Activity number 1 - an experiment

Purpose - To see the effect of the earth's tilt

Materials
- a globe or map of the earth
- a small flashlight. Observations
Method The shape and the intensity of the light changed
In a darkened classroom, have your students shine when they shone it on the Tropic of Cancer because
the light directly down on the equator. Is the light the beam hit the surface at an angle and spread over
bright? Can you see its outline clearly? a larger area.

Keeping the flashlight at the same height and over Conclusions

the equator, have them tilt the flashlight so that it
The earth's tilt affects the strength of the sun's rays
shines on the Tropic of Cancer, north of the equator.
at different points on the earth's surface.
Does the area of light look like the one which was
created when they shone the flashlight directly on
the equator? Does the light cover a larger area?
What does the shape of the light look like? Are some
parts of the area lit by the flashlight brighter than
others?

Adapted from Brenda Wyman, Weather. Investigations in

Science Series. (Cypress Calf. Creative Teaching Press Inc.,
1995) P.15.

Activities / 8-1
 Activity number 2 - an experiment

Purpose - To show that air has weight

Materials
- two balloons
- tape
- ruler or yardstick
- string
- pin

Method
Have your students inflate the balloons until they
are the same size; then tie them shut. Have them
put a piece of tape on one of the balloons near the
opening, and use 2 pieces of string to tie one
balloon to each end of the ruler or yard stick.
Have them tie another piece of string around the
centre of the ruler and hang it up so that the two
balloons are balanced and they do not rub against
a wall.
Take the pin and make a small hole in the tape on
the one balloon. When you step away, make sure the
two balloons are still balanced.

Observations
The balance changes as the air in the one balloon
leaked out and the balloon became lighter.

Conclusions - Air has weight.

Adapted from the Internet site http://unitedlearning.com

Activities / 8-2
 Activity number 3 - Building a weather instrument

Purpose - This project explains how to make a barometer to show changes in air pressure

Materials Points of discussion

- Empty glass container or soup can The piece of the balloon that is stretched across the
- Elastic band jar will act as a membrane. When the air pressure
- Glue outside the jar rises, it will push down on the
- Adhesive tape balloon, forcing it slightly into the jar. This, in turn,
will cause the end of the straw to rise. Similarly,
- Balloon
when the air pressure outside falls, the air pressure
- Drinking straw in the jar will be greater than the air pressure around
- Index card about 8 cm by 13 cm it forcing the balloon to bulge slightly. This will
(3 inches by 5 inches) cause the end of the straw to drop.

Method You can chart the position of the straw against the
reference marks on the card each day. This will not
Cut a piece out of the balloon large enough to cover give you a numeric reading but it will tell you
the top of the glass jar or soup can. whether the air pressure is rising or falling. The
Stretch that piece of the balloon tightly over the top pressure trend is an important tool in forecasting.
of the jar or can and secure it in place with the Please remember to keep your barometer away from
elastic band. sources of heat such as radiators and sunny window
Cut the straw so that it is about 10 centimetres long ledges. If it is close to a source of heat, then your
and trim one end to a point. barometer will act more as a thermometer, with the
air inside expanding and contracting to reflect
With the sharpened end pointing out, lay the straw changes in temperature, not pressure.
on the balloon with the flat end at about the centre
of the balloon. Glue the straw in place.
Draw reference marks on one of the long edges of
the card at roughly half-centimetre intervals. Tape
the opposite (unmarked) side of the card to the jar,
with the narrow end of the rectangular card
extending above the jar top and the marked edge just
behind the straw. The marked edge should stick out
so that the sharpened end of the straw points to the
reference marks.

Activities / 8-3
 Activity number 4 - an experiment

Purpose - To show that air exerts pressure

Materials Method - Part two

- A thin rectangular board, for example a strip of thin Ask your students what will happen if you slowly push
plywood or paneling which is about a half metre long down on the protruding board. Then push down on the
and 8 to 10 centimetres wide board slowly. What happens to the paper this time?
- One full-size newspaper
Observation
- Ruler
- Paper and pencils The paper slowly rises off the table.

