JetStream Learning Lessons

The following is a summary of the lesson plans in JetStream.

The Atmosphere

AM in the PM - Demonstrate that AM radio signals can travel many 100's of miles at night.
Heavy Air - Show that air has weight.
A Pressing Engagement - Demonstrate the effect of the weight of air over our heads.
Going with the Flow - The students will discover that the faster air moves, the lower the pressure becomes within that flow of air.
Crunch Time - Demonstrate the effect of heat on pressure.
The "Wet" Barometer - Make your own barometer.
The "Dry" Barometer - Make your own aneroid barometer.
Melts in your Bag, not in your Hand - Show the transfer of heat through radiation.
Canned Heat - Show light and dark colored objects absorb the sun's radiation at different rates.
It's a Gas, Man - Discover if carbon dioxide has an effect on temperature.
Leaf it to Me - Observe the effect of transpiration as water is moved from the ground to the atmosphere.
Sweatin' to the Coldies - Demonstrate the change of state of water vapor to liquid.
The Rain Man - Demonstrate the concept of precipitation.
Water, Water Everywhere - Discover the different water ratios in the earth's total water supply.
What-a-Cycle - Learn the many different routes water can take in its path through the water cycle.
Water Cycle Paper Craft - Learn how the water cycle works using 3-D paper craft activity.

The Ocean

A Funny Taste - The student a taste of different salinities in various bodies of water around the earth.
We all Scream for Ice Cream - The students will make homemade ice cream but the "freezing times" will vary using different amounts of salt to lower the freezing point of water.
Salt 'n Lighter - Demonstrate that fresh eggs, which are less dense than saltwater, will float, but will sink in freshwater.
Diet Light - Demonstrates that regular sodas sink due to the added sugar content verses floating diet sodas.
How it is Currently Done - Students will make their own ocean currents using straws and black pepper.
That Sinking Feeling - Demonstrates how salinity and temperature affect density of water.
Moonlight Serenade - Students, acting as the earth, will see differences in light and dark sides of their "moon" they hold.

Global Circulations

The Shadow Knows I - The students will discover the change in seasons by the elevation of the sun.
The Shadow Knows II - Calculate the circumference of the earth.
Toasty Wind - Demonstrate that convection is the original source for our wind.

Synoptic Meteorology

Head in the Clouds - The students will become better observers of the sky as they will see different types of clouds over several days.
A 'Hole' Lot of Clouds - Another way students become better observers of the sky as they will see different types of clouds over several days.
Atmospheric Collisions - Demonstrate how rain drops grow by coalescence.
Its the "Rain", Man - The students will discover rainfall amounts are rarely uniform, indicating that rainfall varies from location to location.
Drawing Conclusions - Determining the location of cold and warm fronts on a map plotted with weather observations.

Thunderstorms

How much water is in that cloud? - Demonstrate the high water capacity of clouds.
Updrafts in Action? - Demonstrate the ability of the wind to suspend rain and hail in clouds.
Sizing Up Hail - Train the students better estimate the size of hail.

Lightning

Tropical Weather

Weather on the Web

Forward Thinking - Learn how to use the zip/city search for you local weather forecast.
If Anyone Can, Icon - Learn how to use the zip/city search for obtaining local weather forecasts.
The Daily Ups and Downs - Learn how to use the zip/city search for obtaining local weather observations for the past 48 hours.