Water and Climate

Weather and Climate

Students explore the difference between weather and climate. They learn that animals have adaptations that help them survive in certain climates. They think about what happens when the climate changes over time. Students analyze weather data, the everyday observable phenomena in the local atmosphere— temperature, wind, and precipitation—and think about the long-term patterns of weather in a place or region.

Curriculum Map

Unit: Adaptations and Climate

State Standards

3-ESS2-1. Use graphs and tables of local weather data to describe and predict typical weather during a particular season in an area.

3-ESS2-2. Obtain and summarize information about the climate of different regions of the world to illustrate that typical weather conditions over a year vary by region.

3-ESS3-1. Evaluate the merit of a design solution that reduces the damage caused by weather.

Essential Questions

• How do animals survive in other climates?

• What happens when the environment changes?

• How is water involved in weather?

• Are weather conditions the same around the world and throughout the year?

Students will...

• Ask questions and defining problems

• Developing and use models

• Plan and carrying out investigations

• Analyze and interpret data

• Construct explanations and design solutions

• Engage in an argument from evidence

• Obtain, evaluate, and communicate information