WEATHER FRONTS

WEATHER FRONTS LESSON

Directions:

Print the Weather Fronts reading comprehension passage and questions (see below).

Students should read the passage silently, then answer the questions.  Teachers may also use the text as part of a classroom lesson plan.

Lesson Excerpt

     Have you ever wondered what all those symbols are on a weather map?  There are curved lines with triangles or circles on them across different areas of the map.  These lines mark fronts that are moving across the area.
 
     Giant air masses form all over the Earth.  The sun heats up the ocean around the equator, and this warm air rises.  As warm, moist air moves away from the equator, it cools.  As it cools, it sinks.  Cooler air is dryer.  When two different large air masses meet, a front is formed.  Fronts can be very big and affect most of a continent, or they can be smaller and affect only a small area.  Fronts usually bring changes in the weather.

Continued...