NOTES (to be moved to ARCHIVE when the unit is complete)
NAME ______________________________ SECTION ___________ DATE ____________
CLIMATE UNIT: What factors affect our climate?
Table of Contents http://www.windows2universe.or
g/earth/climate/cli_gallery.html
List all note pages, class notes, and readings assignments that are part of this unit and (should be) contained within the NOTES section (unless otherwise labeled).
DATE TITLE
“Enduring Knowledge” Statements and “Grade Expectations” are from the Vermont Department of
Education documents.
TIMELINESS
POINTS
Enduring Knowledge STATEMENTS
The universe, earth and all earth systems have undergone change in the past, continue to change in the present and predicted to continue changing in the future.
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NOTES (to be moved to ARCHIVE when the unit is complete)
GE (Grade Expectation) Statements Science Concepts
S7-8:48 (DOK 3)
Students demonstrate their understanding of
Processes and Change over Time within Earth
Systems by…

Diagramming, labeling and explaining the process of the water cycle (precipitation, evaporation, condensation, runoff, ground water, transpiration).
AND

Identifying the major gases of earth’s atmosphere.
AND

Explaining how differential heating can affect the earth’s weather patterns.
AND

Creating a model showing the tilt of the earth on its axis and explaining how the sun’s energy hitting the earth surface creates the seasons. a. The cycling of water in and out of the atmosphere plays an important role in determining climatic patterns. Water evaporates from the surface of the earth, rises and cools, condenses into rain or snow, and falls again to the surface. Global patterns of atmospheric movement influence local weather. Oceans have a major effect on climate because water in the oceans holds a large amount of heat. b. The entire planet is surrounded by a relatively thin blanket of air composed of nitrogen, oxygen, and small amounts of other gases, including water vapor. c. Heat from the sun is the primary source of energy for changes on the earth’s surface. The differences in heating of the earth’s surface produce the planet’s weather patterns. d. Seasons result from variations in the amount of sun’s energy hitting the earth’s surface. This happens because of the tilt of the earth’s axis and the orbit of the earth around the sun.
a. The density of a substance can be measured and quantified as the mass (amount of a substance) that is contained per unit volume of that substance.
S7-8:9 (DOK 2)
Students demonstrate their understanding of the
Properties of Matter by…

Calculating the density of regularly and irregularly shaped objects.
S7-8:13 (DOK 2)
Students demonstrate their understanding of the
Properties of a Gas by…

Using real world examples (tires, balloons, soda), predict and explain the effect that a change in one variable (pressure, temperature or volume) will have on the others. b. Changing the temperature of materials will change the density of the material.
Science Concepts: a. There exists a predictable relationship among the volume, temperature, and amount of a gas and the pressure the gas exerts. b. For any specified amount of a gas, the pressure that the gas exerts will increase as the temperature increases or the volume of the gas decreases. The pressure that the gas exerts will decrease as the temperature decreases or the volume of the gas increases. c. Gases exert pressure in all directions.
S7-8:14 (DOK 3)
Students demonstrate their understanding of
Physical Change by…

Observing the physical processes of evaporation and condensation, and accounting for the disappearance and appearance of liquid water in terms of molecular motion and conservation of mass. b. As the temperature and motion of molecules in a substance increase, the space between molecules in the substance increases possibly causing a change in state.
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CLIMATE
SEASONS
WEATHER
NOTES (to be moved to ARCHIVE when the unit is complete)
HELPFUL ITEMS TO REMEMBER:
From Astronomy: seasons axis rotate revolve and orbit
From Properties of Matter: properties/characteristics molecules density states of matter (especially properties of a gas) chemical change physical change
VOCABULARY – You should know the definitions and appropriate use for the following terms.
Fill in definitions and descriptions here.
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NOTES (to be moved to ARCHIVE when the unit is complete)
ATMOSPHERE define and note size relative to the Earth itself
LAYERS
SPACE
THICKNESS IMPORTANT FEATURES AND CHARACTERISTICS
EXOSPHERE
THERMOSPHERE
MESOSPHERE
STRATOSPHERE
TROPOSPHERE
EARTH’S SURFACE
DIFFERENTIAL HEATING
GLOBAL AIR CIRCULATION
CORIOLIS EFFECT
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NOTES (to be moved to ARCHIVE when the unit is complete)
– Be able to explain or demonstrate your knowledge. Write in key information from your notes and other work.
1.
Identify the Earth’s (5 focused on) atmospheric gases. Design a table to show the gas, relative abundance and function (job).
2.
As you move away from the Earth through the layers of the atmosphere a.
what is the pattern of density changes? b.
what is the pattern of temperature changes?
3.
How does changing one variable (temperature, volume, pressure) of an amount of gas affect the others?
4.
Describe how the behavior of gases is connected to global air movement.
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NOTES (to be moved to ARCHIVE when the unit is complete)
5.
Describe how the density of gases influences air movement or circulation.
6.
Describe how the angle of Earth’s surface at different latitudes affects the amount of solar heating in that region.
7.
Describe how the Coriolis effect and global air circulation patterns influence a region’s climate.
8.
Create climate graphs
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NOTES (to be moved to ARCHIVE when the unit is complete)
– You should be able to answer these questions using information from vocabulary and concepts as well as experience and examples. These may not be directly answered in your notes and work. Do your best to use what you know to answer the question. Reasonable efforts and
attempts are appropriate.
1.
How are weather and climate similar and different?
2.
Explain how solar heating of the Earth and atmospheric composition causes global air circulation patterns.
3.
What are the major factors that influence a region’s climate?
4.
How are gases (specifically nitrogen, carbon dioxide and water) from the atmosphere part of other cycles necessary for life on earth?
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NOTES (to be moved to ARCHIVE when the unit is complete)
5.
What factors can influence climate change?
6.
How does (some part) of this unit of study connect to (some part) some other unit of science study?
7.
FInally…. What else have you learned? It might be more detail in one of the content areas, something about you as a student or scientist, a specific skill or strong connection to ‘real life.’
List three one sentence statements or describe one thing with a minimum of three sentences.
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