Easily Discover and Map Microclimates

Understand how physical features of the environment affect climate

Exploring Microclimates Kit (PS-2608)

Students collect their own data and display it spatially—simple measurements take on real meaning and encourage active discussion and inquiry.

Give students a grounding in factors affecting climate zones by giving them first-hand experience in their surroundings. When they explore their surroundings -- asphalt parking lots, buildings that block breezes, running streams and bodies of water -- they feel the difference and can measure the difference in those microclimates.

Students experience the environment as they measure it.
"The soccer field feels cooler."
See a bird's eye view of school microclimates.
"The parking lot looks like a heat island."
Extend globally by examining My World's included data sets.
"Cooler temperatures along the Pacific Ocean ... just like what we experienced near the creek."

Enlarge image.

With the Exploring Microclimates Kit students can measure temperature, barometric pressure, relative and absolute humidity, dew point, wind speed, wind gust and wind chill, plus GPS location.

Students take measurements at multiple points in and around the school grounds, bring the data back to the classroom and use My World GIS software to map and analyze data on aerial photos.

Students see the data in the context of the physical environment they have personally experienced.

When the student-collected data is opened in My World GIS, simply use the automatic connection to TerraServer to import the aerial photo of the school grounds.

Students not only experience the environmental conditions as they walk the school grounds-- they see a visual representation of data.

Extend the discussion by using datasets included with My World GIS to discuss global context of physical features and climate.

Students will recognize that physical characteristics of their surroundings measurably affect their microclimates.

Help them extend that awareness globally. Discuss major factors affecting climate zones -- oceans and large bodies of water, mountains, even large urban environments. Explore the global climate dataset included in My World GIS, and see how oceans help create climate zones.

Here's what you need:

Exploring Microclimates Kit (PS-2608)

With this kit, you'll be able to collect a wealth of weather data, including temperature, barometric pressure, relative and absolute humidity, dew point, wind speed, wind gust and wind chill, plus your GPS location.

Includes:

Xplorer GLX (PS-2002)
GPS Position Sensor (PS-2175)
Weather/Anemeter (PS-2174)
Detailed Instructions

My World GIS

To map your data and to explore global data sets, order a license of My World GIS software.

Common license options:

High volume, district licenses, and college/university licenses also available. See all license options.

Learn more about My World GIS

PASCO solution at a glance

For more product information, specifications, to request a quote or place an order, click the product links to the left.