Download E.ES.07.72 Win 13

Name: Gary Shepherd
Standard/GLCE: E.ES.7.72 Describe how different weather occurs due to
the constant motion of the atmosphere from the energy of the sun reaching
the surface of the Earth.
Grade level: 7
Lesson title: Fronts Move Along
Lesson Overview: After completion of the lesson, students will be able to:
-Recognize basic surface weather map symbols
-Predict basic weather patterns based on frontal movement
List of materials:
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1 clear plastic tub with a removable center divider
Hot and cold HOH
Red and blue food coloring
Computer with internet
Projector
2 surface weather maps (1 day apart)
Activity sheet
Pencil and markers
Weather log journal
Frontal weather conditions map
Engage:
To engage and briefly explain the air masses and fronts objectives, the
teacher will demonstrate the concept of air masses first hand by having a
clear plastic tub divided down the middle with hot on one side and cold on
the other. When the divider is removed the waters will mingle much like hot
and cold air masses in the air. Once the demonstration is done, the teacher
will lead a class discussion about what happened and how this relates to
fronts, this will lead into our lesson.
Explore:
As a class, each group will be given two surface weather maps of
consecutive days and a worksheet to complete including a key to the
weather symbols, directions and questions to answer.
Explain:
After completion of the explore activity, the teacher will discuss with class
their findings. I will explain how fronts move and how weather surface maps
symbolize this movement. The following vocabulary terms will be
discussed and defined.
Air mass: An extensive body of air throughout which the horizontal
temperature and moisture characteristics are similar.
Atmosphere: The gaseous or air portion of the physical environment that
encircles a planet. In the case of the earth, it is held more or less near the
surface by the earth's gravitational attraction. The divisions of the
atmosphere include the troposphere, the stratosphere, the mesosphere, the
ionosphere, and the exosphere.
Climate: It describes the average weather conditions in a certain place or
during a certain season. Weather may change from day to day, but climate
changes only over hundreds or thousands of years.
Clouds: A visible collection of minute particle matter, such as water droplets
and/or ice crystals, in the free air. A cloud forms in the atmosphere as a
result of condensation of water vapor. Condensation nuclei, such as in
smoke or dust particles, form a surface upon which water vapor can
condense.
Cloud formation: Clouds form as air rises, expands and cools. This
expansion and cooling causes condensation to occur. Condensation is simply
the process by which water vapor turns to water. If there
is dust, pollution or small particles in the air, the water vapor will condense
around these small particles and form clouds.
Convection: Convection is the motion of air upward, caused by heating. For
example a hot parking lot can heat the air above it and this heating causes
the air to rise.
Conduction: Conduction is the transfer of heat from an area of warmer
temperature to an area of colder temperature. Heat is transferred from a
substance or through a substance by molecular activity. A hot parking lot or
a warm ocean can conduct heat to the air above it.
Wind: Wind is air moving over the earth’s surface. Most winds are caused
by either topography or the movement of high and low pressure systems, or
fronts. If two fronts come together that are not very different in humidity
and temperature, gentle winds will result. In areas where fronts of very
different temperature and humidity come together, high winds will result.
Winds on the ground can be very different from winds high up in the
atmosphere. Winds that are high up are affected by the rotation of
the earth more than by high and low pressure systems.
Weather : The state of the atmosphere at a specific time and with respect
to its effect on life and human activities. It is the short term variations of the
atmosphere, as opposed to the long term, or climatic, changes. It is often
referred to in terms of brightness, cloudiness, humidity, precipitation,
temperature, visibility, and wind.
Frontal boundaries: A front is the transition zone between two different air
masses with different temperatures and humidity levels. There are several
different types of fronts:
Cold front: an area in which cold, dry air from the poles is replacing warm,
moist tropical air. A cold front is shown on a weather map as a solid blue line
with triangles showing the direction the front is moving. Cold fronts typically
move twice as fast as warm fronts.
Warm front: an area in which warm, moist air from tropical areas is
replacing colder, dryer air from the poles. Warm fronts are drawn on a
weather map as a solid red line with half circles indicating the direction the
front is moving. Warm fronts typically move at about half the speed of cold
fronts.
Stationary front: a front that has no movement, with cold air on one side
and warm air on the other. This front is indicated on a weather map by an
alternating red and blue line.
Occluded front : when a cold front overtakes a warm front. This type of
front is shown on the weather map as alternating cold-front triangles and
warm-front half circles.
Precipitation: Any and all forms of water, liquid or solid, that falls from
clouds and reaches the ground. This includes drizzle, freezing drizzle,
freezing rain, hail, ice crystals, ice pellets, rain, snow, snow pellets,
and snow grains. The amount of fall is usually expressed in inches of liquid
water depth of the substance that has fallen at a given point over a specified
time period.
Air pressure: Air pressure, also known as atmospheric pressure, is the
weight of air above a given point. Air pressure is usually measured with an
instrument called a barometer.
Altitude: the measure of a height of an airborne object in respect to a
constant pressure surface or above mean sea level.
Elaborate:
Students will keep a 10 day weather log. Each day in class they will record
the current location & direction of fronts as well as the highs and lows. They
will be given a frontal weather website address to refer to and based on that
information they will make a prediction each day about the next day’s
weather. They will then record the actual weather and comment on how
close or far their prediction was and draw conclusions based on their
observations.
They will also note the current season and predict how different weather
patterns exist due to seasonal changes of the suns energy and its ability to
reach the Earth’s surface.
Evaluate: The teacher will move around the classroom during the elaborate
part of the lesson and will assess the students 10 day weather journals. The
students will also be given time in class to discuss their findings. This will
provide the teacher with an opportunity to evaluate the students’
understanding of the weather terms, symbols and concepts.