Teaching students to build handmade weather instruments and use them in home weather stations is a practical and effective way to educate a class about the basics of weather science while they examine their local environment. It is also a powerful way to expand a child's curiosity about the natural world into a greater appreciation and understanding of the world of science.

The seven weather instruments in the Weather Station Toolkit section of this book have all been especially chosen to be easy for students to make and use. There is also little, if any, cost involved. Each instrument is made from inexpensive, everyday things that can be obtained at home or school.

Included in the Weather Station Toolkit are simple step-by-step directions for making each weather instrument, specific material lists, and photographs of the instruments. Guidelines are offered for how to set up and use the instruments, and interesting tips and facts are supplied about each. The Weather Station Toolkit even includes templates for a weather observation diary and a data log so students can record the data they collect from their handmade weather stations.

It's fun to become an amateur meteorologist!