Social Studies :: Country Report

Hi, stormy-stayed folks!
Hope everyone is enjoying and making the most of their storm days!

Your social studies projects were supposed to be due this Friday, February 15th. (Drake's birthday, remember?) 

Although we've been working in class on this since the beginning of January, I am going to give you until Monday, February 18th to have it done, since we've had these two storm days and you all may not have taken your materials home to work on them.

I'm also going to post the pdf as an example of the final poster. Please use this only as a guide if you're working from home, researching your country. I have all of the final copy posters printed at school on the large 11X17 paper.

Remember the research questions in the little booklet were to serve as a guide to:
a) help teach you proper researching skills
b) help you in practising reading for information
c) help you learn information about your country

So, the poster is posted below as a guideline.
The final / good draft of your poster is now due Monday, February 18. You must also submit your question booklet at this time, if not before.

Hope this helps.

Country Report Poster (*large copy to be given in school)

Weather / Storm Predictions

We researched weather/storm predictors that happen  or are talked about in our families.
Here are some of the sayings/ predictors that we think can be tested to be proven right or wrong:

• Red skies at night, sailors delight. Red skies at morning, sailors heed/take warning.
• To test this theory: keep track of the sunset colors and the colour of the sky in the morning.
• Calm before the storm.
• To test this theory: When there is a forecast of a storm, watch the sky/environment to see if it's calm. Then see if there's going to be a storm.
• If the wasps' nests are high in trees, there is going to be a lot of snow.
• To test this theory: In the summer, watch to see if their nests are hig in the trees or not. Then you'd have to wait to see how much snow came that winter.
• When a storm is going to come, you can hear the sea or the lake.
• To test this theory: Listen outside on a winter's day.
• When the cows lie in the pasture, rain is coming
• To tests this theory: Pick more than 1 farm/pasture to watch. (because cows lying in a field could just be a coincidence) If the cows are lying down, see if it's going to rain.
• Birthmarks/Scars get really red or change color when a storm is coming.
• To test this theory: First, find someone with a birthmark/scar. Then, make sure you're watching the birthmark/scar to note any changes in colour. Do the colour changes align with the weather changes?
• The TV goes fuzzy when a storm is coming.
• To test this theory: Note when your TV is turning fuzzy when you're watching it.
• Hamsters will start to shake when a storm is coming.
• To test this theory: Watch your hamster; make notes.
• Seagulls on the land is a sign of a storm.
• To test this theory:  Make note of land near water. Are the seagulls on the ground?
• If the frost on the trees is sparkling, it is going to rain.
• To test this theory: Note when there is frost. See if it sparkles. Wait.
• Little snow (flakes), Big snow (lots of it).
• To test this theory:  Look at the snowflakes. Make note of their size. Then note how much snow actually fell and for how long. Alternative: If you see small snowflakes. In 2 hours go check how much snow has fallen. On another day, if you see big snow flakes, check in 2 hours again to see how much snow has fallen. Then compare which has more.

Made on  http://www.wordle.net/

Tracking the storm...

We spent time thsi afternoon tracking the pending snow storm for Atlantic Canada.
We collected information (data) using:

•  tweets from Twitter
• radar imagery from Environment Canada
•  highway webcams from Nova Scotia

Here are some of the cool tweets we received today:

It's fun learning about weather live and online like this!
We also research homework to do about weather sayings, folklore and indicators of stormy weather.


(And we may be wearing our pjs inside out and putting spoons under our pillows, too... maybe ...)