Teaching article
What a window weather log cannot tell us
Name what the method cannot establish as well as what it records.
A window may provide a useful cloud view while giving no wind-speed measurement. Asking what the method misses helps children appreciate both the value of their record and the limits of conclusions based on it.
List the variables the method actually records. This helps learners distinguish a useful observation from a claim requiring additional evidence.
Missing information is not a zero reading
Describe the method. Identify an unseen condition. Add a limitation note.
A window view can show clouds without measuring wind speed.
What claim needs another instrument? Offer limitation sentence starters.
Missing measurements are not zero values.
Resources
- Cloud observation – Weather Watchers Major Activity — Use the observation format for dated sky descriptions from a suitable viewpoint.
Further reading
Read next
- A science conclusion should point back to the trials
- Flat paper and crumpled paper: ask what changed
- Which materials transmit the torch light?
Explore Forces, light and weather. Browse all teaching articles.
