TE 408: Unit Plan Guide
Name: Eric March
Mentor Teacher: Jennifer Blasius
Partner: Ian Banker
School: Gardner Middle School
Part I: Information about the Lesson or Unit
Topic:
Type of Class
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Grade level(s): 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 - General Science Class
Type of school: Urban
Tracking level: Untracked Lower track Inclusion (Not actually sure between these three options of tracking)
Abstract
This unit is geared toward the introduction and continued education of students about general weather principles.
The lesson covers the three major weather fronts: warm fronts, cold fronts, and stationary fronts, as well as the weather
tendencies of each front. It also covers humidity, atmosphere pressure, temperatures, and altitude. Weather map and
graph reading are also stressed as educational tools, as well as internet resources for predicting weather. Students
also learn about cloud formation and precipitation, as well as atmosphere pollution, within their education of the
atmosphere and what it is composed of.
Part II: Clarifying Your Goals
Big Ideas
This weather unit would begin with an introduction as to what weather is, including the obvious definition, being
that weather is the specific condition of the atmosphere at a particular place and time. It is measured in terms of wind,
temperature, humidity, atmospheric pressure, cloud cover, and precipitation. Weather is defined as these atmospheric
conditions over a short time period (hours or days), where climate is the average of this weather over a period of several
years or more. The atmospheric conditions are one of the major causes of the weather, including the layering of the
atmosphere with mixing between them and subsequent air flow patterns. Within atmospheric conditions, 3 major fronts
occur: warm fronts, cold fronts, and stationary fronts. Each of these fronts is characterized by certain weather
conditions: Warm fronts are when warm air masses replace cold air in a region. Cold fronts occur when cold air
replaces warm air in a region. Stationary fronts are said to occur when either a warm front or a cold front has not moved
in to replace the other over a time period of several hours.
It is important to note that the atmosphere is not the same the farther away from Earth it gets. Weather only
occurs in the lowest part of the atmosphere, which is also where most of the air particles are located. As the distance
from the Earth gets larger, fewer air particles are found. The make-up or composition of the atmosphere is not constant,
either. The air is made up of air molecules, as well as oxygen, water, nitrogen, and ozone. Additionally, the air
contains pollution particles that can have negative effects on people that breathe them in.
Finally, clouds and water play an important part in the atmosphere. Water falls from the clouds as precipitation in
the form of rain or sleet or snow, and drains off the land into the lakes and oceans. This water is then evaporated by the
sun back into the atmosphere where it can form clouds again, repeating the cycle.
Experiences, Patterns, and Explanations
Observations or experiences
(examples, phenomena, data)
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Summer is hot
Winter is cold
Spring/Fall are warm/cool
Snow falls in winter
Wind speed can change
Exhaust from car is dirty =
polluted air
Air feels sticky in the summer
Air becomes thinner as the
elevation increases
Dark clouds bring rain / snow
Patterns (laws,
generalizations, graphs,
tables, categories)
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Cloud covering sun –
provides shade and a
little cooler
Cloud not covering
sun – no shade and
warm up
Sweat more in
summer than winter
Snow is dry, rain is
wet
The air cleans up after
it gets dirty
Explanations
(models, theories)
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Pollution causes
smog / fog
Dark clouds hold
rain
Wind usually
increases with the
rain
Snow is just frozen
rain
Wind cleans up
pollution in the air
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Cloudy days are cooler than
clear days
Winter feels dry
S’s understand air is not a
single uniform thing
Air feels sticky in the summer
Air becomes thinner (less
dense) as the elevation
increases
Snows in the winter, rains
every other season
Factories, cars, and other
forms of industry cause air
pollution
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Sweat more in the
summer
Air is more humid in
the summer
Large water bodies
buffer the extreme
temperatures
Earth’s atmosphere
has multiple layers
Earth’s atmosphere
dilutes pollution, but
only to a certain point
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Air composition –
78%N, 21%O,
2%CO2, other trace
gases, dust
particles, ozone
Sweating less
effective due to
high humidity
Hot air can hold
more moisture
Pollution causes
yellow smog, but
does not cause
morning fog
Earth’s atmosphere
has 5 layers, with
the troposphere
being the one we
are in
Lakes and Oceans
keep the land
cooler in the
summer
Application: Model-based Reasoning – using models/theories to explain
experiences
Inquiry: Finding and Explaining Patterns in Experience
Objectives for Student Learning
Michigan Objectives
Type
Michigan High School (current)
