The DESERVE Weather Friendship is a trans-boundary meteorological monitoring network at schools in the Dead Sea area. By collecting and analysing their own weather data, the children learn about the weather in their region. At present, two school weather stations are installed in Israel, Jordan, and Palestine respectively.
What’s the weather like where you are? How high is the temperature outside? Is it raining? This is precisely what a weather station is telling you. It measures local weather conditions such as rainfall, air temperature, humidity, solar radiation, and wind. |
Al Shouna | Arad | Beit Jala | Ein Gedi | Nablus | Shoubak | All stations |
The Dead Sea region is characterized by a strong climatic gradient. In the high altitudes, the climate is Mediterranean with relatively high rainfall amounts in the winter season. In contrast, the climate at the Dead Sea is arid year around – only few storms occur between November and March. Besides this spatial and seasonal variability, a land-see wind circulation exists in the Dead Sea region which is characterized by a sudden onset of strong winds in the evenings. This spatio-temporal climate difference impacts humans and nature in the region. The Weather Friendship has the aim to sensitize the schoolchildren to the role and influence of the weather on their lives as well as their environment.
The schoolchildren can verify their weather experience by the measurement of meteorological variables such as wind direction, wind speed, air temperature, humidity, air pressure, and rainfall. The data are recorded on an internet platform common to all schools participating in the Weather Friendship. With the help of teaching materials and units, the measuring principle and the operation of the individual meteorological instruments is explained. The schoolchildren will additionally learn the technical handling and maintenance of their school weather station.
The collected weather data can be analysed by displaying them in form of charts and maps. The data can also be evaluated statistically by calculating e.g. averages and extreme values. The schoolchildren are familiarized with data handling both manually and electronically. Integration of the data analysis in the mathematical or computer classes is possible.
The theoretical knowledge of weather taught in geography and physics lessons can be verified and demonstrated with the interpretation of the created maps, charts, and statistics. Thus the schoolchildren establish a link between theoretical knowledge and practical measurements. In addition to their own measurements, the schoolchildren can access the weather data of the partner schools too and use them to analyse and interpret observed differences, similarities, and interrelations. Finally, the schoolchildren can communicate their results in the form of reports or talks to their classmates.
Across political boundaries, the Weather Friendship can awake interest in meteorology among the schoolchildren of the Dead Sea region and enable them to get in touch with each other via the agent weather.
Each hour, current weather data such as air temperature, wind direction, wind speed, and rainfall are automatically transferred to the internet. The schoolchildren can access the measurements of their own meteorological station as well as the measurements of the other schools participating in the project. A manual on how to access the weather data is provided here.
Have a look at the current weather:
Al Shouna | Arad | Beit Jala | Ein Gedi | Nablus | Shoubak | All stations |
The DESERVE Weather Friendship is funded by the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, the Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research, the Axel Springer Stiftung, and the Freundeskreis des Forschungszentrums Karlsruhe e.V.