Appleseeds articles from December 2007

Appleseeds archives from December 2007

Is it true?
December 1, 2007... Red sky at night, Sailors' delight This very old rhyme has been used to predict the weather for thousands of years. (Its first known written reference is in the Bible.) But us it true? In most cases, yes! Red sky at night means stable air...

What's the forecast?
December 1, 2007... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Have you ever heard of a "weather forecasting stick"? To make one, hold a stick out a window. If it gets wet, you know it's raining! Now that's an old joke. To get the weather forecast today, all you have to do...

Growing up in Tornado Alley.
December 1, 2007... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] "A tornado is scary," explains 10-year-old Joshua Amerman. Joshua lives in an area called Tornado Alley. Stretching across the Great Plains, Tornado Alley has the perfect weather conditions for forming...

Storm safety.(Your Turn)
December 1, 2007... Think ahead. During good weather: * Plan a safe exit route. Practice using it. * Put together a survival kit. Include flashlights, extra batteries, food, bottled water, candles, a battery-operated radio, and a first-aid kit. *...

Lightning.(Reading Corner)(Poem)
December 1, 2007... Lightning I see lightning and it's frightening tearing up the summer skies. Watch it flashing. See it slashing. Everything electrifies. Hear it cracking. Trees are thrwacking. I curl into a...

New Snow.(Reading Corner)(Poem)
December 1, 2007... New Snow New snow. Storm snow. Stay inside; be warm snow. Sparkles like a jewel snow. I got out of school snow. Play all day outside snow. Children's sled and slide snow. At night I sleep and dream snow-- ...

Human homes that master the weather.
December 1, 2007... From hot, dry deserts to windy, freezing steppes, the earth has extreme climates. People who live in these harsh climates must adapt to them. Some need shelters that keep them warm in cold temperatures. Others need homes that protect them from...

Ready for take off?
December 1, 2007... The space shuttle is on the launch pod. Weather forecasters at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida and the Johnson Space Center in Texas are busy. They are collecting weather information and making predictions. Weather conditions must be just...

Be a weather watcher.(Fun Stuff)
December 1, 2007... To build a backyard weather station, you'll need a: [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] thermometer [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] aneroid barometer (A mercury barometer will work too, but they are costly.) [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] rain...

Lightning lore.(FLASH!!!)
December 1, 2007... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Lightning puts on one of the most awesome power shows in all of nature. As it streaks from the sky down toward the earth, it heats up the air it passes through. The air can reach 50,000 degrees F. That's five times...

"Eye on the sky" guys.
December 1, 2007... As kids explore the exhibits in the Fairbanks Museum and Planetarium in St. Johnsbury, Vermont, a voice drifts upstairs. The "ON AIR" light is lit and there's Mark Breen, headphones on, doing the weather report. Mark Breen, Steve Maleski,...

Weather's hand in history.
December 1, 2007... Weather affects us almost every day. When it's raining, we can't play outside. Sometimes weather is even more important. Sometimes weather shapes history. The Vikings enjoy warm weather Long ago, explorers sailed around the world...

Draw your own snowman contest.
December 1, 2007... One of the joys of winter is making a snowman--or snowwoman--or snowkid--or snow creature. But winter weather varies based on where you live. One kid's snowstorm is another kid's sunny day. Still, you can make a "snowman" anywhere--anyway. Draw...

Extreme weather in North America.(Where in the World?)
December 1, 2007... KEY [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] BLIZZARDS blinding snowstrom [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] HURRICANES powerful circular winds and heavy rain [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] HAILSTORM ice balls from violent thunderstorms ...

Cloud patterns.
December 1, 2007... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] What do you see when you look at clouds? Some people see castles, others see animals... but we see fractals. What kind of beast is a fractal, you ask? A fractal is a type of geometrical pattern. Mathematician...

The Kansas Killer.
December 1, 2007... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Screaming and spinning, a massive wedge-shaped tornado dropped on Greensburg, Kansas, like an ax. Most twisters are only a few hundred yards across and remain on the ground for a few miles. But the Kansas Killer was...

Amazing weather facts.
December 1, 2007... How far away is that thunderstorm? Count the seconds between the lightning's flash and the thunder's boom, then divide by two. That's how many miles away the storm is. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The fastest tornado wind speed on record was...

You can make your own mini tornado in a jar!
December 1, 2007... Fill the jar about threequarters full of water. Add one teaspoon of the liquid soap, and one teaspoon of vinegar. Put the lid on the jar and tighten it. Shake the jar to mix up the ingredients. YOU WILL NEED: a clear glass jar with a...

Gross facts.
December 1, 2007... Have you ever heard the expression "It's raining cats and dogs?" Well, family pets may not be falling in your front yard, but it has actually been known to rain frogs, fish, and even jellyfish! Scientists think that these animals might have...

Weather jokes.
December 1, 2007... Q: What is a tornado's favorite game? A: Twister Q: What does lighting wear under its clothes? A: Thunderwear! Q: What do you get when you cross a snowman with a vampire? A: Frostbite [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

Cross-frame puzzle.
December 1, 2007... ACROSS: 1. Katrina was this kind of storm. 2. In the village of --, people live in caves. 3. Geometric patterns seen in clouds. 4. Weather -- carry instruments into the clouds. 5. The largest -- ever measured was 17.5...