Emily Fancett
Essc 311: Kovacs (M,W,F)
10/27/2008
Climate Lesson Plan
GLCE
E.ES.07.73: Explain how the temperature of the oceans affects the different climates on Earth
because water in the oceans holds a large amount of heat.
Lesson Overview:
The ocean has a time lag in which the effects of heating are felt on Earth. This lag in time
occurs because the ocean has a high specific heat. The constant rising temperature of air takes
significant time to affect the large masses of the oceans. Oceans are cooler than land in the
summer, but warmer in the winter. This is because it takes the ocean a long time to heat up,
but is slower to cool down than land. We will look at how the heat of the ocean affects the
climate in the United States and the role it plays in global warming.
Objectives:
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Students will be able to define climate.
Students will be able to explain how ocean currents affect climate.
Students will be able to identify climatic controls that contribute to climate.
Students will be able to interpret annual temperature and precipitation maps.
Students will be able to predict changes in the United States over a period of time.
Key Terms:
1. Climate
2. Specific Heat
3. Global Warming
Engage:
Students will watch a National Geographic video El Nino. This video discusses how El Nino
affects the United States, specifically western regions. Before students can understand these
affects they must first understand what climate is and how climate affects the United States.
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http://video.nationalgeographic.com/video/player/environment/index.html
Explore: Climate Demonstration
Materials:
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2 chairs
2 heat lamps
2 thermometers
1 glass pan filled to the top with water
1 glass pan filled to the top with potting soil
1 fan
2 stands to hold thermometers in place
This demonstration illustrates how long it takes the sun to warm the ocean. It also illustrates
why we have various climates due to the heat the ocean holds. The fan is representative of the
prevailing winds. The heat lamps represent the solar energy. The pan of water represents the
ocean and the pan of soil represents the inland states.
When doing this demonstration make sure you take an initial air temperature reading, both the
air around the water and the air around the soil should be at room temperature. The
thermometers should be placed on the sides of both the water pan and soil pan. Every five
minutes record the temperatures for both the air around the water and the air around the soil.
The air around the soil should always be warmer than the air around the water. Remember we
are taking the temperature of the air not the soil and water.
Explanation:
Define key terms for students.
1. Climate: the accumulation of daily and seasonal weather events over a long period of
time.
2. Specific Heat: is the amount of heat required to raise the temperature of an object 1
degree Celsius.
3. Global Warming: the increase in the average temperature of the Earth’s air and
oceans.
Ocean climate is driven by “climatic controls.” Climatic controls are permanent factors that drive
the climate of a specific region. The ocean has four main climatic controls that effect climate on
a global scale.
1. Solar Energy depends on latitude. Locations which are found on the same lines of
latitude receive essentially the same amount of solar energy.
2. Land heats and cools about four times faster than water. The location of continents and
oceans greatly influences Earth’s climate.
3. Heat that is stored by ocean waters will contribute to climate and warming changes
throughout the world as the water is continuously circulated by ocean currents.
4. Prevailing winds are winds that blow more frequently from one direction. In the United
States we observe “westerly” winds, meaning winds blow from West to East.
Elaborate: Activity 1 Comparing Cities:
Materials:
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4 maps of the United States make sure map includes both cities and states.
4 Annual average precipitation range maps.
4 Annual average temperature range maps (winter months).
4 Annual average temperature range maps (summer months).
Worksheets for each student or 1 worksheet per group.
Directions:
1. Divide class into four groups
2. Each group should have an annual temperature map for winter and summer months,
annual precipitation map, and United States map.
3. Have student’s record data on each of the following cities: San Diego, Seattle, Chicago,
Benton Harbor.
4. Answer the questions on the Comparing Cities worksheet.
Question for Thought:
With climatic controls and global warming, what do you think these cities will be like in a
hundred years?
Elaborate/Evaluate: Activity 2 Travel Brochure
1.
Each student will work in groups of two or individually.
2. Each student or group is to choose a state located in the United States.
3. Each student or group will be responsible for finding a map of the state, maps that
illustrate annual average temperature for winter and summer months, and a map that
illustrates the annual precipitation for their state.
4. Each student or group will then create a travel brochure that includes annual climate
information for that specific region. They will also suggest months that tourists should
travel to their island based on the research they did.
Comparing Cities
Name:___________________
Date:_________
1. Which city has the highest annual average temperature range?
San Diego, CA: __________________
Seattle, WA: __________________
Chicago, IL: __________________
Benton Harbor, MI: __________________
2. Which city has the lowest annual average temperature range?
San Diego, CA: __________________
Seattle, WA: __________________
Chicago, IL: __________________
Benton Harbor, MI: __________________
3. Which city has the highest annual average precipitation range?
San Diego, CA: __________________
Seattle, WA: __________________
Chicago, IL: __________________
Benton Harbor, MI: __________________
4. Which city has the lowest annual average precipitation range?
San Diego, CA: __________________
Seattle, WA: __________________
Chicago, IL: __________________
Benton Harbor, MI: __________________