25/03/2008

Climate-conscious pupils are to exhibit their weather knowledge at a North East museum.

Thornhill Business and Enterprise College, Sunderland, is one of 85 schools in the North East that has been provided with a free automated weather station and associated training, as part of the Northumbrian Water GLOBE project, an international environmental education programme initiated by Al Gore in 1995. 

A class of 26 year-seven students from the Sunderland school, aged 11 and 12, will demonstrate how to build a weather station out of recycled materials and record vital climate data at the Whatever the Weather exhibition at Sunderland Museum and Winter Gardens.  This interactive exhibition provides fun and fascinating facts on how the weather is measured and what contributes to climate change.

The pupils will be joined by weatherman Bob Johnson, from ITV Tyne Tees, who will share his forecasting knowledge and expertise, and learn about how he too can use weather data collected through the Northumbrian Water GLOBE project.

Reporters and photographers are invited to Sunderland Museum and Winter Gardens, Burdon Road, Sunderland at 11.15am on Thursday, March 27, 2008 to talk to pupils, weatherman Bob Johnson and Northumbrian Water representatives.

Bob Johnson said: “The GLOBE project and today’s exercise are both fun and practical ways in which students can collect important weather data. By collecting more weather information, weather presenters such as myself can improve forecasting.”

Julie Shaw, Geography teacher at Thornhill Business and Enterprise College, said: “Although Northumbrian Water has supplied our school with hi-tech weather monitoring equipment through the GLOBE project, we’ve shown that weather conditions can be monitored using simple materials.”

Leanne Clough, communications advisor at Northumbrian Water, said: “Northumbrian Water prides itself on being immersed in community life and the GLOBE project is a unique opportunity for us to enhance the education of students in the communities we serve.

“It is also an enjoyable way for students to analyse scientific weather data on their local environment, enhancing their skills across the National Curriculum, in Science, Geography, Maths, I.C.T. and Citizenship.

“The data gathered is not only used by Northumbrian Water to predict how its sewerage network will cope under different weather conditions, it is also used by the Met Office, NASA, scientists and other schools worldwide, putting us in the global spotlight to respond to climate change.”

The Whatever the Weather exhibition is on display at Sunderland Museum and Winter Gardens until Sunday, April 13, 2008.

For further information please contact Leanne Clough on 0191 301 6733.