Activity 1
Here’s an opportunity to use math to
develop weather reporting skills. Print out the worksheet below and use it to track key
weather information for two weeks. You can also make several copies of the worksheet and
use it to compare temperature information and rain or snowfall amounts between your
community and another city that you choose. After the second day, find the mean
temperature for the previous several days, ending this practice when you have a full week
of temperatures.
Activity 1 Chart
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To download the FREE Acrobat Reader 3.0, click here.
When we ask for the “average” here, we are asking for the arithmetic average or
“mean,” which is the sum of all values, divided by their number.
How do you find out the forecasted daily high and low temperatures for other cities? There
are several resources for this information. Since this is a web-based activity, there are
several sites where you can find weather forecasts — Weather or Intellicast. Or
you can check your daily paper; frequently there’s a weather page that will give
forecasts for major cities or those nearby.
"Mean" Tip:
- Share this worksheet with a penpal, keypal,
friend or relative in another city. Keep track of the weather data for a specific period
of time, and then compare your results. Which city had the wider daytime high temperature
fluctuations? Which city had the greatest differences between the high and low
temperatures each day? Which city had the wetter climate for that period?
- Track weather data for one week each month. Do
this for one season (fall or spring would be most interesting), and then write a summary
to compare the changing temperatures during the season. In your summary, show the weather
pattern for the season (progressively warmer or cooler, increasing or decreasing rain or
snow) using the weekly mean for each weather element.
- Are you ready for the ultimate challenge?
Track the weather statistics for the whole school year! Yes, it’s a big job, but in
addition to charging up your math skills, it will also help you become more observant of
weather patterns and give you a better understanding of the skills needed by
meteorologists in reporting and forecasting the weather.
If you do the ultimate challenge, write a summary of your work and send it to us at
Ohio Math Works. We’ll create a special area to post your report. You must use only
your first name and include your teacher’s name, the name of the class, the name of
the school and the district or city in which the school is located. Just fill out the form
below.
Or you can send it to us at: Ohio Math
Works, 1223 Central Pkwy., Cincinnati, OH 45214-2890.