The weather station in your outdoor classroom includes various weather instruments that you and your students can use to measure, record, and track weather conditions over time.
Weather Instruments | Materials Budget | Construction Instructions | Educational Sign & QR Code |
Activity Resources | Maintenance Tips | Example Photos
- Thermometer measures the air temperature.
- Anemometer (pictured right) measures wind speed.
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Hygrometer measures humidity, or the amount of water vapor in the air.
- Rain gauge measures the amount of rain that has fallen over a specific time period.
- Barometer measures air pressure in the atmosphere, also called barometric pressure.
- Wind sock (pictured right) is a cone-shaped tube of fabric, which resembles a giant sock, attached to pole that rotates. It helps us determine wind direction and relative wind speed.
- Cardinal directions sign, for which we have a separate materials list and estimated budget (see below), includes directional signs pointing North, South, East, and West attached to a 4”x4” post. Use the cardinal directions sign in your outdoor classroom along with your wind sock to determine the direction the wind is blowing.
These materials lists and budgets for a weather station and cardinal directions sign include the following:
- a suggested list of materials needed to construct the learning station,
- suggestions about where you can purchase the materials,
- an estimated budget,
- and space where you can track your donations and final costs for this learning station.
Example Weather Station Materials List & Budget: (Word Doc | PDF)
Example Cardinal Directions Materials List & Budget: (Word Doc | PDF)
These construction instructions include a list of tools & supplies needed for your work day as well as step-by-step construction instructions.
Example Cardinal Directions Construction Instructions: (Word Doc | PDF)
CLICK HERE to download the QR Code for this webpage.
You can inlcude the QR Code on the educational sign for your weather station in your outdoor classroom: PDF | Word Doc
Use our "Learn about Weather" Student Exploration Link to help your students research weather and climate.
Below are free AWF Field Investigation Activities related to weather:
- Seasonal Weather Observations (K-1st): (Version #1: Word Doc / PDF) (Version #2: Word Doc / PDF) – Students record their seasonal weather observations in the outdoor classroom.
- Weather Data Log (3rd-5th): (Word Doc / PDF) – Students record the weather forecast, and then log in real-time weather data from the Weather Station into a Weather Data Chart, examining temperature changes throughout the day using a line graph.
When creating your weekly maintenance checklist for your outdoor classroom, be sure to include daily weather data collection as well as weekly emptying of the rain gauge.
Heritage Elementary's Cardinal Directions Sign
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Julian Newman Elementary's Cardinal Directions Sign
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Example Weather Station
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McBride Elementary's Digital Weather Station
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Questions: Contact the AWF at oc@alabamawildlife.org.