Weather affects everyone, so knowing how weather forms, and understanding weather forecasts and why they are essential is important.
A weather station that has been installed in Elizabeth Fetch’s and Holly Monahan’s collaborative sixth-grade science class at Rising Starr Middle is helping students better understand the atmospheric conditions that cause changes in weather, and the role technology plays in forecasting weather today.
The weather station was purchased through a grant the teachers received from the Fayette County Education Foundation, a nonprofit organization that supports teachers in Fayette County’s public schools by providing grant opportunities for projects and ideas that align to the curriculum, but are not provided for in the school’s general budget.
The device allows students to monitor the wind, humidity, temperature, rainfall, dew point, and barometric pressure at the school. The station came with an anemometer and wind vane, for which the students had to run calculations to determine the best site outside of their classroom to locate the equipment to get the most accurate readings.
In addition to helping students comprehend changes in weather, using the weather station is giving them firsthand experience with tools that aid in understanding the reciprocal relationship between science and technology in predicting forecasts.
Monahan’s special needs students are reaping an extra benefit from the station. The data collected helps the students plan for the best days to plant, water, fertilize, and harvest vegetables grown in their raised bed gardens.
Monahan and Fetch co-wrote the grant for the weather station. Monahan has received several grants in the past from the Fayette County Education Foundation, including one for the raised bed garden, an adjacent greenhouse, and a butterfly garden. She says the Foundation has funded projects that have greatly benefitted her students; however, this will be Monahan’s last grant award as she is retiring at the end of the school year.
“I want to thank the Fayette County Education Foundation for their generosity. I am retiring, so this is my last grant project. I appreciate all of the support the Foundation has given to my students,” said Monahan.
In the above photo, Fayette County Education Foundation member Marion Key looks on as Jacob Lugo explains the data and graphs produced by the weather station. Standing in the background is, from left, Cody Kelly, Body Mott and Luke Warnock.
