Grade Level: 5 Unit Title

Writers:

Michelle Ellis

1. 
   Grade Level: 5
   

2. 
   Unit Title: Weather and Climate
   

3. 
   Unit Length: 7 Weeks
   

4. 
   Major Unit Goal/Learning Outcomes:
   

• 
  construct a water cycle including evaporation, condensation, precipitation and run-off
  
• 
  identify the factors which affect predicable weather patterns
  
• 
  compare how factors affect predicable weather patterns
  
• 
  compare and contrast the various cloud types, including how they are related to weather systems
  
• 
  share how global atmospheric patterns affect weather
  
• 
  collect weather data and identify trends in the data
  
• 
  explain how geographic affects climate and weather
  

5. 
   Objective Chart and RBT tags
   

6. 
   ELD/EC
   

7. 
   Materials/Equipment
   

• 
  Microsoft Publisher (excellent alternative website in lesson)
  
• 
  Digital Camera/Camcorder
  
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  Internet Access (or other materials on the water cycle)
  
• 
  Paper for publication if not using a computer
  
• 
  Newspapers or other sources that feature article writing
  
• 
  Teacher created example to engage students
  
• 
  Vocabulary sheet
  

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  A large, clear bowl
  
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  Plastic wrap
  
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  A small weight
  
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  A small bathroom drinking cup with a lip on the bottom
  
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  A rubber-band or piece of string
  

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  Microsoft Publisher/PowerPoint
  
• 
  Digital Camera/Camcorder
  
• 
  Internet Access
  
• 
  Tri-Fold presentation boards
  
• 
  Teacher created example to engage students
  
• 
  General craft supplies to support various products
  
• 
  United Streaming Access (if available)
  
• 
  Multiple resources for each area of study
  

• 
  Ice cube
  
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  Hot water
  
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  Clear, clean jar
  
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  Book: It Looked Like Spilt Milk
  
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  Pictures of the following cloud types: cirrus, stratus, cumulus, and cumulonimbus [If you choose this option, use a lesson plan variation accordingly.]
  

• 
  A PowerPoint on the Gaston County Schools website http://gaston.k12.nc.us/resources/teachers/ppt/science.htm [Click 3-5 and choose Clouds 2 under Earth Science]
  

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  At least 3 thermometers; [Suggest: 6 thermometers.]
  
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  Pictures of a mountain/mountain range, with snow on the caps; ocean, wind effects, land, beach area, urbanization (city and country), etc
  
• 
  Completed Weather Data Sheets
  

• 
  Video or DVD- An Inconvenient Truth by Al Gore
  
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  Video or DVD player
  
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  Book: How We Know What We Know About Our Changing Climate, Scientists and Kids Explore Global Warming by Lynne Cherry and Gary Braasch
  
• 
  One copy of each of the graphs found in the appendix of this lesson
  
• 
  Chart paper
  
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  Markers
  
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  Glue sticks
  
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  Colored pencil
  
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  Kids Page from the Pew Center on Global Climate Change http://www.pewclimate.org/global-warming-basics/kidspage.cfm
  
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  www.globe.gov [http://www.globe.gov/tctg/learnviz.pdf?sectionId=30]
  
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  Science notebook for each student
  
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  White legal size paper
  

• 
  Baking soda
  
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  Vinegar
  
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  500 mL beaker or glass jar of similar size
  
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  Small votive candle
  
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  Matches
  
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  Piece of poster board 12” x 3”
  
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  Pie pan
  
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  Clear plastic saucer. [Use a plastic saucer that sit under plants, but do NOT have the concentric rings on the bottom.]
  
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  Styrofoam cups (4 per group)
  
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  Hot water source
  
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  Tap water source
  
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  Buckets
  
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  Food coloring
  
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  Eye dropper (1 per group)
  
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  Pint jars (2 per group)
  
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  3 thermometers
  
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  1 stick @ 1.5 meters in length
  
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  Soil
  
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  Small shovel for soil
  
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  Colored pencils or markers
  
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  Small dishes or jar lids (2 per group)
  
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  Tablespoons (1 per group)
  
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  Water
  
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  Light source (sun or lamp/light) (1 per group)
  
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  Plastic wrap and or lids to cover dishes
  
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  Open, clear container, such as a glass baking dish
  
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  Rocks
  
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  Paper cup
  
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  Measuring cup
  
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  Room-temperature water
  
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  Computer connected to internet
  
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  Projector for computer
  
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  Science notebooks
  
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  Atlas which contains physical and temperature maps of the United States.
  

