The Green Column

... if anyone can come up with a better name for this column, please let me know. The column will hopefully cover all green cleaning and gardening ideas, hints and tips. New ways to re-use things around the house, things for kids to make, anything using old fashioned inventiveness. $20 to the one who gets theirs used. Don’t forget to send in your hints and tips as well.

Kids will enjoy making this barometer and watching it every day. They will also learn about the weather and how it is measured.

What You Need: a glass, ruler, sticky tape, tube (clear drinking straw might do it), Chewing gum
Place the ruler in a glass and hold it against the side. Tape the ruler to the inside of the glass making sure that the numbers on the ruler are visible.

Stand the plastic tube against the ruler in the glass. Make sure that the tube is not touching the bottom of the glass by positioning the tube and securing to the ruler by taping it.
Chew a piece of gum so that it is soft. While you're chewing, fill the glass about half way with water.

Use the plastic tube like a straw and draw some water half way up the tube. Use your tongue to trap the water in the tube. Quickly move the gum onto the top of the tube to seal it.
Make a mark on the ruler to record where the water level is in the tube.

Each time you notice a change in the water level, make another mark. You'll notice, over time, that the water level rises and falls because of air pressure exerted on the water in the glass.

The change in barometric pressure will help you to forecast the weather.