http://www.beodom.com/assets/images/blog/heat-transmittance-means.jpg

6.2 % Water Vapor _________ Symbol _____

3.6 % Carbon Dioxide ________ Symbol _____

15.7 % Oxygen __________ Symbol _____

Accuracy- 28 (7each) ______

Color Coded- 22 ________

% included-20 (5each) _______

Neat- 10 ______

(Attachment 9)

I. Grade Level/Unit Number: 7^th grade
II: Unit Title: Atmospheric conditions and weather hazards
III. Unit Length: 10 days
IV. Objectives Included:

1.01, 1.02, 1.03, 1.04, 1.05, 1.06, 1.08, 1.09, 1.10, 3.03, 3.05, 3.06

V. Materials Needed:

Handouts

For the teacher demonstrations:

1 apple per class, a cutting utensil, water, black paper, a gallon clear jar, colored warm water, matches, a gallon size bag of ice

1 triple beam balance or electric scale per group, 1 balloon per group

with a needle, meter stick, refrigerator or cooler with ice

If possible you can build several psychrometers and allow students to travel to locations within your school and collect the readings or assign 2 students a day to do the collecting and rotate the responsibility.

Day 1

To assess prior knowledge ask students to brainstorm what they think weather includes. Allow them to use the concept map to record their answers. (attachment 1) (Suggest that students might list words like temperature, and types of storms.)

You will need a piece of black paper, a clear jar, colored warm water, matches,

and a gallon size bag of ice.
Cloud demonstration: #1

1. 
   Tape black paper on the side of the jar so you can’t see through the jar.
   
2. 
   Fill one third of the jar with colored warm water.
   
3. 
   Light the match and hold it over the jar opening.
   
4. 
   After a few seconds, drop the match into the jar and cover the top of the jar with the bag of ice.
   
5. 
   Record your observations.
   
6. 
   If it does not work the first time, try it again.
   

The following link provides a visual and a step of processes illustrating how clouds are formed.

(by not wasting water, recycle plastics and cans, don’t pollute by littering trash, carpool when able, volunteer for highway clean up, compost food waste, replanting trees or ground cover, using biodegradable products, using car washes because they recycle water, not destroying forests or ground cover)

Day 2

1. Slice an apple into quarters. Set 3 of the sections aside to represent the

world’s oceans.

2. Cut the remaining quarter (which represents land) in half. Set on section aside.

(This is the land that is uninhabitable to humans such as polar areas, high

mountains, deserts and swamps.)

3. The portion left (1/8 of the apple) represents land where people can live. Slice

it into four sections. Set 3 sections aside (3/32 of the apple). These areas are

too rocky, wet, cold, steep, or populated to grow food.

4. Carefully peel the skin off the remaining section (1/32 of the apple). This small

peel represents the portion of the earth’s land that is cultivated.

5. Take the ¾ of the apple that represents water (from #1). Cut a thin slice off to

represent the 3% of water that is fresh.

6. Cut off 1/3 of the thin slice to represent the amount of fresh water that is not

locked up in glaciers or polar ice caps.

7. Half of that slice actually represents the amount of fresh water that is

accessible (less than 1% of all water on earth).
Let students know that we can change salt water into freshwater but it is a very expensive process. Water is a natural resource that is continually recycled every day. We do not have factories that create fresh water.
To illustrate the amount of water located on earth, you can demonstrate the following to your classes:

Materials needed per class: water, measuring containers

2. Take out 2 ¼ cups = fresh water, the remainder left is salty water

3. From the 2 ¼ cups remove 1 ½ cups = polar ice caps and glaciers

4. From the remaining ¾ cup, remove ¼ cup water = water tied up in atmosphere or soil

5. ½ cup remaining = ground water and surface water

6. From the ½ cup, remove 5 drops = fresh water available to humans

7. The rest is either unreachable or unfeasible to use
(adapted from CESI Newsletter – Winter 87-88)

Explore:

Ask: What happens when we pollute?

Pollution can damage buildings, or structures. It can create smog that lingers in a town or even travels to nearby towns. It can contribute to acid rain which can damage buildings or contaminate water supplies. Collect rain water or water from a nearby lake or stream and introduce students to pH paper. Allow them to check the pH of your local water to determine if it is acid or basic. Rain water is naturally, slightly acidic. Brainstorm ways that humans can decrease pollution and reduce acid rain. You can also review the Clean Air Act which is legislation that reduces smog and air pollution and works toward maintaining clean air standards.

Ask: How does the water cycle play a role in smog or pollution?

