Overview:

This is an information-gathering and problem-solving activity based on the concept of weather modification. It incorporates Earth science, U.S. geography and writing. This strategy is based on the false premise that there is no weather modification currently taking place in Kansas. Students will evaluate information and data about the technique as it is being used in other states and provide arguments for or against funding such a program for western Kansas.

 

Grade Levels:

8-12

 

Time Needed:

Two to four 45-minute class periods, depending on how much out-of-class reading is assigned and whether any of the information will be discussed in other classes (i.e., science).

 

Geographic Themes:

Human-Environmental Interaction, Region, Place

 

Kansas social Studies Standards for Benchmarks, Grade Levels 12-K:

The students will understand the connections among people, places, and environments in the local community, Kansas and its surrounding states, the United States and its region, and the world.

The students will understand the effects of economics, science, and technology in the local school and community, Kansas and its surrounding states, the United States and its region, and the world.

 

National Geography Standards, Grades 9-12:

The geographically informed person knows and understands:


#1	How to use maps and other geographic representations, tools, and technologies to acquire, process, and report information from a spatial perspective.
#7	The physical processes that shape the patterns of the earth's surface.
#14	How human actions modify the physical environment.
#15	How physical systems affect human systems.
#18	How to apply geography to interpret the present and plan for the future.

Outcome:

The student will understand the concept of weather modification and analyze its economic costs and impact on western Kansas.

 

Performance Objectives:

The student will be able to:

Correctly complete the "Student information sheet - Weather Modification Unit."

 

Vocabulary/Terms (see Glossary):

ground water aquifer hydrologic cycle weather modification cloud seeding hail suppression water table evapo-transpiration sublimation precipitation

irrigation water vapor ice particle supercooled water condensation coalescence deposition riming aggregation


Materials Needed:

• Overhead transparency or map for each student of precipitation zones of Kansas
• Overhead transparency or map for each student of Ogallala Aquifer
• Selected readings listed in Primary Bibliography
• Student guide sheet
• Student information record sheet
• Project rubrics
• CBS Evening News video, June 24, 1996, Weather Modification segment (optional)
• Box of Post cereal
• Stick of "dynamite" (6-8" dowel rod, 1 inch in diameter covered in red construction paper with a 4" piece of coarse string attached to the end)

 

Procedures:

Anticipatory Set:

1.

Place cereal and "dynamite" prominently on table in front of class before students enter. When everyone is seated, ask what they think the items on the table have to do with weather, which they have been studying in science. After a few wild guesses, say that part of their job over the next few days is to figure out the connection.


Guided Study:


2.	Tell students that you are going to shift topics a little bit. Ask the question: "What are the most important natural resources a country or state can have?" Allow them a minute to think and then share ideas. You may want to write them on the board. After several have been mentioned, focus on water. If no one said it, suggest to them that it may be one they missed, or ask if they consider it a significant resource, and why or why not.
3.	Discuss with the class the economic, cultural and political impact that water has on the world. Talk about areas where there is an abundance and a scarcity. How do they handle the problems associated with too much or too little water? Ask whether they believe Kansas has an abundance or a scarcity.
4.	Show map or overhead of precipitation in Kansas. Allow students a few minutes to study it.
5.	Hand out the information record sheet. Have students answer questions 1-3 independently. Compare answers with a neighbor and discuss.
6.	Ask students to define drought. Allow several to share.
7.	Read "Area Farmers Keep Hope Alive for Rain, But Know It Could Be Awhile" aloud to class.
8.	Ask students whether they have ever heard parents, grandparents or others have a conversation like this. (In our rural area, it is very likely. In urban areas, perhaps not. Possibly ask about historic droughts they know of or those in other parts of the world.) Ask students to better clarify what makes a drought and who it impacts (those trying to grow crops, anyone financially dependent on agriculture and others).
9.	Assign for individual or group reading the article "Low Water in the American High Plains." (It may be too difficult for some students to read independently.) Have students define the vocabulary words from the article that are on their information record sheets (aquifer, specific yield, depth to water, ground water, riparian water rights, appropriation doctrine, surface water).
10.	Students complete questions 4-11 on information record sheet.
11.	Show overhead of aquifer. Discuss what it is and where it is located. Discuss the vocabulary from the article and the answers to the questions.
12.	After discussing problems with ground water, ask the students if there might be any alternatives to using the aquifer. Lead them to discussion of importing water, using more surface water and increasing precipitation.
13.	Explain to students that they will next be exploring the concept of weather modification. Ask what they think of when they hear the term "cloud seeding." (They may think of rain dances, etc.) Define weather modification for them. They should record it on their sheets.
14.	Assign packet of articles from North Dakota Atmospheric Resource Board. There are three separate articles here. A variety of methods could be used to cover these, including expert groups, groups of three with each student reading and reporting to group on a separate article or all students reading all the articles. Also we would cover this material in science class.
15.	Students answer questions 12-15 on the information sheet and complete the following vocabulary words: water vapor, dissipation, condensation, condensation nuclei, supercooled water, riming, aggregation, evaporation new cloud cell, updraft, deposition, feeder cloud.
16.	Discuss vocabulary and questions in small groups and then as a class.
17.	Read "Blame Weather on the Jet Stream Pattern" to class and discuss. (This would be done in our science class.)
18.	This step could be done along with step 14 if students are able to handle a substantial amount of reading at one time, perhaps suited for high school students. Students read "Does Weather Modification Really Work?" for information about Texas. Answer questions 16-19. Discuss.
19.	Read aloud to students the article "Hail Suppression: Fact or Fiction?" and discuss.
20.	Summarize information presented in class and gathered from readings. Ask students for their overall impression of weather modification. Have them support their ideas.

