Positive Weather Reports

Recent trends show that people in the United States are becoming disconnected from the outdoors. Some people suggest that the effects of this disconnection are magnified in America’s young people. Local organizations, state and city parks Bureau of Land Management lands and other public lands offer unparalleled opportunities for people to learn, exercise, commune, contemplate, recreate, collaborate and to serve. The governor of Pennsylvania convened a task force to identify ways to get people reconnected to the outdoors.

The group crafted a report - Outdoor Task Force Report.

One of their interesting ideas was ...

Encourage media outlets to adopt more positive slants in weather forecasts.

1. Observe and Evaluate

Select a media - Watch 2 weather reports on TV. Listen to two weather reports on the radio.
Read two weather predictions in a newspaper. Check 2 weather websites for today's report.

Evaluate each report. Was it positive, neutral or negative?

Did it sound like it was a good idea to plan an outside activity on that day?

What was said that discouraged people from going outside?

A table is a great way to make a visual representation of your findings. Use one to record your findings.

2. Craft a positive weather report.

Select a season.

Select a kind of weather that you might encounter during that season.

Give the weather event a positive spin. Link the weather you are reporting with an outside activity that is helped by this kind of weather. A light hearted and humorous spin will make the report fun. Hyperbole is strongly advised.

Challenge yourself by selecting a weather event that is not considered "good" weather. Fire up your imagination. Put a positive spin to it. Example - "Bird watchers will be thrilled with the gale. It will keep the migrating waterfowl on the marsh for another day or two. Put on your mackintosh and add a new bird to your life list."

3. Present your weather report to a group. Use props and/or images to add emphasis and interest.
Dress appropriately. :-)

A plethora of weather related words. Use them to jazz up your report.

Extend your exploration:

Great Outdoors Month event pbl | Why do Surveys? | How do you spend your time?

Watch the movie about the issue of reconnecting with the outdoors. Speaker - Richard Louv, author of Last Child in The Woods.

Examine how weather reports can impact human behavior - Philly flower show ends with million-dollar loss Philadelphia Inquirer, May 19, 2013.

High Temperature records by State | Measuring & Observing Weather Phenomena | Precipitation and Population

Weather Facts Internet Activity | The Math of Sufficient Fresh Water | Reading for Fun campaign

Internet Hunts / Nature / Computers / Pennsylvania Projects / Puzzles & Projects / Constitution & Civics Studies / Site map / Home

posted 6/2008, updated May 2012
In honor of Dr. Joanne Simpson, an extraordinary meteorologist - released to public domain by Cynthia J. O'Hora

Save a tree - use a digital answer format - Highlight the text. Copy it. Paste it in a word processing document. Save the document in your folder. Answer on the word processing document in a contrasting color (not yellow) or font (avoid , or other ornate artistic fonts). Save frequently as you work. Or perhaps you have the resources to record verbal answers. If you do, be sure to first read / record the question. Then record the answer immediately after it. Make your own answer sheet.

Proof your responses. It is funny how speling errors and typeos sneak in to the bets worck.

Tech Tip: Working on this project in two different places, like the library & home? Perhaps you are working on a group project. You do not have to be physically together to work together. You can access your work from several places. How? Free Google Docs.
Watch Google Docs video TAI - How could you use free, Google Docs to do a project? How would this facilitate group projects?

Aligned with the following Pa Academic Standards - Reading, Writing Speaking, Civics and Government, Mathematics,
Science and Technology, Career Education and Work.