Method - Part one Conclusion

Place the board on the table with slightly less than one Air exerts pressure on all surfaces that it touches.
half of the board hanging over the edge. Open the When an air space is created under the paper, the
newspaper and lay it flat over the section of the board pressure exerted by that air counteracts the pressure
on the table. Ask your students what they think will from above and the paper is no longer held in place.
happen to the paper if you strike the part of the board
that is hanging off the table. Then strike the
protruding part of the board as hard as you can. What
happens to the paper? Does it move? Does the board
tivity: how
flip up as some of your students thought it would? Final Ac r students calculatexerted
u e
Have yo sure was being is
p re s one th
o f
much e r in part u re
Observations on th e p a p
n t. T h e y can m e a s
experime and width of the en
th
The paper remained in place. the length r in centimetres, to
news p a p e rem ts
e n
ip ly th e 2 measu Ask them
mult rea.
urface a are
Conclusion get the s kilograms of air of
n y e e t
how ma own on that sh e
in g d av e ra g
press using the 1
The paper did not move because the air pressure that is new s p a p e r
of
l pressure etre.
exerted downward held it in place. Since the paper is sea leve er square centim
p
kilogram
flat against the table, there is no air beneath the paper
to counteract the pressure from above. If you hit hard
enough, the board will break.

Martha Suarez, Stephen F. Austin, University Nacogdoches,

TES Course, 1994

Activities / 8-4
 Activity number 5 - Building a weather instrument

Purpose - An anemometer measures the speed of the wind. You can make one easily with a ping pong ball
and the protractor from your math set

Materials Angle Kilometres per hour

0
90 0
- Needle
850 9
- Thread 80
0
13
- Ping pong ball 750 16
700 19
- Protractor 0
65 22
600 24
Method
550 26
0
Cut a piece of thread about 20 centimetres long. Thread 50 29
the needle and tie a large knot in the end of the thread. 450 32
0
40 34
Stick the needle into one side of the ping pong ball 35
0
38
and out the opposite side. Draw the thread through 300 42
0
until the knot at the other end stops the thread 25 46
0
from moving. 20 52

Tie the thread to the centre of the straight base of the

protractor so that the ball hangs below the arc of the
protractor which has the angles marked on it. If the
protractor is held level, where there is no wind, then
the ball will hold the thread over the 90O mark.
Take the protractor outside. Hold it level and parallel
to the wind. The wind will blow the ball and when it
does, note the position of the thread on the protractor.
Record the angle that the ball has been blown and use
the chart to convert the angle to a wind speed.

Activities / 8-5
 Activity number 6 - Building a weather instrument

Purpose - To make a wind streamer for use as a wind vane to discover from which direction the wind is blowing

Materials 7. Now repeat this step until all 4 holes have

streamers in them.
- large paper plate
- magic marker 8. Write in capital letters N(north), E(east),
S(south), and W(west) next to each hole.
- scissors
- crepe paper streamers 9. Paste or tape the Sky Watcher logo in the middle on
the top of the plate.
- coloured pencils or felt pens
- paste or tape To use the wind streamer, take your class outside and
have each team do the following (you may want to take
- the Sky Watchers logo, Cloudy, on the next page a compass):
Note: if you have your students working in teams, you 1. Find an area outside where there are no buildings or
may want to photocopy Cloudy and have each team make woods to interfere with the wind, a hill for instance
a wind streamer. or a playing field.
Method 2. Hold the wind streamer in front of you so that the
plate is parallel with the ground and your thumb is
To make the wind streamer, have each team follow these
on top of the plate near the letter S.
steps:
3. Turn the plate so that the N on your wind streamer
1. Cut out the Sky Watchers logo along the black circle
is facing north. You can find north the first time
and colour it (optional).
using a compass or look for a landmark, such as lake
2. Draw a cross on the bottom of the paper plate. or building which is to the north.

3. Cut a hole 2.5 centimetres by 2.5 centimetres at Discussion points

each of the four ends of the cross about 1.5
centimetres from the edge of the plate. Watch to see which direction the wind blows the
streamers. For example, if the streamers are blowing
4. Using the crepe paper, cut four streamers about 2 toward the south, then the wind is coming from the
metres in length. north. Winds are always named for the direction
they're blowing from. In this case, the student would
5. Thread one end of a streamer through one of the
report a north wind.
holes in the plate. Pull the streamer through until
the ends are even.
6. Using the 2 ends, tie a knot in the streamer tight
against the plate. You should now have 2 lengths of
Adapted from the Internet site of the Miami Museum of Science
crepe paper hanging freely from the plate. at http://www.miamisci.org

Activities / 8-6
Activities / 8-7
Activities / 8-8
 Activity number 7 - an experiment

Purpose - To show that the rate at which the sun's energy is absorbed is affected by the colour of a material

