Weather and Climate

Delany Marley
Third Grade STEAM Unit
Lesson 1: The Water Cycle

1. Standard:

a. 3-ESS2-1. Represent data in tables and graphical displays to describe typical

weather conditions expected during a particular season.

2. Instructional Resources and Materials

a. Science notebooks

b. Water

c. Hot plate

d. Metal pan

e. Ice cubes

f. Glass beaker

g. Water cycle diagram (1 per student)

h. Water cycle-fill-in-the-blank vocabulary worksheet

i. Bill Nye Water Cycle Video (1:27-2:55)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YPJ2iIzrqac

3. Lesson Objectives

a. The students will be able to explain how water moves through the water cycle by

recording observations and developing conclusions about the water cycle.

b. Academic Language (Key Vocabulary/or Text structures (i.e. a graph)

i. Evaporation: water changes from a liquid to a gas; occurs more rapidly at

warmer temperatures

ii. Atmosphere: the gases the surround the earth

 iii. Condensation: water changes from a gas to a liquid; occurs when water

vapor gets cold

iv. Precipitation: water falling to the earth in the form of rain, hail, mist, sleet,

or snow

v. Collection: water that falls as precipitation comes together in bodies of

water such as oceans, rivers, lakes, and streams, or underground

4. Assessment

a. Informal (formative)- Class discussion and observations.

b. Formal (summative)- Draw a diagram of the water cycle in their science

notebooks. Students should be able to explain the steps in the water cycle.

5. Instructional Strategies and Learning Tasks

a. Anticipatory Set

i. Engage Students: Ask the students to answer the following prompt in

their science notebooks or in a class discussion: Name things in nature

that are made only of water

ii. Activate Prior Knowledge: Ask students to volunteer answers in order to

compile a class list. The list may include oceans, rivers, streams, ponds,

lakes, clouds, rain, snow, ice, underground water, and water used and

disposed of by humans.

b. Instruction and Modeling

i. Tell students that water moves from location to location all around the

Earth. Have students think about the following questions: Where do

 Clouds come from? Where does the rain come from? These movements

are part of something called the water cycle.

c. Guided Practice

i. Tell students that the process by which water moves and is changed is

called the water cycle. Write the words water cycle on the vocabulary

wall. To present a model of the water cycle, boil some water in a glass

beaker on a hot plate. Ask the students to observe with their eyes and ears

what happens to the water. Have students record their observations in

their science journals or discuss as a class. What makes the water

evaporate or boil?

ii. Hold a metal pan with ice cubes above the boiling water and ask students

what they think will happen, then to watch what happens to the bottom of

the pan. Why do water droplets collect on the bottom of the pan? Why

does the steam turn back into a liquid on the metal plate?

iii. When the water starts to fall off the pan and back down into the beaker,

explain that this is called precipitation. Precipitation happens when water

droplets become heavy and fall due to gravity. Draw a diagram of this

model on the board and label the key parts and processes. Find copy of

Bill Nye Water Cycle, one URL is:

(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YPJ2iIzrqac) and watch segment

from 1:27 – 2:55 to explain the water cycle. Explain that when water pools

together such as in ponds and lakes, this is called collection.

 iv. Ask the students where else they have observed precipitation. Guide them

to think of examples like rain or snow outside. Explain to students that

rain is a form of precipitation. Ask students where rain comes

from. Using the model of the water cycle, ask students to think about

where the water from the sky is coming from. Review

evaporation. Water evaporates into the air and condenses to form

clouds. Ask students to brainstorm sources of water for evaporation, such

as rivers, lakes, and oceans.

v. Use the color copies or overhead of the water cycle to discuss the water

cycle in detail. Ask students to describe the steps of the water cycle in

their own words. Then have students fill out the diagram on the “Can You

Identify the Steps of the Water Cycle?” worksheet.

d. Closure

i. Discuss the following questions as a class: Does water in the ground end

up in the atmosphere again? How? How does water change states in the

water cycle?

e. Independent Practice

i. Exit Sheet: Draw a diagram of the water cycle. Students should be able to

explain the steps in the water cycle.

Lesson 2: Water Cycle Stories

1. Standard:

a. CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.3.2 Write informative/explanatory texts to examine a

topic and convey ideas and information clearly.

2. Instructional Resources and Materials

a. Science Notebooks

b. Paper and supplies for coloring

c. Beads (white, clear, blue, yellow) (at least 4 per student)

3. Lesson Objectives

a. The students will be able to explain how water moves through the water cycle by

writing their own water cycle stories for a fictional alien character.

b. Academic Language (Key Vocabulary/or Text structures (i.e. a graph)

i. Evaporation: water changes from a liquid to a gas; occurs more rapidly at

warmer temperatures

ii. Atmosphere: the gases the surround the earth

iii. Condensation: water changes from a gas to a liquid; occurs when water

vapor gets cold

iv. Precipitation: water falling to the earth in the form of rain, hail, mist, sleet,

or snow

v. Collection: water that falls as precipitation comes together in bodies of

water such as oceans, rivers, lakes, and streams, or underground.

 vi. Once students have a conceptual understanding of the vocabulary word

they should create a 4-Square (Frayer Method from Key Vocabulary

Routine) for the above words.

