Weather and Climate Unit
Part 1: Introduction to Weather and Climate
Name ____________
Period __
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Key Learning:
The unequal heating and cooling of the Earth’s surface
causes our weather and climate differences.
Unit Essential Question:
What causes weather and
climate differences?
Concept:
Concept:
Concept:
Weather and Climate
Interpreting the Weather
Predicting the Weather
Lesson Essential Questions:
Lesson Essential Questions:
Lesson Essential Questions:
1. How does the Sun’s energy
1.
get distributed around the
Earth?
2. How do I describe the
climate of an area?
3. What factors influence the
climate of an area?
4. How are weather and
climate different?
1. How do I describe the
local state of the
atmosphere?
2. How does the Sun’s
energy affect weather
conditions?
3. How do I represent
weather data/
measurements?
4. How do clouds form?
Vocabulary:
Vocabulary:
Vocabulary:
Weather
Water Vapor
Troposphere
Thermometer
Barometer
Anemometer
Psychrometer
Station Model
Air Pressure
Sea/Land Breezes
Dew Point
Relative Humidity
Saturation
High Pressure System
Climate
Latitude
Climograph
Altitude/Elevation
Convection Current
1
What factors influence the
weather in the United States?
2. How do we use weather data
to make short term weather
predictions?
3. How can we use weather maps
to make weather forecasts?
Low Pressure System
Fronts/Frontal Boundary
Air Mass
Warm Ups
1. What do you notice about the warmer ocean temperatures? Where are they located?
Why are they located there? What kind of heat energy transfer is this? (4 points)
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
Draw the currents (you should use colors or labels, and make a key):
Ocean Currents
Wind Currents
2. How might the climate of your area change if you moved farther north and away from
the ocean? (1 point)
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
2
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Bill Nye: Climates
Directions: Watch the video and answer the following questions. If you miss the answer
to any of them, use the textbook and posters in the front of the room to find the
answers.
1. How does the Sun’s energy get distributed around the Earth? (1 point)
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
2. How do I describe the climate of an area? (4 points)
_____________ _____________
_____________
_____________
3. What factors influence the climate of an area? (4 points)
_________________________________________
_________________________________________
_________________________________________
_________________________________________
4. How are weather and climate different? (1 point)
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
3
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Describing Climate
Directions: Write two words that describe the climate of each city below. Use the data
provided to help you answer the questions. (6 points)
4
1. Analyze the climographs of In Salah (Algeria), Fort Smith (Canada), and of Iquitos (Peru) and
arrange them in order of distance from the equator. Support your arrangement with evidence
from the graph. (4 points)
A.________________________B._______________________C._______________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
3. While watching the simulation, draw what the levels of radiation look like in the summer and
winter months. Be sure to include a key. (5 points)
Summer
Winter
4. Describe why it is warmer in summer than winter. (1 point)
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
5. Why are the poles not as cold and the equator not as warm as they should be? (2 points)
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
6. Latitude (the distance from the equator) has a lot to do with the climate of an area. Look at the
graph below and answer the question.
Describe the relationship between latitude
and low temperature. (2 points)
_________________________________
_________________________________
_________________________________
5
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Directions: Read about the four major types of storms on Earth. Then fill in the chart below (1 point each completed row)
and answer the questions that follow. (10 points)
Type of Storm
Where/How it Forms
Characteristics
What are the similarities and differences between tornadoes, nor’easters, hurricanes and thunderstorms? (2 points)
Similarities: ____________________________________________________________________________
Differences: ____________________________________________________________________________
What is the source of energy for storms? (2 points)
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
How do cyclones and thunderstorms distribute heat energy from the tropics to the poles? (2 points)
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
6
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Summaries
1. Pick one of the sets of data below, circle it, complete the yearly averages, and draw a
climograph to represent the data. Then, describe the climate of that city and where it
might be located. (3 points)
Seattle
Jan Feb Mar Apr
May Jun Jul
Aug Sep Oct
Nov Dec Year
220 227 252 309
350
331
226
218
10.3 13.3 15.8 18.2 18.0 15.6 11.9 8.0
5.8
Prec.
348
352
301
250
(mm)
°C
4.7
Fargo Jan
6.2
7.7
Feb
Mar Apr May Jun Jul
Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
72
70
75
.
Year
Prec.
68
65
67
66
71
69
62
61
63
(mm)
°C
-14.3 -12.0 -4.0 5.8
12.9 18.2 21.1 20.0 14.4 7.5
-2.5 -10.6
2. If you were caught in one of the four storms you read about, which one would it be and
why? (2 points)
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
7
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Notes
Draw a convection current:
Vocabulary
Vocab Word
Definition
8