Seventh Grade Curriculum – Earth Atmosphere
(3.10.09 Version)
Chapter
GLE
Essential Question(s)
Concepts
Skill
Knowledge
Ch. 1
Earth’s
Atmosphere
Atmosphere
supports Life
5.1.C.a
DOK 2
How would you describe
the composition of the
Earth’s atmosphere (i.e.,
mixture of gases, water
and minute particles) and
how it circulates as air
masses?
 Demonstrate/illustrate
 Atmospheric Composition
(Section 1.1)
 Composition
o Mixture of gases
 78% N2
 21% O2
 1% Argon, CO2, and other gases like
water vapor
o Tiny particles of solid or liquid
 Dust
 Sea salt
 Water droplets
1.2.C.a
DOK 1
How do you identify solar
radiation as the primary
source of energy for
weather phenomena?
 Demonstrate/illustrate
5.1.C.b
DOK 2
How would you describe
the role atmosphere
(e.g., clouds, ozone plays
in precipitation,
reflecting and filtering
light from the Sun, and
trapping heat energy
emitted from the Earth’s
surface?
1.2.A.c
DOK 1
How would you identify
thermal energy is
transferred as heat from
warmer objects to cooler
objects until both reach
the same temperature
(equilibrium)?
 Thermal energy or Heat energy or Solar energy
(Section 1.2)
 Radiation – heat energy transfer from
place to place through empty space;
energy that travels across distances
o Types include visible light
o Absorbs or reflects heat energy
 Reflects solar radiation
 Earth’s surface (5%)
 Clouds and atmosphere (25%)
 Absorbs solar radiation
 Clouds and atmosphere (20%)
 Earth’s surface by oceans,
landforms, living organisms
(50%)
 Conduction – transfer of heat energy from
one substance to another by direct
contact
 Convection – transfer of heat energy from
place to place by the motion of gas or
liquid
1.1.A.d
DOK 1
How would you describe
how heat is transferred
by conduction,
convection, and
radiation, and classify
examples of each?
5.2.E.c
DOK 2
How would you explain
how thermal energy is
transferred throughout
the water cycle by the
processes of convection,
conduction, and
radiation?
 Similarities and
Differences
 Classify
1
5.1.C.b
DOK 2
How would you describe
the role atmosphere
(e.g., clouds, ozone) plays
in precipitation,
reflecting and filtering
light from the Sun, and
trapping heat energy
emitted from the Earth’s
surface?
 Demonstrate/illustrate
2
 Atmosphere absorbs radiation
(Section 1.3)
 Introduce: Ozone (O3) – protects life on
Earth by absorbing harmful ultraviolet
radiation from Sun
Ch. 2
Earth’s
Atmosphere
Atmospheric
Temperature
and Pressure
5.2.F.b
DOK 2
How would you describe
the characteristics of air
masses (i.e., high/low
barometric pressure,
temperature) and predict
their effect on the
weather in a given
location?
 Demonstrate/illustrate
 Atmospheric air pressure changes
(Section 2.1)
 Introduce: Air pressure (or barometric
pressure) – force by air molecules that push
on an area
o Decreases with increased altitude
 Example: Mountains of Denver, CO
o Increases with decreased altitude
 Example: ocean floor
o Density is proportional with air pressure
o Air moves from areas of higher pressure
to lower pressure
o Barometer – instrument that measure
air pressure
5.2.F.a
DOK 2
How would you explain
the differences in surface
temperature, due to the
different heating and
cooling rates of water
and soil, affect the
temperature and
movement of the air
above?
 Demonstrate/illustrate
1.1.D.a
DOK 2
How would you describe
the relationship between
temperature and the
movement of
atmospheric gases (i.e.,
warm air rises due to
expansion of the volume
of gas, cool air sinks due
to the contraction of the
volume of gas)?
 Patterns of Heating and Cooling (Section 2.2)
 Weather – condition of Earth’s
atmosphere at a particular time and place
o Weather factor:
 Wind
 Uneven heating of Earth’s
surface changes air pressure
 Example: sun heats ground –
ground heats the air – warm air
rises – forms low pressure
 Example: sun mildly heats
ground – cooler, dense air sinks
– forms high pressure
 Example: air moves wind across
ground from higher to lower
pressure
1.1.I.a
DOK 1
How would you explain
that the amount of
matter remains constant
while being recycled
through the water cycle?
