AMS Weather
Studies Course Overview
What is the course?
AMS Weather Studies is an introductory meteorology course provided by
the American Meteorological Society to undergraduate institutions for local
offering. The course is prepared by meteorologists nationally recognized in
atmospheric science education. Development for this course was supported, in
part, by the National Science Foundation.
AMS Weather Studies covers the composition and structure of the
atmosphere, the flows of energy to, from, and through the atmosphere, and the
resulting motions produced from small to planetary scales. The physical
principles of atmospheric phenomena are stressed in the understanding of
weather’s impact on humans, particularly with severe weather. Methods of
analysis are developed through the study of current weather as meteorological
data are delivered via the Internet.
At the instructor's option, students are introduced to Earth's atmosphere
and the dynamic world of weather:
- as it happens, by working with current meteorological data delivered via
the Internet and coordinated with Current Weather Studies investigations
keyed to the day's weather; or
- via examination of real-world case studies delivered in printed form.
How can the course be implemented?
- As a NEW institutional course offering.
- To REVISE an existing course at your institution.
- To EXPAND an existing course by adding a laboratory component.
- As the FOCUS of an online course, or as individual directed study.
>>Go to the Options for Using
Course Materials page to learn more.
Who can offer the course?
AMS Weather Studies can be offered by experienced science faculty or
those new to teaching meteorology. Collegial assistance is available to all new
instructors.
We have large numbers of atmospheric scientists, geographers, geologists,
and physicists successfully offering the course, as well as those from
disciplines such as engineering and chemistry.
During course implementation and instruction, collegial assistance is
available from faculty members who have already offered AMS Weather
Studies. Also, AMS science educators will answer any questions on all
aspects of course delivery and content. This course enables faculty members to
expand and/or update their curriculum and join the ranks of colleagues teaching
with the latest technology.
What are the course components?
Textbook - The full-color, hardcover, 15 chapter Weather
Studies: Introduction to Atmospheric Science text covers the basic
understandings of meteorology. The primary author of the text is Dr. Joseph M.
Moran (University of Wisconsin - Green Bay and Associate Director, AMS
Education Program), author of several leading meteorology, Earth and
environmental science texts at the introductory college level. The textbook
contains ten Review and ten Critical Thinking Questions per chapter.
At the instructor's option, the Weather Studies textbook may be used
as part of the turnkey AMS Weather Studies
course package (including the
Investigations Manual and Course Website) or by itself. Textbook-Only users
have access to a special Internet website that delivers the Daily Weather
Summary, current meteorological products, and Math Skills applications. A
license is not required for this text-only
option.
>>Go to the Weather Studies
Textbook page to view the table of contents and a sample chapter.
Investigations Manual - A set of student learning
investigations is coordinated with the text chapters. Each investigation (two
per week) contains Introduction and Applications sections. The
investigation can be completed using the two sections in the Manual or by using
the Introduction section plus Current Weather Studies available on the
Course Website. The Manual Applications section and Current Weather
Studies are similar in format, topic, and length. Investigations lead the
student through analysis and interpretation of real-world weather.
The Investigations Manual is designed to function as a self-contained course
for those wishing to have all course material in their hands before the course
starts, those wanting to preload all course material into their institution's
e-learning course management system at the beginning of each term and/or those
whose academic calendars do not match the AMS Weather Studies delivery
schedule.
Learning investigations lead the student through the analysis and
interpretation of real-world meteorological data. The twice-weekly weather
investigations are prepared by Dr. Robert S. Weinbeck (State University of New
York - Brockport and AMS Education Program), and Dr. Ira W. Geer (Director, AMS
Education Program). Both have extensive experience teaching introductory
meteorology courses and conducting NSF- and NOAA-funded faculty and teacher
enhancement projects.
>>Go to the Weather Studies
Investigations Manual page to to view the list of investigations and sample
activities.
Course Website -
The AMS Weather Studies Course Website includes the delivery of
Current Weather Studies, weekly Math Skills, current weather maps,
visible, infrared, and water vapor satellite imagery, composite radar displays,
and surface and upper-air data, plus forecast maps for the U.S. and southern
Canada. Meteorological data, formatted and delivered via NOAA's National
Centers for Environmental Prediction (NCEP) are updated hourly, 24 hours
a day, and seven days a week, year-round!
To access the Course Website, a Login ID and Password are
required by all licensed students and faculty. A special site is available for
all faculty considering this course offering, where the course website and
course delivery mechanisms may be previewed. Go to the
Course Website Preview
to view sample of the website components described below.
- Current Weather Studies - Challenging
lab activities with real-time excitement! - Course investigations are
self-contained in the Investigations Manual or may be completed using the
Manual introductory section with Current Weather Studies delivered on
the course website. Current Weather Studies investigations expand on
important concepts using current or recent weather data and are delivered on
the weekly schedule described below.
- Daily Weather Summary - A play-by-play of
the weather today- A very useful Website feature is the daily weather
discussion that appears during the fall and spring semesters, describing the
current weather pattern nationwide. This weekday summary builds on course
content as the semester progresses. For an example, follow the "Learning
Files" link on the Course Website Preview. It is prepared by Dr. Edward J.
Hopkins (University of Wisconsin - Madison), who has an extensive background in
teaching meteorology.
- Weekly Weather/Climate News - Current events
that affect our lives- This weekly feature contains links to the latest
weather and climate news items. The news files are prepared by Dr. Edward J.
