Weather & Atmosphere: Week 5

Please Do These Lessons...

Day 1

Introducing the Cross Cutting Concept of Systems and System Models

View Bozeman science video Systems and System Models

What systems can you see in the weather? Write down your ideas and observations. Do you have other ideas that are not on this list?

    • What has the weather been like the last week? How hot or cold has it been? How rainy has it been? How windy has it been?

    • How is the weather alike or different from the summer or the winter? Is it similar enough from day to day so that you know what you would wear if you were to go outside?

    • Do you think that Arizona or Colorado have the same weather systems? Do you think that the weather there today is the same as our weather here in Oregon today? Why or why not?

Day 2

How do climates vary?

Over the last two weeks we investigated our local weather. Over the next two weeks we are going to connect weather to climate, and to climate change.

Use the Initial Model: Weather and Climate page to show what you are thinking now by developing a model about weather and climate. There are no right or wrong answers, this is just what you are thinking right now.

Watch these three videos to learn about the difference between weather and climate.

Day 3

How do things like altitude, latitude, geography, and topography relate to weather and climate in our region, and across the planet?

Today your task is to investigate climate by using modified SEPUP Activity 53.

You will use several data sources for this (provided) and can add your own data from the previous two weeks (when you investigated local weather).

Additional Resources

Video - Climate Factor Rap

Video - Weather and Climate

Day 4

Why do we confuse weather and climate?

Watch these two videos about weather, climate and climate change:

Day 5 - Funday Friday!

Paper Tube Raceway

Materials

  • Tape or other materials that can be used to attach pieces of your raceway together.

  • Paper tubes, paper plates, cardboard cartons

  • Marbles, small balls, cars, or other items that can toll through your raceway

The Challenge

  • Design a structure using your materials that is either free standing or attached to a wall. This structure will be your raceway for marbles, a car, or another object of your choice.

More Ideas

  • Try building the longest raceway that you can.

  • Try building a raceway with curves and jumps

  • Build two or more raceways and hold a competition

  • Decorate your raceway.

  • Here are some other creative ideas - https://safeshare.tv/x/KJJfpuV3ne0#