Weatherthings
Sounds of Thunder
Extreme heat from lightning creates a sound shockwave that spreads out to reach you as thunder. What makes the different sounds of thunder? It depends on how many branches lightning has, in which ways they are stretched out, how far each...
Weatherthings
Weather Things: Precipitation
The cycle of water from the air to the ground to the oceans and back to the air never ends. Water is found in the air, in the ground, in rivers and oceans, and it's found as gas, liquid, and solid. As it moves though phases and locations...
Weatherthings
Weather Things: Ocean Influence
Climate is the average type of weather that a region has. It is defined by temperature and moisture. Proximity to oceans and large mountain ranges defines climate too, depending upon the prevailing wind. While climates change over...
Weatherthings
Storms: lightning and thunder
Children on a playground use creativity and their imaginations to simulate the many different types of storms found on Earth. From thunderstorms to wind storms, to snow storms and rain storms, to hurricanes and tornadoes, the children...
Weatherthings
Weather Things: Radar
Weather forecasting requires observation. Beyond the things we can see, hear and sense, meteorologists need detailed data to observe distant weather, whether that is distant along the ground, or distant up into the sky. Weather...
Weatherthings
Water Smart: Water on Earth - Oceans
Water on Earth focuses on water as most kids would think about it. We start with water in obvious locations such as oceans, lakes, and rivers. We quickly learn that water can change phase to remain a solid in glaciers. Many kids may be...
Weatherthings
Hands on Weather - Water
Five simple weather demonstrations you can do at home or at school to show the properties of water, using your hands and everyday materials.
Weatherthings
Weather Things: Winter
The orbit of Earth on a tilted axis around the sun leads to the seasons. The resulting change of angle of the sun, and length of day controls how warm we get at different times of the year. With those changes in seasons come changes in...
Weatherthings
Weather and Seasons: winter cold, snow, dressing properly
A little girl and her grandfather spend a summer afternoon sitting by a pond. The conversation changes from how warm the summer day is to how the pond gets cold and freezes in the winter. The grandfather helps the girl understand how the...
Weatherthings
Weather and Seasons: Weather jokes and credits
A little girl and her grandfather spend a summer afternoon sitting by a pond. The conversation changes from how warm the summer day is to how the pond gets cold and freezes in the winter. The grandfather helps the girl understand how the...
Weatherthings
Weather and Seasons: meteorologists, predictions, sky sights, value of weather
A little girl and her grandfather spend a summer afternoon sitting by a pond. The conversation changes from how warm the summer day is to how the pond gets cold and freezes in the winter. The grandfather helps the girl understand how the...
Weatherthings
Clouds, Rain and the Water Cycle: evaporation, condensation, precipitation
A rainy day spent inside helps a little boy learn about clouds and the water cycle from his mother. He sees the value of rain to plants, animals, people and the planet, even when the rain is not convenient for him. As the rain...
Weatherthings
Severe Weather Safety: Watch for the Warning
All thunderstorms create hazards of lightning. Some thunderstorms result in flash flooding, large hail, damaging wind or a tornado. See how to prepare for these threats at school, at home, or outside. Understand the difference between a...
Weatherthings
Weather Things: Hurricane Data
For their size and impact, hurricanes are often called the greatest storms on Earth. They expend a tremendous amount of energy through the water cycle, and through wind, to maintain the balance of the atmosphere. Known by different names...
Weatherthings
Weather Things: Hurricane Ranking
For their size and impact, hurricanes are often called the greatest storms on Earth. They expend a tremendous amount of energy through the water cycle, and through wind, to maintain the balance of the atmosphere. Known by different names...
Weatherthings
Weather Things: Past Climate Change
Climate is the average type of weather that a region has. It is defined by temperature and moisture. Proximity to oceans and large mountain ranges defines climate too, depending upon the prevailing wind. While climates change over...
Weatherthings
Weather Things: Climate Change
Climate is the average type of weather that a region has. It is defined by temperature and moisture. Proximity to oceans and large mountain ranges defines climate too, depending upon the prevailing wind. While climates change over...
Weatherthings
Hands On Weather II: More Weather Experiments
Air and moisture in different quantities comprise our atmosphere. The sun is the energy source that causes temperature change, wind, clouds, rain, dew, blue skies and rainbows. See how to build an instrument called a "sling psychrometer"...
Weatherthings
Hands on Weather: Weather Experiments
Weather lessons come alive for students in simple experiments and demonstrations. Kids show the basic principles of weather in these easy experiments and demonstrations. Using everyday materials, watch how to make a tornado in a bottle....
Weatherthings
Weather Things: Seasons
The atmosphere is dynamic and forever changing to maintain balance. The ingredients of air, sunlight and water allow life to exist on Earth, but they also generate calm scenes like rainbows, as a tornado ends. All storms move moisture,...
Weatherthings
Weather Things: Weather Balloons
Weather forecasting requires observation. Beyond the things we can see, hear and sense, meteorologists need detailed data to observe distant weather, whether that is distant along the ground, or distant up into the sky. Weather...
Weatherthings
Weather Things: Weather Impacts
The atmosphere is dynamic and forever changing to maintain balance. The ingredients of air, sunlight and water allow life to exist on Earth, but they also generate calm scenes like rainbows, as a tornado ends. All storms move moisture,...
Weatherthings
Storms: storm safety, storm information, storm ingredients
Children on a playground use creativity and their imaginations to simulate the many different types of storms found on Earth. From thunderstorms to wind storms, to snow storms and rain storms, to hurricanes and tornadoes, the children...
Weatherthings
Lightning Trench
When lightning strikes trees and other tall objects, it doesn't just stop. It may run along or just beneath the ground where the intense heat turns soil moisture into steam that blows the soil outward, to instantly create what is called...