Name:
Course: Science
“Know – Understand – Do” Organizer
Date(s):
Grade(s): 6 th
Topic: Climate and Weather Unit School/District: RECA/Glynn County
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Which Standards are students learning in this unit?
S6E2. Students will understand the effects of the relative positions of the earth, moon and sun. c. Relate the tilt of the earth to the distribution of sunlight throughout the year and its effect on climate
S6E4. Students will understand how the distribution of land and oceans affects climate and weather a. Demonstrate that land and water absorb and lose heat at different rates and explain the resulting effects on weather patterns. b. Relate unequal heating of land and water surfaces to form large global wind systems and weather events such as tornadoes and thunderstorms. c. Relate how moisture evaporating from the oceans affects the weather patterns and weather events such as hurricanes.
Supporting Standards:
S6E6. Students will describe various sources of energy and with their uses and conservation. a. Explain the role of the sun as the major source of energy and its relationship to wind and water energy.
By the end of this unit, students will be able to…….
Know Understand
Weather is the effect of the conditions of the atmosphere at a particular time and place.
The earth has a layered atmosphere, and that weather takes place in the troposphere
Because the Earth turns daily on an axis that is tilted relative to the plane of the Earth's yearly orbit around the sun, sunlight falls more intensely on different parts of the Earth during the year. The difference layer.
The sun is the major source of energy for events on the surface of the earth including wind, ocean currents, and waves.
Land heats up and cools down faster than water. As warm air rises, cooler air moves down, creating convection currents. in heating of the Earth's surface produces the planet's seasons and weather patterns.
The cycling of water in and out of the atmosphere plays an important role in determining climatic patterns.
• Heat energy carried by ocean currents has a strong influence
Do
Interpret climate belts are in part produced by the angle and duration of Sun rays on the
Earth.
Demonstrate the seasons using a globe showing that when a hemisphere is tilted toward the sun, summer occurs, tilted away from the sun, winter occurs and intermediate produces fall and spring.
Compare light rays on the globe resulting from shining a flashlight on the globe at right angles to the rays of light that

Unequal heating of land and water forms wind systems and weather events. Wind is caused by differences in air pressure, going from an area of high pressure to lower pressure. on climate around the world.
• The sun is the major source of energy for phenomena on the
Earth's surface, including winds, ocean currents, and waves.
Land heats up and cools down faster than water. During the day, land heats faster than a body of water, so the air above the land becomes warmer. The warm air expands and creates a
Waves transfer energy from one place to another. Waves in oceans and lakes are caused by wind blowing over the surface low-pressure system. The cooler air above the body of of the water.
Ocean currents influence the water blows inland and under the warm air. At night, the opposite happens.
Large convection currents are formed because of the weather in coastal areas.
Currents can be caused by wind, differences in salinity, differences in water temperatures caused by uneven heating of the Earth. temperature differences between the equator and the poles. This produces global wind systems. The equator receives the greatest amount of direct sunlight vs. the pole regions.
The rotation of the earth makes the large wind systems curve which is the Coriolis Effect.
Thunderstorms and tornadoes
The Coriolis Effect which is a consequence of the Earth's rotation, and the gravitational pull of celestial bodies (tidal currents).
Clouds can form very close to the surface of the Earth (fog).
Our atmosphere absorbs the radiation from the sun, heating the Earth. occur because of sudden changes in air pressure or as a fast moving cold front hits a slow moving warm front.
Large thunderstorms and tornadoes occur most frequently in the spring and summer. The ground is warming and warm air masses move north from
Mexico, while cold air masses move south from Canada.
Oceans, holding a large amount
Rain clouds form as water when droplets condense from water vapor in the atmosphere. When the atmosphere can no longer support the weight of the droplets, they fall.
Seasons are caused by the tilt of the Earth on its axis as it rotates around the Sun. This tilt changes the angle of the Sun’s rays striking the Earth.
Events, such as volcanic result from shining the flashlight at lower angles; observe which global latitudes receive more or less light rays.
Explain why the Earth has different seasons.
Explain whether the length of day remains the same throughout the year at different places on Earth.
Land versus water unequal heating lab. Plot results on a graph, compare land versus water, and write a lab report.
Explain the difference between the seasons for the Northern hemisphere and the Southern hemisphere.
Explain what would be necessary for other planets to have seasons as Earth does.
Draw a sketch of the Sun-Earth relationship for the current season.
Discuss atmospheric science, including the concepts of air pressure, convection (hot air rising, cold air sinking), and wind. This leads to a discussion of thunderstorms, tornados, and hurricanes.
Investigate severe weather events online or in the news.
Track a hurricane on a map using online data from NOAA; plot the hurricane path on a graph.
Choose a thinking map to

