Resources
NCAS Climate Science highlights
Weather and Climate Discussions
Read our Weather and Climate blog for discussion ideas.
Work Experience programme
The Meteorology department, in conjunction with the Met Office, are pleased to offer a 3-day work experience package in February. This is aimed at Year 11 students, although Year 12 and 13 students are also welcome to attend. Students will gain experience with meteorological observations, be introduced to the role of weather and climate research in society, Shadow students and staff as well as engage in weather forecasting activities.
In February 2012, students from Bracknell College, Reading School, Altwood School (Maidenhead), and Guildford High School took part in a work experience programme at the Department of Meteorology. They experienced a range of activities, designed to provide an idea of both working in and studying Meteorology, including forecasting with the Met Office, weather data gathering and analysis, climate research, scientific analysis, experiments in the fluids labs and culminating in participation in the department's weekly weather and climate discussion (see also related blog).
For details of the next event, see our upcoming activities
How do we predict weather and climate?
The resources below were developed for an Open Day for Key Stage 3/4 pupils during National Science and Engineering Week 2009. You can download follow-up activity sheets below.
Classroom activities:
Meteorological observations
In this activity students learn how vital observations are to understand and the predict the weather. Students learn about surface observations and measurements taken from weather balloons that give scientists information about the vertical structure of the atmosphere.
Density currents
In this activity, students observed and measured the properties of density currents. The aim of the activity was to teach students how fluids of differing densities interact with one another and to learn how the density of fluids can be changed.
The Richardson forecast factory
During a Department open day in March 2009, students were asked to imagine themselves as ‘human computers’ in a vast
forecast factory. This idea was originally conceived by one of the pioneers of numerical weather forecasting, Lewis Fry Richardson. Today, most weather forecasts run along similar lines, although the computers are digital and housed in large supercomputing centres.
The aim of the activity was to introduce students to the ways in which numerical weather forecasts are made using a very simple, advection equation. The real, forecasting equations are much more complex and harder to solve.
Averil Macdonald: Fantastic Plastic and more...
What's the link between LegoTM blocks, zero pollution cars, disposable nappies, liquids that flow up hill, and false legs? How is this linked to the perfect recipe for slime? And how can you use all this to make a Million?
Over 45,000 young people have enjoyed this fascinating demonstration lecture.
The lecture is designed to match Science National Curriculum of Key Stage 4 and bring in elements of Enterprise. The show lasts 1 hour and includes loads of interesting demonstrations on. It can work with a large group - up to 400 if you have space, and it's free if you can provide an audience over 120 (year 10 and/or 11).
Additional resources: Fantastic Plastic website | Virtual Experiments | GCSE revision material | Scienceworks website | Averil Macdonald's Biography
Some past "Fantastic Plastic" events:
Additional lectures include: "Girls in Science", "What did sociologists ever do for us?" and more... For further details please contact Professor Averil Macdonald
Modelling Climate Change
The Walker Institute has prepared a booklet on Modelling Climate Change as part of the "Innovations in Practical Work" series published by the Gatsby Science Enhancement Programme (SEP).
This includes activity sheets, powerpoint presentations and computer spreadsheets which include practical experiments, simple examples of climate modelling, and analysis of observed data and is aimed at ages 14-19. Read more...
Science Highlights
Staff members in the National Centre for Atmospheric Sciences (NCAS) Climate, based partly here in the Meteorology department, are now producing Science Highlights of their latest research.