 Demonstrate/illustrate
5.2.E.a
DOK 2
How would you explain
and trace the possible
paths of water through
the hydrosphere,
geosphere, and
atmosphere (i.e., the
water cycle: evaporation,
condensation,
precipitation, surface
 Temperature and Water Cycle
(Section 2.3)
 Water in air affected by temperature
changes
o Evaporation – absorbs heat energy to
change liquid to gas
o Condensation – releases heat energy to
change a gas to liquid
o Precipitation - liquid or solid water that
falls to Earth's surface
 Rain, snow, sleet, or hail
o Humidity - amount of water vapor in
the air
 Dew point - temperature at which
air with a given amount of water
vapor will reach saturation
3
 Clouds are made of condensed water
vapor
o Water vapor condenses on tiny
particles like dust, smoke, and salt
from the ocean
o Fog - cloud that rests on the ground or
body of water
o Cloud Characteristics
 Air movement mainly determines
shape and size
 Puffy clouds from sharply rising
air or straight up and down
 Flat, smooth clouds from
gradually rising air
o Location affect cloud composition
 Troposphere gets cold at high
altitude containing tiny ice crystals
 Lower altitudes are warmer
containing a mixture of water
droplets and ice crystals
o Types
 Cirrus
 High altitude of troposphere
with very cold air
 Show direction of wind in wispy
appearance
 Cumulus
 Form with warm air rising and
water vapor condenses; cooler
air sinks
 Stratus
 Form in layers when air cools
over a large area without rising
or gently lifted air
 Different states or phases of water
between the Earth and the atmosphere
o Read xix in front of Earth’s Atmosphere
book
o Solid to liquid to gas phase change
absorbs heat energy
o Gas to liquid to solid phase change
releases or evolves heat energy
o Suggested Activity: Water Cycle Game
run-off/groundwater
flow)?
5.2.E.b
DOK 2
How would you relate the
different forms of water
can take (i.e., snow, rain,
sleet, fog, clouds, dew,
humidity) as it moves
through the water cycle
to atmospheric
conditions (i.e.,
temperature, pressure,
wind direction and
speed, humidity) at a
given geographic
location?
5.1.C.b
DOK 2
How do you describe the
role of atmosphere (e.g.,
clouds, ozone) plays in
precipitation, reflecting
and filtering light from
the Sun, and trapping
heat energy emitted from
the Earth’s surface?
4
5.2.E.b
DOK 2
How would you relate the
different forms of water
can take (i.e., snow, rain,
sleet, fog, clouds, dew,
humidity) as it moves
through the water cycle
to atmospheric
conditions (i.e.,
temperature, pressure,
wind direction and
speed, humidity) at a
given geographic
location?
5.1.C.b
DOK 2
How do you describe the
role of atmosphere (e.g.,
clouds, ozone) plays in
precipitation, reflecting
and filtering light from
the Sun, and trapping
heat energy emitted from
the Earth’s surface?
 Demonstrate/illustrate
5
 Various forms of precipitation
(Section 2.4)
 All precipitation comes from clouds; p. 69.
o Rain or drizzle
 Below freezing air inside a cloud
and above freezing temperatures in
the air beneath it and on the
ground
o Freezing rain - rain that freezes on
contact
 Above freezing air beneath a cloud
and freezing temperatures on the
ground
o Sleet - rain that passes through layer of
cold air and freezes before hitting the
ground; forms pellets
 Above freezing air inside a cloud
and freezing air beneath it
o Snow - ice crystals that grow in clouds
to become snowflakes
 Below freezing air inside a cloud
and beneath it
o Hail - lumps of ice from cumulonimbus
clouds
 Ice pellets hurled around by air
currents inside a cloud
Ch. 3
Earth’s
Atmosphere
Fronts and
Storms
5.2.F.b
DOK 2
How would you describe
the characteristics of air
masses (i.e., high/low
barometric pressure,
temperature) and predict
their effect on the
weather in a given
location?
5.2.F.c
DOK 1
How do you identify
weather conditions
associated with cold
fronts and warm fronts?
 Demonstrate/illustrate
 Interpret weather
maps containing
different kinds of
fronts
6
 Air mass movement changes weather
(Section 3.1)
 Large volume of air in which temperature
and humidity are nearly the same in
different locations at the same altitude
o Adopts surface characteristics of land
or water
 Surface cold - air becomes cold
 Surface wet - air becomes moist
 Surface dry and hot - air becomes
dry and hot
o Categories/characteristics to describe
moisture and temperature,
respectively
 Continental (air mass forms over
land) and maritime (air mass forms
over water)
 Tropical (air mass forms near
equator) and polar(air mass forms
far from equator)
 Fronts - boundary between air masses
o Cold Front - cold, dense, fast air moves
forward with warmer air ahead being
pushed upward
 Produce cumulus clouds and
precipitation
 Air is colder and clear
o Warm Front - warm, slower air moves
over cold, denser air
 Produce clouds and precipitation
such as rain or snow
 Air is warmer afterwards
o Stationary Front
 Meeting of fronts that stay in same
location
 Depending on which front moves
forward (cold or warm), determines
the subsequent kind of air (cold or
warm)
 High and low pressure systems
o High pressure system (H)
 Air slowly (more air pressure in
lower altitude) sinks, out and
around; warms
 Large areas and change slowly
which may develop an air mass
 Nice weather
o Low pressure system (L)
 Air more quickly (less air pressure in
higher altitude) moves upward and
cools
 Tends to form along a warm and
cold air mass boundary
 Stormy weather
5.2.F.f
DOK 1
How do you describe the
significant changes in
temperature and
barometric pressure that
may cause dramatic
weather phenomena
(i.e., severe
thunderstorms,
tornadoes, hurricanes)?