of heat, have major effects on climate.
Wind is the result of horizontal differences in air pressure.
Air moves from areas of higher pressure to areas of lower pressure.
Differences in air pressure are caused by uneven heating of the
Earth's surface. The Sun is the major source of energy for heating, and so is the cause of wind.
The Sun’s energy striking Earth causes intense heating in the equatorial regions; this intense heat produces powerful convection in these areas.
As the warm, moist air rises, it creates a zone of low pressure, clouds, and precipitation along the equator.
Sinking air produces areas of higher pressure with drier conditions.
Warm air rises by convection.
Warm air rising through cooler air is called unstable air.
Thunderstorm formation requires three things:
• Moisture - to form clouds and rain.
• Unstable Air - relatively warm air that can rise rapidly.
• Lift - things like fronts, sea breezes and mountains can lift air to help form thunderstorms.
Tornadoes are the most violent type of storm. They have wind speeds of up to 300 miles per eruptions and clear cutting of trees in the rainforest, can have global effects on weather patterns and climate throughout the world.
The properties of the atmosphere, such as pressure and temperature, change as elevation changes.
All clouds are condensed water molecules.
Because the oceans are such large bodies of water, they hold a large amount of heat.
Therefore, the oceans have a great impact on climates.
The angle of the Sun’s rays striking the Earth changes throughout the year due to the tilt of the Earth on its axis, causing our seasons.
Students will understand the constant tilt of Earth’s North
Pole toward the North Star affects the orientation of Earth’s hemispheres toward or away from the Sun as the Earth orbits about the Sun.
Students will understand the relationship between angle of
Sun rays and intensity of heat.
How climate is influenced by angle of Sun rays.
Students will explain the
Earth’s seasons are produced by the constant tilt of the Earth on its axis during Earth orbit; distance from the sun does not result in season.
Earth’s distance from the Sun has little to do with the differentiate between a tornado and a hurricane.
Create and present a weather forecast.
Complete a weather predicting activity using Edheads weather.
Write daily weather observations in a weather journal.
Perform a weather map scavenger hunt.
Read a weather map and correctly identify the symbols.
Diagram landbreeze versus seabreeze.

hour. Tornadoes develop from powerful thunderstorms.
A hurricane is a rotating tropical storm with organized circulation, and sustained winds of more than 74 miles per hour. Hurricanes develop over warm tropical ocean waters.
Hurricanes gather heat and energy through contact with the warm waters.
Large masses of air with certain properties move across the surface of the Earth. The movement and interaction of these air masses seasons.
Slanting rays of sunlight do not heat the surface of Earth as much as vertical rays of sunlight.

ASSESSMENTS

The student will relate the tilt of the Earth to the distribution of sunlight throughout the year. An explanation of the relationship between the sunlight distribution and the climate is included.

The student will show understanding that land and water absorb heat at different rates and how this affects weather patterns.

The student will show understanding that the uneven heating of the land and water causes weather and wind system. Show relationship to the uneven heating and tornados and thunderstorms.

The student will show understanding that the heating of air over water along with moisture evaporation help are need to create a hurricane.

The student will show understanding that wind and water can be used as a source of energy. An explanation and examples are given.
 Teacher asks students to demonstrate the Earth’s rotation and orbit. When students have completed the task, teacher should demonstrate Earth’s rotation vs. orbit using a globe and representative Sun. Teacher show students the Earth’s tilt toward Polaris; explain to students that the Earth’s tilt towards Polaris does not change.