Materials Conclusion
- 2 thermometers Dark-coloured materials absorb the sun's energy more
- One white or very light coloured piece of cloth completely and therefore more rapidly than light-
- One black or dark piece of cloth coloured materials. Some of the energy is reflected
(Note: the two pieces should be the same type of material.) back by lighter colours.
- Watch or timer
- Graph paper
- Sunny day (or a heat lamp as a substitute source
of energy)

Method
Record the initial temperature on each thermometer.
Make sure that the temperatures on the 2
thermometers are the same. Wrap each thermometer
with a different colour of cloth and place both in
bright sunlight. Note the temperatures at 5-minute
intervals until the mercury seems to have stopped
rising. Then graph the results of the temperature over
time for each sample. Did the temperature rise faster
when the thermometer was wrapped in the light-
coloured cloth or the dark-coloured cloth?

Observations
The rise in temperature was more dramatic when the
thermometer was wrapped in dark cloth.

Activities / 8-9
 Activity number 8 - Building a weather instrument
Following the instructions below, your students can build their own thermometer. They can then compare
its performance against the Sky Watchers thermometer.

Materials 7. Attach the index card to the straw. Allow the

thermometer to settle for 2 or 3 hours.
- Glass jar (the smaller and narrower, the better)
- A small quantity of cooking oil 8. Now use your reference thermometer to calibrate
- Stopper or cork for the jar your home-made thermometer. To do this, note the
- A sealant such as petroleum jelly, candle wax or level of water in the straw and mark a line on the
modeling clay card. Beside the line, record the temperature shown
- Several drops of food colouring on your reference thermometer. Repeat this process
- Clear narrow drinking straw at least 15 over the next several days.
centimetres long
- Eye dropper A final note
- Water The width of the straw and the amount of liquid in the
- An index or recipe card about 8 cm by 13 cm jar will affect how quickly and accurately your
(3 inches by 5 inches) thermometer will respond. With a narrow straw, a
- Thermometer for reerence — you can use your Sky smaller volume of water is required to raise the level in
Watchers thermometer for this the straw noticeably.
Method Points to discuss
1. Fill the glass jar with water and add a few drops of This thermometer is based on the principle that water,
food colouring to make the water visible. in fact most liquids, expand when heated and contract
2. Cut a hole in the stopper or cork, just large enough when cooled. Ask your students to predict where they
to slip the straw through. think the hottest and coldest parts of room are located
— then let them check out their predictions over the
3. Place the stopper in the jar and insert the straw next 2 days using their thermometer. Remind them that
through the hole. this thermometer takes a long time to respond because
the entire jar of water must adjust before it will
4. Add more water, but this time through the straw and
register the new temperature.
until the water is about one quarter of the way up
the straw. Ask your students if there are any drawbacks to using
their home-made thermometer, and see if they can
5. Seal the straw into the stopper and the stopper onto
identify at least 3:
the jar using either the petroleum jelly, modeling
- it's bulky
clay or candle wax.
- it's delicate, because it is made of glass
6. Finally put a drop of the cooking oil into the straw - the water would freeze in winter or at temperatures
so that the oil sits on top of the water. The oil below 0oC
prevents the water from evaporating. - it's slow to adjust to changes in temperature.
Activities / 8-10
 Activity number 9 - an experiment Activity number 10 - an experiment
Purpose - To show that water vapour enters the Purpose - To make your own rainbow
air though evaporation and transpiration

Materials Materials

- Water - clear plain glass bowl with water in it

- Saucer or shallow bowl - flashlight
- Tape - small flat mirror
- A healthy houseplant
- Plastic bag Method

Method Place the bowl of water on a desk or table near a

blank wall. Put the mirror in the water so that the
Pour some water onto the saucer or shallow bowl. mirror rests against the side of the bowl at a 450
Next, mark the height of the water level with a piece angle. Standing behind the mirror, shine the
of tape. Place the dish with the water in it on the flashlight straight down on the mirror.
windowsill for the day. Wrap the plant (pot and all)
in the plastic bag and put it too on the windowsill Observations
for a few hours. What happened to the level of the
water? What did your students notice about the A rainbow appeared on the wall opposite the
plastic bag covering the plant? mirror.

