Meteorology:     Mr. Charlie Giannetta:  





   By: Karla Erdman: Meteorology Class of "Fall 2004"      






Mr. Giannetta's Meteorology Class…What a blast!



   Meteorology, you say. Is that the study of meteors? No silly, it is the 
study of the processes of weather, and weather is what the conditions are
like outside at this very moment.

 The processes  of weather have been the same since the beginning of time; 
the change in meteorology has to do with the technology available today. 

   Those are the first points you will learn in Mr. Giannetta's meteorology 
class.

   First, let us get to know our teacher. Charles Giannetta, affectionately 
known as  Charlie by friends, family, and students, knows weather. How you 
say? Well,  he did not just sit in classrooms  and study books. 

   He worked for the National Weather Service for 35 years. Charlie's interest 
in weather and its processes started at an early age. He brings many 
interesting experiences to the classroom. Charlie is not your average teacher. 
He actually makes it FUN! During lecture, he tells stories from his days at
the weather service. The tales help to learn the material. One thing about
class is that you will never be bored! On the days we have lab, 

   Charlie instructs us how to read weather maps, and we are able to construct 
our own as well. For the most part, computers are used to construct weather maps;
however, when the computers go down, the maps must be completed manually. 
Constructing  and analyzing maps is not only educational, but they are fun and 
creative too. We use pens, pencils, colored pencils, rulers, calculators, and 
markers. It is like having art and science in one class.




Charlie does not follow the book during lectures and lab. He has taken his
years of experience and knowledge and constructed a compact disk incorporating 
photos, drawings, voice clips, glossaries, and  additional websites. The disk
is a valuable interactive tool for learning about weather. It also shows the
amount of dedication Mr. Giannetta has to meteorology, his love for Mother 
Nature and his  wife, and sharing it with his students.

   Meteorology class also involves watching videos. We watched a very 
interesting video on cold weather, frostbite, and being stranded in a snowstorm.
The information should be a requirement for all driving exams. Mr. Giannetta 
supplemented the video by telling the students how to prepare your vehicle and 
its contents for the winter weather.

   In studying weather, we must consider one main point, Mother Nature. Mother
Nature does not  only refer to weather and our surroundings; people are also 
part of the equation. Charlie instructs us on  how powerful Mother Nature is,
as well as how it is unpredictable. We study meteorology and weather to help 
understand Mother Nature, not to control it. Ultimately, Mother Nature will
continue to try to reclaim what  is hers. the most interesting fact that I
learned from Mr. Giannetta's meteorology class is in reference to water; 
water on the earth to be exact. 

   The water on earth has been here for centuries in the same quantity; the 
location changes. For example, a hurricane moves water from the Atlantic Ocean 
to the  United States, and dumps it up the east coast. The quantity of the 
world's water did not change, only its location changed. This is called Global
Water Budget. Seventy-five percent of the earth's water supply is in the oceans. 
in conclusion, Mr. Charlie Giannetta's meteorology class is an enlightening
experience for all  types of students. We all live in this world. It is a class 
that reminds you to look around and appreciate  Mother Nature.

   The class will also bring new meaning when watching the evening news or
the weather channel. After experiencing Mr. Giannetta's class, you will be 
able to forecast the weather too. I recommend you make the time to "study the
weather" in Charlie Giannetta's meteorology class. I hope that this lab paper 
will be part of Giannetta's weather website. Come and visit Mother Nature up 
close and personal. 

   Giannetta and weather…what a blast!

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