(Since rain is recycled, acid rain can be transported to new towns or regions and can effect others)
Visit the following website for an interactive pH activity:

http://www.miamisci.org/ph/
The website below shows a pH scale with several examples:

http://library.thinkquest.org/3659/acidbase/ph.html
Visit the following website for an interactive on the water cycle:

http://www.epa.gov/safewater/kids/flash/flash_watercycle.html

Day 3

Distribute attachment 2 lab sheet. Ask students to predict their answers to the question. Break students into groups and pass out the materials being used. Each group will need 1 balloon and 1 triple beam balance or electronic scale.

Make a list of procedures on the board and allow them to add and delete steps until they perfect it. Once your class agrees on a set procedure ask them to begin.

1. 
   Calibrate the balances
   
2. 
   Find the mass of the deflated balloon and record it
   
3. 
   Blow up the balloon and tie it
   
4. 
   Find the mass of the inflated balloon
   
5. 
   Subtract the first mass from the second
   
6. 
   Formulate a conclusion, fill out the lab sheet
   

Allow groups to work independently to complete the lab and each student to complete his own lab sheet (attachment 2).

Follow up the lab with a discussion and ask the following questions:

Why? (it would shrink- because air particles come closer when cooled)

Why? (it would expand- because air particles spread out when heated)

What keeps them up?

Why do they have to be so big?

Why don’t they usually fly in the middle of the day?

Day 4

Materials: basketball, portable hair dryer, bicycle pump with a needle, meter stick, refrigerator or cooler with ice

Procedure:

1. 
   Fill up the basketball to standard pressure.
   
2. 
   Have a student hold the meter stick so that it’s sticking straight up from the floor.
   
3. 
   Drop (don’t throw) the ball onto the floor from about waist height next to the meter stick, and measure how high up it bounces. Be sure to measure from the bottom of the ball.
   
4. 
   Repeat the initial bounce measurements 2-3 times and record the average bounce height.
   

Ask students to predict:

What would happen to the “Bounce of the ball” if we….
1. Put it in the refrigerator or cooler of ice for about 15 minutes?

Would the bounce be higher, lower or the same? Allow students to give their prediction and then demonstrate what happens.

1. 
   As you cool the air in the ball the bounce height decreases because it “seems” to have less air, the air particles have come closer together.
   
2. 
   As you heat the air the bounce height increases, because the air is more spread out in the ball.
   

Students need to understand that air has properties that can be measured, studied and collected. This could lead into a discussion about how the particles of a solid, liquid and gas are arranged. Allow students to draw a picture of the particle arrangement of each or use small beads to show their interpretation of the arrangement. It is OK if they draw the wrong thing; many students may not have ever thought of how solids, liquids and gases are arranged.

Once you look at their drawings or the bead arrangements, discuss how solids have particles arranged close together, and they vibrate off each other. They have a definite size and shape. Liquids are arranged close together. Particles are free to move but flow together if poured. They have a definite volume but no definite shape. Gases are free to move and fill available space. Particles have no definite size or shape. Gases can expand and contract based on the temperature.
Examples of how the actual particle arrangements pictures could look:

Solids Liquids Gases

In order for meteorologists to study weather data must be collected for several properties. Briefly discuss what each property is and how it affects weather.

(See the following list.)
Introduce key vocabulary related to weather, conditions and hazards.

A brief description is included for each term along with an informative website in case you need additional information.

U.S. drought monitor- http://www.drought.unl.edu/dm/monitor.html

(attachment 3).

Day 6

In order to calculate relative humidity you:

1. 
   Take the number that is the difference between the wet and dry bulb
   

2. 
   Take the dry bulb or air temperature reading (found on the left vertical axis).
   

3. 
   Use the chart to calculate the relative humidity. Find the location where the two numbers meet and this will be your relative humidity reading. A number closer to 100% would indicate humid weather such as rain.
   

The following website has an electronic relative humidity calculator

A Celsius relative humidity chart is included (attachment 4).

A Celsius relative humidity chart is included (attachment 4)

Remind students that the answers will be in percent.

The higher the percent, the higher the humidity.

1. 
   If the difference between the wet and dry bulb is 9 ° C and the dry bulb reading is 17° C, what is the relative humidity? 25%
   
2. 
   If the difference between the wet and dry bulb is 4 ° C and the dry bulb reading is 26° C, what is the relative humidity? 70%
   
3. 
   If the difference between the wet and dry bulb is 14 ° C and the dry bulb reading is 29° C, what is the relative humidity? 19%
   
4. 
   If the difference between the wet and dry bulb is 2 ° C and the dry bulb reading is 10° C, what is the relative humidity? 76%
   
5. 
   If the difference between the wet and dry bulb is 6 ° C and the dry bulb reading is 22° C, what is the relative humidity? 53%
   

Students will collect the wet and dry bulb readings for your classroom everyday for one or two weeks and calculate the relative humidity. Post the readings on chart paper in your room so students can keep a log. After a period of collection time (1 or 2 weeks) students will use these readings to create a line graph. Extend the project over several weeks and actually add several locations like the gymnasium, cafeteria or outside. Students can use the collected date to create a multiple line graph. As an extension students can use Excel to insert their data and create a computer generated line graph. (Excel directions are included as attachment 5. It compares the relative humidity readings for 2 locations- the classroom and outside) Students can work individually or with a partner when creating the Excel graph.