Observations Conclusions
The level of the water dropped down below the tape The light you shone down toward the mirror was
mark. Droplets of water appeared on the inside of broken into its component colours by the water and
the plastic bag containing the plant. reflected back to you by the mirror. This is what
happens to sunlight. It too is broken into its
Conclusion component colours when it enters the front of a
raindrop, and then if the angle is right reflected by
These are two ways in which water enters the the back of the raindrop.
atmosphere: evaporation and transpiration. Water
evaporated from the dish into the air above it,
changing from a liquid to a gas. The plant lost
water through its leaves into the air, through a
process call transpiration.
Adapted from Phillis Engelbert, The Complete Weather
Resource Book. (Detroit: U.X.L. 1997.) Vol. 2: Weather
Phenomena. P.338.

Activities / 8-11
 Activity number 11 - Building a weather instrument

This is a simple rain gauge that students can make on their own

Materials 7. When it has rained, take a reading using the

ruler taped to the side of the bottle. Then pour
- A plastic 2-litre pop bottle with straight sides out the excess water until the water level is
- Ruler at least 15 centimetres in length once again at zero. (If you pour out too much
- Scissors water, simply add more until the water level
- Stones or large gravel again reaches zero on the ruler.)
- Clear tape Points to discuss
- Water
If you leave your rain gauge out in the sun for a
Method day, be sure to check the gauge as some of the
water may evaporate. If that happens, just add
1. Cut the bottle about 10 centimetres from its water until the level is at zero again.
top. Save the top part.
As a further exercise, your students may want to
2. Place stones or gravel in the bottom of the tape a coffee filter into the funnel part of the
bottle until they fill the little bumps in the gauge to collect any particles that fall into the
bottom and come up to the part of the bottle gauge. The rainwater will drip through the filter
where the sides are straight. This will add and into the bottle eventually. Your students can
weight to the gauge to make it more stable. then look at the filter through a microscope and
3. Tape the ruler to the side of the bottle so that see what it captured.
the zero mark on the ruler is a centimetre or
two above the stones.
4. Pour enough water into the bottle so that the
water level is at the zero mark on the ruler.
5. Take the top of the bottle (the part you cut off
earlier), turn it upside down, and put it into the
bottom portion so that it looks like a funnel.
6. Set your gauge in an open area away from trees
or buildings, which may affect the amount of
rain that falls into the bottle.

Activities / 8-12
 Activity number 12 - an experiment

Purpose - To observe and compare different sizes of raindrops

Materials
- A dark sheet of construction paper and a rainy day.

Method
On a rainy day go outside and hold the dark
construction paper parallel to the ground in the rain.
Collect at least 25 drops of rain. This should only
take 5 to 10 seconds. Then return to the classroom
and observe the raindrops on the paper.

Observations
The raindrops made marks of various sizes on the
construction paper.

Conclusions
Raindrops are different sizes some as small as 1
millimetre and some as large as 1 centimetre or 10
millimetres. A raindrop is composed of tiny water
droplets. Many water droplets are present in a large
raindrop and few water droplets are present in a
small raindrop.

Activities / 8-13
 Activity number 13 - an experiment

Purpose - To observe a tornado

Materials 6. Hold the 2 bottles by the neck; invert them so

that the bottle containing the water is on top, and
- 2, 2-litre clear plastic soft drink bottles immediately start spinning them in circles.
- water
7. Put the bottles on the table, with the empty one on
- food colouring (optional)
the bottom.
- duct tape
8. Watch what happens.
- scissors
- pencil Observations
- ruler The water takes on the shape of a funnel and looks
- cloth or paper towels like a tornado.

Method Conclusions
1. Fill one of the bottles with water until it is half Tornadoes are fast, violent swirling winds. In this
full. Add a few drops of food colouring to make experiment, the spinning of the bottles caused the
the water more visible. water to take the shape of a tornado. The hole in the
bottle allowed for the appearance of the tornado's tail
2. Cut a piece of duct tape which is 5 centimetres
- the most dangerous part of the tornado.
long and cover the mouth of the bottle which
contains the water.
3. With the pencil, make a hole in the centre of the
duct tape. Make sure that the hole is a little
bigger than the pencil.
4. Take the second bottle and turn it upside down on
top of the bottle containing the water, so that the
mouths of the bottles line up. With the cloth or
paper towel, wipe any moisture from the necks of
the 2 bottles.
5. Cut more duct tape and wrap it around the necks
of the bottles so they are firmly attached.