Independent Study:


21.	Explain the final project to students. They will be writing an essay based on the information they have read. They should answer the questions presented on the guide sheet and organize their information according to the format provided on that sheet. They need to be sure to provide facts to back up their opinions and use data given. Remind them to think about this issue from a variety of different perspectives (i.e., farmer, politician, environmentalist, citizen).
22.	Students create rough draft of essay. (This would be done in English class in my school.)
23.	Students peer edit, teachers read, and students rewrite and type final drafts of essays.
24.	Students may, as part of their final project, be required to make some kind of presentation and defense of their essay, either to a small group of students and/or teachers or to the entire class. An oral presentation rubric is included in the handouts.
25.	After students have written their proposals on the future of weather modification in Kansas, show the CBS Evening News video and read the article "Evaluation of the Western Kansas Weather Modification Program." Discuss their proposals in comparison with what is currently being done.

 

Assessment:

Check and grade the accuracy of responses for the "Student Information Sheet - Weather Modification."

 

Extensions:

1. More work could be done in science with this. Our students learn all the cloud types and keep a weather log.
2. Students can create a graphic illustration of the hydrologic cycle.
3. Students create a graph or chart based on data from readings. They must determine what type of graph and what data to use.
4. If you don't want students to write essays, another option is to use the problem-solving model and allow the students to work in groups to present a plan to the class for weather modification. Several class members or others could serve as a decision-making panel to choose the most feasible plan from all those in the class. This allows for group problem-solving and for students to make an oral persuasive presentation in class.
   

Resources:

• Andresen, J. (1996)Hail suppression: Fact or faction?
• (Internet site: msue.msu.edu/msue/imp/modc2/82594014.html)
• (1996) Evaluation of the western Kansas weather modification program. This article was part of the packet presented at the 1996 Summer Institute.
• Jensen, R. Does weather modification really work? Texas Water Resources Institute. (Internet site: twri.tamu.edu/twripubs/wtrResrc/v20n2/text.html)
• Kromm, D. (1992, February). Low water in the American High Plains. The World and I. pp. 76-83.
• North Dakota Atmospheric Resource Board. (1996) The development of summer rain. Author. (Internet site : http://165.234.108.l0/arb/programs/rain.htm)
• North Dakota Atmospheric Resource Board. (1996) Modern cloud modification. Author. (Internet site: water.swc.state.nd.us/arb/html/ndcmp.html)
• North Dakota Atmospheric Resource Board. (1996) Evaluation summaries. Author. (Internet site is water.swc.state.nd.us/arb)
• Sayler, T. (1996) Blame weather on the jet stream. Minnesota Association of Wheat Growers and Minnesota Wheat Council. (Internet site is rrtrade.org/SMALLGRAINS/springwh/5WWIN94/5WWIN946.HTM)
• Todd, E. (N.d). Area farmers keep hope alive for rain. but know it could be a while. Reporter-Telegram. (Internet site is http:www.basinlihk.com/mrt/ddrytimes.html)

Maps:

• Kansas Geographic Alliance. (1994) Ogallala Aquifer. In The Kansas Geography - Natural Resources Curriculum for K-12. (ARC-VIEW software by ESRI)
• Kansas Geographic Alliance. (1994) Watersheds. In The Kansas Geography - Natural Resources Curriculum for K-12. (ARC-VIEW software by ESRI)
• Kansas Geographic Alliance. (1994) Climates. In The Kansas Geography - Natural Resources Curriculum for K-12. (ARC-VIEW software by ESRI)
• Kansas Geographic Alliance. (1994) Annual precipitation. In The Kansas Geography - Natural Resources Curriculum for K-12. (ARC-VIEW software by ESRI)

Video:

• CBS Evening News. (1996, June 24). Drought in Kansas. Author.
  (Available by phoning 1-800-739-7979, or accessing the Internet site uttm.com/production/ welcome.html for a cost of $6.00 per transcript and $19.95 -29.95 for video)

Rubrics:

• Rubrics for Oral Communication and Complex Thinking Skills were adapted from Model Performance Assessments created by the ESSDACK Educational Consortium.
• Another important Internet site is the home page for the Western Kansas Weather Modification Program maintained by Brian Litzenberger.
  Internet site is: http://users.pdl.com/hailman/master.html
  E-mail address is: hailman@pta6000.pld.com

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Student Information Sheet - Weather Modification Unit

1.	Define the following words as you come across them in your reading: precipitation, ground water, aquifer, hydrologic cycle, weather modification, cloud seeding, hail suppression, water table, evapotranspiration, sublimation, coalescence, deposition, riming, aggregation, precipitation.

