Dear Educator,

Weather affects us in one way or another everyday. It impacts our pocketbooks, what we eat, our schedules, and even our health.

When it gets really cold outside, the prices for propane or natural gas go up. The truth of the matter is changes in the weather affect everything we buy, from milk to plywood to gas. Weather can even have disastrous effects on local communities and economies; just think about all the damage caused by Hurricane Katrina in 2005.

But have you ever heard that weather can win a war? Well you may not be able to prove that it can win a war, but you can prove that it changed the outcome of a few battles. In this month's Real-World Instruction (RWI) video, Weather That Changed the Civil War, WeatherBug meteorologist Rachel Peterson takes a closer look at the impact that weather had on our own U.S. Civil War.

Since we're on the subject of weather and history, let's note that society has been using the power of the weather in one way or another for thousands of years. This month's RWI lesson, The History of Wind Power, illustrates society's ability to harness the wind to have a positive impact on history.

Rachel's RWI Video	RWI Lesson
Weather That Changed the Civil War Rachel investigates how weather impacted the Battle of Fredericksburg, naval assaults on the Carolinas, and the Battle of Lookout Mountain. View in Windows Media View in QuickTime	The History of Wind Power Harnessing wind energy has lead to many important events and discoveries in our society. View in PDF Format

Thanks for reading this month's issue of Classroom Connections. We hope that you and your students have a happy Thanksgiving!

Regards,

The WeatherBug Schools Team
Phone: 800-544-4429, extension 2
Email: edsales@aws.com
Web: weatherbugschools.com