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Air, Water, and Weather: Stop Faking It! Finally Understanding Science So You Can Teach It


By: William C. Robertson, Ph.D.

$19.96 - Member Price  
$24.95 - Nonmember Price

See below for special set pricing.



$25.95 - Member Price  
$32.44 - Nonmember Price

$16.22 - Member Price  
$18.71 - Nonmember Price

Details

Type of Product:NSTA Press Book (also see downloadable PDF version of this book)
Average Rating:
 based on 1 review
Publication Title:Stop Faking It! Finally Understanding Science So You Can Teach It Series
Publication Date:1/1/2005
Pages:134
Stock Number:PB169X6
ISBN:978-0-87355-238-7
Grade Level:Elementary School, Middle School
Read Inside:Read a sample chapter: Under Pressure

NSTA Recommends
Our reviewers—top-flight teachers and other outstanding science educators—have determined that this resource is among the best available supplements for science teaching.
[Read the full review]


Description

Thunderstruck by storm fronts? Perplexed about air pressure? Hazy on how weather works? If you’ve always been shaky on the science behind such phenomena, Air, Water, and Weather is designed to help you develop a deep understanding of the basics so you can teach without fear. Best-selling author Bill Robertson acts as your friendly guide, bringing both wisdom and wit to the study of weather. He starts with basic properties of air and water. You’ll learn about pressure, the Coriolis force, the Bernoulli Effect, density, and explanations of why hot air doesn’t rise all by itself and why heating air doesn’t necessarily cause it to expand. These concepts form a foundation for explanations of weather patterns, including the jet stream, storm fronts, and the formation of tornadoes and hurricanes. Air, Water, and Weather is the sixth book in the award-winning Stop Faking It! series published by NSTA Press. It offers all the features readers have come to love: accurate explanations, irreverent drawings, and activities that use easy-to-find materials. As usual, Robertson avoids memorization for its own sake—no need to commit cloud types to memory!—and makes learning a mostly sunny experience.


Ideas For Use

This book doesn't necessarily cover some of the "usual stuff" contained in books on weather, such as scales for measuring wind speeds, scales for measuring hurricane damage, and the formation of lightning. The reason? This isn't your usual book on weather. What the author has tried to do is to tie together basic physical concepts regarding air and water and apply them to weather concepts in a way that might give you a perspective not contained in other books.

Additional Info

Science Discipline: (mouse over for full classification)
Seasons
Atmosphere
Fronts
Hurricanes
Pressure
Storms
Tornadoes
Oxidation reduction reactions
Velocity
Convection
Kinetic molecular theory
Temperature
Experimenting
States of matter
Energy
Intended User Role:Administrator, Curriculum Supervisor, Elementary-Level Educator, Middle-Level Educator, Parent, Professional Development Provider, Teacher
Educational Issues:Curriculum, Educational research, Informal education, Inquiry learning, Instructional materials, Professional development, Teacher content knowledge, Teacher preparation

Contents

•Preface •The Scope of This Book •Everyday Items Used in Activities in This Book •SciLinks •Chapter 1. Under Pressure •Chapter 2. It’s a Gas, Gas, Yeah •Chapter 3. Balloons and Other Things That Sometimes Float •Chapter 4. A Few Loose Ends •Chapter 5. Small-Scale Weather •Chapter 6. Large Scale Weather •Chapter 7. The Severe Stuff •Glossary •Index


This Title Also Available as Part of a Set:
Set: Stop Faking It! Series, Set of 9 Books
Intimidated by inertia? Exasperated by electricity? Panicked over the periodic table? The best-selling Stop Faking It! series comes to your rescue. Author Bill Robertson has been helping teachers develop a deeper understanding of scientific principles for years. He uses fun examples, easy-to-understand language, and accurate explanations to teach in a stress-free way. This 9-book set includes all the books in the series.
Member Price: $161.56 Nonmember Price: $201.90

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National Standards Correlation

This resource has 11 correlations with the National Standards.  
[VIEW CORRELATIONS]

This resource has 11 correlations with the National Standards.  
[HIDE CORRELATIONS]

  • Physical Science
    • Properties of objects and materials
      • Objects have many observable properties, including size, weight, shape, color, and temperature. (K-4)
      • Materials can exist in different states--solid, liquid, and gas. (K-4)
      • Some common materials, such as water, can be changed from one state to another by heating or cooling. (K-4)
    • Chemical Reactions
      • A large number of important reactions involve the transfer of electrons (oxidation/reduction reactions). (9-12)
    • Position and motion of objects
      • An object's motion can be described by tracing and measuring its position over time. (velocity) (K-4)
    • Motion and Forces
      • Gravitation is a universal force that each mass exerts on any other mass. (9-12)
      • If more than one force acts on an object along a straight line, then the forces will reinforce or cancel one another, depending on their direction and magnitude. (5-8)
    • Conservation of energy and increase in disorder
      • All energy can be considered to be either kinetic energy, which is the energy of motion; potential energy, which depends on relative position; or energy contained by a field, such as electromagnetic waves. (9-12)
  • Earth Science
    • Properties of earth materials
      • Earth materials are solid rocks and soils, water, and the gases of the atmosphere.
    • Changes in earth and sky
      • Weather can be described by measurable quantities, such as temperature, wind direction and speed, and precipitation.
    • Earth in the solar system
      • Seasons result from variations in the amount of the sun's energy hitting the surface, due to the tilt of the earth's rotation on its axis and the length of the day. (5-8)


Published Reviews

“…Both teachers and students would benefit from this engaging book that emphasizes understanding over memorization. Humorous cartoon drawings illustrate and illuminate the text.”
Curriculum Connections, School Library Journal, Spring 2006


Customer Reviews
Great Resource
  Reviewed by: Donna Costa (New Castle, DE) on November 3, 2007
  Like the other books in this series, this book contains information that even 7th & 8th graders can read and understand. It is very helpful when creating notes for non-English proficient students bridging high content with easily understood language.

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