Studying weather and climates

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Level: M
Word Count: 301
100th Word: and (page 11)

Tips 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.
• Get your mouth ready
• Look at the picture
• Think…does it make sense
• Think…does it look right

• Think…does it sound right
• Chunk it – by looking for a part you know

2-3

My
c
S ience
Library

s

l
L eve

6. Read it again.
7. Complete the activities at the end of the book.


Studying Weather
and Climates
by Conrad J. Storad
Science Content Editor:
Kristi Lew

www.rourkeclassroom.com


Science content editor: Kristi Lew
A 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 Province
042011
042011LP

www.rourkeclassroom.com -
Post Office Box 643328 Vero Beach, Florida 32964


Table of Contents
Weather or Climate?
4
Forecasting Weather Patterns 6
Extreme Weather
14
Show What You Know
22
Glossary23
Index24



Weather or Climate?
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.

4


The c
li
arid, mate in a
or ve
ry dr desert is
y, cli
mate an
.

5


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 we
a
infor ther map
m
show

s
the t ation. It
migh lots of
empe
ts
ra
parts
of th tures in d how
e cou
i
ntry fferent
or w
orld.

6


Some
s
chase cientists
a
s
learn torms. T ctually
he
h
how ow storm y want t
o
fast t
hey m s form an
d

ove.

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.

study
s
t
s
i
olog
t
a
its
m
d
li
c
n
a
e
tic.
ge
c
n

r
Som
a
A
h
the
te c
clima effects in
e
futur

8


9


Meteorologists and climatologists use
many tools to collect weather data.

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

10

Wind Sock
A wind sock attached to a
pole shows which direction

the wind is blowing.


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

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

Weather Satellite
Weather satellites orbit the
Earth in outer space. They use
cameras and other equipment
to track all kinds of
extreme weather.
11


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

12

Stratus Clouds

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

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


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

Cumulonimbus Clouds
These clouds often bring
thunderstorms.

Cirrus Clouds
Thin, 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


Whe
n
mon rain does
th
n
can d s or years ot fall fo
r
,
ry ou
t and the groun
d
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


troy
s
e
d
can
s
r
e
t
lots
wa
e
s
d
u
o
a
Flo
and c
s
e

hom age.
m
of da
17


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 tor
n
cloud ado’s spin
n
i
destr s a powe ing funn
el
uctiv
r
e for ful,
ce.


Mete
o
radar rologists

us
t
the p o help th e Dopple
em p
o
redic r
torna ssible dev
t
does
e
and t lopment
hund
o
ersto f
rms.

19


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.
Hurr
ica
fly ri ne hunte
gh
r
hurri t into the airplanes

ca
e
mass ne to stu ye of a
ive s
torm dy the
s.

20


ws a
o
h
s
age
m
i
t of
s
e
t
o
i
l
l
m
sate
ing
This ne cover a.
id

ca
hurri te of Flor
ta
the s

FLORIDA

21


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


Glossary
climate (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