Clear Credential Links Educational Technology 1 Riddick Lesson Plans

Air Effects Weather

Plan Author: David Riddick

Grade Level: 5^th Grade

USA- Nat. Academy of Sciences: Science Education Standards

Type of Standard : Science Content Standards

Grade Range : Grades 5-8

• Content Standard A: Science as Inquiry
As a result of activities in grades 5-8, all students should develop

• Area : ABILITIES NECESSARY TO DO SCIENTIFIC INQUIRY

Fundamental Concept and Principle : DEVELOP DESCRIPTIONS, EXPLANATIONS, PREDICTIONS, AND MODELS USING EVIDENCE.
Students should base their explanation on what they observed, and as they develop cognitive skills, they should be able to differentiate explanation from description--providing causes for effects and establishing relationships based on evidence and logical argument. This standard requires a subject matter knowledge base so the students can effectively conduct investigations, because developing explanations establishes connections between the content of science and the contexts within which students develop new knowledge.

CA- California K-12 Academic Content Standards

• Subject : Science

• Grade : Grade Five

• Area : Earth Sciences

• Sub-Strand 4: Energy from the Sun heats Earth unevenly, causing air movements that result in changing weather patterns. As a basis for understanding this concept:

Standard a: Students know uneven heating of Earth causes air movements (convection currents).

Standard d: Students know how to use weather maps and data to predict local weather and know that weather forecasts depend on many variables.

Standard e: Students know that the Earth’s atmosphere exerts a pressure that decreases with distance above Earth’s surface and that at any point it exerts this pressure equally in all directions.

Objectives:

· Students will have an understanding through inquiry investigation and science and technology to identify the direction in which weather moves across the United States.

· Students will learn through inquiry investigation and science and technology to identify the direction in which weather moves across the United States, plot their own weather maps, and recognize symbols and weather conditions to make comparison reports.

· Students will learn through inquiry investigation and science and technology to identify the direction in which weather moves across the United States.

· Students will use the Internet to utilize interactive weather data and practice reading weather maps. Students will plot their own weather maps, and recognize symbols and weather conditions to make comparison reports.

· Given a copy of a United States outline map, students will plot daily temperature, precipitation, cloud cover, wind speed and direction, air pressure, and humidity of 13 cities with an accuracy of 75%.

Materials Needed:

Materials:
1) Color transparency of Newspaper weather maps
2) Internet access
3) United States outline map
4) Handouts:
5) 13 States Weather Chart.xls

6) Computer with keyboard and mouse (one for each student)

7) Internet access

8) Reference books, textbooks, library books (for research)

9) LCD Projector and screen (for student lectures)

10) Floppy disks for every student to use, not keep.

Time Durations: 5 days for research and creation of Weather Maps, 1 day for class presentation.

At the end of this lesson, students will plot daily temperature, precipitation, cloud cover, wind speed and direction, air pressure, and humidity on a United States outline map of 13 cities with an accuracy of 75%.

DAY 1-2: In Class

Allow students to access via Internet, using one of the following National Weather Service Network Browsers to see how the browsers work in giving interactive weather data, and also to view and practice reading weather maps: Below are some interesting Internet sites. Students may use search tools to find other appropriate ones.

Website to Explore: (Links are available at on our class website from the homepage under Weather)

Weather Sites for Kids

Warm Air approaches Cold Air

Air Pressure

Weather Sites for Kids

Storm Watch

3. Tell students they will be creating a weather service network using thirteen cities/states in the United States as their target areas. At this point, we are now learning how to read and plot data on a weather map.

4. Give students a copy of a United States outline map in which to practice plotting weather data.

5. Tell students that they will do the following things this week to plot their own weather maps from the data received from the Internet, but they will add the data one day at a time. We will plot each set of data on a separate day until all data is plotted. Then we will do a 24-hour forecast and make predictions.

DAY 2-3: Computer Lab

1. Use the Internet to locate daily weather reports for the selected targeted areas (13 states). Record the daily temperature, precipitation, cloud cover, wind speed, and direction, air pressure, and humidity on the U.S. map as it is collected.

2. Chart daily information as it is collected in handout "13 States" Weather Chart.

3. Make graphs to compare different weather aspects of the places involved using the spreadsheet program.

4. Compare it with your local weather report.

5. Homework: Write a summary of what you found in your journal.

DAY 3-4: - Computer Lab - Classroom

1. To get started with plotting weather data on the U.S. weather map, have students do the following:

2. Establish and mark directions on the map. (Top is north, bottom is south, right is east and left is west).

3. Review the names and locations of the following thirteen targeted weather stations. Make a transparency of this page. Also, give each student a copy of the 13 network stations for reference.

4.
Find locations of states and capital cities by writing the corresponding alphabet in the spot where each capital city in each state would be found on the map. For example: "A" would be written in the state of Montana in the approximate place where Helena (capital city) is located.
City: Capital city, State
· A: Helena, Montana
· B: St. Paul, Minnesota
· C: Denver, Colorado
· D: Lincoln, Nebraska
· E: Jefferson City, Missouri
· F: Richmond, Virginia
· G: Phoenix, Arizona
· H: Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
· I: Jackson, Mississippi
· J: Atlanta, Georgia
· K: Olympia, Washington
· L: Columbus, Ohio
· M: Boston, Massachusetts

DAY 5: Classroom

Today, students will present their information to the class in front of an LCD projection of different types of US maps. While the weather conditions are displayed, students will describe the weather conditions behind them. The teacher should have already set up the LCD projector and hooked it up to the teacher computer in the classroom.

Weather Forecasting

	1	2	3	4	Your Score
Temperature	No Temperature	No explanation of Temperature Map	Explains conditions of Temperature Map	In depth analysis of Temperature reading
Heat Index	No Heat Index	No explanation of Heat Index	Explains conditions of Heat Index	In depth analysis of Heat Index
Radar Map	No Radar Map	No explanation of Radar Map	Explains conditions of Radar Map	In depth analysis of Radar Map
Wind	No Wind	No explanation of Wind Map	Explains conditions of Wind Map	In depth analysis of Wind Map
Visible Satellite Map	No Visible Satellite Map	No explanation of Visible Satellite	Explains conditions of Visible Satellite Map	In depth analysis of Visible Satellite
Jet Stream	No Jet Stream	No explanation of Jet Stream	Explains conditions of Jet Stream	In depth analysis of Jet Stream
Fronts	No Fronts	No explanation of fronts	Explains conditions of Fronts	In depth analysis of Fronts
Make A Forecast	No Forecast	No explanation of Forecast	Gives a Forecast based on evidence	In Depth forecast given