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From marcs@alcor.concordia.caSun Jan 28 18:55:24 1996
Date: Sun, 28 Jan 1996 18:48:47 -0500 (EST)
From: MARC SHEFLER <marcs@alcor.concordia.ca>
To: marcs@alcor.concordia.ca
Subject: Middle School Internet Weather Project

>>>>  CALL  TO  PARTICIPATE  <<<<


FROM:	Lower Canada College
	4090 Royal Ave
	Montreal, Quebec     H4A  2M5

	Voice:	514-482-9916
	Fax:	514-482-0195
	email:	admin@LCC.ca

	Contact: Marc Shefler
		 marcs@alcor.concordia.ca

TO:	1 school is needed rather soon, in addition to our school, to
	participate in a weather project. One school is needed from each 
	of the following regions in Canada: 
	maritime.(all others have responded as of Feb. 7)

SUBJECT:L.C.C  Meteorology Telcommunications Project

TITLE:	Internet Weather Project

START:	February 14, 1996

END:	March  7, 1996

GRADES:	7  OR  8

TIMELINE:	Each class will send a weather report and forecast to each
		of the other 3 classes. The report will consist of 
		observations made on the school premises from purchased or
		constructed instruments. The forecast can be generated
		from free software available from Schoolnet.Furthermore, each
		class will read, download and file reports and forecasts from
		the other 3 classes. Since this makes weekends difficult, 
		the following dates are suggested:

		February 7 to February 9

		February 12 to February 16

		February 19 to February 23

		February 26 to March 1

		March 4 to March 8



		Each class will be sent a questionaire about the  success
		and strengths/weaknesses of the project to be returned by:

		March  15, 1996

 
*****************************************************************************
		DESCRIPTION  OF  PROJECT
*****************************************************************************

This is a new endeavor for our L.C.C. grade 8 geo-science class. We have 
very little experience on the Internet but the class is keen to gather 
weather information from their own instruments, then use it to generate
a localized forecast, and share this with classes which are to the east and
west of us in Canada. The idea is that the 4 classes would keep organized
records of each others reports and forecasts in order to study them for 
weather patterns over distance and time, and then electronically mail their
interpretations to one another. 

EQUIPMENT:	thermometer, barometer, anemometer, snow/rain guage,
		forecasting software (free from Schoolnet), cloud 
		identification software (free from Schoolnet) or the
		Audobon Cloud identification Guide, psychrometer (relative
		humidity), spreadsheet (optional)

		* Some equipment(in fact most) and programs could be created
		by students

OBSERVATIONS:	This inter-school network would share data, forecasts, 
		techniques, software just as meteorologists do.

		Students should:

		1) gather information at a specific time once per day
		   from their instruments

		2) take daily readings of:  temperature, air pressure, wind
		   speed, wind direction, cloud type, precipitation, relative
		   humidity

		3) calculate localized forecasts using software, as well as
		   analyze, and display data in charts and graphs

 		4) read, download, file daily records and forecasts from
		   the 3 other classes


SUBJECTS:	science, mathematics, geography, literacy, computers

GOALS:		1) to build student's interest in meteorology

		2) to promote an understanding of the skills required to
		   be a meteorologist

		3) to provide contact amongst students and between students
		   and meteorologists on the Internet

		4) to provide students with experience in gathering, analyzing
		   and presenting meteorological data

		5) to enable students to use computer software to generate
		   a localized forecast

		6) to provide opportunites for students to assess their local
		   forecasts against the records and forecasts that they 
		   obtain in order to detect weather patterns and systems

		7) to expose students to meteorological databases via
		   gopher, telnet, ftp and web browsers

		8) to encourage involvement in meteorological email discussion
		   groups  (listservs)

		9) to instruct students how to send and read email in
		   conjunction with participating classes

		
OUTCOMES:	At the end of the project, students will have learned:

		1) how weather data is gathered and analyzed

		2) how to use software to organize and analyze data in order
		   to generate a localized forecast

		3) how to determine the predominant type of cloud cover

		4) what types of instruments are used to gather weather data
		   and perhaps how to construct some of them

		5) how to create and use a meteorological database of 
		   collected information for school use and sharing 

		6) how to use basic Internet tools:  ftp, gopher, telnet,
		   and mail lists to obtain current weather related info.

		7) to communicate effectively through the use of 
		   telecommunication technology

		8) to interpret their weather records against those over
		   distance and time in order to understand terminology
		   such as fronts, highs, lows, and movements of air masses


PARTICIPATION:	While the teachers will mediate the email between classes
		they are encouraged to become involved on-line as well. 
		They have a great deal to contribute in the way of questions,
		comments, discoveries and suggestions.		

		It is suggested that a different student be designated each
		day to send a report and forecast (generated by the class)
		to the 3 other classes; and read and download the 
		corresponding mailings from the other classes. In this way,
		each student in a class of 20 or so would have a chance
		to learn how to use email.

		In summary, each class would follow these steps:

		1) collect daily weather data from instruments

		2) use the above data with software to generate a forecast

		3) enter the information in 1) and  2) onto a report and
		   email it in 3 copies to the other schools

		4) read, download and file reports from other 3 schools daily

		5) use some classtime regularly to discuss and compare all
		   reports and forecasts for determining where weather systems
		   have been and where they are heading

		6) each school would email the other 3 schools once or twice
		   a week to share the class interpretation of the records
		   and ask any relevant questions (Ex. Did you have the 
		   weather we had a few days ago? or We noticed that your 
		   temperature dropped off like ours did and then was followed
		   by snow)


RESOURCES:	Using  ftp, telnet, gopher, and web browsers students
		can retrieve current weather images (even satellite),
		surface weather maps, radar summaries, and related 
		software. The participants could share their findings
		with one another in the true spirit of the Internet.
		The following are just a few of the pertinent items:

		1) Univ. of Michigan Weather Underground

		2) Blueskies

		3) Univ. of Florida Weather Machine

		4) MN Climatology Working Group


BULLETINBOARD:	It is recommended that each school display their information
		in a highly visible location within the school as the project
		unfolds. This might include info. about the partner schools,
		weather reports & forecasts, charts, graphs etc.


DAILY REPORT:	TO:................................................
		FROM:..............................................
		DATE:..............................................
		TIME:............................................


		AIR PRESSURE:.........................

		TEMPERATURE:..........................

		RELATIVE HUMIDITY:.....................

		WIND DIRECTION:........................

		WIND SPEED:..........................

		CLOUD TYPE(S):......................

		PRECIPITATION:......................

		LOCALIZED FORECAST:...........................................

				   ...........................................

				   ..........................................


*****************************************************************************
MARC SHEFLER - marcs@alcor.concordia.ca to discuss project matters L.C.C.
- admin@LCC.ca once we get the project running
****************************************************************************