6.3.2

Predicting Weather

Storyboard

Teacher instruction and hints are

included within the speaker notes section

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6.3.2 Predicting Weather Matrix

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Teacher Overview: Episode 1

Phenomenon: Some storms come in fast with big rolling clouds and intense rain, and some storms do not.

Student Learning Expectation: Students will make sense of how collisions between air masses of different temperatures and densities create weather patterns, including storms moving along a front.

CCCs:

Use the CCCs as a lens to help focus your lesson, questions, discussion, etc.

• Patterns: Storms and cloud formations follow predictable patterns along boundaries between air masses.
• Cause and Effect: Differences in temperature and density between air masses cause movement and uplift, resulting in storms.
• Energy and Matter: Energy from the Sun drives the movement of air masses, and matter (air and water vapor) is transported and transformed in weather systems.

SEPs:

SEPs are actions that students complete to interact with the phenomena.

• Analyzing and Interpreting Data: Students will examine storm videos and real-time weather maps to identify patterns in cloud movement and storm fronts.
• Obtaining, Evaluating, and Communicating Information: Students will gather and discuss information from weather maps, radar data, and symbols to explain storm movement.
• Constructing Explanations: Students will explain, using evidence from videos and maps, how cold and warm air interactions create storm fronts and influence storm direction.�

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Episode 1

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I can construct an explanation to describe the patterns of moving air masses and how they cause weather.

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Phenomenon Observation

Gather

Gather

Reason

Communicate

Describe the relationship between fronts and weather.

Teacher Overview: Episode 2

Phenomenon: In a given year, Buffalo, NY received 120 inches of snow and Rochester, NY received 90 inches of snow

Student Learning Expectation: I can construct an explanation of how cold air passing over warm water creates increased precipitation.

CCCs:

Use the CCCs as a lens to help focus your lesson, questions, discussion, etc.

• Patterns: Patterns of where snow falls and how much snow falls show that large lakes cause increased precipitation
• Cause and Effect: warm water and cold air create an environment where increased precipitation will fall
• Energy and Matter: warm water passes energy to cold air which causes the air to warm, rise, then cool and condense which causes increased precipitation.

SEPs:

SEPs are actions that students complete to interact with the phenomena.

• Analyzing and Interpreting Data: students will watch and analyze weather reports and models to gather data about increases snowfall next to large lakes.
• Obtaining, Evaluating, and Communicating Information: students will gather data and then communicate why land next to lakes receives increased precipitation.
• Constructing Explanations: students will construct an explanation as to why 2 cities at approximately the same latitude receive different amounts of precipitation.�

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Episode 2

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I can construct an explanation of how cold air passing over warm water creates increased precipitation.

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Phenomenon Observation

In a given year, Buffalo, NY received 120 inches of snow and Rochester, NY received 90 inches of snow.

Wind Direction

Gather

Gather

Lake Ontario

Lake Erie

Reason

Communicate

What causes increased precipitation in areas next to large bodies of water. Use the words from the word bank to complete the explanation.

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Word Bank: cold, cold, condensation, cools, evaporation, precipitation, warmer, warmer, wind

Teacher Overview: Episode 3

Phenomenon:� There are patterns that can be used to predict changes in weather.

Student Learning Expectation:� Students will make sense of how patterns in wind, temperature, radar, and fronts can be used to predict future weather conditions.

CCCs:

Use the CCCs as a lens to help focus your lesson, questions, discussion, etc.

• Patterns: Similar weather patterns occur repeatedly and can be used to make predictions.
• Cause and Effect: Interactions between air masses, temperature, and moisture lead to predictable weather outcomes.
• Systems and System Models: Weather maps are models that represent how components of the atmosphere interact.

SEPs:

SEPs are actions that students complete to interact with the phenomena.

• Using Models: Students will analyze wind, temperature, radar, and front maps to identify patterns and connections.
• Analyzing and Interpreting Data: Students will compare multiple types of weather maps to detect relationships between variables.
• Engaging in Argument from Evidence: Students will use evidence from weather maps to justify and communicate their city-specific weather predictions.

Episode 3

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I can argue from evidence my predictions using a model.

Phenomenon Observation

Gather

Radar

Fronts

Temperature

Wind

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Reason

Communicate

Use evidence from your maps to argue your weather prediction.

Teacher Overview: Episode 4

Phenomenon:� There are patterns that are used to predict changes in weather.

Student Learning Expectation:� Students will discover how collecting and analyzing weather data over multiple days can improve predictions and reveal cause-and-effect relationships in atmospheric patterns.

CCCs:

Use the CCCs as a lens to help focus your lesson, questions, discussion, etc.

• Patterns: Weather patterns emerge from daily data collection and can be used to make and refine predictions.
• Cause and Effect: Changes in weather conditions occur due to interactions between air masses, pressure systems, and other variables.
• Stability and Change: Weather conditions can change suddenly when air masses meet, and these changes can be predicted within certain ranges.
• Systems and System Models: Weather maps and collected data represent parts of a larger atmospheric system that interact over time.

SEPs:

SEPs are actions that students complete to interact with the phenomena.

• Planning and Carrying Out Investigations: Students will design and conduct a multi-day investigation to collect both small-scale (local) and large-scale (national) weather data.
• Analyzing and Interpreting Data: Students will compare daily weather data to detect emerging patterns and causes of change.
• Engaging in Argument from Evidence: Students will use collected evidence to revise predictions and justify their reasoning.
• Constructing Explanations: Students will explain their final predictions based on patterns, causes, and evidence from their multi-day investigation.

Episode 4

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I can construct explanations for predictions for the next day’s forecast using evidence from their analyzed data.

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Phenomenon Observation

Gather

Was your prediction correct? Why or why not?

Reason

What is your new prediction? Why?

Communicate

How are you using the information from the maps to make better predictions?

Final Prediction!

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The prediction needs to be based on your investigation and use evidence from the data you have collected data.

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Assessment