weather lesson 2: “the make” · 2019. 10. 4. · weather lesson 2: “the make” educator’s...

Weather Lesson 2: “The Make” Educator’s Resource Guide

Objective: In the Make, students will:

1. Learn about the factors involved in two weather fronts through a differentiated note-taking sheet

2. Construct a kinesthetic model of a weather front, acting out the various factors that contribute to a front of their choice

3. Communicate understanding of weather to the group through class presentations

Time Required: 150 minutes

Materials Required Safety Considerations Science & Engineering Practices

● Paper to make props

● Colored pencils/markers

● Computers to research

weather front

● None ● Developing and Using

Models

● Communicating

Findings/Design

Inquiry Scale: Level 1: (recommended for grades 4-5)

Learners take notes on the Level 1 notetaker. Teacher writes the scripts for the various weather fronts

and gives them to groups of students to read and practice, as well as their assigned roles. Students then

present these weather front plays to the class.

Level 2: (recommended for grades 5-6)

Learners take notes on the Level 1 notetaker. Teacher first models one of the weather fronts as an

example. Learners are then given their assigned weather front, and teacher leads a class-wide

brainstorm for each weather front. Students then split into groups to plan and practice their play,

followed by performance of their weather front plays in front of the class.


Learners take notes on the Level 2 notetaker. Learners are given the opportunity to choose their

assigned weather front, but teacher gives them the role cards that correspond to their specific weather

front. Students then split into groups to plan and practice their play, followed by performance of their

weather front plays in front of the class.


Learners take notes on the Level 3 notetaker. Learners independently complete all aspects of the Make

process, including choosing a weather front (but make sure all are represented across the class),

planning and practicing their own weather front play, and presenting their play to another group.

Agenda:

I. Show PowerPoint to introduce the Make Activity (10-15 minutes)

The PowerPoint will review essential concepts learned in “The Solve” and provide context for their

upcoming “Make” challenge.

Tip: Since there is a lot of new information in this PowerPoint, be sure to pass out the note-taking sheets

to students before you get started (located in Appendix B). There are three different levels of

note-taking sheets that range in the amount of support they provide for students. You can choose to

give different note-taking guides to different sets of students depending on their specific needs.

Slide 2: What weather factors did Mosa experience in the comic?

1. Think-pair-share

2. Kids share out answers

3. Compile a list of weather factors on the board: temperature, rain, humidity, cloud cover, wind

speed

Slide 3: What do you think is the primary cause of all weather patterns?

1. The Sun!

2. Learners often think that the reason some areas of the Earth are warmer than others is due to

how close that region is to the Sun. Emphasize to students using the diagram that what makes

certain regions warmer than others is the angle at which the sun’s rays hit the region.

3. Let’s go over all of the factors that make up the weather around us!

Slide 4: Sun-Earth System

1. Think-pair-share: What did you learn from the comic about how the Earth interacts with the

sun?

Steer the conversation towards the following points: the Earth is round, the Earth is tilted at an

angle (23 degrees).

2. Think-pair-share: How do you think this affects different areas on Earth?

Steer the conversation towards the following points: Earth’s surface is heated unevenly; different

regions will have different temperatures; different regions will be in different seasons at the

same time.

Slide 5: Air Masses

1. In Mosa Mack's weather mystery, you learned that Mosa was in different air masses. But what is

an air mass?

2. Write student ideas on the board and then define air mass for the students: “a body of air with

similar temperature, humidity, and pressure”

3. Think-pair-share: What do you see happening in the picture on the screen?

a. Kids share out answers

b. Answer: 1) Heat from the sun is absorbed by the Earth’s surface. 2) The heat is

transferred to the molecules in the air above that area (if students are familiar with

conduction, highlight this as a great example). This gives the air mass its characteristics.

For example, an air mass above the tropics would be warm and humid because of the

amount of heat absorbed in that region and the amount of water vapor evaporating

from the ocean.

Slide 6: Wind Speed (slide 1 of 2)

1. Think-pair-share: Based on what you read in the comic and what you see in the picture on the

screen (and if you’ve seen Mosa Mack’s Thermal Energy animation), which direction does warm

air move? Cold air?


b. Answer: Warm air rises, cold air moves in to replace that air mass

2. The red circles and blue triangles may look familiar from the weather channel! Red means it is a

warm front and blue means it is a cold front. The circles or blue triangles point in the direction

that the air mass is moving.

Slide 7: Wind Speed (Slide 2 of 2)

1. Think back to the comic. Why is removing a rock from a bucket similar to warm and cold air

masses?

