K-Gr 4-Children of various ages and ethnicities are central to this informative yet entertaining guide to weather concepts and forecasting. Viewers' attention is caught immediately when simple questions are asked by an off-camera narrator and the children answer them. Many typical childhood activities are seen-kite-flying, playing outside, and hiking. Live action combines with diagrams and still satellite photos to teach viewers basic weather terms and concepts. Investigations and hands-on experiments demonstrate these concepts in an understandable and memorable way. Among the topics covered are the formation of clouds, how wind is created, how rain and snow forms, and the factors that affect the climate for different regions. One tape includes a visit with Dr. Jon Nese, the chief meteorologist at The Franklin Institute Science Museum, where he discusses topics such as rainfall measurement as a factor in forecasting and measuring wind speed. Pleasant background music adds to the overall positive ambiance of the series. These titles are an entertaining and effective method to introduce young children to basic meteorology and weather science.
Copyright 2001 School Library Journal. Used with permission.
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