6th Grade Science
Weather & Climate Unit Information
Milestones Domain/Weight: Hydrology 40% [includes meteorology]
Purpose/Goal(s): Within this domain, students should understand the important role that
water plays in wind systems, weather patterns, and weather events. This includes tornados,
hurricanes, and thunderstorms.
Content Map: Weather & Climate Content Map
Content from Frameworks: Weather and Climate Content from the Frameworks
Prerequisites: Elementary Standards for Weather and Climate
Unit Length: Approximately 20 days
Weather & Climate Unit Study Guide | Weather & Climate Unit Study Guide KEY
Click on the links below for resources by Essential Question:
EQ 1: How does unequal heating and the earth’s rotation affect wind patterns?
EQ 2: What factors influence weather?
EQ 3: How does the interaction of air masses cause a change in the weather?
Unit Review Activity: Weather & Climate Kaboom
TCSS 6th Science Weather & Climate Unit
Essential Question and
Standard(s)
Priority Standard(s):
S6E4a. Demonstrate that land and
water absorb and lose heat at
different rates and explain the
resulting effects on weather
patterns.
S6E4b. Relate unequal heating of
land and water surfaces to form
large global wind systems and
weather events such as tornados
and thunderstorms.
Supplemental Standard(s):
S6E2c. Relate the tilt of the earth to
the distribution of sunlight
throughout the year and its effect
on climate.
Essential Question:
1. How does unequal heating affect
wind patterns?
Vocabulary
Essential*
Global wind systems
Supplemental**
Jet Stream
Seabreeze
Landbreeze
Coriolis Effect
Doldrums
Westerlies
Easterlies
Trade winds
Air pressure
(High and Low)
Northern Hemisphere
Southern Hemisphere
Resources [Back to Top]
The resources below are set up in a model lesson format.
The ppt provides guidance for the entire lesson including
activating, teaching and summarizing strategies. The
activities listed below the ppt are used during the lesson
and are identified in the ppt for use where they are most
likely appropriate. The resources can be used as an entire
lesson or pulled out for use separately.



*Essential Vocabulary
listed in the Standards
**Supplemental
Vocabulary listed in the
state frameworks and/or
other state document



TCSS
Assessment
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
S6E4a. Sample
Assessment Items
S6E4b. Sample
Assessment Items
Wind Movement PPT [Includes “I Do”, “You Do”, and
“We Do”] – See “Notes” on ppt slides for suggested
instructional approaches where applicable or view the
Wind Movement PPT Notes
Wind Movement Notes [“You Do”] – Students use the
notes to summarize important information from the
lesson
Labs/Demonstrations [“I Do” or “We Do”]
o Light Bulb Air Current and Wind Demonstration
o The Collapsing Bottle (demonstrates the
properties of warm and cool air)
o Land vs. Water Lab
Wind Movement Formative Assessment Items [“You
Do”] – There are two different images that can be used
at different times to determine student mastery of the
direction of wind
Wind Movement Summarizer [“You Do”] - Each student
should complete the summarizer. The teacher should
use the summarizer to determine the level of student
mastery and if differentiation is needed.
Additional Resources:
o Study Jams: Air Pressure and Wind
o http://www.classzone.com/books/earth_science/
terc/content/visualizations/es1903/es1903page0
1.cfm?chapter_no=visualization [linked in ppt]
o Winds Blow Song
o Why Does the Wind Blow?
10/16/2015
2
TCSS 6th Science Weather & Climate Unit
Essential Question and
Standard(s)
Standard(s):
S6E4a. Demonstrate that land
and water absorb and lose heat
at different rates and explain the
resulting effects on weather
patterns.
S6E4b. Relate unequal heating
of land and water surfaces to
form large global wind systems
and weather events such as
tornados and thunderstorms.
S6E4c. Relate how moisture
evaporating from the oceans
affects the weather patterns and
weather events such as
hurricanes.
Essential Question:
2. What factors influence
weather?
Vocabulary
Essential*
Wind
Weather patterns
Supplemental**
Cloud
Climate
Weather
Humidity
Air pressure
High pressure
Temperature
Low pressure
Relative humidity
*Essential Vocabulary
listed in the Standards
Resources [Back to Top]
The resources below are set up in a model lesson format. The
ppt provides guidance for the entire lesson including
activating, teaching and summarizing strategies. The activities
listed below the ppt are used during the lesson and are
identified in the ppt for use where they are most likely
appropriate. The resources can be used as an entire lesson or
pulled out for use separately.