4. Assessment

a. Informal (formative): note participation in class activities and discussions

b. Formal (summative): Science notebook responses, drawings, models of water

cycle, water cycle bracelets

5. Instructional Strategies and Learning Tasks

a. Anticipatory Set

i. Engage students: have a short class discussion

1. Ask students to recall what they remember about the water

cycle. Tell students that you are going to test their memories

before today’s activity. For a useful mnemonic device, use hand

gestures to review the different stages of the water cycle.

a. Evaporation: moving hands up like steam rising

b. Condensation: moving hands together in the shape of a

puffy "cloud”

c. Precipitation: moving hands down like rain

d. Collection: form a ring with your arms to form a lake

ii. Activate Prior Knowledge: Ask about the water cycle from previous

lesson.

b. Instruction and Modeling

 i. Tell students to imagine that a spaceship has just landed outside on the

playground. The aliens demand to speak to a human representative about

water on your planet. Even though they are from the planet Zorlax, they

have learned to speak English. However, they have not spent any time on

Earth. Using pictures or writing, explain to the alien how water moves

around the earth. Make sure to use terms that are easy to understand.

ii. Give students materials to create pictures or models of the water cycle if

necessary. Students may include writing as well. If time allows, give

students the opportunity to take turns being the human and the alien to see

if the students’ explanations of the water cycle are clear enough for the

alien to understand. The teacher and teacher’s assistants may play the part

of the alien as well.

iii. Bonus Activity (if time allows): Students can make water cycle bracelets

using differently colored beads strung on a piece of pipe cleaner. Make a

key on the board to indicate which color represents which different step of

the water cycle. Students should make sure to follow the proper pattern

and be prepared to explain the order in which they placed their

beads. Have students double-check the order of their beads with the

teacher before they string them.

iv.

Bead Color What it Represents

Yellow Sun
 Clear Bead Evaporation

White Bead Condensation (Clouds)

Blue Bead Precipitation/ Collection

c. Guided Practice

i. Once you have reviewed these steps and hand motions, play a game of

cold calling where you call out a step of the water cycle and a student's

name and they have to act out that stage of the water cycle. Make sure to

call on each student at least once. If a student gets it wrong, give them

another opportunity to try until they do get it right. Stop when you have

called on every student and your class demonstrates an understanding of

the water cycle.

d. Closure

i. Ask students to discuss what would happen to the water cycle if there was

no evaporation (i.e. liquid water never turned into water vapor). Help

them understand that each step of the water cycle is dependent on one

another, and they each have to go in order.

e. Independent Practice

i. Exit Ticket: Ask the students how they think the water cycle relates to

weather. Have them write their answer in their science journal.

Lesson 3: Water

1. Standard:

a. 3-ESS3-1. Make a claim about the merit of a design solution that reduces the

impacts of a weather-related hazard.

2. Instructional Resources and Materials

a. Science notebooks

b. Globe

c. Plastic globe ball of earth

d. Ziti in bags with 2 red and 1 green (10)

e. Clean Water Preservation Tools (spoon, coffee filter, pipette, comb, fork, etc) (5)

f. Containers for water (5)

g. Food Coloring

h. Salt

i. Sunflower Seeds (1 bag)

3. Lesson Objectives

a. The students will be able to understand the uses of water to human life and the

effects of water pollution by using models to see the effects of pollution and how

to reverse it.

b. Academic Language (Key Vocabulary/or Text structures (i.e. a graph)

i. Water Pollution: is anything that gets in water that can make it

unclean. Ask students to give examples of pollution.

4. Assessment

a. Informal (formative)-Class discussion and observe group interactions.

 b. Formal (summative)-

i. Science notebook responses to the following questions:

1. How can humans prevent pollution before it is a problem?

2. Is it possible that we could run out of clean water?

3. What materials would you like to try next to clean up the water?

5. Instructional Strategies and Learning Tasks

a. Anticipatory Set

i. Engage students:

1. Ask the students to answer the following prompt in their science

notebooks or in a class discussion: List all the ways you use fresh

water every day. If students would like an example, ideas may

include drinking, bathing, washing clothes and dishes, and

watering plants and lawns.

ii. Activate Prior Knowledge

b. Instruction and Modeling

i. Ask students if water is found in places other than on the surface of the

globe. Students should remember from the water cycle that some water is

underground and some is in the atmosphere. Explain that there is such a

tiny amount of water in the air compared to other places that it will not be

included in the following activity.

ii. Break students up into small groups. Give each group a bag with ziti, and

have them sort by color. Explain that there are 100 pieces of ziti and that

they represent all of the water in the world (100%). If you would like to
 introduce percentages to your class, tell the class that each ziti is 1%.

