PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT WORKSHOPS (continued)
WORKSHOP 3. “TORNADOES in FEBRUARY? IT’s MICHIGAN!”: THE ROLE OF AIR MASSES ON WEATHER in MICHIGAN and ELSEWHERE (STANDARD MS-ESS2-5).
Much of the unpredictability of Michigan’s weather is attributable to air masses. The goal of the workshop is to provide middle school teachers with the content mastery necessary to teach Michigan’s academic science MS-ESS2-5 MI, i.e., to “Collect data to provide evidence for how the motions and complex interactions of air masses results in changes in weather conditions”. As an important context for understanding the effect of air masses upon weather in Michigan the factors that exist behind our existing patterns of seasonality, i.e., our climate, will be covered first so that participants will be able to better appreciate what the impacts of air masses are.
Participants will also be introduced to several sources of real-time weather data including the American Meteorological Society, the National Weather Service, and the Wyoming Weather Web, among others.
Workshop will be three hours long (with a 15 minute break) and worth 3 SCECHEs. Handouts with suggested in-class activities will be provided.
Price $350.00.
NOTE: AM SEEKING HOST SCHOOL DISTRICTS FOR THIS WORKSHOP in MONTHS OF APRIL through JUNE 2026. Contact Dr. Lilienfeld to schedule at: amy@circleofillumination.com.
Major Air Masses That Affect North America.
Source: NOAA, https://www.noaa.gov/jetstream/synoptic/air-masses
WORKSHOP 4. INTRODUCING ELEMENTARY GRADE STUDENTS TO WORLD CLIMATES THROUGH MATH
Vladimir Köppen, a Russian-German geographer, climatologist and botanist (1846-1940) was one of the first pioneers to tackle the very ambitious undertaking of creating a classification system to derive a number of distinct climate types across the world. A sampling of some of these is shown in map above for the State of California which, because of its very long geographic extent coupled with its location along the Pacific coast, has a wide range of climate types.
In this workshop participants will learn some of the nuts and bolts behind Köppen’s methods. They will also be shown how their students can use climate data, in particular annual patterns of temperature and precipitation, to classify climates while using very grade-appropriate and simple math such as addition, averages, ranges, and the addition of decimals.
Duration of workshop 2 hours, 2 CEUs awarded.
WORKSHOP 5. IS IT SLEET or IS IT SNOW?
Introduction to the Temperature Profile of the Atmosphere
LUCKY, WINTER 2023. Photo Copyright AMY LILIENFELD