Answer: As warm air rises, it leaves a vacuum which draws in a cold air mass, creating wind. Just like

removing a rock from a bucket of water! This creates wind!

Slide 8: Weather Fronts

1. As air masses rise and fall, convection currents are created (heat transfer). Tip: If students

haven’t yet learned about convection currents, ask them to think about how even when heating

vents are on the floor, the top bunk of a bunk bed always seems the warmest. This is because

warm air, being less dense, rises to the top of the room. As it cools (without a heat source), it

falls, creating a convection current.

2. When two air masses of different temperatures and pressures interact, it is called a weather

front, and leads to different weather phenomena. You will be learning about four different types

today!

a. Warm Front

b. Cold Front

3. Think-Pair-Share: What observations can you make about what is happening in each of the

weather front diagrams?

Answer: Warm air rises over cold air. The direction the air masses move is different depending on

the type of front.

Humidity and Precipitation

1. Think-pair-share: Where did you learn from the comic about where rain comes from?


Answer: Water vapor in the air condenses into rain or snow.

2. Explain to students that humidity is the amount of water vapor in the air (evaporated from

water on Earth). If humidity is in the air when a weather front occurs, water condenses into

clouds and then rain!

Slide 10: For your make, you are going to create a play that acts out and narrates a particular weather

front, explaining the effect of various weather factors on specific weather events.

Slide 11: 1. Each of you will play different roles in your play, using the role cards provided in your student

guide

Slide 12-13: 1. These are the steps to your Steps to The Make and your

2. Group Roles

II. The Make (120 minutes)

Students choose a weather front and fill out the planning organizer

1. Students research factors that cause their weather front as well as weather events that result

from their weather front

2. Students plan a cast list and then write a script that tells the story of your weather front.

a. Pass out a set of role cards to each group.

3. Students perform their play in front of the class (2-3 minutes). As students watch, they will fill

out their jigsaw chart to learn about the fronts.

Extension: For students who would benefit from an additional challenge, include Stationary Fronts and

Occluded Fronts as options when selecting a front to model.

III. Exit Ticket (10 minutes)

Students complete the exit ticket, which sums up their understanding of the Make and connects to the

Design.

Note: In collaborative classrooms, this serves as the individual accountability in an otherwise group

project.

Exit Ticket Answers

As you watch the other plays, record information about each weather front below:

Weather Front Factors That Cause Weather Front Effects of Weather Front

Cold Front ● Rapidly moving cold air mass runs into a slowly moving warm air mass

● Cold air mass sinks under warm air mass

● As warm air cools, it chills to the temperature that condensation occurs, creating clouds.

● Strong winds ● Severe thunderstorms ● If enough humidity, heavy

rain or snowfall ● If not enough humidity,

only cloudy skies

Warm Front ● Slowly moving warm air mass runs into a slowly slowly moving cold air mass

● Warm air rises above cold air

● Clouds ● Storms ● Rain ● thunderstorms ● If enough

humidity,showers and light rain

● If not enough humidity, dry scattered clouds

● Many days of fog or rain

Extension Solutions:

Stationary Front

● Cold and warm air masses meet, but neither has force to move the other

● Humidity will decide the weather effect

● Water vapor in the air condenses into rain, snow, fog, or clouds

● Can remain over many days

Occluded Front

● Warm air mass is caught between two cooler masses

● Cooler air masses move underneath and push warm air mass upward, which cools and allows any water vapor to condense

● Two cooler masses meet in the middle and mix

● Temperature becomes cooler

● If humid, warm air mass cools and water vapor condenses, resulting in clouds, rain, or snow

1. If you now know the factors that cause each weather front, how might you be able to predict certain

weather events, such as storms, in a region?

If you know what factors to look for that correspond to each weather front, then you may be able to

predict the type of weather front to occur as well as the effects of it.

Appendix A: Role Cards

Appendix B: Weather Notetaker (Level 3)

As you go through the powerpoint, take notes in the chart below.

Topic Notes

Reflect Think-Pair-Share: What weather factors did Mosa experience in the video?

Sun-Earth System

Think-Pair-Share: What do you think is the primary cause of all weather patterns?

Air Masses

Air mass: Think-Pair-Share: What do you see happening in the picture on the screen?

Wind Speed

Think-Pair-Share: Based on what you remember from thermal energy and what you see in the picture on the screen, which direction does warm air move? Cold air?

Weather Fronts

Think-Pair-Share: What observations can you make about what is happening in each of the weather front diagrams?