Explain that a percentage is a part (or fraction) out of a 100. If you would

not like to introduce percentages, make sure to emphasize that one ziti is a

very small part out of the whole bag.

iii. Each bag will contain two red ziti and one green ziti. Discuss that the

uncolored ziti represents all of the water that is in the oceans

(97%). Show the students the globe again and refer to the ice caps on each

pole and the mountains with snow. Explain that the red ziti represent all

of the water in the ice found at the -poles and in glaciers. Ask students

what the final one green ziti represents. It represents all of the freshwater

that is available for all of the plants, animals, and people on

earth. Emphasize that even though the Earth is covered with water, there

is very little water on Earth that humans and other animals can use to

drink. You may show students the difference between freshwater and salt

water by adding salt and sand to freshwater and asking them which one

they would rather drink.

iv. After your students are done observing the ziti model, take the ziti and

then, to show a more concrete example of the scarcity of water, take a liter

of water and pour out 10 milliliters in a separate container and tell the

students that this is the amount of freshwater that is available to consume

from all the water in the world.

v. Give each group a container filled with water, as well as the bag of

supplies labeled “Clean Water Preservation Tools”. Classroom teacher add

 different items to the bag. Add two drops of food coloring to each

container and allow the color to spread. Now add a few sunflower seeds

into the water. Ask the class what the color might represent (toxins). Ask

them what the seeds might represent (trash). Write the word pollution on

the Vocabulary Wall. Tell your class that water pollution is anything that

gets in water that can make it unclean. Ask students to give examples of

pollution.

vi. Ask students to use the tools provided in the bag to get the food coloring

out of the water to make the water clean enough to drink again. Tell them

that as groups, their task is to brainstorm ideas to get the food coloring

out.

vii. Give students some time to try to experiment. Have them record what

tools they use on the water and have them write down the results on the

worksheet. After a few minutes, ask the groups to stop. Ask them if any

of them came up with useful strategies to clean the water. Ask each group

to explain their strategies and indicate why they thought it worked or did

not work. Groups should discover that they could not get the food

coloring out of the water. Ask students what that might mean about

pollution.

1. Teacher Explanation: Pollution, including water pollution, can be

irreversible. That means that once water gets polluted, it will

remain polluted. Water that is polluted is not safe for humans or

other animals to drink. Remember that as water goes through the

 water cycle, it can remain polluted, which causes phenomena such

as acid rain.

viii. Lead a discussion about pollution with the class. How can humans

prevent pollution before it is a problem? Is it possible that we could run

out of clean water? What are some things you can do to help save water

(only use what is needed)? How can we reduce the amount of water we

use? What other types of living things besides people need fresh water to

survive?

ix. Refill water containers with clean water and add seeds to represent

reversible pollution, such as floating debris. Students should be able to

clean the water in this activity. Using the same materials from the Clean

Water Preservation Tools bag, challenge students to try to clean the water

by taking out all of the pollution.

c. Guided Practice

i. Show students the globe of the earth that is in their classroom. Ask a

student to identify where they live on the globe. Then, play a game

throwing the plastic globe ball around the room between the

students. Students must catch the ball with both hands and then tell where

their right thumb lands. If it lands on water, draw a tally for water on the

board, and if it lands on land, draw a tally for land on the board. Do this

enough times so that you can demonstrate the large proportion of water to

land. To ensure that every student gets a chance to participate, ask students

to sit after they have caught the ball once.

 ii. Tell students that today they will explore how humans can interact with

the water all around us.

d. Closure

i. Discuss the following questions as a class. What happens if a river or a

lake becomes polluted? Can it still be used as a source of

freshwater? Why is it important to keep our sources of freshwater

clean? Why is it important to conserve freshwater?

e. Independent Practice

i. Exit Ticket: Have students answer in their science journals, if polluted

water can always be cleaned. Have them use evidence from their

experiments and data from their recording sheets. Keeping in mind the

many ways people use water in their life, also have students write a few

sentences on why to is important to keep water clean.

Lesson 4: Types of Precipitation

1. Standard:

a. CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.3.MD.A.2

Measure and estimate liquid volumes and masses of objects using standard units

of grams (g), kilograms (kg), and liters (l).1 Add, subtract, multiply, or divide to

solve one-step word problems involving masses or volumes that are given in the

same units, e.g., by using drawings (such as a beaker with a measurement scale)

to represent the problem.

2. Instructional Resources and Materials

a. Pictures of different precipitation (3 sets)

b. Rulers

c. Paper

3. Lesson Objectives

a. The students will be able to describe precipitation and compare and contrast

different types of precipitation by using a bar graph about temperature in San

Diego. https://www.usclimatedata.com/climate/san-diego/california/united-

states/usca0982

b. Academic Language(Key Vocabulary/or Text structures (i.e. a graph)

i. Rain falls when growing water droplets become too heavy to remain in

clouds, and fall toward the earth’s surface. Rain can also begin as ice

crystals that come together to form large snowflakes. As the falling snow

comes into contact with warmer air, the flakes melt and collapse into

raindrops.
 ii. Hail is a large frozen raindrop produced by intense thunderstorms where

snow and rain can coexist. As the snowflakes fall, liquid water freezes

onto them forming ice pellets that will continue to grow as more and more

droplets are accumulated. The hailstone reaches the ground as ice because

it is not in contact with the warm air below the thunderstorm long enough

to melt before reaching the ground.

iii. Sleet is frozen raindrops that bounce when they hit the ground or hit

something else. Sleet begins as snow high in the atmosphere and then

partially melts in warmer layers of air but then refreezes in colder areas of

air as it falls.

iv. Snow is ice crystals that form into flakes. Snow forms at temperatures

below freezing. For snow to reach the earth's surface the temperature in

the troposphere needs to be at or below freezing. It can be slightly above

freezing in some layers if the layer is not warm or deep enough to melt the

snowflakes too much.