1. E4.p2A Describe the composition and layers of the atmosphere.
Content (Using)
(prerequisite)
2. E4.p2B Describe the difference between weather and climate.
Content (Using)
(prerequisite)
3. E4.p2C Explain the differences between fog and dew formation and
Content (Using)
cloud formation. (prerequisite)
4. E4.p2D Describe relative humidity in terms of the moisture content
Content (Using)
of the air and the moisture capacity of the air and how these
depend on the temperature. (prerequisite)
5. E4.p2E Describe conditions associated with frontal boundaries
Content (Using)
(cold, warm, stationary, and occluded). (prerequisite)
6. E4.p2F Describe the characteristics and movement across North
Content (Using)
America of the major air masses and the jet stream.
(prerequisite)
7. E4.p2G Interpret a weather map and describe present weather
Content (Using)
conditions and predict changes in weather over 24 hours.
(prerequisite)
8. E4.p2H Explain the primary causes of seasons. (prerequisite)
9. E4.p2I Identify major global wind belts (trade winds, prevailing
westerlies, and polar easterlies) and that their vertical
components control the global distribution of rainforests and
deserts. (prerequisite)
Content (Using)
Content (Using)
Michigan Middle School (2000 version)
1. Explain patterns of changing weather and how they are measured.
Key concepts: Weather patterns—cold front, warm front, stationary front,
air mass, humidity.
Tools: Thermometer, rain gauge, wind direction indicator, anemometer,
weather maps, satellite weather images.
Real-world contexts: Sudden temperature and cloud formation changes;
records, charts, and graphs of weather changes over periods of days;
lake effect snow.
2. Describe the composition and characteristics of the atmosphere.
Key concepts: Composition—air, molecules, gas, water vapor, dust
particles, ozone. Characteristics—air pressure and temperature changes
with altitude, humidity.
Real-world contexts: Examples of characteristics of the atmosphere,
including pressurized cabins inairplanes, demonstrations of air pressure;
examples of air-borne particulates, such as smoke, dust, pollen, bacteria;
effects of humidity, such as condensation, dew on surfaces, comfort level
of humans.
3. Explain the behavior of water in the atmosphere.
Key concepts: Water cycle—evaporation, water vapor, warm air rises,
cooling, condensation, clouds. Precipitation—rain, snow, hail, sleet,
freezing rain. Relative humidity, dew point, fog. See PCM-IV.2 m.1
(changes of state), EH-V.2 m.2 (water on the earth’s surface).
Real-world contexts: Aspects of the water cycle in weather, including
clouds, fog, precipitation, evaporating puddles, flooding, droughts.
4. Describe health effects of polluted air.
Key concepts: Effects—breathing difficulties, irritated eyes. Sources—car
exhaust, industrial emissions. Acid rain.
Real-world contexts: Locations and times where air quality is poor; local sources
of potential air pollution; ozone warnings.
Synthesized Unit Objectives
1. Students will be able to gather data to accurately predict such weather
features as temperature, humidity, cloud cover, dewpoint, wind direction /
speed, etc. and / or they should be able to read this information from a
weather map.
2. Students will be able to explain the weather differences between
different locations based off of altitude, latitude, proximity to water, time of
day, and season of the year.
3. Students will be able to describe the weather conditions and tendencies
present at each of the three weather fronts, warm, cold and stationary.
