Key Stage 3

In this unit pupils collate data from a variety of sources to develop a daily information service about weather. They will use a range of sources, eg a school weather station, measurements, satellite (remote sensing), the internet, other files. 

A key aim of the unit is to develop a system that will meet the potential audience's needs. Pupils investigate these needs and then model the system using presentation software, teletext and multimedia presentations.

This unit is expected to take approximately 7 hours.

• automatic weather station or temperature sensors. Where available a weather satellite receiving station could be helpful, but can be replaced by internet access

• internet access with a list of weather information sites and sites which present weather information for different audiences

• data-handling software (spreadsheet and/or database with appropriate graphing facilities, eg to be able to plot bar and line graphs on the same graph and preferably to be able to plot more than one vertical axis scale )

• presentation software, multimedia or web authoring software

• access to samples of different approaches to presenting weather information, eg internet, TV, newspapers and teletext