4. Assessment

a. Informal (formative)-class discussion

b. Formal (summative)-graphing worksheet

5. Instructional Strategies and Learning Tasks

a. Anticipatory Set

i. Engage students:

1. Pair share questions then discuss with whole class.

ii. Activate Prior Knowledge

 1. What types of water fall out of the sky?

2. What types of precipitate are most common during different times

of the year?

3. Does it need to be cold for it to rain?

4. How can you tell when a rainstorm might be coming?

5. Does the air feel humid (damp and heavy)?

b. Instruction and Modeling

i. From the previous lessons, students should know that water in the

atmosphere (from the water cycle) falls back to the earth as precipitation.

Water evaporates from the earth to forms clouds that create precipitation.

Discuss the different types of precipitation as a class, using the pictures

provided as a visual aid. Precipitation can be either liquid (rain) or solid

(hail, sleet, or snow).

ii. Make sure that students understand that there exist layers of warm and

cool air in the troposphere. The temperature of these layers do not

necessarily relate directly to their altitude, although on average

temperature decreases when altitude increases.

iii. Discuss how to measure precipitation. Tell students that they can collect

precipitation in a tool called a gauge, and they can measure precipitation

by reading the value in millimeters. Show a picture of rain gauges. The

gauge can measure precipitation as long as there is no barrier or extreme

wind. Tell students that a rain gauge was the tool that was used to collect
 the inches of precipitation that fell in San Diego. Use the graph about

average precipitation in San Diego to answer the questions.

c. Guided Practice

i. As a class look at the Average Precipitation in San Diego in 2016.

https://www.usclimatedata.com/climate/san-diego/california/united-

states/usca0982

ii. Go over questions:

1. Was there more precipitation in July or November?

2. About how many inches of precipitation fell in February?

 3. Do you think there will be more than 24 inches of rain that will fall

next August? Explain.

iii. Complete a top down web or two-column note sheet about precipitation.

Use word banks as a modification for students.

d. Closure

i. Have students fill out a closure sheet and select 3 questions to answer.

Collaborate in small groups

1. Which type of precipitation is water in its liquid form?

2. Which types of precipitation are made of water in its solid form?

3. How is sleet different from hail?

4. How is rain different from snow?

5. How are rain, sleet, snow, and hail similar?

6. What happens if there is too much or too little rain?

e. Independent Practice

i. Exit Ticket: Write down the one of the answers that your group came up

with for one of the questions.

Lesson 5: Wind

1. Standard:

a. CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.3.4

Report on a topic or text, tell a story, or recount an experience with appropriate

facts and relevant, descriptive details, speaking clearly at an understandable pace.

2. Instructional Resources and Materials

a. “Wind and Clouds” from Hands on Nature Pg. 293

b. Puppets

i. Large popsicle sticks and paper cut outs

c. The Cloud Book by Tomie Depaola

3. Lesson Objectives

a. The students will be able to explain how wind causes weather and understand the

different types of clouds by acting out a puppet show about wind and clouds.

b. Academic Language (Key Vocabulary/or Text structures (i.e. a graph)

i. Wind: Wind can be very strong or it can be a gentle breeze. All winds are

created when warm air rises and expands while cooler dense air flows into

replace it. Winds stir and mix in the atmosphere and pick up moisture as

they blow over the earth, forming clouds and carrying them away. Wind

and clouds bring us weather as they swirl around the globe. Winds are

results of different temperature on earth due to unequal heating of the

earth’s surface by the sun. Remember how the sun heats up the earth in the

water cycle making water evaporate? Well the sun doesn’t heat up the

earth equally, this caused wind. The direction of the wind also affects our
 weather. North winds tend to bring cold weather and south winds bring

warm temperatures. Winds from the northwest, west and southwest bring

good weather, and the northeast, east, and south tend to bring stormy

weather. When the direction of the wind changes, so does the weather

ii. Clouds: Looking at the clouds in the sky can tell you a lot about the

weather. The more ominous the clouds look, the more chance the weather

is not going to be good.

1. Cloud Types:

4. Assessment

a. Informal (formative)-Class discussion

b. Formal (summative)- Reader’s Theater Puppet Show

5. Instructional Strategies and Learning Tasks

a. Anticipatory Set

i. Engage students:

ii. Activate Prior Knowledge

b. Instruction and Modeling

i. After reading The Cloud Book

1. Class Discussion:

a. Why did Henry have his eye on the sky?

b. What can looking at the sky tell us?

2. Have students create the three basic types of clouds using cotton

balls

3. Have students write a paragraph about each of the types of cloud.

4. Combine the cloud pictures with the paragraphs to make cloud

books.

ii. Use the puppet show from Hands on Nature entitled “Wind and Clouds”

(pg 293) as readers theater.

1. Students can create the characters by drawing them on paper and

taping the cut outs to large Popsicle sticks.

c. Guided Practice

i. Read aloud The Cloud Book.

d. Closure

i. Have a class discussion about their favorite parts of putting on a play and

why they think it is good to learn things in different ways.

e. Independent Practice
i. Exit Ticket: Draw a picture of what the clouds might look like in the sky

before it rains. How would you explain to a kindergartener why we have

weather?
Lesson 6: Wind

1. Standard:

a. 3-ESS2-1. Represent data in tables and graphical displays to describe typical

weather conditions expected during a particular season.