Day 7

Weather conditions are dependent on the constant movement of water and air in the atmosphere. Students are probably familiar with the water cycle and the constant movement of water in the atmosphere. You may want to review the basic steps - condensation, evaporation, precipitation, transpiration, runoff, infiltration. A diagram is included for reinforcement. Copy it as a student handout or create an overhead. Review the diagram as a class or students can review it individually (attachment 6).

How stuff works- video on water: (2 minutes)

4. According to Kenyan legend, God creates two rainbows, one male and one female, which must work together to stop the rain.

The following site has mini videos on weather folklore:

http://www.accuweather.com/media-player.asp?partner=accuweather&myadc=0&traveler=0&vidcode=undefined&issub=undefined&subindex=undefined&adfirst=undefined

Day 8

Distribute the tic-tac-toe project and allow students to pick any 3 projects to complete (attachment 8).

Option 1 - Once students have turned in their hand drawn relative humidity line graph, use Excel to create an additional graph. This can be done individually at home as a separate project, it can be done as an interdisciplinary project with a math or computer teacher in your school, or it can be done during a science class period (attachment 5).

Day 10

Name _________________________________ Date ___________

(attachment 1)

Name __________________________________ Date ________

(attachment 3)

Dry bulb thermometer in Celsius		The difference between the wet and dry bulb thermometer
	0	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	15
-20	100	28
-18	100	40
-16	100	48
-14	100	55	11
-12	100	61	23
-10	100	66	33
-8	100	71	41	13
-6	100	73	48	20
-4	100	77	54	32	11
-2	100	79	58	37	20	1
0	100	81	63	45	28	11
2	100	83	67	51	36	20	6
4	100	85	70	56	42	27	14
6	100	86	72	59	46	35	22	10
8	100	87	74	62	51	39	28	17	6
10	100	88	76	65	54	43	33	24	13	4
11	100	88	77	66	55	45	36	26	15	7
12	100	88	78	67	57	48	38	28	19	10	2
13	100	89	78	68	58	49	39	31	22	14	5
14	100	89	79	69	60	50	41	33	25	16	8	1
15	100	90	79	70	61	52	43	35	27	18	12	5
16	100	90	80	71	62	54	45	37	29	21	14	7	1
17	100	90	80	72	63	55	46	39	31	25	17	10	4
18	100	91	81	72	64	56	48	40	33	26	19	12	6
19	100	91	82	73	65	57	49	43	35	28	21	15	9
20	100	91	82	74	66	58	51	44	36	30	23	17	11	5
21	100	92	83	75	67	59	52	45	28	32	25	19	13	7
22	100	92	83	75	68	60	53	46	40	33	27	21	15	10	4
23	100	92	84	76	69	61	54	48	41	35	29	24	18	13	5	2
24	100	92	84	76	69	62	55	49	42	36	30	25	20	14	9	4
25	100	92	85	77	70	63	56	50	44	37	32	27	22	16	11	6
26	100	92	85	77	70	64	57	51	45	39	34	28	23	18	13	9
27	100	93	86	78	71	65	58	52	46	40	35	30	25	20	15	11
28	100	93	86	78	71	65	59	53	47	42	36	31	26	21	17	12
29	100	93	86	79	72	66	60	54	46	43	38	33	28	24	19	15
30	100	93	86	79	72	66	61	55	49	44	39	34	29	25	20	16

In column B list the classroom percentages

In column C list the outside percentages

Left click on A1 and highlight all 3 columns of information

Under Chart choose Line and then choose any of the graphs shown

Under DATA tab- make sure series in: columns is checked off

Go to the SERIES tab

Click SERIES 1- and look to the right beside the word name.

Type: CLASSROOM
Click SERIES 2- and look to the right beside the word name. Type: OUTSIDE

Click on NEXT

6 tabs will pop up

Go to the TITLES tab

Choose CHART TITLE and type in RELATIVE HUMIDITY READINGS AT SCHOOL

Category (X) axis- type in Dates

Category (Y) axis- type in Percentages
Under Gridlines

Click major gridlines for both (the X and Y axis)

Pick your preference for the location of the KEY

Click on NEXT

Place chart as a new sheet

Go down to the paint bucket (where you can change color)- & choose NO FILL

Choose Header/Footer

Custom Header- Under the left section- type your name, date and period. Click OK, OK

Click File, then print preview, -- view your graph (make sure all components are labeled)