Content (Using)
4. Students will be able to describe the effects of air pollution both to
humans and the effects that it has on the Earth’s atmosphere
Content (Using)
Content (Using)
Content (Using)
Part III: Assessment and Activities
ASSESSMENT
You become the teacher:
Students will be split up into 6 different groups. Each group will be assigned to 1 of the 3 fronts (warm, cold, stationary),
with 2 groups covering each front. Each group will be responsible for becoming an “expert” on the particular front and
explaining it to the rest of the class. As doing such, they will be creating a poster, depicting what the front looks like via
a side diagram, the signals for the front on a weather map, the characteristics of the particular weather front (rainy,
windy, sunny, etc…). The following day, each group presented their poster and their findings on the weather front
assigned to them to the rest of the class, acting as a teacher.
Student-Generated Questions
Have students, at a time close to the end of the unit, create three questions that they think should be on the test
regarding weather. This allows us to see where the students stand with the information, and encourages the students to
create good questions because they know that if they write a “good” question that their question might be selected to be
on the test and they would already know the answer.
ACTIVITIES
Models/Pictures/Diagrams –
Students will work in pairs and be given a figure of an altitude graph from 0-10,000m, and a marker. They are
told that they are allowed to make 50 dots on this piece of paper, and that the objective of these 50 dots were to show
how the air molecules would be spread out through the atmosphere. Are they evenly spread out? Are they all high, or
are they all really low? Then we compare and discuss with a similar picture drawn on the board, explaining how
atmosphere pressure is related to elevation and how the spacing of molecules in the atmosphere changes with
elevation.
Make a weather station
Students will make a weather station in class, with the each pair of students making a barometer, rain gauge, and a
psycrometer. Students will then, between the two of them, use the instruments to collect data over a one month period.
This data will be analyzed by students, along with the effect on the weather instruments by the combination of the
atmosphere and the weather will be discussed as a class.
Cloud in a bottle
Students will first crush up half a piece of chalk into a fine dust. This should be done between a folded piece of paper to
prevent the mess. They will next take a jar and fill it with hot water (~120F), screw the cap on, and let the jar stand for 3
minutes to warm. Next, dump out 2/3 of the water, and place another cap on it. This cap will be larger, and have holes
punched in it (5, made with a nail) to let air transfer. Place 2 ice cubes on top of the jar cap, and let it stand for 3
minutes. Now, remove the ice cubes and the cap, and sprinkle some finely ground chalk in the jar and immediately
screw the original jar cap on. Within a few minutes, clouds should form in the jar, with the chalk particles acting as
condensation nuclei for the clouds to condense upon. This could be extended to show that with too much pollution in
the air, an otherwise non-rainy area might become rainy because the rain droplets would now have something to form
on (the pollution particles in the air).
Data Collection
Students will be given the daily newspaper, or to ensure that the experiment works as planned, a pre-planned set of
high temperatures for a period of two – three weeks. After this initial period of data collection where the students will
write the high temperature on a chart, they students will then draw a bar graph either using graph paper or a graphing
program on the computer. The key feature of this exercise is that there needs to be a significant drop in temperature
that the students can see on the bar graph. This allows the teacher to explain that a cold front moved through the area.
After the initial bar graph is completed, the teacher can have a brainstorming session with the students about things
such as why the temperature dropped. The teacher can use inquiry and allow the students to formulate hypothesis, and
then help them figure out which one of them is most correct.
Synthesized Unit
Objectives
Summative Assessment
Major Activity
Students will be able to gather
data to accurately predict
such weather features as
temperature, humidity, cloud
cover, dewpoint, wind
direction / speed, etc. and / or
they should be able to read
this information from a
weather map.
Students will work in pairs and be
given a figure of an altitude graph from 010,000m, and a marker. They are told that
they are allowed to make 50 dots on this piece
of paper, and that the objective of these 50
dots were to show how the air molecules
would be spread out through the atmosphere.
Are they evenly spread out? Are they all high,
or are they all really low? Then we compare
and discuss with a similar picture drawn on
the board, explaining how atmosphere
Students will work in pairs and be given a
figure of an altitude graph from 0-10,000m,
and a marker. They are told that they are
allowed to make 50 dots on this piece of
paper, and that the objective of these 50
dots were to show how the air molecules
would be spread out through the
atmosphere. Are they evenly spread out?
