Exploring Meteorology: A Hands-On STEAM Workshop for Weather Enthusiasts

Are you fascinated by the weather and how it works? Do you want to learn how to forecast the weather using different instruments? Then you would have loved our recent STEAM workshop on meteorology! In this workshop, we talked about various weather station tools, how and why meteorologists use them, and how to create them.

The workshop began with a discussion on weather patterns that students have noticed throughout the week. We talked about how meteorologists use various tools to forecast the weather. We also discussed how these tools work and how they help meteorologists make predictions.

After the discussion, students had the opportunity to create their own weather station tools. We started by creating a barometer using tin cans, a balloon, rubber bands, straw, glue, and tape. Students assembled their barometers and lined up a piece of paper to record the movement of the straw. We recorded where the straw sat on the paper so we could see it move throughout the day. Students wrote "high pressure" at the top and "low pressure" at the bottom of the paper.

Next, students created a weather vane using a 16oz plastic cup with a lid, decorative pebbles, two smoothie straws, a pin, tape, and cardstock. We wrote North, South, East, and West on their lids for them to place facing north when they got home. Students also created an anemometer using a 16oz plastic cup with a lid, a smoothie straw, two regular straws, 2oz plastic cups, tape, and a pin. We marked one of the cups and counted how many times it rotated in a minute to measure wind speed.

Through this workshop, students not only learned about the science behind meteorology but also had the opportunity to create their own weather station tools. They got to see how these instruments work and how they can be used to predict weather patterns. They also learned how to use these tools to make their own weather forecasts at home.

In conclusion, this STEAM workshop was a fun and engaging way for weather enthusiasts to learn about meteorology. The students had a great time building their own weather station tools and observing the changes in weather. They learned how to use these tools to make their own weather forecasts, which is a great way to inspire them to become future meteorologists or scientists!