Building Your Own Weather Devices

This article explains how to make and use two devices essential for understanding weather. First a simple thermometer can be constructed in which students can calibrate it and use to gather... See More

This article explains how to make and use two devices essential for understanding weather. First a simple thermometer can be constructed in which students can calibrate it and use to gather information. The other instrument is a simple way to measure changes in air pressure. While information in this article is not new it does reinforce the use of these tools and by having students calibrate their instruments they get an appreciation and understanding of scales.

A well-written and useful article.

The very clear and detailed instructions for building a class thermometer, using it to test the heat absorption of different terrains, and building a class barometer are so compelling that I... See More

The very clear and detailed instructions for building a class thermometer, using it to test the heat absorption of different terrains, and building a class barometer are so compelling that I’m tempted to try them out directly tomorrow. The authors also include detailed and practical ways to use the handmade instruments in a classroom: for inquiry work, for data collection and graphing, and for extending the ideas both more broadly into the phenomenon of uneven heating of the Earth and into the students’ every day life with the weather around them.