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Windstorms on the Front Range
Data Puzzle
Driving Question:
Is it getting windier on the Front Range of Colorado?
What You Will Be Doing:
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What was the windiest weather you have ever experienced?
Think about…
Opening Scenario
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Winds
Winds are important. They turn wind turbines to generate electricity, create large waves on the shore, or make it uncomfortable to enjoy the view from the top of a mountain.
Strong winds can also cause a lot of damage due to objects flying around, like trampolines, or trees and powerlines falling over.
Winds can also cause wildfires to spread out of control.
Turn and talk: Have you ever seen wind damage in your community?
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Red Flag Warnings
Turn and talk: Have you ever experienced a weather alert? How were you alerted? What type of weather was it for?
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Scientist Julie Lundquist is studying how winds might be changing
Winds are created by differences in air pressure, related to what temperature the air is. As the climate warms, scientists are interested in understanding how that might change winds.
Dr. Julie Lundquist is a scientist who studies the atmosphere and how it interacts to create weather and winds at Earth’s surface. She is trying to figure out if wind patterns are changing and how that affects people living in wildfire prone areas.
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Puzzle Plot Reading
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Instructions
Learn more about the wind and wildfire connection by reading the Puzzle Plot text. To do a close read of the text, complete the following tasks:
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Turn and Talk
Think back to the opening scenario. How does the windiest conditions that YOU have experienced relate to what you just read?
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Identifying Important Science Ideas
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Instructions
Now that you’ve read the Puzzle Plot, it’s time to summarize the important science ideas presented in the text by completing the following tasks:
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Data Analysis - High Wind Days
Turn and Talk:
this graph?
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Instructions
Data Analysis
See Student Worksheets
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Instructions: Update the news article using what you’ve learned.
Argument with evidence
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Is Colorado getting windier? An Update.
In the Spring of 2022 a record number of red flag warnings was issued by the National Weather Service for Boulder County. When Dr. Julie Lundquist looked at the number of windstorms measured by the local weather station, she found that….
Controlled Burns
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Digging deeper
See Student Worksheets