Weather RATS is a collaborative, long-distance project that tracks and compares weather data from K-12 schools using a network of weather stations installed at member schools, along with weather data from NOAA and NWS. It incorporates student research, instructional technology, math/science/engineering concepts and practices into a K-12 integrated curriculum centered on weather. The project is multi-cultural in its focus on curriculum and its membership, The project thus promotes cultural awareness and exchange, along with the development of a global perspective on the behavior of the Earth’s atmosphere. Its goals are to foster an interest in STEM disciplines in K-12 students; to encourage participation of under-represented groups in STEM fields; and to create a new model of ongoing professional development for teachers by expanding their experiences with research, engineering concepts, new innovations in weather forecasting, instructional technology, cultural exchange, and curriculum design.
Weather RATS is the K-12 education outreach arm of CASA (Collaborative Adaptive Sensing of the Atmosphere), an Engineering Research Center funded by the National Science Foundation. CASA includes the University of Massachusetts/Amherst, University of Puerto Rico at Mayaguez, Colorado State University, and University of Oklahoma as partner institutions. CASA seeks to revolutionize the way we observe, detect, and predict weather. It will create a new paradigm for a national weather radar system: a distributed, collaborative, adaptive sensor network that samples the atmosphere where and when user needs are greatest.
Weather RATS follows CASA's distributed, collaborative, adaptive systems engineering model in the way the K-12 curriculum is designed and implemented. The Weather RATS project is:
• Distributed: The member schools cover CASA’s geographic territory, from Puerto Rico to Massachusetts to western states of Arizona and Oklahoma. The project covers diverse climatic and cultural areas.
• Collaborative: K-12 teachers from member schools are working together, often long-distance, to design and implement an original curriculum centered around weather station data. Collaboration with CASA faculty and other personnel brings additional expertise to project.
• Adaptive: This is a multi-cultural project will emphasize different cultural views of weather, climate, and data analysis. Curriculum will adapt to age level and cultural background of student population. Results of student research will be shared among diverse cultural groups, contributing to a shared understanding of how weather, climate and technology affect daily life on our planet.