Students predict near and distant future weather and explain the basis for their predictions during a short class discussion.
Students will watch a short video comparing weather and climate.
After seeing a series of pictures of locations near the equator with different climates, students will generate a list of possible factors that affect an area’s climate.
Students will study climographs to see how climate is classified by temperature and precipitation.
Students will construct climographs using average monthly temperature data and monthly precipitation for the global locations that have been tracked throughout the module.
Students obtain information from text resources and complete a graphic organizer that illustrates and describes the factors that affect climate.
Students will synthesize information they have obtained throughout the module to explain a regions climate.
Students take a quiz to demonstrate their ability to describe the factors that affect climate and how the combination of those factors affect an area’s climate.
Students will synthesize information they have obtained throughout the module to explain a regions climate.
Students take a quiz to demonstrate their ability to describe the factors that affect climate and how the combination of those factors affect an area’s climate.
Students will pack a virtual backpack for a hiking trip that travels through several climates.
In the previous concept, students constructed explanations about how large-scale processes, including atmospheric and oceanic motion affect weather patterns on Earth. Students specifically focused on how air masses form, move, and interact, causing weather to change in a given area over time. Students also analyzed and interpreted data to explain the timing, location, frequency, and severity of severe weather events in the United States. They explained that past and current weather data can help in the prediction of severe weather events.
In this cycle, students will construct an explanation that answers the guiding question: What factors contribute to the climate of a region? Why does climate matter? Students will answer this guiding question by constructing climographs using average monthly temperatures and monthly precipitation for the global locations being tracked throughout the module. They will obtain information from text resources to determine the factors that affect climate. Next, they will synthesize information they have obtained throughout the module to determine the climate zones for each of the global locations. Students will utilize the Earth reference maps they developed in previous concepts, as well as the climographs they constructed, and the text information they obtained to construct these explanations.
In the next concept, students will utilize all of the information they have gathered throughout the module to answer the driving question: How can we as engineers choose a viable source of alternative energy for any location?