Activities / 8-14
 Activity number 14 - Graphing

Goal: To plot a graph

Have your students visit the site

www.climate.weatheroffice.ec.gc.ca
This page is called National Climate Data and
Information Archive. Go to the option labeled
Climate Normals and Averages on the left. When you
click on it, it will take you to a list of the all the
provinces and territories.
By selecting the region and then further selecting a
community, you can find the monthly average
temperature, rainfall, snowfall, sunshine, wind speed
and direction and much more for each site.
Have your students print off the climate averages for
the location closest to you and then do a line graph
of the mean temperature for each month of the year.
Your students could add a bar graph to the same
chart to show total monthly precipitation. You can
do this exercise with graph paper or on a computer
using a spreadsheet program.

Activities / 8-15
 Activity number 15 - mapping

Goal: to locate and name major geographic features, bodies of water and communities in your region

Materials Method
- Copies of the blank map for your area Provide each student with a copy of the map and the list for
- Atlas (optional) your area. Ask them to locate the features and communities
- Copies of the appropriate list of major on the map. If your community does not happen to be on the
features and communities from the table below list, have them correctly place it on the map as well.

Area of Coverage Major Features Communities

British Columbia Pacific Ocean, Rocky Mountains, Strait Abbotsford, Blue River, Castlegar, Comox, Cranbrook,
of Georgia, Queen Charlotte Islands Fort Nelson, Fort St. John, Kamloops, Kelowna,
Penticton, Port Hardy, Prince George, Princeton,
Prince Rupert, Smithers, Terrace, Vancouver, Victoria

Yukon Beaufort Sea Beaver Creek, Burwash Landing, Carcross, Carmacks,

Dawson City, Haines Junction, Mayo, Old Crow, Ross River,
Teslin, Watson Lake, Whitehorse

Alberta Rocky Mountains, Lake Athabasca Calgary, Edmonton, Lethbridge, Medicine Hat,
Fort McMurray, Edson, High Level

Saskatchewan Lake Athabasca Swift Current, Regina, Saskatoon, La Ronge,

Prince Albert, Cree Lake

Manitoba Lake Winnipeg, Lake Manitoba, Lake Churchill, Dauphin, Brandon, Lynn Lake, Thompson,
Winnipegosis, The Pas, Winnipeg
Hudson Bay

Northwest Territories Arctic Ocean, Great Slave Lake, Great Fort Smith, Inuvik, Norman Wells, Yellowknife,
Bear Lake, Mackenzie River, Beaufort Fort Simpson
Sea

Nunavut Hudson Bay, Foxe Basin Alert, Baker Lake, Cambridge Bay, Clyde River, Coral
Harbour, Eureka, Resolute

Ontario Lake Superior, Lake Huron, Lake Kenora, Big Trout Lake, Thunder Bay, Armstrong,
Ontario, Lake Erie, Lake of the Woods, Timmins, Moosonee, Sault Ste Marie, Muskoka, Windsor,
Lake St. Clair, Lake Nipigon, Lake Toronto, Ottawa
Simcoe, Georgian Bay, Hudson Bay,
James Bay

Quebec Magdelein Islands, Grindstone Island, Kuujjuaq, Inukjuak, Huujjuarapik, Sept Isles, Baie Comeau,
Hudson Bay, James Bay, Ungava Bay, Val d'Or, Maniwaki, Montreal, Sherbrooke, Quebec City
Gulf of St. Lawrence

Maritime Provinces Bay of Fundy, Bay of Chaleur, Mt. Charlo, Chatham (Miramichi), Fredericton, Moncton,
Carleton, Grand Lake, Confederation Saint John, Charlottetown, Summerside, Halifax, Yarmouth,
Bridge, Cape Breton Island, Cape Sydney, Greenwood, Sable Island
Breton Highlands, Atlantic Ocean,
Cabot Strait, Northumberland Strait,
Gulf of St. Lawrence

Newfoundland Long Range Mountains, Atlantic Ocean, Daniels Harbour, St. John's, Gander, Stephenville,
Strait of Belle Isle, Cabot Strait, Lake Deer Lake, St. Anthony, Happy Valley-Goose Bay, Wabush,
Melville Churchill Falls, St. Lawrence, Cartwright, Port Aux Basques,
Daniels Harbour, Bonivista, Burgeo

Activities / 8-16
 Activity number 16 - mapping

Goal: To locate the capital of Canada, the 10 provinces and 3 territories and their capital cities
on a map and label the 3 oceans, the Great Lakes, and Hudson and James bays

Materials Method

- Copies of the blank map of Canada Give each student a blank map and a copy of the
- Atlas (optional) list below.
- Jumbled list of 10 provinces, 3 territories, capital
cities, and bodies of water Ask your students to label the capital of Canada on
the map, then match the capital cities with the
correct province or territory and label them as well.
Finally, have them label the larger water bodies on
the map from the list provided.