Are they all high, or are they all really low?
Then we compare and discuss with a
similar picture drawn on the board,
pressure is related to elevation and how the
spacing of molecules in the atmosphere
changes with elevation.
explaining how atmosphere pressure is
related to elevation and how the spacing of
molecules in the atmosphere changes with
elevation.
Students will be able to
explain the weather
differences between different
locations based off of altitude,
latitude, proximity to water,
time of day, and season of the
year.
Students will make a weather station in class,
with the each pair of students making a
barometer, rain gauge, and a psycrometer.
Students will then, between the two of them,
use the instruments to collect data over a one
month period. This data will be analyzed by
students, along with the effect on the weather
instruments by the combination of the
atmosphere and the weather will be discussed
as a class.
student generated questions might be helpful
to gauge understanding as well.
Students will make a weather station in
class, with the each pair of students making
a barometer, rain gauge, and a
psycrometer. Students will then, between
the two of them, use the instruments to
collect data over a one month period. This
data will be analyzed by students, along
with the effect on the weather instruments
by the combination of the atmosphere and
the weather will be discussed as a class.
Students will be able to
describe the weather
conditions and tendencies
present at each of the three
weather fronts, warm, cold
and stationary.
Students will be split up into 6 different
groups. Each group will be assigned to 1 of
the 3 fronts (warm, cold, stationary), with 2
groups covering each front. Each group will
be responsible for becoming an “expert” on
the particular front and explaining it to the rest
of the class. As doing such, they will be
creating a poster, depicting what the front
looks like via a side diagram, the signals for
the front on a weather map, the characteristics
of the particular weather front (rainy, windy,
sunny, etc…). The following day, each group
presented their poster and their findings on
the weather front assigned to them to the rest
of the class, acting as a teacher. They will be
graded on their poster and how accurately the
represent the information.
Students will be given the daily newspaper,
or to ensure that the experiment works as
planned, a pre-planned set of high
temperatures for a period of two – three
weeks. After this initial period of data
collection where the students will write the
high temperature on a chart, they students
will then draw a bar graph either using
graph paper or a graphing program on the
computer. The key feature of this exercise
is that there needs to be a significant drop
in temperature that the students can see on
the bar graph. This allows the teacher to
explain that a cold front moved through the
area. After the initial bar graph is
completed, the teacher can have a
brainstorming session with the students
about things such as why the temperature
dropped. The teacher can use inquiry and
allow the students to formulate hypothesis,
and then help them figure out which one of
them is most correct.
4. Students will be able to
describe the effects of air
pollution both to humans and
the effects that it has on the
Earth’s atmosphere
Unit tests / quizzes to gauge their
understanding of pollution and the effects that
it can have on the Earth and the environment.
Test will have to focus on the fact that the
environment can dilute pollution, but only up
to a saturation point, at which point the
pollution tends to build up over cities, in
valleys, etc. and starts to cause negative
consequences for everyone involved.
Students will first crush up half a piece of
chalk into a fine dust. This should be done
between a folded piece of paper to prevent
the mess. They will next take a jar and fill it
with hot water (~120F), screw the cap on,
and let the jar stand for 3 minutes to warm.
Next, dump out 2/3 of the water, and place
another cap on it. This cap will be larger,
and have holes punched in it (5, made with
a nail) to let air transfer. Place 2 ice cubes
on top of the jar cap, and let it stand for 3
minutes. Now, remove the ice cubes and
the cap, and sprinkle some finely ground
chalk in the jar and immediately screw the
original jar cap on. Within a few minutes,
clouds should form in the jar, with the chalk
particles acting as condensation nuclei for
the clouds to condense upon. This could
be extended to show that with too much
pollution in the air, an otherwise non-rainy
area might become rainy because the rain
droplets would now have something to form
on (the pollution particles in the air).