The Barometer

I just updated our Science Club notes from Wednesday's session. We are learning about Meteorology right now and, specifically, about air pressure.

Air Pressure: How and Why

I also just finished re-reading Jean Lee Latham's Carry On, Mr. Bowditch because I was 100% certain that I remembered a passage in there about the "glass falling" which, of course, is a reference to a barometer.

I was right. It's in chapter 23.
"Nat checked the glass. It was falling. He went topside."

All that reading for such a little line!

It did confirm my suspicion that that book would make a great read aloud story, so we will begin it in January. So the time was not wasted. Every once in while you see in older books a reference to weather forecasting and I'd love to start to compile them. This post will be specifically for the barometer. And then I'll do one for Folklore Weather Forecasting.

Yesterday I was watching an old Danny Kaye movie and gleefully updated my list of Dangling Modifiers. I know that these lists may seem silly but, believe me, when you go to teach something it's so useful to have your notes already compiled! In an ideal world, I'd have a bunch of books with references to the glass rising or falling, enough that I could pass them out to students or pairs of students and have them each read the relevant passage aloud and then we can wonder, what's going on? What is being measured? And how? And what does it mean about the coming weather? And why?

UPDATE:
August 27, 2023

chapter 7, "Adventure at the Seaside"
from A Bear Called Paddington by Michael Bond

One morning Mr. Brown tapped the barometer in the hall. "It looks as if it's going to be a nice day," he said. "How about a trip to the sea?"

UPDATE:
August 16, 2024

Mary Poppins movie (Julie Andrews version)
12:20 - 12:37

"Bit chancy, I'd say. The wind's coming up and the glass is falling. Don't like the look of it.... Banks, shouldn't wonder if you weren't steering into a nasty piece of weather! BANKS!!! Do you hear me!?"

UPDATE:
March 21, 2025

chapter 3
from Finn Family Moomintroll by Tove Jansson

"Don't mention those creatures again," said the Humulen with deep feeling. "I can't stand it. But, here, come and see my war trophy." And he proudly put the barometer in the middle of the tablecloth.

"Oh! So bright and beautiful!" exclaimed the Snork Maiden. "Is it a clock?"

"No, it's a barometer," said Moominpappa. "It tells you if the weather will be fine or stormy. Sometimes it's quite right." And he tapped the barometer. Then he put his face into a serious crease and said: "It is stormy!"

"A big storm?" asked Sniff anxiously.

"Look for yourself," replied Moominpappa. "The barometer points to " ⃝ ⃝ " and that is the lowest a barometer can point to -- if it isn't fooling us."

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