As your atlas may not have the new territory of

Nunavut, you may need to help them find it this
time round.

Provinces/Territories Capital Cities Bodies of Water

Saskatchewan Ottawa Great Slave Lake
Nova Scotia Toronto Lake Erie
Alberta Fredericton Arctic Ocean
Quebec Victoria Lake Michigan
Nunavut St. John's Atlantic Ocean
British Columbia Quebec Hudson Bay
Newfoundland Iqaluit Lake Ontario
Yukon Edmonton Georgian Bay
Ontario Winnipeg Pacific Ocean
Northwest Territories Charlottetown Lake Superior
New Brunswick Regina Lake Huron
Manitoba Halifax Great Bear Lake
Prince Edward Island Yellowknife James Bay
Whitehorse

Activities / 8-17
 Activity number 17 - mapping

Goal: To show how the climate varies across a country with the size and geography of Canada

Materials Method — part 2

- Copies of the blank map of Canada To analyse the map using the amount of snowfall take a
- The list of locations with climatic data (page 8-19) second blank map, and still using the list, have your
- An atlas students plot the average annual snowfall for each
community. They could analyse this map as well by
Method — part 1 drawing isohyets at intervals of 100 centimetres (cm),
Using the list, have your students write the average 200 cm, and so on. For instance if 1 community has
daily high temperature for July for each location beside an average annual snowfall of 139 cm and the next
the appropriate dot on the map. They may need to use closest community has an average of 228 cm, then you
the atlas to locate communities correctly. know that somewhere between the
2 lies a point with 200 cm.
As an optional exercise, you might ask your students to When your map is complete, it It will be e
as
to begin w iest
analyse this map to reinforce the differences between will resemble a contour map, 100 cm iso
ith the
h
the kind atlases contain showing the north a yet in
various parts of the country. To help you with the work south
nd then
analysis, here are 4 common meteorological terms. elevations. (See sample p.125) ward.

- Isopleth - a general term describing a line that When the maps are complete, have
joins points of equal value. your students find the community that has, on average,
- Isotherm - a line which joins points of equal the hottest summer days (Kamloops and Windsor) and
temperature. the community that has the snowiest winters (Churchill
- Isohyet - a line which joins points of equal Falls). Invite them to compare figures for different
amounts of precipitation. parts of the country and encourage them to discuss the
roles that elevation, latitude, land forms, and large
- Isobar - a line which joins points of equal pressure
bodies of water may have on the climate. For example,
— this is the type of line normally drawn by
Mayo in the Yukon has the same average high in July as
forecasters on a weather map.
does Lynn Lake in Manitoba. Halifax, Nova Scotia, gets
twice as much snow on average as Baker Lake in the
To analyse the map using temperatures, have your Northwest Territories.
students draw isotherms at 5° intervals. Again, an
isotherm joins points of equal temperature. For
If you would like to do a similar plot of climatic
example, if 1 community has an average daily high
information for more locations in your province or
of 23°C and the
territory, visit the web site
neighbouring community has It will be ea
sie
begin with th st to
www.weatheroffice.ec.gc.ca. and select Climate Data
an average of 17°C, then you
isotherm in
e 10° from the menu on the left. Print the climatic values
know that at some point Arctic and w e
th
ork you wish to use and then have your students plot them
between them, the average is southward.
on the appropriate provincial or territorial map.
20°C.

