ASK AN EXPERT
An "Ask An Expert" Web site allows you to pose questions to experts on a particular subject, such as meteorology. Because many of these experts receive high volumes of questions, they do not always reply directly via e-mail, but they generally post the responses on the Web site for everyone to see. They always encourage you to browse through the site to see if their question has already been answered.

ACTIVITY OUTLINE
Objective You will pose questions related to Chapter 3 to experts you find on the Internet.
Task Read the chapter, write questions about the topics, look for the answers on "Ask An Expert" sites, pose questions to the experts, and search the Internet to look for the same answers. Use the Web sites below:

Pitsco's Ask an Expert
Ask an Expert database
Class Time 2 class periods

  1. Read Chapter 3. In pairs, write three questions that the chapter raises. The questions should guide toward additional information about the topics covered in the chapter but should not be questions that can be easily answered in an encyclopedia. For example, you could find the answer to "What is the average annual rainfall in Buffalo?" in an almanac or encyclopedia, but it might not be as easy to find out "Why does western New York have more cloudy days and higher snowfall than Chicago?"
  2. Go to the "Ask An Expert" Web sites that you think would be appropriate for your questions. Check to see if any of your questions have already been answered. HPlace a checkmark next to each one you can find an answer to, and write the answer next to the question.
  3. Share your unanswered questions with the class. List the questions on the board, and ask the class to vote on three questions to ask one of the experts.
  4. Choose the most appropriate "Ask An Expert" sites on which to pose the questions, and submit the questions.
  5. Check the sites over the next few weeks to see if the questions have been addressed. If they do not get a response, try another "Ask An Expert" site.
  6. Search the Internet to see if you can find answers to the questions. Compare the information found on the Internet with the answer from the expert. Are the answers consistent? If not, which source do you trust more, and why?