**Supplemental
Vocabulary listed in the
state frameworks and/or
other state document


TCSS
Assessment


S6E4b. Sample
Assessment Items
S6E4c. Sample
Assessment Items
Factors of Weather PPT [Includes “I Do”, “You Do”, and
“We Do”] – See “Notes” on ppt slides for suggested
instructional approaches where applicable or view the
Factors of Weather PPT Notes
Factors of Weather Graphic Organizer [“You Do”] –
Students use the graphic organizer to record the important
information from the lesson. Many of the concepts are for
review. Teachers will need to determine the information
they would most like students to record in their graphic
organizer.
Suggested Activities [“You Do”]:
o Have students write a short story using 3-5 of the
factors of weather. They must explain how each
factor influenced their weather for the day. Similar
to the “Perfect Day” video
o Have students draw an illustration of the effect of
each weather factor
o Weather Observation Chart
Factors of Weather Summarizer: 5 – 3 – 1 [“You Do”]
o Identify 5 factors of weather
o Describe 3 examples of how these factors affect
weather
o Identify 1 reason weather is not the same
everywhere
Videos
o A Perfect Day [embedded in ppt]
o World Biomes: An Introduction to Climate [5:50]
Reviews climate and what affects climate, but also
gets into human impact
10/16/2015
3
TCSS 6th Science Weather & Climate Unit
Essential Question and
Standard(s)
Standard(s):
S6E4a. Demonstrate that land
and water absorb and lose heat
at different rates and explain
the resulting effects on weather
patterns.
S6E4b. Relate unequal heating
of land and water surfaces to
form large global wind systems
and weather events such as
tornados and thunderstorms.
S6E4c. Relate how moisture
evaporating from the oceans
affects the weather patterns
and weather events such as
hurricanes.
Essential Question:
3. How does the interaction of
air masses cause a change in
the weather?
Vocabulary
Essential*
Tornado
Hurricane
Supplemental**
Vortex
Air mass
Cold Front
Warm Front
Weather Front
Hurricane Eye
Tropical Storm
Tropical Depression
*Essential Vocabulary
listed in the Standards
Resources [Back to Top]
The resources below are set up in a model lesson format. The

ppt provides guidance for the entire lesson including activating,
teaching and summarizing strategies. The activities listed below

the ppt are used during the lesson and are identified in the ppt for
use where they are most likely appropriate. The resources can

be used as an entire lesson or pulled out for use separately.




**Supplemental
Vocabulary listed in the
state frameworks and/or
other state document


TCSS
Assessment
S6E4a. Sample
Assessment Items
S6E4b. Sample
Assessment Items
S6E4c. Sample
Assessment Items
Interaction of Air Masses PPT [Includes “I Do”, “You Do”, and
“We Do”] – See “Notes” on ppt slides for suggested
instructional approaches where applicable or view the
Interaction of Air Masses PPT Notes
Interaction of Air Masses Notes [“You Do”] – Students use
the notes to record the important information from the lesson
Interaction of Air Masses Sort [“You Do” or “We Do”] – Cut
out images and statements and sort them as examples of a
Cold Front or a Warm Front
Air Pressure and Weather Fronts Practice [“You Do” or “We
Do”] – Students complete a sheet on the characteristics of
cold/warm air masses and fronts. Note: students do not have
to know map symbols for the fronts. The teacher may want to
give students the answers for just that part of the sheet or tell
students they can just skip them. Students really need to
know what happens when they meet and why.
Interaction of Air Masses Formative Assessment Check
Questions [“You Do”] - these questions may be used during
or after sections of the lesson to check for understanding and
differentiate
Possible Activities [“I Do” or “We Do”]:
o Twistin Tornado Model
o Compare and Contrast a Tornado and a Hurricane
[this is listed in the ppt as a possible formative
assessment check; it can be a simple comparison or it
can be more in-depth by requiring the use of a Venn
Diagram or other graphic organizer]
o Have students write scenarios about weather fronts
and swap papers to predict the type of weather that
would occur
o Air Mass Demonstrations – If you choose to use any
10/16/2015
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TCSS 6th Science Weather & Climate Unit
Essential Question and
Standard(s)
Vocabulary
Resources [Back to Top]
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

TCSS
Assessment
of these demonstrations, you may want to use them at
the specific times in the ppt when the topics are being
covered
Interaction of Air Masses Summarizer [“You Do”] - Each
student should complete the summarizer. The teacher should
use the summarizer to determine the level of student mastery
and if differentiation is needed.
Videos/Animations:
o Study Jams: Air Masses and Fronts [linked in ppt]
o Weather Fronts Song [linked in ppt]
o Formation of a Thunderstorm | Thunderstorm
Formation | Formation of Hail Animation [linked in ppt]
o Tornadoes
 How do Tornadoes Form? [4:11; linked in ppt]
 Deadly Nebraska Tornado [1:34; linked in ppt]
 Animated Guide: Tornadoes [linked in ppt]
 Tornado Formation Animation [linked in ppt]
 USA Today: Tornadoes [linked in ppt]
o Hurricanes
 Anatomy of a Hurricane [linked in ppt]
 Animation of a Hurricane [linked in ppt]
o Hurricanes and Twisters Song [linked in ppt]
Additional Resources
o Science News for Students: Why a Tornado Forms
o Science News for Students: Distant Pollution May
Intensify U.S. Twisters [Readability 8.1]
o Science News for Students: Twister Science |
Teacher’s Questions [Readability 8.4]
o Science News for Students: A Stormy History
[Readability 9.0] | Pacific Hurricanes to Strengthen as
Earth Warms [Readability 7.5] These two articles may
be good for high level students to compare the two
arguments and provide evidence supporting each.
Online Resources
o Create a Cane
o Aim a Hurricane
o Exploring the Environment – Severe Weather:
Hurricanes Online Module
10/16/2015
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