Geography·Physical Geography · NSSCO 1.6a
Weather instruments & the Stevenson screen
Narrated lesson · press play
Every day the sky tells a story — but to study it like a geographer we have to measure it. In this lesson we first pin down the difference between weather and climate, then open up the Stevenson screen, the little white louvred box in the school field, and see why every part of it is designed the way it is. We meet each weather instrument in turn — the rain gauge, the Six's maximum-minimum thermometer, the wet-and-dry bulb hygrometer, the barometer and barograph, the anemometer, the wind vane and the sunshine recorder — learn the units they use, and finish by recording, averaging and graphing our own weather statistics.
What you'll learn in this lesson
By the end you should be able to (NSSCO Geography 1.6a):
- Distinguish between weather and climate
- Describe and explain the characteristics, siting, precautions and use of a Stevenson screen
- Name and describe the instruments used to measure weather elements: rain gauge, maximum-minimum (Six's) thermometer, wet-and-dry bulb thermometer/hygrometer, barometer/barograph, anemometer, wind vane and sunshine recorder
- Demonstrate the ability to measure, record and analyse weather statistics: temperature, rainfall, humidity, air pressure, cloud cover, sunshine, wind speed and wind direction
Loading your lesson…
You're watching a free 3-minute preview — create a free account to keep going.