Teaching Focus:

Phonics: Beginning

Sounds

Look at the word

climate. Read the text

and find other words

that have the same

beginning sounds as

climate.

Level: M Word Count: 301100th Word: and (page 11)

Levels 2

-3Tips on Reading This Book with Children:

1. Read the title.

Predictions – after reading the title have children make predictions about the book.

2. Take a book walk.

Talk about the pictures in the book. Use the content words from the book as you take the picture walk.

Have children find one or two words they know as they do a picture walk.

3. Have children find words they recognize in the text.

4. Have children read the remaining text aloud.

5. Strategy Talk – use to assist children while reading. • Getyourmouthready • Lookatthepicture • Think…doesitmakesense • Think…doesitlookright • Think…doesitsoundright • Chunkit–bylookingforapartyouknow

6. Read it again.

7. Completetheactivitiesattheendofthebook.My

ScienceLibrary

Studying Weather and Climates

www.rourkeclassroom.com

by Conrad J. Storad

Science Content Editor: Kristi Lew

www.rourkeclassroom.com - rourke@rourkepublishing.comPost Office Box 643328 Vero Beach, Florida 32964

Science content editor: Kristi LewA former high school teacher with a background in biochemistry and more than 10 years of experience in cytogenetic laboratories, Kristi Lew specializes in taking complex scientific information and making it fun and interesting for scientists and non-scientists alike. She is the author of more than 20 science books for children and teachers.

© 2012 Rourke Publishing LLC

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or utilized in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system without permission in writing from the publisher.

www.rourkeclassroom.com

To Meghan. Never stop teaching!-- CJS

Photo credits: Cover © leonid_tit, Plechi, firtad, Cover logo frog © Eric Pohl, test tube © Sergey Lazarev; Table of Contents © vichie81; Page 5 © Regien Paassen; Page 6 © rickt; Page 7 © Malte Pott; Page 9 © Jan Martin Will; Page 10 © Kevin Carden, Ari V; Page 11 © Armin Rose, Stephen Coburn; Page 12 © Eder, huyangshu; Page 13 © Daniel Loretto, Pi-Lens; Page 15 © Anton Prado PHOTO; Page 17 © Tony Campbell; Page 18 © lafoto; Page 19 © Dean Kerr; Page 20 © United States Air Force/Bo Joyner; Page 21 © Carolina K. Smith, M.D.

Editor: Kelli Hicks

Cover and page design by Nicola Stratford, bdpublishing.com Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Storad, Conrad J. Studying weather and climates / Conrad J. Storad. p. cm. -- (My science library) Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN 978-1-61741-749-8 (Hard cover) (alk. paper) ISBN 978-1-61741-951-5 (Soft cover) 1. Climatology. 2. Weather. I. Title. QC854.S76 2012 551.6--dc22 2011004762

Rourke Publishing Printed in China, Power Printing Company Ltd Guangdong Province042011042011LP

Table of ContentsWeather or Climate? 4Forecasting Weather Patterns 6Extreme Weather 14Show What You Know 22Glossary 23Index 24

Weather or Climate?

4

Weather and climate shape the world in which we live. Weather is the current condition of the atmosphere. It includes temperature, wind speed, and precipitation. Weather is always changing. Climate is the pattern of weather over years or decades.

The climate in a desert is an

arid, or very dry, climate.

5

6

Forecasting Weather Patterns Scientists who study weather patterns are called meteorologists. They record weather data such as temperature and precipitation. They also track storms.

A weather map shows lots of

information. It might show

the temperatures in different

parts of the country or world.

Some scientists actually chase storms. They want to

learn how storms form and

how fast they move.

7

Scientists who study climate are called climatologists. They study how the weather and climate were in the past to try and understand how they might be in the future.

Some climatologists study

climate change and its

future effects in the Arctic.

8

9

Meteorologists and climatologists use many tools to collect weather data.

10

Rain GaugeA rain gauge measures the amount of rain that falls in one location.

Wind SockA wind sock attached to a pole shows which direction the wind is blowing.

11

Computers analyze the data collected by different tools to help meteorologists and climatologists forecast weather patterns and create climate models.

Weather BalloonScientists use weather balloons to carry special devices high into the sky to gather weather information.

Weather SatelliteWeather satellites orbit the Earth in outer space. They use cameras and other equipment to track all kinds of extreme weather.

Clouds give meteorologists clues about weather patterns. Clouds are made of water or ice droplets, too.

Stratus CloudsFlat, gray clouds that hang low in the sky. Fog is a stratus cloud at ground level.