2. Instructional Resources and Materials

a. Science Notebooks

b. Fan

c. Beaufort wind scale handouts (1 per student)

d. Making an anemometer student instructions (1 per student)

e. Scissors

f. Pencils

g. Small paper Dixie cups (1 box)

h. Straws (2 boxes)

i. Push Pins (1 container)

j. Large plastic cups (1 bag)

k. Packing Tape

l. Stapler

m. Cardboard Square (1 per student) *optional

n. Anemometer (1)

o. Weather Vane (1)

p. Wind chill chart handout (1 per student)

q. ELMO

3. Lesson Objectives
 a. The students will be able to make predictions using the Beaufort wind scale by

constructing, testing, and analyzing a device to measure wind speed.

b. Academic Language (Key Vocabulary/or Text structures (i.e. a graph)

i. Weather Vanes: a device that measures the direction of the wind. The

weather vane is usually combined with the anemometer. Wind

direction is the direction from which the wind is blowing.

ii. Anemometer: an instrument for measuring the speed of the wind,

iii. Wind speed: the measure motion of the air

iv. Beaufort Scale: a measure of wind speed

v. Air Pressure: weight of air pressing down on the earth due to gravity,

(the heavier the weight of the air, the more air pressure on the earth’s

surface)

vi. Once students have a conceptual understanding of the vocabulary

word they should create a 4-Square (Frayer Method from Key

Vocabulary Routine) for the above word(s).

4. Assessment

a. Informal (formative)-participation in class activities and discussions

b. Formal (summative)-science notebook responses, completed wind vanes

5. Instructional Strategies and Learning Tasks

a. Anticipatory Set

i. Engage students: Discuss air pressure with the class. Relate it to the idea

of weight. Have a student volunteer to come to the front of their arm with

books. Ask them how their feet feel, is there more pressure on their feet?
 If air weighs more, then it feels heavier. Write the definition on the board

and have students record it in their Science Notebooks.

ii. Activate Prior Knowledge

1. Have students think about their puppet show and remind them that

wind is air moving in the atmosphere and exists because of

differences in the air such as temperature and pressure. As the sun

warms the Earth’s surface, the air in the atmosphere warms too.

Some parts of the earth receive direct rays from the sin all year and

are always warm. Other places receive indirect rays so the climate

is colder. Warm air weighs less than cool air and rises. Then cool

air moves in and replaces the rising warm air. This movement of

air is what makes the wind blow.

b. Instruction and Modeling

i. Discuss the relationship between wind and air pressure with the

class. Explain that when wind blows, air is moving away from areas of

high pressure and towards areas of low pressure. Knowing the

direction and speed of wind is important in making weather

forecasts. Show students the sample weather vane. Explain that

weather vanes are tools used to measure the direction that the wind

blows. The weather vane points in the direction the wind is blowing.

ii. Introduce students to the Beaufort Wind Scale and explain that this

is how winds with different speeds are described. Hand out copies of

the class set of Beaufort Wind Scale student handouts. Discuss the
 differences between the different levels of wind. Explain that

students can use these descriptions to assess the speed of the

wind. This scale helps you to observe weather, but can only be used

to estimate wind speeds. Tell students they will be investigating more

quantitative ways to measure wind speed.

iii. Ask students to brainstorm other methods to measure wind speed besides

the Beaufort wind scale. Ask students to sketch their ideas or designs in

their science notebooks, and an explanation of how it would help measure

wind speed.

iv. Explain that anemometers are tools used to measure the speed of wind and

show students an anemometer. Go over the procedure for making one. If

the weather permits, tell students they can test their anemometers outside

when they are finished. (or use fan to test)

1. Break students up into small groups and provide them with the

How to Make an Anemometer handouts and materials. Have

students make predictions about how quickly the anemometer will

spin in different places, or with different wind speeds. Assist

student groups as necessary to construct and test t he anemometer.

2. When groups are finished have them test it outside or with a fan.

Leave one or more outside and make observations over time.

3. Assist students in measuring and recording how many times their

marked cup goes around in one minute. If using a fan try to make

this measurement with the fan at three different speeds. If outside

 on a windy day, make the measurements in 3 different locations.

Compare the results of the store bought anemometer with the

student made ones.

4. Lead a class discussion of the results and ask the different student

groups to share their observations and conclusions.

5. Show students the website

http://web.williams.edu/weather/archives.ph and create

two graphs showing the current day and year and the same

date in a different year.

c. Guided Practice

i. Parts i & ii

d. Closure

i. Discuss the following questions:

1. What is wind? Where does wind come from? How is temperature

related to air pressure? How can we measure wind direction? Why

is it important for weather forecasters to know about wind

direction? How can we measure wind speed? Why is it important

to know wind speed? How do strong winds affect humans?

e. Independent Practice

i. Exit Ticket: Have students write a short paragraph comparing the two

graphs you looked up. Have students describe the wind of both dates

corresponding to the Beaufort Wind Scale.

Lesson 7: Climate

1. Standard:

a. 3-ESS2-2 Obtain and combine information to describe climates in different

regions of the world.

b. CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.3.1 Ask and answer questions to demonstrate

understanding of a text, referring explicitly to the text as the basis for the answers.

