NOTICE and WONDER……

Photo Sheared Mammatus Cloud. Stillwater, Minnesota. October 2019. Copyright Amy Lilienfeld/Circle of Illumination Science Education.

But all clouds, in general, are just one element of the highly complex phenomena called “Weather” and “Climate”. Although they operate at vastly different spatial and temporal scales weather and climate are comprised of many of the same elements: air temperature, precipitation, humidity, wind direction and speed, and atmospheric pressure. Each of these elements is constantly changing but also often interacts with some of the other variables in a highly complex system. One of the major goals of Circle of Illumination Science Education is to help unpack some of this complexity while emphasizing the big ideas in a way that all teachers, regardless of prior knowledge, will be able to comprehend.

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT OFFERINGS: Please see SUMMER 2026 webinar offerings below but go to separate “Professional Development Workshops/Webinars” page for additional ongoing offerings.

WEBINAR: INTRODUCTION TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE’s “HEAT INDEX”.

JULY 20, 2026. Noon - 1 pm ET. Webinar is FREE but advance registration will be required. Link to register through ZOOM will be provided one week in advance.

One cannot help but notice and wonder about something like this unusual “sheared mammatus cloud”. But like all clouds it is a phenomenon indicating the incredible things that are going on in our atmosphere.

What secrets do YOU think this cloud is trying to tell us?

Diagram showing the “heat index” which reflects the interaction between air temperature and relative humidity.

Source: The National Weather Service, “What is the Heat Index?” , https://www.weather.gov/ama/heatindex, accessed [7/2/2026].

JULY 2, 2026. As of this writing much of the U.S. (and much of Europe) have been in the grips of a severe heat wave for several consecutive days. Although the high air temperature itself poses a tremendous health hazard it has been compounded by high humidity in a phenomenon referred to as the “Heat Index”. In this webinar participants will learn what the heat index is. But if you think you already know all there is to know about the heat index…. GUESS AGAIN!!! The concepts behind it are based on the water cycle, in particular, the energetics of the phase changes of water. Webinar will be capped off with an idea for an intriguing in-class activity.

CIRCLE of ILLUMINATION SCIENCE EDUCATION, is a woman-owned, teacher-owned LLC, operated by Dr. Amy Lilienfeld, a geographer who has taught earth science for over 20 years at the college-level. It is dedicated to promoting excellence in the instruction of weather, climate and other aspects of earth science and geography thru the provision of teaching training and high quality instructional materials. The grade focus is primarily on elementary and middle school grades. Almost all of the training and related products involve the use of data provided by agencies of the Federal government such as the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the National Weather Service.