8. 
   Big Ideas
   

• 
  Water, which covers the majority of the earth's surface, circulates through the crust, oceans, and atmosphere in what is known as the "water cycle." Water evaporates from the earth's surface, rises and cools as it moves to higher elevations, condenses as rain or snow, and falls to the surface where it collects in lakes, oceans, soil, and in rocks underground.
  
• 
  Water is a solvent. As it passes through the water cycle it dissolves minerals and gases and carries them to the oceans.
  
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  The atmosphere is a mixture of nitrogen, oxygen, and trace gases that include water vapor. The atmosphere has different properties at different elevations.
  
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  Clouds, formed by the condensation of water vapor, affect weather and climate.
  
• 
  Global patterns of atmospheric movement influence local weather. Oceans have a major effect on climate, because water in the oceans holds a large amount of heat.
  
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  Living organisms have played many roles in the earth system, including affecting the composition of the atmosphere, producing some types of rocks, and contributing to the weathering of rocks.
  

9. 
   Unit Notes
   

Weather and climate are typically associated with rain, clouds, storms, wind and temperature. Water is central to the concept of weather and climate. It is considered the universal solvent dissolves more substances than any other liquid. As it goes through the ground or our bodies, it carries valuable chemicals, minerals, and nutrients. Water that is pure has a neutral pH of 7 so it is neither acidic nor basic. It is the only natural substance that is found in all three states, liquid, solid (ice), and gas (steam) at temperatures found on Earth. The water on Earth is constantly interacting, changing and moving.

Water freezes at 32° Fahrenheit and boils at 212° Fahrenheit. When using Celsius, the freezing point of water is 0° and the boiling point is 100°. In solid form, water is less dense than it is in liquid form; that is why it floats. Water has the ability to absorb a lot of heat before increasing its temperature. This ability to absorb heat helps to regulate how air changes temperature. The water’s ability to absorb heat is the reason why the temperature changes gradually rather than suddenly between the seasons.

The water cycle is one of Earth systems which connects to other systems on Earth. While some components of the water cycle are observable, others are not directly observable by students. The water cycle is quite complex and the three step model (evaporation, precipitation, and condensation) is very simplistic and does not accurately portray this complex system. In fifth grade, it is important for students to understand the following parts of the water cycle: evaporation, condensation, precipitation, and run-off. The following are all of the parts of the water cycle (most information is from http://ga.water.usgs.gov/edu/watercyclerunoff.html):

When rain hits ground that cannot absorb water it begins to flow downhill over the land. During a heavy rain you might notice small rivulets of water flowing downhill just like you will see it flowing down your driveway. Water flows along channels as it moves into larger creeks, streams, and rivers. Eventually the rivers run into the ocean. About a third of the precipitation that falls on land runs off into streams and rivers and is finally returned to the oceans. The rest is evaporated, transpired by plants, or soaks into ground water.

Clouds play a very important role in weather and climate. It is important when discussing clouds to address humidity, wind, temperature, geography, and precipitation. Clouds are a product of condensation in the water cycle. Water vapor cools in the atmosphere (condenses) and forms small droplets of water and oftentimes ice. Clouds have very diverse forms and can be linked to specific weather conditions and predictions without sophisticated equipment. Good sources of information about clouds and their related weather conditions can be found at:

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  http://www.srh.noaa.gov/fwd/media/appendix/glossaryf.htm
  
• 
  http://www.srh.weather.gov/jetstream/synoptic/clouds_max.htm
  
• 
  The following is a very good tutorial to use with students: http://asd-www.larc.nasa.gov/SCOOL/tutorial/
  

These climate patterns are called "oscillations" by meteorologists. These patterns change and fluctuate on time scales ranging from days to decades. With improved technology, have helped meteorologists come to understand many of the most important oscillations.

Interactions between the atmosphere and the oceans are at the core of most of the patterns because the atmosphere and ocean push and pull against one another. When one makes a move, it affects the other. The ocean is much slower to respond to environmental changes than the atmosphere, the two are unequal.

Global warming is very complex. It involves both natural and human-made processes. Water cycles and global climate change is interconnected. Students need to learn about how to understand the system of global warming and the basic scientific concepts that impact it. They also need to know how global warming will impact people along with learning about how the data about global warming causes discrepancies between scientists.

The following lessons on global warming are meant to provide concrete models to illustrate abstract concepts. For more information than can be explained in this content blast some websites have been listed to help the teacher build their own understanding of global climate change.

• 
  http://yosemite.epa.gov/oar/globalwarming.nsf/content/Climate.html
  
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  http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/ice/greenhouse.html
  
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  http://www.eia.doe.gov/oiaf/1605/ggccebro/chapter1.html
  

10. 
    Global Content