AMS Weather Studies Course Overview

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AMS Weather Studies Course Overview
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What is the Course?
AMS Weather Studies is an innovative, 12- to
15-week course prepared by meteorologists
nationally recognized in atmospheric science
education. 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

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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 Course Information Site Options for
Using Course Materials page to learn more
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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.
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What are the course components?

• Textbook
• Investigations Manual
• Course Website
• Current Weather Studies
• Daily Weather Summary
• Weekly Weather/Climate News
• Math Skills
• Critical Thinking/Diversity Component
• Investigations Manual Images
• Faculty Resource CD and Website

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Course Components - Textbook

• Covers the basic understandings of meteorology
• Full-color, hard-cover, 15 chapters
• Contains ten Review and ten Critical Thinking
  Questions per chapter
• Primary author of the text is Dr. Joseph M. Moran
  (University of Wisconsin - Green Bay and
  Associate Director, AMS Education Program),
• Three chapters are independent of the real-time
  delivery sequence so that course is adaptable to
  most academic calendars
• May be used in conjunction with the
  Investigations Manual and course website or by
  itself

Go to the Course Information Site Textbook page
to view the table of contents and a sample
chapter
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Course Components Investigations Manual

• Contains 30 engaging laboratory activities keyed
  to textbook topics and environmental data
• Focuses on theoretical and real world aspects of
  weather
• Each investigation 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.

Go to the Course Information Site
Investigations Manual page to view the list of
investigations and sample activities
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Course Components 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.
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Course Website Features

• Current Weather Studies Challenging lab
  activities with real-time excitement!

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 all
year.
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Course Website Features (cont.)

• Daily Weather Summary A play-by-play of the
  weather today
• An easy and enjoyable way to sequentially follow
  weather patterns as they evolve and affect
  different regions. You cant wait to see what
  happens next!
• Weekly Weather/Climate News Current events that
  affect our lives
• Topics about weather impacts for engaging
  discussions, written expressions, and further
  research. The daily summary and news files are
  prepared by Dr. Edward J. Hopkins (Univ. of
  Wisconsin)
• Math Skills - Additional quantitative activities
  to engage and challenge your students at a
  variety of competency levels

Go to the Course Information Site Course
Website Preview page to view a sample summary,
weekly news, and Math Skills
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Course Website Features (cont.)

• 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 to
  facilitate electronic submission

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Faculty Website and CD

• Faculty Website
• Answer keys
• Discussion of meteorological concepts
• Files for course management systems
• Faculty CD
• Faculty manual, including learning objectives and
  suggestions for course implementation in a
  variety of settings
• Textbook images for PowerPoint presentations
• Test bank compatible with course management
  systems

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Integration with Course Management Systems
The Investigations Manual, Current Weather
Studies learning investigations, and test banks
can be ported into your systems quizzing
function for automated scoring and immediate
student feedback. This feature allows for full
integration into an e-learning environment.
Go to the Course Information Site Course
Management System Integration page to learn more
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How to offer this course at your 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 term-license
fee is 149 per institution, regardless of number
of sections or number of students an 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. A license includes the following -
AMS Weather Studies full course use for the
term(s) licensed - One Faculty Resource CD and
one Text/Investigations Manual - Instructor
Access to AMS Weather Studies Course and Faculty
Sites - Student Access to AMS Weather
Studies Website - Files Compatible with Course
Management Systems
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How to license Weather Studies

• Print the license order form
• Send the form to us via fax [phone] or
  toll-free at 1-800-258-1176) or mail to AMS
  Weather Ocean Studies, 1120 G Street, NW, Suite
  800, Washington, DC 20005
• Upon receipt of the form, we will send you course
  and faculty materials and website access
  information

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Contact AMS Weather Studies Staff

• Phone [phone] or 1-800-824-0405
• Email onlinewx_at_ametsoc.org
• Fax [phone] or 1-800-258-1176
• Mail AMS Weather Ocean Studies, 1120 G
  Street, NW, Suite 800 Washington, DC 20005-3826