Cumulus CloudsBig, white, fluffy clouds usually mean fair weather is ahead unless they grow tall, in which case it could become rainy.12

When a cloud contains excess water or ice, it falls to Earth as precipitation. It can be rain, snow, sleet, or hail.

Cumulonimbus CloudsThese clouds often bring thunderstorms.

Cirrus CloudsThin, wispy clouds that form very high in the sky.

13

Extreme Weather When too much or not enough precipitation falls, we can have extreme weather. A drought occurs when there is lower than normal rainfall for an extended period of time.

14

When rain does not fall for

months or years, the ground

can dry out and crack apart.

15

A flood occurs when a lot of rain falls in a short time and water levels rise quickly. This can cause a stream, river, or lake to overflow its normal banks. A flash flood has the fastest-moving water and can quickly demolish almost everything in its path.

16

17

Flood waters can destroy

homes and cause lots

of damage.

A tornado is a powerful rotating column of air that travels across the ground at speeds as high as 70 miles per hour (113 kilometers per hour). A tornado makes a roar as loud as a train.

18

A tornado’s spinning funnel

cloud is a powerful,destructive force.

19

Meteorologists use Doppler

radar to help them predict

the possible development of

tornadoes and thunderstorms.

Hurricanes and typhoons are very powerful storms. When they hit land they can do great damage with their fierce winds, heavy rains, inland flooding, and huge waves crashing ashore.

Hurricane hunter airplanes

fly right into the eye of a

hurricane to study the massive storms.

20

21

This satellite image shows a

hurricane covering most of

the state of Florida.

FLORIDA

1. What is the difference between

weather and climate?

2. What kinds of tools do scientists use

to study weather and climate?

3. Describe one kind of extreme

weather.

22

Glossaryclimate (KLYE-mit): weather typical of a place over a long

period of time

climatologists (KLYE-muh-tahl-uh-jists): scientists who study

weather patterns over long periods of time

drought (DROUT): a long period of time with reduced rainfall

hurricanes (HUR-I-kanez): violent storms with heavy rain

and high winds

meteorologists (mee-tee-uh-RAH-luh-jists): scientists who

study the Earth’s atmosphere

precipitation (pri-sip-i-TAY-shuhn): water that falls from the sky

in the form of rain, sleet, hail, or snow

tornado (tor-NAY-doh): a violent and very destructive

windstorm that appears from a dark cloud shaped like a funnel

weather (WETH-ur): the condition of the atmosphere at a

particular time and place

23

Indexcloud(s) 12, 13, 18climate 4, 5, 8, 11climatologists 8, 10, 11drought 14forecast 11hurricane(s) 20, 21meteorologist(s) 6, 10, 11, 12

radar 19satellite(s) 11, 21scientist(s) 6, 7, 8, 11temperature 4, 6tornado(es) 18, 19typhoons 20

24

Photo by Tom Story

Websiteswww.theweatherchannelkids.com/

www.wxdude.com/kidres.html

www.tornadochaser.com

www.weatherwizkids.com”

About the AuthorConrad J. Storad is the award-winning author of more than 30 books for young readers. He writes about desert animals, plants, creepy crawlers, and planets. Conrad lives in Tempe, Arizona with his wife Laurie and their little double dapple wiener dog, Sophia. They love to explore Arizona’s deserts and mountains.

Comprehension & Extension:

• Summarize:

How does weather affect climate? What are some different types of weather?

• Text to Self Connection:

Have you ever experienced dangerous weather? What did you do?

• Extension: Compare and Contrast.

Choose two types of weather from the book. Compare and contrast the two types.

Sight Words I Used:thattheywhatwhen

Vocabulary Check:

Use glossary words in a sentence.

Levels 2

-3

MyScienceLibrary

www.rourkeclassroom.com

Studying W

eather and Clim

ates

S

torad

R

ourke Classroom

Have you ever wondered about the science all around us? Plants grow and change, the Sun rises to warm the Earth, and matter changes from one form to another. Investigate Life, Physical, Earth, and Technology science topics with Rourke’s My Science Library. This library explores NSTA science standards with engaging text and colorful images to support readers from kindergarten to third grade. Are you ready to investigate?

Books in My Science Library:Earth is Tilting!Gravity! Do You Feel It?Let’s Classify Animals!Melting MatterNatural or Man-Made?Plants Make Their Own Food

Seeds, Bees, and PollenStudying Weather and ClimatesWhat Do Critters Do in the Winter?What’s on the Food Chain Menu?Where Did the Water Go?Zap! It’s Electricity!

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