2. Instructional Resources and Materials

a. Spray paint video

b. Spray painted ball(1)

c. Pictures of Climate Zones(1)

d. Tape

e. “Climate zones”

3. Lesson Objectives

a. The students will be able to name the five climate zones and understand the

difference between weather and climate by reading an article.

b. Academic Language(Key Vocabulary/or Text structures (i.e. a graph)

i. Climate: the weather conditions prevailing in an area in general or over a

long period.

ii. Equator: an imaginary line drawn around the earth equally distant from

poles, dividing the earth into northern and southern hemispheres and

constituting the parallel of latitude 0°.

iii. Polar Regions: The polar regions of Earth, also known as Earth's frigid

zones, are the regions of Earth surrounding its geographical poles

 iv. Tropics: a region of the Earth surrounding the Equator.

v. Temperate Climate Zone: a climate that is warm in the summer, cold in

the winter and moderate in the spring and fall.

vi. Once students have a conceptual understanding of the vocabulary word

they should create a 4-Square (Frayer Method from Key Vocabulary

Routine) for the above word(s).

4. Assesssment

a. Informal (formative)- Class discussion.

b. Formal (summative)- Assessment: Journal: What is the difference between

weather and climate? Draw a picture of yourself in a tropical region. What might

you be wearing? What is the difference between weather and climate?

5. Instructional Strategies and Learning Tasks

a. Anticipatory Set

i. Engage students:

ii. Activate Prior Knowledge

b. Instruction and Modeling

i. Hold up the spray painted ball and tell students that today they will find

out why the ball looks this way.

ii. Describe to students how the way the spray paint ended up on the ball

shows how the sun’s rays hit the equator and why the poles are colder.

iii. Remind students that we have been learning about different types of

weather and we already know that weather is different during different

seasons. An area’s weather over a long period of time is called climate.

 Review all of the factors that influence weather: wind , precipitation,

humidity, etc. Tell students that not all places on earth have the same

climate. Climate is important because only certain types of plants and

animals can live in a particular climate. A region’s climate, together with

its physical characteristics, determines its plant and animal life .Earth has

three main climate zones—tropical, temperate, and polar. These zones can

be further divided into smaller zones, each with its own typical climate.

We will be studying 5 climate zones .

iv. Explain why there is a difference in the area that the paint covers. Ask the

following questions and discuss as a class.

1. Can you compare the color to the distribution of heat from the sun?

2. How do you think this shows how much heat the earth receives

from the sun?

3. Why do you think it is warmer around the equator than further

south towards the Polar Regions?

4. Which areas of the planet would have the warmest seas?

5. What difference do you think this would make to the amount of

water that would be evaporated from the surface of the sea?

6. Which parts of the planet do you think would have the highest

rainfall and the highest temperatures?

v. Use the picture on the following page for this part, you can choose to draw

the graphic on the board or show the picture on whatever overhead/smart

board device you have. Preview the names of the climate regions and tell
 children they will be investigating a picture of a climate zone. Break the

class up into 5 groups and have them become experts on one of the climate

pictures. Ask students to think where on the graphic their climate would

be found? Explain why they think that.

vi. When all the students have finished making predictions about where the

climate would be located. Classmates can listen and agree or disagree with

the presenters findings about where they think the climate would be

located.

vii. While the students are presenting the teacher can reinforce where the

climates would be found and clear up misconceptions or inaccuracies that

the students bring up. For instance, students may only locate the climate

on the Northern Hemisphere of the globe.

c. Guided Practice

i. To reinforce that different climates are found in different parts of the

world, the classroom teacher should read, “Climate Zones” from

Readworks.org and answer questions at the end of the selection. The

multiple choice questions at the end of the selection should be used as

guiding questions during reading.

d. Closure

i. Have students reflect back to the opening activity with the spray bottle.

Ask for volunteers to describe how the sun hits the earth’s surface and

how that impacts climate.

e. Independent Practice
i. Exit Ticket: Write one fact that you learned about a climate other than the

one you became an expert on.










 POLAR AND TUNDRA
Polar climates are cold and dry, with long, dark winters. In the tundra (a
treeless region bordering the Arctic), temperatures rise above freezing for
only a few months each year.

.


TEMPERATE FOREST
Temperate climates have warm summers and cool winters with year-round
rain or snow. Temperate forests are characterized by deciduous trees, which
lose their leaves during the winter.

 DESERT
Earth’s deserts are hot and dry year-round, and usually receive less than 10 in
(250 mm) of rainfall a year. Deserts are often found in the center of
continents, far from the sea.

 GRASSLANDS
Tropical grasslands, such as the African savanna, lie between desert areas and
tropical rainforests. The climate is hot all year, but with a distinct wet season
and dry season.


TROPICAL RAINFOREST
Tropical rainforests are found in regions near the equator. Here, the climate is
hot and wet all year, with temperatures remaining at around 80–82ºF (27–
28ºC).

Lesson 8: Why do we have different climates?

1. Standard:

a. 3-ESS2-2 Obtain and combine information to describe climates in different

regions of the world.