 Demonstrate/illustrate
 Hurricanes
(Section 3.2)
 Formation
o Energy from warm water added to a
low pressure system
 Drop in barometric pressure
o Warm tropical waters support storm
 Loses energy over land or cooler
water
5.2.F.f
DOK 1
How do you describe the
significant changes in
temperature and
barometric pressure that
may cause dramatic
weather phenomena
(i.e., severe
thunderstorms,
tornadoes, hurricanes)?
 Demonstrate/illustrate
 Severe Storms
(Section 3.3)
 Thunderstorms
o Storm with lightning and thunder
o Formation
 Drop in barometric pressure
 Energy from warm, humid air
 Rises into cooler air
 Water vapor releases energy as it
condenses (gas to liquid releases
heat energy)
 Increases air motion
 Ice particles form in low
temperature regions at top of
building clouds causing a downdraft
of cold air - results in rain or hail
o Tornado (type of thunderstorm) violently rotating column of air
stretching from cloud to ground
5.2.F.e
DOK 3
How would you collect
and interpret weather
data (e.g., cloud cover,
precipitation, wind speed
and direction) from
weather instruments and
maps to explain present
day weather and to
predict the next day's
weather?
 Demonstrate/illustrate
 Collect weather
data from
weather
instruments
 Interpret weather
data from
weather
instruments
 Weather forecasting
(Section 3.4)
 Weather data
o Weather report
o Weather balloons, buoys
o Ground stations, satellites, airplanes,
ships, and radar stations
 Weather maps
o National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration (NOAA)
 Precipitation amounts shown in
blue, green, yellow and red
 Ground stations symbols
 Types of front and pressure
patterns
o Satellite images
 Visible light
 Infrared light
 Computers to forecast or predict weather
7
Ch. 4
Earth's
Atmosphere
Climate and
Climate
Changes
5.2.F.d
DOK 1
How would you identify
factors that affect
weather patterns in a
particular region (e.g.,
proximity to large bodies
of water, latitude,
altitude, prevailing wind
currents, amount of solar
radiation, location with
respect to mountain
ranges)?
 Demonstrate/illustrate
5.2.F.g.
DOK 2
How do you differentiate
between weather and
climate?
5.2.F.h
DOK 1
What are the factors to
identify that affect
climate (e.g., latitude,
altitude, prevailing wind
currents, amount of solar
radiation)?
 Similarities and
Differences
 Compare
 Metaphors
 Analogies
5.2.F.a
DOK 2
How would you explain
how the differences in
surface temperatures,
due to the different
heating and cooling rates
of water and soil, affect
the temperature and
movement of the air
above?
 Investigation: Heating
and Cooling Rates on
p. 119
8
 Climate
(Section 4.1)
 Characteristic weather conditions in a
place over a long period of time
o Includes wind, humidity, and solar
radiation
o Can change suddenly or slowly due to
obstruction of the sun or human
impact in Section 4.3)
 Geographic factors that affect the
patterns of temperature and
precipitation
o Latitude - distance in degrees north or
south of the equator, 0o.
 Equator gets greatest amount of
solar radiation (highest average
temperatures) and least at the
poles (lowest average
temperatures)
o Altitude
 Higher altitudes are colder
because as warm air rises, the air
expands and cools
 Altitude trumps latitude for cooler
temperatures
o Distance from large bodies of water
 Marine climates
 Small temperatures variation
between day and night
 Mild summers and winters
 Steady precipitation due to
winds carrying moisture off
ocean
 Continental climates
 Wide temperature variation
between day and night
 Wider extremes between
summer and winter
temperatures
o Ocean currents
 Streams of water that flow
through oceans in regular patterns
 Influence climate by
transferring heat energy from
one part of ocean to another
 Example: warm water
currents carry warmth
from tropics to higher
latitudes which keep those
areas warm
 Example: cold water
currents do the opposite
 Ocean currents can trump the
effects of latitude
o Prevailing wind currents (eluded to
throughout section)
o Amount of solar radiation - (eluded
to throughout section and) Seasonal
changes
 Temperature patterns - Seasons
occur due to changes in the
amount of solar energy over a year
(Precipitation patterns - amounts
of precipitation vary among
climates which determine the
types of plants that grow in the
region and length of growing
season)
9