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ERIC Number: EJ722372
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2004-Apr
Pages: 4
Abstractor: ERIC
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0887-2376
EISSN: N/A
The Quest for the Perfect Weather Forecaster
Kahl, Jonathan; Horwitz, Kevin; Berg, Craig; Gruhl, Mary
Science Scope, v27 n7 p24-27 Apr 2004
It is said that meteorology is the only profession where a person can be wrong half the time and still keep his or her job. The truth is not quite so bleak, but one can still ask, "Just how accurate are weather forecasters, anyway?" This article presents two projects for middle level students to investigate this issue in a hands-on, active-learning environment. These three-week projects take the form of webquests--inquiry-oriented exercises focusing on analysis, synthesis, and evaluation, for which the Internet is the primary information source (Dodge 1995). The two webquests, "Weather Forecast Showdown" and "As Time Goes By in Weather Forecasting," challenge student groups to find the best weather forecaster (or forecast source, such as a particular newspaper or television network affiliate) in their city. The challenge is met by collecting next-day high temperature forecasts made by different television stations, newspapers, and government sources. Both webquests fit as curriculum supplements to general or Earth science classes, as well as for math classes in which statistical concepts are presented and could be introduced at any point in the class schedule.
National Science Teachers Association, 1840 Wilson Boulevard, Arlington, VA 22201-3000. Tel: 800-722-6782 (Toll Free); Web site: http://www.nsta.org.
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Descriptive
Education Level: Middle Schools
Audience: Teachers
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A