Hopkins.
- Math Skills - Additional quantitative
activities to engage and challenge your students at a variety of competency
levels- The weekly Math Skills component contains exercises that correspond
to each textbook chapter. Each Math Skills has parts A and B. Part A is a
quantitative study of important chapter concepts that assumes knowledge of
basic algebra. Part B is a more challenging section that explores
meteorological concepts such as radiation laws, gas laws, energy conservation,
and forces and winds.
- Critical Thinking/Diversity Component -
Reasoned pathways to problem solving in atmospheric science and the real
world- This component first defines Critical Thinking and its attributes,
and then examines a specific critical thinking cognitive skill and an affective
attribute that relate to each week's student learning investigations. The
component then describes an activity that models some aspect of critical
thinking. Each week's segment ends with the suggestion of ways in which
critical thinking can be applied more generally to topics or issues that are
not part of the science content of the course. The theme for these applications
is diversity, a topic that impacts all of us and in which there are many ideas
to explore. We do this because our society is becoming increasingly diverse and
our educational process has the potential of benefiting significantly by being
more inclusive.
- Investigations Manual Images - The
website contains a link to electronic versions of Investigations Manual images.
These will be helpful if the course instructor prefers to have students submit
selected images they have marked or processed electronically (e.g., via e-mail
or drop box on a course management system website).
- Investigations Manual Web Addresses -
Internet addresses appearing the Investigations Manual can be accessed via the
"Learning Files" section of the course website. Click on
"Investigations Manual Web Addresses". Then, go to the appropriate
investigation and click on the address link. We recommend this approach for its
convenience. It also enables AMS to update any website addresses that were
changed after the Investigations Manual was prepared.
Faculty Resource CD and Website- The CD contains the faculty
manual, Investigations Manual answer forms compatible with course management
systems, test bank questions, and textbook images. The faculty manual describes
the course and its components and contains suggestions for course
implementation in a variety of classroom settings. Included for each text
chapter is an outline, summary, and learning objectives.
The CD Investigations Manual answer forms are files compatible with
Respondus, test-generating
software for which your institution may have a license. This program opens
formatted files and converts them to various course management system files.
Test bank questions are available in a variety of formats, including Microsoft
Word, text, PDF, and Respondus-compatible files. The CD also contains
Investigations Manual answer forms and keys in Word, text, and PDF formats, and
the electronic versions of textbook chapter Review and Critical Thinking
Questions found in the textbook.
A secure faculty website delivers answers to chapter Review and Critical
Thinking, Investigations Manual, Current Weather Studies, and Math
Skills questions. The website includes Respondus-formatted answer forms for
Current Weather Studies.
When are the real-time course components
delivered?
The real-world case studies in the Applications section of the
Investigations Manual allow the combination of manual and textbook to function
as a full course. Many institutions offering the course during fall and spring
semesters may choose to use the Introduction section of the Manual
investigations with Current Weather Studies on the course website to
expand on important concepts using current or recent weather data.
Current Weather Studies are delivered on a weekly schedule. Each
week's Current Weather Studies "A" investigation is posted
about Monday noon Eastern Time. The "B" investigation is posted about
Wednesday noon ET. During fall and spring semesters, Current Weather
Studies files accumulate in the "Archives" section of the course
website as the semester progresses. "Current Weather Studies"
activities for Chapter 13, 14, and 15, designed for use at any point during the
course, are updated at the beginning of each fall semester and available
year-round. Current Weather Studies answer keys and
Respondus-compatible files
will be posted to the faculty website on the same schedule.
>>View the real-time course
delivery schedule.
How do I integrate this course with my Course
Management System?
The Investigations Manual, Current Weather Studies learning
investigations, and test banks can be ported into your system’s quizzing
function for automated scoring and immediate student feedback. This feature
allows for full integration into an e-learning environment. We provide course
management system-compatible files in
Respondus format, software
for which many campuses are licensed.
>>Go to the Course Management System
Integration page to learn about the easy three step process for porting our
files into your system.
How do I host this course at my
college?
If you would like to use the entire AMS Weather Studies course
package, which includes the Textbook, Investigations Manual, and access to our
Course and Faculty Websites, your college will need to have a completed
license on file with the AMS
Education Program. The semester-license fee is $149 per institution, regardless
of number of sections or number of students; a 12-month annual license is $249.
If you would like to use the Textbook-Only Option, a license is not required, but please
contact us to request instructor materials.
With an AMS Weather Studies license, your college receives:
- AMS Weather Studies full course use for the term(s) licensed
- One Faculty Resource CD and one current Text/Investigations Manual
(provided AT NO EXTRA COST!)
- Instructor Access to AMS Weather Studies Course Website and Faculty
Website
- Student Access to AMS Weather Studies Course Website for each
enrolled student
If you have any additional questions or concerns, please visit our "Frequently Asked Questions"
page or contact us at 1-800-824-0405.
To license the course:
- Call us at 202-737-1043 or toll free at 1-800-824-0405 (ask for the
AMS Weather Studies Coordinator)
- Download the License Order Form
and fax to us at 202-737-0445 or toll-free at 1-800-258-1176 or mail to us at
AMS Weather Studies
American Meteorological Society
1120 G Street, NW, Suite 800
Washington, DC 20005
- Send us e-mail at onlinewx@ametsoc.org
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