2. Instructional Resources and Materials

a. Spray painted ball

b. Pictures of Climate Zones

c. “An Introduction to Climates”

3. Lesson Objectives

a. The students will be able to describe why weather conditions vary over a year by

region by reading an article.

b. Academic Language(Key Vocabulary/or Text structures (i.e. a graph)

i. Latitude: The distance of a place north or south from the equator. The

closer a region is to the equator, the hotter it is on average all year long.

The farther away it is, the cooler it is. Summers become shorter and

milder. As you approach the poles, winters become bitterly cold.

ii. Altitude: The height of a place above sea level. Higher elevations tend to

be colder than lower elevations.

iii. Oceans and Large Lakes: Water rises and drops in temperature more

slowly than land. Water also warms or cools the air above it. As wind

blows this milder air around it affects a region’s temperature. Areas near

water tend to have milder winters and cooler summers than places at the

same latitude that are away from water.

 iv. Mountain Ranges: Air cannot go through mountains. Instead, it rises and

cools as it travels up the side of a mountain. Cold air cannot hold as much

water as warm air does. The rapid cooling causes rain, which removes

most of the water. All of the rain stays on the same side of the mountain!

The other side of the mountain is dryer and may even become as dry as a

desert.

v. Wind: Six major belts of wind blow around the Earth. They blow from

different directions. For example, Polar winds blow north to south.

Westerly winds blow west to east. As they do, they distribute cool air,

heat, and moisture to different parts of the world

vi. Vegetation: plants considered collectively, especially those found in a

particular area or habitat

vii. Regions: an area or division, especially part of a country or the world

having definable characteristics but not always fixed boundaries.

viii. Equator: an imaginary line drawn around the earth equally distant from

both poles, dividing the earth into northern and southern hemispheres and

constituting the parallel of latitude 0.

4. Assessment

a. Informal (formative)

i. Class discussion

b. Formal (summative)

i. Student activity page

 ii. In science journals have students explain why the climate of a dessert is

different than a climate of a polar region.

5. Instructional Strategies and Learning Tasks

a. Anticipatory Set

i. Engage students:

1. Tell students that based on data, they will have to guess a “Mystery

Climate”

2. Don’t tell students that it’s the Sahara Desert; have them guess

based on the data averages and what they know based on weather

and climate.

3. Sahara Desert:

a. Average Yearly Temperature: 86 Fahrenheit, Average

temperature in summer: 104F

b. Average Yearly Rainfall: 3 in. a year

c. Average humidity: 25%

ii. Activate Prior Knowledge

1. If students are stuck, ask leading questions comparing the climate

to that of San Diego (e.g. Do we get more than 3 inches of rain a

year?)

b. Instruction and Modeling

i. Remind students that last time we met you saw a model of how the sun’s

rays hit the Earth. Show the model. Today we are going to see why the

heating effect of the Sun on Earth’s surface affects weather and climate in
 a particular region. This activity is to help you understand the heating

effect of the sun on the surface of the earth and why some places are

warmer than others.

ii. Read “An Introduction to Climate” from Readworks.org and answer

questions. The teacher can choose to ask the multiple choice questions as

guided questions while the students are reading and the students can

answer the open response questions with their desk partners.

c. Guided Practice

i. The teacher can choose to ask the multiple choice questions as guided

questions during reading as a class.

d. Closure

i. After completing the task discuss why climate is different in different

regions. Remind students about the difference between weather and

climate.

e. Independent Practice

i. Exit Ticket: In science journals have students explain why the climate of a

dessert is different than a climate of a polar region.

Lesson 9: Li Bing and the Flooding

1. Standard:

a. 3-ESS3-1 Make a claim about the merit of a design solution that reduces the

impacts of a weather-related hazard.

2. Instructional Resources and Materials

a. “Li Bing and the Flooding”

b. Sand Rocks

c. Plastic Bag

d. Sponges

e. Craft Sticks

f. Cotton Balls

g. Duct Tape

h. Ruler

3. Lesson Objectives

a. The students will be able to compare and contrast different design solutions to

prevent flooding by evaluating the design of two different barriers to prevent

flooding and building their own model.

b. Academic Language (Key Vocabulary/or Text structures (i.e. a graph)

i. Levee- an embankment built to prevent the overflow of a river

4. Assessment

a. Informal (formative)- discussion and group collaboration during levee

brainstorming and construction

 b. Formal (summative)-Students will summarize how the solution to flooding in San

Diego and China are the same or different, students will design a levee that best

prevents a flood.

5. Instructional Strategies and Learning Tasks

a. Anticipatory Set

i. Engage students:

1. Show students a picture of flood control chutes.

ii. Activate Prior Knowledge

1. Ask students if they have ever seen anything like it in San Diego or

another place and ask if they think they know what they are for.

b. Instruction and Modeling

i. San Diego has a history of flooding and other dangers that occur when

there is more rain than it can handle. For example, just this past winter, a

rain storm created flooding near Fashion Valley, power outages, and even

mudslides. During times like these it is important to find ways to make

sure that people are safe. For example, when the San Diego River changed

its course during a flood, a levee was constructed to direct the river into

Mission Bay. Other places around the world face the same problem and

have chosen a different solution.

ii. Point to China on a map and tell children that they will read a passage

about a similar problem in this part of the world.

