Name:

Question

Name:

Date:

Student Exploration: Weather Maps
Please go to file and make a copy or download as a PDF.

Directions: Follow the instructions to go through the simulation. Respond to the questions and prompts in the orange boxes.

Vocabulary: air mass, air pressure, cold front, high-pressure system, knot, low-pressure system, precipitation, warm front

Prior Knowledge Questions (Do these BEFORE using the Gizmo.)

How would you describe your weather today?

What information is important to include when you are describing the weather?

Gizmo Warm-up
Data on weather conditions is gathered from weather stations all over the world. This information is combined with satellite and radar images to create weather maps that show current conditions. With the Weather Maps Gizmo, you will use this information to interpret a variety of common weather patterns.

A weather station symbol, shown at right, summarizes the weather conditions at a location.

The amount of cloud cover is shown by filling in the circle. A black circle indicates completely overcast conditions, while a white circle indicates a clear sky. 
What percentage of cloud cover is indicated on the symbol above?

Look at the “tail” that is sticking out from the circle. The tail points to where the wind is coming from. If the tail points north, a north wind is moving from north to south.

What direction is the wind coming from on the symbol above?

The “feathers” that stick out from the tail indicate the wind speed in knots. (1 knot = 1.151 miles per hour.) A short feather represents 5 knots (5.75 mph), a long feather represents 10 knots (11.51 mph), and a triangular feather stands for 50 knots (57.54 mph). Add the feathers to find the wind speed.

What is the wind speed shown on the symbol above?

Activity A:

High-pressure systems
Get the Gizmo ready: 
Click New until you see a high-pressure system, represented by the symbol H.
Turn on Show Mobile Station B data.
Turn on Show land.

Question: What weather patterns are associated with high-pressure systems?

Observe: Air pressure is equal to the weight of a column of air on a particular location. Air pressure is measured in millibars (mb). Note how the air pressure changes as you move Station B towards the center of the high-pressure system.

What do you notice?

B. Why do you think this is called a high-pressure system?

Observe: Select Show satellite image to observe any clouds near the system.

What do you notice about the cloud cover near the high-pressure system?

High-pressure systems are regions where air moves downward. Usually, few or no clouds form in these conditions.

Activity B:

Low-pressure systems
Get the Gizmo ready: 
Click New until you see a low-pressure system, represented by the symbol L.
Check that Show Mobile Station B data and Show land are on.

Question: What weather patterns are associated with low-pressure systems?

Observe: Note how the air pressure changes as you move Station B towards the center of the low-pressure system. 
What do you notice?

Why do you think this is called a low-pressure system?

Observe: Select Show satellite image.

What do you notice about the cloud cover near the low-pressure system?

Low-pressure systems are regions where air moves upward. This can lead to condensation and cloud formation.

Activity C:

Fronts
Get the Gizmo ready: 
Click New until you see a cold front, represented by a row of triangles.
Check that Show Mobile Station B data and Show land are on.

Question: What weather patterns are associated with cold fronts and warm fronts?

Observe: An air mass is a large body of air with similar temperature, pressure, and humidity throughout. A cold front is a boundary between a warm air mass and an advancing cold air mass. On a weather map, the triangles point in the direction that the cold front is moving.

Compare: Click New so that you can observe several different cold fronts. Based on your observations, what do cold fronts seem to have in common?

Analyze: Cold air is denser than warm air. When cold air hits warm air it pushes the warm air up. The rising warm air cools quickly, resulting in condensation, clouds, and stormy weather.

Why do clouds form behind the moving cold front?

Observe: Click New until you see a warm front, represented by a row of semicircles. A warm front is a boundary between a cold air mass and an advancing warm air mass. The semicircles point in the direction that the warm front is moving.

Compare: Click New so that you can observe several different warm fronts.

Based on your observations, what do warm fronts seem to have in common?

Analyze: Warm air is less dense than cold air. When warm air hits cold air it rises up over the cold air. The rising warm air cools, resulting in condensation, clouds, and gentle rain.

Why do clouds form in front of a warm front?

Summarize: Describe what the weather would be like as a warm front passes. Then, describe what would occur as a cold front passes. Use extra pages if necessary.

GPT-4o mini · Answer

### Student Exploration: Weather Maps **Name:** [Your Name] **Date:** [Today’s Date] --- ### Prior Knowledge Questions (Do these BEFORE using the Gizmo.) **How would you describe your weather today?** [Your description of the weather, e.g., "Today is sunny with a few clouds and a light breeze."] **What information is important to include when you are describing the weather?** Important information includes temperature, cloud cover, precipitation, wind direction and speed, and atmospheric pressure. --- ### Gizmo Warm-up **What percentage of cloud cover is indicated on the symbol above?** [Insert answer based on the symbol observed, e.g., "The symbol indicates 50% cloud cover."] **What direction is the wind coming from on the symbol above?** [Insert answer based on the symbol observed, e.g., "The wind is coming from the west."] **What is the wind speed shown on the symbol above?** [Insert answer based on the symbol observed, e.g., "The wind speed is 15 knots."] --- ### Activity A: High-pressure systems **Question: What weather patterns are associated with high-pressure systems?** High-pressure systems typically bring clear skies, calm winds, and dry weather. **What do you notice?** As you move Station B towards the center of the high-pressure system, the air pressure increases. **B. Why do you think this is called a high-pressure system?** It is called a high-pressure system because the air pressure is higher than that of the surrounding areas. **What do you notice about the cloud cover near the high-pressure system?** There are few or no clouds near the high-pressure system, indicating clear skies. --- ### Activity B: Low-pressure systems **Question: What weather patterns are associated with low-pressure systems?** Low-pressure systems are often associated with cloudy skies, precipitation, and stormy weather. **What do you notice?** As you move Station B towards the center of the low-pressure system, the air pressure decreases. **Why do you think this is called a low-pressure system?** It is called a low-pressure system because the air pressure is lower than that of the surrounding areas. **What do you notice about the cloud cover near the low-pressure system?** There are numerous clouds and potentially precipitation near the low-pressure system. --- ### Activity C: Fronts **Question: What weather patterns are associated with cold fronts and warm fronts?** Cold fronts typically bring sudden storms and a drop in temperature, while warm fronts usually lead to gradual warming, overcast skies, and gentle rain. **Based on your observations, what do cold fronts seem to have in common?** Cold fronts tend to have a steep gradient and are often associated with cumulonimbus clouds and stormy weather. **Why do clouds form behind the moving cold front?** Clouds form behind the moving cold front due to the rising warm air that cools rapidly, leading to condensation. **Based on your observations, what do warm fronts seem to have in common?** Warm fronts tend to have a gentler slope and are usually associated with stratiform clouds and prolonged, steady rain. **Why do clouds form in front of a warm front?** Clouds form in front of a warm front as the warm air rises gently over the cooler air, causing it to cool and condense. --- ### Summarize: As a **warm front** passes, the weather typically starts with increasing cloud cover and light precipitation, followed by a rise in temperature and eventually clearing skies. As a **cold front** passes, there is often a sudden drop in temperature, followed by increased wind, heavy precipitation, and eventually clearing skies after the front moves through. --- **Note**: Be sure to replace the placeholders with your own observations and conclusions based on the Gizmo's simulation results.