Activities / 8-18
 Average High Average Average High Average
Province/Territory Community Temperature Annual Province/Territory Community Temperature Annual
July ( C) Snowfall (cm) July ( C) Snowfall (cm)
Yukon Mayo 22 145 Saskatchewan Saskatoon 25 105
Watson Lake 21 219 La Ronge 23 155
Whitehorse 20 145 Prince Albert 24 117
Northwest Territories Fort Smith 23 154 Manitoba Churchill 17 200
Fort Simpson 23 164 Brandon 26 106
Inuvik 20 175 Dauphin 25 138
Norman Wells 22 149 Lynn Lake 22 206
Yellowknife 22 133 Thompson 23 201
Nunavut Alert 6 165 The Pas 23 170
Baker Lake 16 130 Winnipeg 26 115
Cambridge Bay 12 80 Ontario Big Trout Lake 21 233
Clyde River 8 197 Thunder Bay 24 196
Coral Harbour 14 135 Timmins 24 352
Eureka 8 53 Moosonee 22 225
Hall Beach 9 120 Sault Ste Marie 24 316
Iqaluit 12 257 Windsor 28 123
Resolute 7 97 Toronto 27 124
British Columbia Cranbrook 26 148 Ottawa 26 222
Fort Nelson 23 191 Quebec Kuujjuaq 17 271
Fort St. John 22 198 Kuujjuarapik 15 238
Kamloops 28 86 Sept Iles 20 415
Prince George 22 234 Baie Comeau 21 362
Prince Rupert 16 143 Val d'Or 23 318
Vancouver 22 55 Sherbrooke 25 288
Victoria 22 47 Quebec City 25 337
Alberta Calgary 23 135 New Brunswick Fredericton 25 241
Edmonton 23 127 Moncton 24 367
Lethbridge 26 160 Prince Edward Island Charlottetown 23 339
Medicine Hat 27 108 Nova Scotia Halifax 23 261
Fort McMurray 23 172 Sydney 23 330
Edson 22 180 Newfoundland St. John's 20 322
Saskatchewan Swift Current 25 128 Daniels Harbour 18 427
Cree Lake 21 180 Happy Valley-Goose Bay 21 464
Regina 26 107 Churchill Falls 19 481

Activities / 8-19
Port Aux Basques 16 316
 Activity number 18 - Design a board game Activity number 19 - an experiment

To demonstrate the effect of UV on newspaper

Here is a chance to have some fun with all the Materials

weather knowledge your students have accumulated
- newspaper
during their time as Sky Watchers.
- book
Working in teams, have your students design a board - clear glass bowl
game to teach their classmates about weather — - piece of plastic such as a pair of work glasses
the more creative, the better! For example, they
could make jeopardy-type questions in categories Method
such as severe weather, weather in song titles, or
historic storms. The most knowledgeable player 1. On a sunny day in May or June, spread a
gains the most points and wins. newspaper out on a flat surface in the schoolyard
early in the day. Place a book on the left side of
Or they may create a game similar to Snakes and the paper and invert the bowl on the right side.
Ladders using tornadoes, downbursts, and blizzards. Place the plastic in the middle of the paper.
A player who lands on one of these severe weather
squares must be able to answer a weather trivia 2. Leave it exposed, untouched for at least 4 hours.
question correctly to proceed — answer it wrong 3. After 2 p.m., remove the objects from the
and the storm blows you back several squares on the newspaper and note any differences in colour.
board. The first player to travel all the way across
the board wins. Observations
The exposed portion of the newspaper has yellowed.
The part of the paper that was under the book is still
white; the part under the plastic has coloured
slightly; and the part under the glass bowl has
yellowed even more but not as much as the totally
exposed portion.

Conclusion
UV rays affect the colour of newspaper. Plastic
blocks more UV rays than glass, but the book
offered the most protection.

Activities / 8-20
 Activity number 20 - Today’s UV

This activity could be done in conjunction with a track and field meet or other activity that requires your
class to be outdoors for an extended period

Purpose 4. Record the time and UV Index reading for each

observation. Then enter each reading as a point on
To increase understanding of daily variation in UV the graph. Circle the point if the sun was behind
Materials cloud at the time.
- UV meter 5. Join the points on the graph. Compare the highest
- graph paper point on the graph to the forecast maximum obtained
- pencil earlier. Identify the period of time when the UV
Index was above 3. Observe what happens to the UV
- ruler
Index when the sky is cloudy.
- notepad
Observations
Method
On a clear day, a graph of UV Index measurements
1. Prepare graph axes and labels, with the UV Index will have a smooth bell shape, peaking at "solar noon"
listed vertically on the left. Mark the vertical axis — roughly noon Standard Time or 1 p.m. Daylight
with UV Index units from 0 to 11 in increments of Time. In southern Canada, the UV Index would
0.5 units. The horizontal axis will show time in normally be high or very high from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.
increments of ½ hour. Label both axes. Add a title on sunny summer days. Thick cloud will reduce UV
to your graph, including the date and location. and produce irregularities in your graph.
Include a space for the UV Index forecast.
Conclusions
2. Check the day's UV Index forecast maximum for the
location nearest you from the newspaper, radio or During the early afternoon, UV is generally twice as
TV, or from the public forecast on any of strong as in the early morning or late afternoon.
Environment Canada's web sites. Record this value That's why protection from the sun is particularly
in the space provided. important then. There is less UV when significant
cloud is present.
3. Every 30 minutes, use the meter to take a UV
reading in an open sunny area. Class members can
take turns. Note if any cloud was blocking the sun
at the time you took the reading.

