Work by yourself to answer the following questions. Record your answers in your technology notebook.
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Thermometers are an example of a technology that people use to study the weather. Can you think of other technologies that you have seen or used that provide information about the weather? If so, list them and describe what they do.
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What are some patterns that you have noticed in the weather? Why would you call them patterns?
Answers to Reflect and Connect
Allow students time to answer these questions. Once they have had time to complete their responses, you may want to hold a class discussion on some or all of them.
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Thermometers are an example of a technology that people use to study the weather. Can you think of other technologies that you have seen or used that provide information about the weather? If so, list them and describe what they do.
Students’ responses will vary. Students may be aware of barometers to measure air pressure or anemometers to measure wind speed. They could mention relatively low-tech technologies such as weather vanes and wind socks that indicate wind direction. On the other hand, they could mention weather balloons, weather satellites, or computer systems. Some may even mention that their family’s car has a readout for the outside temperature. The goal of this question is to encourage students to think about how technology, in various forms, is useful for helping us learn about weather.
Chapter 2, “When Natural Events Become Natural Disasters,” includes information about natural events that was gathered using a variety of technologies.
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What are some patterns that you have noticed in the weather? Why would you call them patterns?
In general, a pattern refers to a collection or sequence of events that repeats itself.
Students may respond that temperatures becoming warmer in the spring and cooler in the fall is a pattern. The occurrence of a rainbow after a summer rainstorm could be called a pattern. In some areas of the country, afternoon rains during the summer could be considered a pattern. A simple pattern could even be the formation of a puddle during a rainstorm followed by the drying up of the puddle when the weather is hot and dry afterward.