Teaching Tips

• This is a short course on the basics of weather. The instructor will need to determine how to use it in their instruction to meet their own objectives.
• Two different versions of this resource are available; a print version and a full media version. Note the print version includes answers to the quiz questions (embedded).
• This is a short and technical course on the basics of meteorology. A teacher should review it in its entirety and identify scaffolds where needed for a particular grade-band or course.

About the Content

• The activity provides a scientifically sound overview of basic weather processes, with excellent diagrams and photos based on real phenomena or high-quality data sets. References are provided at the end.
• The lesson explains how the Earth's weather systems work. The rigor of the sections varies—some give in-depth explanations of why certain weather phenomena occur, and others do not. Examples of the latter are in the topics of circulation and dewpoint.
• This lesson addresses common misconceptions by explaining the difference between weather and climate.
• In the sections on atmospheric stability and precipitation, basic concepts are thoroughly explained. The section on clouds is excellent, with explanations, background information, photos, and questions that build understanding.
• This resource is a basic weather course, and most all time-stamps have been removed from the data included in the course.
• The sources of information for this resource are reputable and links to references are provided.
• Passed initial science review - expert science review pending.

About the Pedagogy

• The resource provides information and then has quizzes or activities to test one's knowledge. This helps the student build toward mastering the learning objectives. The resource includes a pre-test and post-test, which is useful for assessment.
• The lesson assumes some prior knowledge, and a teacher may need to fill in gaps.
• The resource does not provide a teacher's guide and does not list any prerequisite knowledge or skill.
• The resource serves well as a reference for key information about basic meteorology. It does not have a strong inquiry- or problem-solving-based learning component, but the quizzes and activities do support building knowledge.
• This lesson is complete in scope, ready to use, and interactive for students.

• This resource engages students in using scientific data.
  See other data-rich activities

Technical Details/Ease of Use

• The resource requires a device, internet connection, and a browser.
• Though the resource is free, it requires setting up an account and logging in, which may be a barrier. Once logged in, the resource is easy to navigate and use.
• This resource can be viewed in two ways: download (requires an account) to view parts of the course individually, and on the website to view the entire course on one webpage.
• The resource states that Flash Player may be needed, but has opened properly on many different devices.