Activities / 8-21
 Activity number 21 - Made in the shade

To show the importance of reducing direct UV exposure, and to illustrate the degree of protection
provided by various sources of shade

Materials equal. Different degrees of shade can reduce UV

exposure by roughly 60 to 95%.
- UV meter
Conclusions
- pencil and pad
The more of the sky around you that is blocked by trees
- calculator
and other objects, the lower the amount of UV reaching
Method you. Conversely, the more open sky visible around you,
the higher the UV, because the atmosphere scatters UV
1. Take the UV meter outdoors near noon on a sunny
rays so effectively. Therefore, UV under a group of
day in April through September. Best results will
trees, for example, is lower than under a single beach
be achieved in May or June.
umbrella.
2. Record the UV reading obtained under a variety of
conditions; for example:
- direct sunlight
- full shade, e.g. beside a building or under a group
of trees
- partial shade, e.g. under a single, small tree
- portable shade, e.g. under a beach umbrella
3. Calculate the percentage of UV transmitted through
each type of shade, compared to the full sun
reading.
UV transmitted (%) = (shade reading ÷ full sun
reading) x 100%
UV reduction (%) = 100% - UV transmitted

Observations
UV reductions will vary with your particular
circumstances, but for UV, all shade is not created

Activities / 8-22
 Activity number 22 - UV and clothing

To demonstrate the effectiveness of a variety of fabrics on reducing UV

Materials UV transmitted (%) = (reading under clothing

÷ full sun reading) x 100%
- UV meter
UV reduction (%) = 100% - UV transmitted
- pencil and pad
Observations
- at least five different fabric swatches or items of
clothing in a variety of weaves, colours, and weights. Compare the amount of UV that penetrated various
fabrics depending on the type, weave, colour and
Suggestions: bathing suit, white cotton T-shirt, dark
weight. As with shade, all fabrics are not created
coloured T-shirt, polyester shirt, jeans,
equal when it comes to UV protection.
mesh T-shirt.

Method Conclusions
In general, denim and polyester protect better than
1. Carefully identify each clothing sample (numbered
cotton; tight weaves, better than loose; dark colours,
adhesive labels and a legend sheet are
better than white; and heavy fabrics, better than light.
recommended).
2. Take a UV reading with the UV meter in direct
sunlight and record the value.
3. Remain in direct sunlight. Place the clothing
samples, one at a time, on the UV meter over the
black sensor button. Make sure that the button is
completely covered. Do not touch the sensor with
your fingers.
4. Wait a minute for the UV meter to adjust and
record the new reading. Change the clothing
sample. Record all measurements on your sheet.
5. Calculate the percentage of UV transmitted
through each type of clothing, compared to the full
sun reading.

Activities / 8-23
 Activity number 23 - UV and Sunglasses

To show that some sunglasses block a high percentage of UV radiation

Materials Points for Discussion

- UV meter This test only shows approximately how well a pair of
sunglasses protect your eyes from UV-B. Accurate UV
- pencil and pad
testing for sunglasses can only be conducted by an
- several pairs of sunglasses optometrist or ophthalmologist.
(students can test their own)
UV-A is also harmful to the eye. When buying
Method sunglasses, it's wise to check the label for the degree
of protection from both types of UV.
1. Take a UV reading with the UV meter in direct
sunlight and record the value. You may want to visit the Health Canada web site at
www.hc-sc.gc.ca and navigate to the It's Your Health
2. Remain in direct sunlight. Rest one of the sunglass fact sheet series. Three fact sheets are of particular
lenses on the UV meter over the black sensor interest: Sunglasses, Preventing Skin Cancer and
button. Make sure that the button is completely Ultraviolet Radiation from the Sun.
covered by the lens. Do not touch the sensor with
your fingers.
3. Wait a minute for the UV Index to adjust and record
the new reading. Continue to test the remaining
pairs of sunglasses. Record all measurements on
your sheet.
4. Calculate the percent UV-B passing through
sunglasses as follows:
Percent UV-B Passing through Sunglasses = (UV Index
with Sunglasses ÷ Direct UV Index) x 100%

Activities / 8-24