This article contains information on meteorology science projects. These projects can be used as part of a public school, private school, or homeschool curriculum, or to create a meteorology science projects for your next science fair.
The topics for this set of science projects are all in the realm of meteorology. You can adapt these science projects to extend classroom and textbook learning in the homeschool, public school, or private school classroom, as well as modify them to better suit the curriculum your student is studying or work them up into a science fair project.
- Explain the role played by factors such as sun, cloud cover, shade, vegetation, altitude, air currents, ocean currents, and the materials that make up the Earth's surface in the area (e.g., sand, rock, soil, water) in the air temperature.
- There is a story about a culture that has many more words than English to distinguish types of snowfall. Do your own research to determine the language with the most words for different types of precipitation and create a model to demonstrate the categories.
- Create a model to show the difference between a cyclone, a hurricane, and a typhoon.
- Create a poster to differentiate the different categories of cloud and help others identify them.
- Create a safety poster that gives instructions for the best practices during a lightning storm.
- Choose a question that can be answered with historical weather data and then do the research and answer the question. Write a report about your findings.
- There is a folklore rhyme that says, “Red sky at night, sailor's delight/Red sky at morning, sailor's warning.” Investigate both the origins of the saying and the truth of it. Collect other weather-related proverbs or sayings and test their validity as well. What do your findings suggest about weather sayings?
- Give a presentation that explains how sunspots affect weather on Earth.
- Research and report on the state of the ozone layer.
- Watch the weather forecast on the Weather Channel and two other channels, including both your local forecast and the national forecast. Compare and contrast the presentations. Which do you prefer and why?
- Create a resource that details the best sources for meteorological information for various purposes including outdoor activities like boating and skiing, cross-country travel, international travel, your particular community, long-range forecasts, etc.
- Do a long-term study of the weather forecasts in the Farmer's Almanac. How do they stack up against 1) reality and 2) other forecasts?
- For a given period of time, do not access broadcast, printed, or any other weather forecast, and do not use any weather equipment you or your family may have purchased or built. Find out what you can about the weather from a) going outside; b) watching the clouds (if any); c) watching the trees and other vegetation; and d) watching animals. Keep a journal of your observations as well as daily guesses at temperature, wind direction and speed, and precipitation and it's estimated amount. At the end of the period, compare your findings with weather data. Analyze your success.
- Visit the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administrations (NOAA's) National Weather Service site http://www.nws.noaa.gov/ Report on their services that are specifically to do with safety, such as storm warnings, tsunami warnings, fire watches, etc. As an extension, consider how the nation's 511 service at this website http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/trafficinfo/511.htm interfaces with the weather service to provide weather information that impacts travel.
- Find out the rules for weather-related school cancellations or late openings in your area. Check with multiple schools and/or school systems. Is the system homogenous, or are there different guidelines in effect in different areas? What might account for any differences you find?
- Present an argument for the value of the terms “climate change” on the one hand and “global warming” on the other hand. What is the appropriate use for each term? Base your opinions on research.