Precipitation Map:

2.	Summarize precipitation patterns in Kansas. Where is the most and least amount of precipitation found?
3.	Would you say that any part of Kansas has a scarcity of water? Why?

"Low Water in the American High Plains:"

4.	How does low amounts of water relate to one of the five themes?
5.	What is the ground water source for much of the Great Plains? Describe it.
6.	Explain the economic and cultural impact of the aquifer. What is happening to it as a result of the economic activities you have mentioned?
7.	In what general direction does the water in the aquifer move? Why do you think that is?
8.	Describe the various historical perspectives of the Great Plains.
9.	Explain in detail how farmers are able to utilize a resource that lies so far below the Earth's surface.
10.	Which of the five themes does irrigation most closely relate to?
11.	What conflicts have arisen over the aquifer?

North Dakota Atmospheric Resource Board:

12.	How are summer thunderstorm clouds created? (words or diagram)
13.	What elements must be in place for thunderstorms to happen?
14.	What are the benefits of cloud seeding?
15.	How do meteorologists and pilots decide when to seed a cloud?

"Does Weather Modification Really Work?"

16.	What historic examples of weather modification are discussed in this article?
17.	Create a brief timeline of weather modification in Texas.
18.	Briefly describe the steps involved in cloud seeding.
19.	What political and legal issues have been raised regarding weather modification in Texas?

 

Answer Key - Student Information Sheet

1. Note definitions in glossary.
2. Precipitation is greatest in the east and decreases as you move west.
3. Western Kansas experiences a scarcity of water. They are utilizing a nonrenewable resource, and they are experiencing significant water shortages in some places.
4. Water usage for home, agricultural and industrial use is an example of human-environment interaction. Water shortage is becoming a physical characteristic of some areas (places).
5. The Ogallala Aquifer covers much of western Kansas and extends south into Texas and north into South Dakota. There are fingers of it in Kansas and areas where it doesn't exist.
6. In areas where water from the Ogallala is plentiful, agriculture that is reliant on water has become a way of life. Crops like corn and wheat continue to be grown because of tradition and a need make a living. In addition, other water-reliant industries have been developed in these areas like feed lots and beef-processing plants. Because the aquifer has been extensively used for both industrial and personal use, it is dangerously low in many areas.
7. The water moves generally west to east, due to the slope of the land.
8. The Great Plains were viewed as a desert by many of the early settlers and explorers from the east. In the 1930s it was considered a Dust Bowl because of extensive drought. Some parts of the Great Plains are considered to be in the Corn Belt, implying abundant amounts of water are available.
9. Pump engines pull the water from deep below the surface up through a pipe where it is then channeled to various types of irrigation systems.
10. Irrigation is an example of human-environmental interaction.
11. The issue of whether farmers should be forced to change their farming techniques to use less water to conserve the aquifer is a significant issue. There is also the question of whether industries that use significant amounts of water should be allowed for the sake of industrial growth. Other issues like residential versus industrial use of the aquifer relate to its infinite supply of water.
12. Thunder clouds are formed when water vapor, unstable air and a warm or cold front all exist. They usually form in the later part of the day when the heat of the day destabilizes the air. Moisture condenses into droplets, and heat is released into the air. The updraft causes the top of the cloud to become cold, where it becomes supercooled when its temperature drops below 32 degrees. Condensation nuclei form the center of the moisture that falls to the ground.
13. Thunderstorms require moisture, unstable air and a warm or cold front.
14. It can be helpful for hail suppression and rain production.
15. To be a candidate for seeding, the top of the cloud must be colder than 23 degrees Fahrenheit, have a steady updraft, and must not have much natural ice.
16. In the past such techniques as ringing bells, shooting cannon shells and exploding dynamite have been used to try to create rain.
17. 1880s U.S. Dept. of Agriculture used a balloon carrying dynamite to try to alter the weather.
    1910 Cereal king Post sponsored experiments with kites and dynamite. Stopped in 1914.
    1959 Farmers file lawsuit against weather modification company, claiming efforts would lessen amount of rain they would normally receive.
    1970s Protests continued.
    1971 "Project T Drop"' to relieve drought - planes with silver iodide flares used.
    1974-1980 In-depth study of weather modification done by state and federal agencies.
    1983-1990 More studies done to increase cloud efficiency.
    1980s-1990s Several programs attempted, some abandoned because of cost.
18. When a cloud is selected, a plane may fly back and forth below it in the updraft area, releasing silver iodide, or they may fly into the area just above a developing storm cell.
19. Issues include cost vs. effects and whether weather modification actually creates more hail and less rain in some areas.

 

Problem-Solving: Weather Modification

1. State the problem or decision that must be solved or made.
2. Based on the information presented in class and in the articles you have read, what are some possible options for this situation? Should weather modification be considered in Kansas? Why or why not? List two or three possible plans.
3. Choose the best option and provide the data or evidence to support that choice.
4. Analyze your choice. How did it compare with decisions actually made?

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