Key Question: What are the real world career applications for Climate and Weather related to Aviation?

 

Objectives- By the end of this lesson, students will be able to: 

• Understand the real world applications of Climate and Weather information in the field of Aviation

• Describe some Aviation careers that utilize the study of Climate and Weather 

• Explain the educational requirements for a career in Climate and Weather

• Know which STEM skills are critical for a career in this field

• Understand a day in the life of a Climate or Weather professional working in the field of Aviation

• Evaluate job prospects in a chosen field

 

STEM standards: STEM Career Exploration; Research; non-fiction writing

 

Terms and Definitions: Climate; Weather

 

Reading and Resource Links: 

There is no other daily event that is discussed, analyzed, and predicted more than the weather. Perhaps you have thought about what it would be like to be a Weather Forecaster for your local news station? Well, there are hundreds of careers that are involved with weather & climate and their associated sciences.  

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Weather is the mix of events that happen each day in our atmosphere including temperature, rainfall, winds, and humidity. It influences our professional and private lives by helping us decide when to schedule meetings, activities, travel, and countless other near-term events.  Weather events are recorded and predicted by meteorologists worldwide and become the basis of the larger Climate identification & trends.

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Climate is the statistics (usually, mean or variability) of weather, usually over a 30-year interval. It is measured by assessing the patterns of variation in temperature, humidity, atmospheric pressure, wind, precipitation, atmospheric particle counts, and other meteorological variables in a given region over long periods of time. Climate can be divided into five main types, which are tropical, dry, temperate, cold, and polar. Within each climate type, there are further sub-divisions determined by local weather patterns and conditions. Two main variables that determine the exact climate type of an area are the average air temperature and precipitation levels.

 

Probably the best known organization for weather & climate information is the National Weather Service (NWS), which is a component of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).  NOAA is an Operating Unit of the U.S. Department of Commerce.  Their Mission is to provide weather, water, and climate data, forecasts, and warnings for the protection of life and property and enhancement of the national economy.

 

This site is an excellent resource for more information on careers in Meteorology and other weather & climate related careers.

 

Your STEM Flights Weather & Climate Mission will include an analysis of current weather conditions & your local climate and its impact on aviation – aircraft performance, safety considerations, and in-flight impacts. You will observe and take measurements on weather conditions, cloud types, and temperatures & wind speeds at various altitudes. You will use that information to graph a chart of your findings and predict a near & future weather trend.

 

Pre- Flight Activity: Read about one of the Climate and Weather careers using the linked resources above or other sources.  Write a 2-3 paragraph summary of your findings, including the information below (at a minimum).  Use complete sentences, proper punctuation and capitalization.  

 

• Which career did you choose to explore? 

• What are the educational requirements to be considered for this career? 

• What types of STEM skills could you focus on now, to be able to do this job in the future? 

• What is the average salary of a person with this job? 

• Is the job market for Climate and Weather careers currently strong? Is it projected to change in the next 10 years? 

• Describe a typical work day for this career.

 

         After selecting your Mission, please complete your assignment by clicking on the Google Doc link                               below.  Select 'Make a Copy' and complete the task.  Then, SHARE your assignment                                                       with stemedu@stemflights.org so that our team is able to mark your Pre-Flight Mission as complete.  Please               reach out to us directly if you have any questions.  Thank you! 

         Link to complete and upload your assignment:  Click Here
 

Conclusions and Takeaways:  There are many options for Aviation careers that use Climate and Weather information.  It is important to develop strong science and math skills now, in order to be able to pursue a career in Aviation in the future.