Continue Your Exploration of Weather!

Your child has been working on the Weather KIT adventures. KIT stands for “Kids Into Thinking.” These are higher-level thinking activities centered around a theme. Learning is a process that extends beyond the classroom. Collaboration among parents, teachers, and students is vital. Here are some suggestions for furthering your child’s learning experiences.

Put a thermometer outside your door and check the temperature before and after school for two weeks. Record your findings to share with classmates.
Cloud watch for a week and record the different types of clouds you spot.
Watch a meteorologist on TV give a weather forecast. Set up a map and pretend you are doing that job.

Blow bubbles with your family. What colors do you see? Are there different sizes and shapes of bubbles? Does a fancy shaped blower make a fancy shaped bubble? Does the wind affect bubbles? What happens when bubbles hit dry spots? What happens when bubbles hit wet spots?
Set up a family severe storm plan and practice safety measures. Put supplies in a closet or cupboard to be ready for electrical outages or other emergencies. (flashlights, radio, candles, water, first aid supplies, canned food, etc.) See http://www.ready.gov/kids for advice.

After a heavy rainstorm, look for signs of soil erosion, poor drainage, or tree damage in the neighborhood. What could be done to help prevent these problems in the future?

Use a computer to check the weather for a variety of different places at http://weather.yahoo.com/.
Learn new things about weather at http://www.weatherschool.com/.

2013