Think-Pair-Share: Where do you think rain comes from?

Weather Notetaker (Level 2) As you go through the powerpoint, take notes in the chart below.

Topic Notes


Sun-Earth System


● Earth is tilted at a 23 degree angle ● That means that ____________

__________________________ ● Different regions will have different

________________________ ● Different regions will be in different

____________ at the same time.

Air Masses

Air mass: ______________________ __________________________________________________________. Think-Pair-Share: What do you see happening in the picture on the screen?

1. Heat from the sun is absorbed by the ____________________.

2. The heat is transferred to the air above that area by conduction. ________________________________________________.

Wind Speed

Think-Pair-Share: Based on what you remember from thermal energy and what you see in the picture on the screen, which direction does warm air move? Cold air?

● Warm air ______, cold air _____ ● This creates ____________! As warm air

rises, it leaves a vacuum which draws in a cold air mass, creating wind.

Weather Fronts

As air masses rise and fall, __________ ____________________________. When two air masses of different ________________________ collide, it is called a weather front and leads to different weather phenomena. You will be learning about four different types today!

1. ___________________ 2. ___________________




● Humidity is __________________________

(evaporated from water on Earth). ● If humidity is in the air when a weather

front occurs, water condenses into _______________!

Weather Notetaker (Level 1)

As you go through the powerpoint, take notes in the chart below.

Topic Notes


Sun-Earth System


● Earth is tilted at a 23 degree angle ● That means that Earth’s surface is

heated unevenly ● Different regions will have different

temperatures ● Different regions will be in different

seasons at the same time.

Air Masses

Air mass: a body of air with similar temperature, humidity, and pressure. Think-Pair-Share: What do you see happening in the picture on the screen?

3. Heat from the sun is absorbed by the Earth’s surface.

4. The heat is transferred to the air above that area by conduction. This gives the air mass its characteristics.

Wind Speed Think-Pair-Share: Based on what you remember from thermal energy and what

you see in the picture on the screen, which direction does warm air move? Cold air?

● Warm air rises, cold air falls ● This creates wind! As warm air rises,

it leaves a vacuum which draws in a cold air mass, creating wind.

Weather Fronts

As air masses rise and fall, convection currents are created. When two air masses of different temperatures and pressures collide, it is called a weather front and leads to different weather phenomena. You will be learning about four different types today!

1. Warm Front 2. Cold Front




● Humidity is the amount of water vapor in the air (evaporated from water on Earth).

● If humidity is in the air when a weather front occurs, water condenses into clouds and then rain!

Make Assessment: Project Grade and Rubric Score Sheet - Weather

Project Submitted by ________________________________________

Weather Make Checklist: Content Concepts and Practices ❏ Narrates the name of the chosen weather front

❏ Acts out all relevant weather factors that contribute to the weather front

❏ Narration accurately describes these in detail

❏ Kinesthetically models the movement and interaction of air masses

❏ Acts out all relevant weather effects that occur because of the weather front

❏ Narration accurately describes this in detail

❏ Characters are clearly represented, either orally or with props/signs

❏ Performance is engaging and enthusiastic

❏ Actors do not read from scripts

❏ Eye contact and volume is appropriate

Cognitive Skills Rubric:

Emerging (1) Developing (2) Proficient (3) Advanced (4)

Developing and Using Models

Drawings, diagrams, or visual models include major misconceptions or has missing parts. Explanation of the model is minimal or not present.

Drawings, diagrams, or visual models include minor misconceptions or has missing parts. Explanation of the model is minimal.

Drawings, diagrams, or visual models are complete, but contain a minor misconception. Explanation of the model is complete but lacking complexity.

Drawings, diagrams, or visual models have no misconceptions and contain all details. Explanation of the model is complete and complex.

Communicating Findings/Design (Oral Presentation)

Findings/Design are incompletely and inaccurately communicated. Or no evidence of using appropriate eye contact, adequate volume, or clear pronunciation.

Findings/Design are completely communicated with some misconceptions. Or Uses minimal eye contact, inappropriate volume, or inconsistent pronunciation.

Findings/Design are completely communicated but lacking depth and complexity. Or often uses eye contact and engaging and appropriate volume and pronunciation, but is inconsistent.

Findings/Design are completely communicated with depth and complexity. Or mostly uses eye contact and engaging and appropriate volume and pronunciation.

Teacher Comments:

Final Score: Final Grade:

weather lesson 2: “the make” · 2019. 10. 4. · weather lesson 2: “the make” educator’s...

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