperity"
  2. What is the capital of your state?
  3. What is the largest city in your state?
  4. Admission to statehood -When did your state become an official state of the union? (Month, day and year)
  5. Out of the 50 states, your state was number _________ .
  6. State Flag: 
    • What is the background color of your flag? 
    • What other colors are found on your flag?  
    • Are there any words on your flag?  What does it say?  
    • List the symbols on your flag and describe what they represent.
Task 5 - Isotherms
  1. From this point forward, record today's weather for NJ and your adopted city, as well as the Astronomy data for both NJ and your adopted city.
  2. Plot the current temperature of your adopted city onto the wall map in our classroom.

What is an isotherm? An isotherm is a line connecting locations with equal temperature.  Isotherm maps show where temperatures are relatively high and low, and also where temperature changes are gradual or dramatic over a distance. (Source)

What do they look like?  Isotherms for current weather: go to this web site then click on Surface Temperatures

Interactive Tutorial for drawing Isotherms:

1.  Go to this website and then click on the first link in the first paragraph.

2.  A new window will open.

3.  Where it says: "Draw the following contour: ____ deg."  Click on the box and choose 50.  Watch as the pencil draws a line with temperatures less than 50 degrees on one side, and temperatures greater than 50 on the other side.

4.  Click on the box and choose 90.  This one is different because it shows a closed isotherm.  Inside the circle it is greater than 90 degrees and outside the circle it is less than 90 degrees.

5.  Pick a temperature of your choice and notice how the line is drawn.

6.  Click on choose all, and all the isotherms will be drawn in.

7.  Click on color all, and the isotherms will be colored in.

Rules for drawing isotherms:

  1. Draw your isotherm in a neat and smooth line instead of a jagged line. (trace lightly in pencil. then go over when done.)
  2. An isotherm should begin and end at an edge of the map, or, alternatively, loop around and close on itself
  3. An isotherm should never branch or fork
  4. Isotherms should be drawn at equal intervals.

Isotherm exercises:

  1. Practice Map A (Teacher will provide)- Color the isotherms using the color code: 100 - red, 90 - pink, 80 - orange, 70 yellow, 60 lt green, 50 dk green, 40 lt blue, 30 dk blue, 20 lt purple, 10 dk purple, 0 brown, -10 gray
  2. Map C - (Teacher will provide)  Draw Isotherms in 10 degree intervals then color.

 

Task 6 - Air masses
  1. Record today's weather for NJ and your adopted city, as well as the Astronomy data for both NJ and your adopted city.
  2. Plot the current temperature and precipitation of your adopted city onto the wall map in our classroom.

What is an air mass? An air mass is a large body of air that has similar temperature and moisture properties throughout

Use these websites to find out about air masses: Worksheet (pdf)

 

Task 7 - Winter Storms
  1. Record today's weather for NJ and your adopted city, as well as the Astronomy data for both NJ and your adopted city.
  2. Plot the current temperature and precipitation of your adopted city onto the wall map in our classroom.

"Try your hand at creating weather" - Click on this link for an Interactive lesson on Winter Weather. Read the directions on your worksheet and fill in your data.

Use this worksheet to collect your data: Winter Weather PDF

 

Task 8 - Wind and Fronts
  1. Record today's weather for NJ and your adopted city, as well as the Astronomy data for both NJ and your adopted city.
  2. Plot the current temperature and precipitation of your adopted city onto the wall map in our classroom.

Use these links to answer all question on your  worksheet (pdf)

 

Task 9 - Tornadoes
  1. Record today's weather for NJ and your adopted city, as well as the Astronomy data for both NJ and your adopted city.
  2. Plot the current temperature and precipitationof your adopted city onto the wall map in our classroom.

Use these links to answer these Worksheets: A, B, C

Watch this BrainPOP movie about Tornadoes!

Current Tornado Map - Are there any today?

I never got past tornadoes.  I wanted to do clouds, humidity, thunderstorms, and weather prediction to sum up the unit.

Task 10 - Cloud Identification
  1. Record today's weather for NJ and your adopted city, as well as the Astronomy data for both NJ and your adopted city.
  2. Plot the current temperature and precipitation of your adopted city onto the wall map in our classroom.
  3.  Watch this BrainPOP movie about clouds
  4. Online Activity to identify clouds
  5. Cloud Flashcards

 

Task 11 - Presentation of collected data for your city

Create a poster with all your data.  Be sure to use graphs, maps, and pictures.

 

 

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