iii. This passage explains that the Min River in China used to overflow and

flood the homes of the people who lived along the river. Li Bing, the
 governor of the people, ultimately came up with the idea to build a levee

that would move the extra water of the river away from the people’s

homes and to a flat plain of land that needed water to grow plants. When

the levee was done, not only did the water stop flooding the homes of the

people but it also helped the plants grow in the flat land. Before you read

this story you will need to know some vocabulary. Introduce the word

Levee. Write Levee on the board and create a vocabulary 4 square for the

word.

iv. While reading think of ways that climate and weather affect our lives and

our homes. Pay attention to how Li Bing solves the problem. What other

ways can you think of to solve the problem of flooding?

v. Introduce this challenge to the students: Help! Water is flooding your

town and the mayor has asked for your engineering skills. You need to

design and build a levee which will prevent rising flood waters from

reaching the opposite side of the town.

1. Criteria:

a. The levee must be contained inside the box.

b. The levee must prevent flood waters from reaching the

opposite side of the box.

c. The levee must be constructed from approved materials.

d. Measure each side of the levee using two different types of

measurement: cm and m.

e. Calculate the area and perimeter of the levee.

 vi. Each student presents their ideas to their team. Student teams collaborate

to develop a final design plan. Students draw and label their final design

plan and make a list of needed supplies. Groups can design their levee

using a drawing app or make a video of their final product and narrate

what they did.

vii. Student teams build their design according to their design plan. Students

test their design plan using the gallon jug and pour water until the levee

fails, when water reaches the other side of the levee. It is helpful to record

how much of the gallon each team used by marking the jug with a

permanent marker at the point the levee failed. Label with a team number.

You may wish to accurately measure the amount of water each levee holds

(this will take more time) but labeling the jug is a quick reference to which

levee held the most water. Allow students to record data.

c. Guided Practice

i. Read “Li Bing and the Flooding”\

ii. Guide discussion and present examples of levees in San Diego and other

parts of the world.

d. Closure

i. Have a class discussion where students evaluate their design for success.

Did it meet the established criteria? Did their final design match their

planned design?

e. Independent Practice

i. Exit ticket: Answer this question:

1. How would you improve your design?
Lesson 10: Changemaking PBL

1. Standard:

a. 3-ESS3-1. Make a claim about the merit of a design solution that reduces the

impacts of a weather-related hazard.

2. Instructional Resources and Materials

a. Online resources through Ipads/laptops

b. Camera(if technology does not include a camera)

3. Lesson Objectives

a. The students will be able to describe ways to help conserve water during a

drought by creating an informational video to share with the rest of the school.

b. Academic Language (Key Vocabulary/or Text structures (i.e. a graph)

i. Drought

ii. Water Cycle

iii. Conservation

4. Assessment

a. Informal (formative): Group discussions and planning.

b. Formal (summative)-Video, science journals

5. Instructional Strategies and Learning Tasks

a. Anticipatory Set

i. Engage students:

1. Ask students why they think it might be a problem if it doesn’t rain

for a long period of time.

ii. Activate Prior Knowledge

 1. Based on what they have learned about the water cycle, what

problems do they think that would cause?

b. Instruction and Modeling

i. Place students in groups of 6-7 students and assign them an area to

research about droughts and ways to conserve water. The key questions

for these groups can be:

1. What is a drought?

2. Why should we conserve water?

3. How can we conserve water in the home?

4. How can we conserve water at school?

ii. The students will create a script to use and create video clips with these

scripts about their key question to be compiled into a class video to be

shared with the rest of the school. Have them record their research and

scripts in their science notebooks.

iii. Provide students with sources to research such as:

1. http://drought.unl.edu/DroughtforKids.aspx

2. http://www.ecy.wa.gov/programs/wr/ws/wtrcnsv.html

3. http://eartheasy.com/live_water_saving.htm

4. https://wateruseitwisely.com/kids/

5. http://www.thewaterpage.com/water-conservation-kids.htm

iv. When they are ready to record, have them use their tablets (if that is not

available you can film with your own phone or camera).

c. Guided Practice
 1. Show students an example video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rl0YiZjTqpw

2. Tell students that their portion of the video can be a skit like the

video or they can just present their information that they find.

3. As a class, create a goal for the school to reach of water conserved

and create a competition between classrooms or grade levels.

d. Closure-

i. Reflection page in Science Journal:

1. Name one strategy that you have used at home to conserve water.

2. Do you feel that you have made a difference for your community?

Why or why not?

e. Independent Practice

i. Continue to actively practice these strategies and share your learnings with

your families.

Links to Readworks PDFs:

“Climate Zones”

https://www.franklinboe.org/cms/lib/NJ01000817/Centricity/Domain/1938/Climate%20Reading

s.pdf

“An Introduction to Climates”

http://coast.wcsb.us/Portals/Wakulla/Coast/Intro%20to%20Climates.pdf

“Li Bing and the Flooding”

https://d3jc3ahdjad7x7.cloudfront.net/ShElQ1Nuym8KFaMi95QgcLLbnbworCAuHDGJhZbDy

mdB6bGg.pdf
Levee Design Worksheet

https://www.teachengineering.org/content/cub_/activities/cub_weather/cub_weather_lesson05_a

ctivity1_worksheet_tedl.pdf